Yesterday sure seemed like a Monday. Thank goodness it was a short work week.

For a week, we have been doing maintenance on trucks, trailers and equipment. So far eight trailers and a couple of trucks have gone through the shop.

Yesterday we rolled out unit #242. We did nothing major. Just things we saw that needed to be fixed before they led to something else. The driver of this particular truck is a very energetic man who wears me out. He is on the verge of being hyper.

He has some weird ideas about a lot of stuff, but I don't think there is anything he won't tackle or try to tackle. He called me yesterday to report that his taking the truck on a shakedown run home, revealed that everything we did was good, except a new carrier bearing we put in. I have been trying to think about why and what might have gone wrong there. Maybe it was just faulty. We will re-address this Monday morning.

This driver is 42 years old, and he tells me he is retiring when he hits 45. I asked him how he can do that. "We are planning where in three years we won't require that much to live", he said. Still, I don't see the how. If everything were paid for, it would still require taxes, utilities, transportation, medical and groceries. I don't know. More power to him if he can.

I know I look at my social security report every year prior to my birthday and I wonder how it will work if and when I do draw it.

I am afraid this man might not have all his figures down. I know I sometimes have a problem with getting him to understand cash flow. In fact yesterday we were talking about a proposal we are going to try. He wants to take the truck he drives and haul freight for a broker friend of his. He told me he can make money for himself and for the truck. He plans on the truck grossing $4000+ per week. Of that he will draw 25% for driving. It all sounds pretty good, except when you look at the start up costs. If his broker pays at 30 days, by that time the company will have invested $4000 in labor and at least that much in fuel, add in another $400 for matching taxes, another $500 for insurances, and probably budget $500 for tires and repairs (sooner or later your going to need it). The key is to run, "trouble free". No breakdowns, no freight claims. But even then, before the first penny comes in, you have to be able to bank roll the first month. He told me that we would be getting paid every week. I told him yes, after we started getting checks, we would get one every week, and when we pull back off to go to the seasonal work in South Texas we will continue to get checks for thirty days.

I don't think he understands the time lapse between when he hauls something and when the truck gets paid. I think in his mind because he gets paid weekly that means the truck does too.

As we get nearer to launching this endeavor (Tuesday) this driver seems to be trying to reel me into his scheme more and more. He tells me I will receive a fax for every load he hauls. I will need to sign the faxes and send them back to the brokerage firm. I don't think he realizes I don't sit around the home office all day. He asked me what I do. I told him last year I worked three days a week at the parts store and the other days I worked at K.O.'s. This seemed to bumfuzzle him. It's like he thinks I can live all year off what I make at the seasonal jobs.

Now that would be nice!

Krl and I have been trying to get a feel for "$'s", and where we were after the short seasonal work. I had a number in my mind, and three days ago stopped in the bank to make some deposits and I asked for the balance while I was there. I was very surprised to find it was $10k more than in my mind. I got a reality check yesterday when I was by Memama and Pepa's house. I said something about checking on banking and she mentioned she needed to go to their alternate bank, out of their home area. This intrigued me because I knew that bank was the one they usually used for their trucking. I asked her if she was holding any settlement checks we had sent them from the seasonal work and she said "Yes." Uh oh, I knew this was not going to be good. She continued, "I have a purse full of them". I told her I hoped she was pulling my leg, but she got up and retrieved her purse. Sure enough, she had $14k worth of checks in her purse.

So, instead of being $10k ahead of the number I had in my head, now we are $4k behind it.

Yuk!

The last thing we did at the shop yesterday was push my little S-10 pickup inside. We are getting closer to doing the engine swap. In fact, if things fall just right I hope by this time next week we will be done. I am hopeful it goes as smoothly as my NAPA man told me. Oh, but he is a slick salesman! We are using a crate motor from them. I searched and had Coach send out feelers, as my luck usually runs, the motor in my truck was used one year by Chevrolet before they opted for a change. Year models before or after won't work.

Yuk!

Krl is leaving today to go to the metroplex with Trc and her girls. It is going to be a girl trip! They are going under the pretense of looking for Ln a prom dress or whatever for the winter formal. (I don't know, this might even be the spring formal). Anyhow, I feel sure that any saved Christmas money will be making the trip too. Kat is going and the only stipulation she put on them was that they will eat at Joe's Crab Shack. They are going to leave as soon as Lrn get off work.

That means I have houndgirl sitting duties! And that means when Krl returns, the hounds will have a greater appreciation for her!

I am disappointed. TT failed to come through against Ole Miss. Utah put it to Lou's tide. Joe Pa let me down. Colt has his work still to come. Go 'Horns!

I had a call from the deer hunters. They had two deer last night, so their trip has been good so far. Rian had not gotten one himself, but they were optimistic. He told me they can take five does per gun. Even at that, they won't make a dent in "thinning" them.

Have a day!

FATHER, I seem to be struggling here. I am fizzing about things that shouldn't matter. Forgive me. I ask for reassurance that YOU won't put me in a situation that YOU haven't provided a solution for.