I am hopeful today is the day that things go better.

One of my pet peeves is for someone to fix something or attempt to fix something, only to fail and have to do it over again. We have had some of that going on at the shop. My ADD/HD truck driver who just wears me out has been on a roll. He will tackle anything, but often times in his rush messes things up. The last two days have been indicative of this. He had replaced a carrier bearing, only to have the new part malfunction, and he replaced a wheel seal, only for it to continue to leak.

We have sent the failed carrier bearing back to the manufacturer in hopes they will warranty it. These bearings mount in rubber and support drivetrain components. This particular one, the bearing spun inside the rubber mount. I picked up another one from my supplier, who was good enough to supply me with all the paperwork for the warranty claim. My parts man stopped just short of telling me what the odds were for getting my money back. So, now I have spent another $100 to fix the truck again, and I hold on to hope the manufacturer will stand good for their product. (You know it must be nice to have a business with signs posted saying, all warranty's are by the the manufacturer and not by this establishment. Some time it would be nice to have someone go to bat for you!).

The failed wheel seal I think was totally my driver's fault. I watched him install it and replace the hub and wheel assembly on the truck, and I feel his aggressive tactics doomed the repair process. Chalk up another $40 for a new seal.

Of course this driver will expect to be compensated for his failed efforts and his re-do's.

The same driver is one of my biggest complainers. He has told me how much he needs to work, yet yesterday I talked with a gentleman who made me doubt my driver's sincerity. It seems the man I talked to, who is a load broker, had offered my driver a load Monday and my driver rejected it. I was furious. I wove a little trap and during the course of the day, my driver found himself snared and had to come clean.

Tuesday just before lunch I got a call from the afore mentioned broker and I told him I would take a round trip for Pepa's driver, but not for my man. Not for Tuesday.

When I told Pepa's driver he was a priority because he needed to roll by day's end, my driver came to me asking, "What about me?"

I told him these were the same loads he rejected Monday, that he didn't think were good enough to mention to me and besides, his truck was not ready because we have to re-fix most of what he has worked on this week!

I continued, telling this driver he was making it difficult for me to continue to look for something for him to do, when he was costing double for parts.

I guess I made an impact because he became very dedicated, and deligent in his efforts. I feel much better about his work yesterday afternoon, so I sent a step deck trailer with him, in the truck, to Lamesa to retrieve Pepa's tractor and some parts for Hag.

The proof is in the pudding. When he completes this 200 mile shakedown run we will know about the repairs.

In the mean time, I did verbally commit for him a load today. It will be a two day circle that should return him Thursday night or Friday morning. By the way, it is the same as the load he rejected Monday.

I told him a bird in hand is better than just feathers!

It turns out, what I said yesterday in my blog about "trying to wish" something to happen is exactly what he has been trying to do. He told me, the lady he has hauled for a lot in the past told him Monday, she wasn't going to have a load for him this week.

If he had told me this, he could have had two of the load circles he is leaving with today instead of one (for the week). That would have paid him around $775 for driving plus his shop time. Not a bad week for a slow week.

Isn't it true that often we are our own worst enemy?

When Krl and I talked of my yesterday and all the little melodramas, she was quite livid. The problem driver does not rate very high on her list anyhow and he has done nothing to help his case.

I am excited though. That the repairs will be good, and these two trucks can go to work. I just need some relief from these two ugly mugs!

I had a rushed lunch with Memama and Pepa yesterday. Jake was there as well. The event Pat and I have been planning is a party for Pepa's 80th birthday later this month. We selected the day, the 17th, and hopefully everything else will be much easier. He does not seem to be excited. Not even when I told him I was thinking of renting a large tent and maybe an air castle. It didn't even improve his demeanor when I told him I would see if they had an inflatable air structure that looked like a big toilet!

Just kidding! It will be fun. Immediate family, along with Memama and Pepa's siblings, and I am sure a few cousins may accompany their folks on the road. Jeanetta was planning, trying to see if she was going to fly or drive from Indiana. She will have the most hurdles to overcome to get here. It didn't help that this thing came together very quickly. (No we haven't been working on it for eighty years!). We rejected the idea of the community or church function because we didn't want it to get out of hand, size wise. I would invite those who would like to, to send Pepa a birthday card. The real birthdate is the 21st.

We entertained two possible meal options. The first was burgers, chips, and cake. Then I came up with another. I called mine the grass roots option. Red Beans, cornbread and cake! Nothing fancy about that, just down home country. We decided on the burger route! Rian is going to bring his small pit and cook the patties (hopefully early, and we will put them in a broaster roaster to warm while we do the same thing for buns in another one.) Linda and Joni are going to do the cake. Our attempt is to try to do something that is not major, where everyone can enjoy the party.

O.K.. Make a mental note to ask for a variance on the burn ban so we can light birthday candles!

Sorry, I was talking to myself!

Have a day!

FATHER, help me here. I feel a little ragged. My patience is thin. Help me to slow down, to be more compassionate and caring. I pray for safety for our drivers as they return to the roads. LORD lead me on!