I laid down on the couch last night, watching NASCAR. I didn't make it to the end of the race.

Krl and I had a pretty laid back Sunday. I had settlements for drivers to do, and billing to prepare to mail. I am going to have to try to find some sort of software I can use to do the billing. For the seasonal work I use Excel spreadsheets that have been built and formulas entered. The big difference between there and hauling now is there we will haul 170-190 loads per week for one customer. Now, we may do five or six loads, per truck, per week, and every load may be for a different vendor.

At the defunct family business, we had a software made for the transportation industry. It was very good, but also very expensive. At one point in time, when the business was still going, we looked at installing the software on my laptop to do billing and payroll. However, that software required a nethasp. The nethasp is what determines how many users can access the program at one time. The nethasp plugs in the back of the server computer and resembles a plug with no cord. I can't remember what the current nethasp cost, but it was expensive. I think back to when we bought the software, the nethasp limited users to three. Then we boosted it several times until we had permission for thirty-four users to be on at the same time. Each time we bought a new nethasp, it arrived with specific instructions on return of the old one that would include shipping labels they supplied so they could track it back. I guess the nethasp to a software company would be like the key to the vault. Without it, their software is useless.

The one thing I would like about the old software is, you enter the load information once and it routes it throughout the entire program. You can set it to bill each individual load or you can do a statement summary, if will figure driver pay and do all the necessary summaries to do the required tax reporting. There are interfaces available that will download fuel purchases, and others that track mileage.

Some of the newer features for transportation software were pretty neat. One big problem is keeping a driver on task and in route. Some of the software available gives drivers specific fuel windows between certain times, and limits the fuel stops to the chosen route.

Those yahoos who stop and play in the arcades or decide to take the scenic route would be in trouble.

Yeah, industry specific software would be nice, but it isn't going to happen.

I can wish can't I?

Krl and I have been laughing. I bought some lotto and mega million numbers. I told Krl we are going to win it because we deserve it. As you can tell, I have read the book The Secret. It was an enjoyable read. Very thought provoking.

Krl asked me yesterday if I checked our numbers. I told her I did, and we didn't win anything. I continued on, saying we didn't win because it isn't big enough!

We had a light moment.

As many of you know, I enjoy TVLand on television. Most of their programming is vintage television. I Love Lucy. Good Times. Archie Bunker. Star Trek. Mayberry RFD. Currently on is Little House on the Prairie.

This particular episode is of personal interest. It is where Mary goes blind as a complication of Scarlet fever. Many of you know that I work with my nephew Chris during my off season. The same many know that he is visually handicapped. He is legally blind.

Chris constantly amazes me and teaches me. It is unbelievable what things we take for granted. I can only imagine what his world is like.

One of the things that Chris's eye doctor has always tried to do is to insure what limited vision Chris has, in order for that part of his brain to develop. Much to the surprise of the many specialist who have worked with Chris, his vision has improved. One eye sees close, one eye sees in the distance. Due to scaring, he cannot look directly at you, but peripherally.

This episode of Little House is particularly distressing. I can only imagine having the gift of sight and losing it. How terrible that would be. Yet, as this episode shows, the loss of sight brings out other things. The other senses become more attuned. I watch in awe, as visually handicapped people function almost flawlessly within the confines of their world.

I don't know that I could do that.

Folks, we need rain. The wheat is suffering. I have heard many people talking about in three or four weeks having their wheat assessed by insurance adjusters. The cotton prognosis does not look good either. Pat gave me an almanac and it says below average rainfall until late summer. I would hope we could only be close to the under side of normal rainfall.

I talked briefly with the hooligans yesterday. They are so proud of their Daddy driving them around in that big truck! This past week I received a birthday card from them and enclosed were several pictures of Drew. He is a big boy! If I understood Rian correctly, Drew weighs one pound more than Holt, and Holt turned three in January.

But, the prize may go to Dakota. If I understood correctly, she is five pounds behind Drew and she is six months old! I saw some pictures on the computer and she is a chunk! I think all they do in Florida is eat and fish! Ha!

By the way, on the wetlands reclamation project that Jason is working on, he plowed up an old canoe. There are archaeologists who constantly watch their work. Anyhow, they shut them down on that track of the project. They say that when the canoe is displayed in a museum it will list the date it was found, the location, and Jason will be listed as the person who discovered it.

Pretty neat!

Well, have a day! I am.

FATHER, we have so much to be thankful for. Thank YOU for the special skills we all possess. Help us to use them to their fullest. Help us to know that with all the uncertainty of this world, YOU remain steadfast. May all we do bring glory to YOU! FATHER we pray for YOUR blessing of rain, for our family and friends, in our area, at the seasonal jobsite, and on the coastal bend.