It has been a busy few days.

Sunday Krl and I made the trek to town to eat. The choice of restaurants was hers, even though we did discuss it. We would toss names out as options and either confirm or reject them. The criteria was simple! If we had one of these restaurants in Abilene, it was not in consideration.

That limited the number of establishments. On the Border, Ajuas, Woofers and Tweeters, The Cattle Baron, and Copper Kettle, just to mention a few. I knew when the Cattle Baron was tossed into play Krl's decision was made. I also knew that I would be embarrassed by this incredibly small woman consuming several times her weight in crab legs!

We arrived shortly after two in the afternoon, and found "the Baron" was winding down from their Sunday lunch run. Excellent timing! We were seated and I scoured the menu just to be sure that our "usual fares" were still available and that no other entrees leapt off the page. It was a quick and simple process before menus were discarded. When our waiter arrived, I began ordering for both of us when he cut me off after I said Alaskan King Crab legs on rice pilaf. I couldn't believe my ears. They were out of what Krl desired most. The ONLY reason this establishment was selected. I asked Krl if she wanted to go on down the list of finalists. The waiter could not believe we would even consider leaving! Obviously he doesn't know us very well.

With a very poor choice, we decided to stay. Krl ordered a seafood sampler, me a peppered steak. When Krl's seafood sampler arrived I was shocked. Everything on it was fried. That was bad. My next question to her was, "Is that catfish on your SEAFOOD platter?" In a shocker, it was!

She picked through her plate, confessing to me the only reason we stayed was for the salad bar! By the time we were leaving, Krl was already getting sick. Too much grease!

Krl told me to point the SUV toward the compound, that the Christmas gifts for all our co-workers would have to wait!

Monday morning saw a plan coming together. I would deliver the weekly billing sheet to the office manager and as soon as she wrote our cheque, Krl, myself and the houndgirls would depart for Abilene. We would carry a load of clothes and other sundry items, spend the night, leave the houndgirls and return to the compound Tuesday morning before lunch (The patron Christmas party was at lunch. The GM was cooking Cajun grub (he actually graduated from a Cajun cooking school in New Orleans) and he had asked Krl and I to do fruit salad for desert!).

The plan was derailed because the office manager, as she has done all year, failed to get checks written in a timely manner. Three o'clock in the afternoon to be specific. So, Krl scrapped the plans to drive in which meant an additional trip because I was going to follow Krl with one truck and trailer to Sweetwater and then I would drive Krl and the hounds the rest of the way home.

My biggest gripe was that I gave the bills to the office manager at two minutes after eight in the morning. She is a nice enough person but I get the feeling she is in "over" her head.

I spent part of my Tuesday morning watching the preparation of part of the noon meal. I had set the fruit cocktail outside the building the previous night to chill (fridge space was in short supply), so I was loose until near noon when Krl and I would mix it up! The GM has an enclosed trailer they were cooking in. If my count was correct they had five burners going. A few of the patrons who "cook" at various functions were on hand to assist and observe.

The GM and his wife had done the cutting and bagging the previous day at their home. Bags of onion, peppers, broccoli, shrimp, mushrooms, and olives laid on the tables ready for their exposure to the large wok as shrimp stir fry was their fate! Secret seasoning was waiting on the table as well. On other burners, pots were heating water to boil jumbo shrimp and sausage while across the way a large grill was being loaded with glowing red coals for grilling shrimp with jalapenos and bacon. Inside the meeting room, beans and rice were cooking toward perfection alongside some chicken dishes for those who couldn't eat shellfish!

The aroma was enough to drive any fat boy wild!

The patrons turned out in good numbers for the meal, and it was a big success! I was beginning to wonder if I had requisitioned enough supplies for my fruit salad, but as I was contemplating using the final gallon of fruit cocktail the serving line dwindled down. The remaining fruit salad was consumed by those who had cooked and served the meal. The left overs were bagged and many found their way home with the many volunteers who assisted.

After the meal, Krl and the houndgirls left the compound headed for Abilene. I waved as they drove away, but I was very jealous.

I had one more obligation for Wednesday night. We were feeding the crews of the compound. Fifteen racks of ribs, 110 1" rib-eyes, Val's loaded red potatoes, several bags of tossed salad along with bread, and of course what all the crew had stayed around for, two water troughs filled with beer and ice. Fourteen thirty packs of Bud Light and six cases of Dos Equis. Of course this didn't count the numerous other coolers of the cooks. Needless to say, alcohol abounded. It wasn't long until the crew brought out tequila and began challenging anyone within range to tequila shots! Of course the primary targets are all the bosses and supervisors, so we were very scarce. Luckily I only had one tequila shot with Fifus, one of the long time employees, before I retreated to the confines of the meeting room to eat.

When I ventured outside again, the crews were passing half gallons of gin and whiskey around. I watched briefly as I made my way to my travel trailer. Four hours of this was enough, and I knew that the loud Mexican music would serenade me into the night. (This is the reason Krl wanted to leave early).

Now the season was over. My last obligation filled.

I had a truck coming to get my big travel trailer at ten Thursday morning. I woke at one-thirty in the morning and began storing items so I could move the slide-outs in for the ride to Abilene.

We left the compound at ten-thirty and by two-thirty the big Rv was pulled across the front of the house in Abilene. We scurried about, levelling and securing, before the driver pulled out with the big truck. They have a bunch of restrictions concerning big trucks in our part of town so we try to get in and out as quickly and quietly as possible.

As soon as the truck was gone, I backed my pickup into the driveway. I was loaded down. One freezer (complete with contents), on small refrigerator (complete with contents), one barbecue grill, our bright yellow mailbox, three propane bottles, one cooler, three tool boxes, one truck tire, lawn chairs, AND a lot of other junk!

We transferred the freezer contents into the freezer in our garage before I grabbed the freezer and lifted it out of the pickup and to the ground. I knew I had this one day to get all of this heavy lifting done because my back would be mad for days! By four-thirty my truck was unloaded and I was ready to soak in a hot bath tub!

By eight I was ready for bed!

Kathryn had come over to see her Meme and Dandy while Trc ran some errands. Trc was picking up supper from Fazzoli's, but my eyes were to heavy to wait.

This morning I woke about five, laid in bed, just soaking it all in. The pups were snoozing, content with their selected spots on top of the electric blanket, Prissy slept, happy to have reclaimed her bed on Krl's side of the bed, and I could hear Krl's steady breathing telling me she was asleep.

It is a great feeling to know that everything is right in your world. And I would agree, "There's no place like home!"

FATHER, thank YOU for all the blessings we enjoy. For the work, for the safety of all the workers and all the miles traveled, for seeing it through. Thank YOU for homecomings! I pray this holiday season will be one to remember! Thank YOU for baby JESUS and the hope and promise we have in him!