Now that was a pretty good day. I got my inspection sticker. I swear, you can never out guess the inspectors. The company truck is a model that they put four wheel disc brakes on, but the emergency brakes use a shoe that applies pressure on the inside diameter of the disc. It is really a Mickey Mouse feat of engineering. Three years ago I went to get an inspection and they wouldn't do it because the emergency brake wouldn't hold under power. (Meaning set the brake, put the truck in gear and step on the gas). The shop that was doing the inspection at that time, told me that parts alone for the emergency brake repair would run $400. With labor, the repair would be about double. What they were wanting to do was replace the brake discs and the emergency brake shoes. I bought the shoes, which were less than thirty dollars and my bud K.O. and I put them on. It still wouldn't hold, so we began adjusting the emergency brake cable which applies the emergency brake. We came up with a farm fix, and each year after going through the inspection process I will back off the adjustment. Yesterday, I took a great deal of time, adjusting and doing a pre-inspection, inspection. When I arrived for the inspection, it was a slam dunk. Then back to the house to put the spark plugs in the S-10.

I haven't done much work on the small engine in the S-10 in the past (prior to replacing the engine). So I found the job would be much easier to do if I purchased a different spark plug socket. I made a quick stop in Sears and found what I was looking for, closed the deal and headed home.

It is amazing how much easier it is when you have the proper tools. Probably twenty minutes later, the plugs were changed.

I am not happy with the engine in the S-10. It has three thousand miles on it and it is still burning oil. It is on it's third set of spark plugs, and second oil change. On the first set of plugs, the #1 plug was in bad shape. The porcelain on the tip of the plug was burned off, way into the plug. I expected to see the same thing on the second set of plugs, but instead I found #1 and #4 extremely wet with engine oil. Not a good sign. I think I will send the little truck to Dallas where they built the engine and let them change it out.

Today I am going to drive the little truck and if things work out I may go to K.O.'s shop and borrow his air conditioner vacuum pump. I have had all the stuff to charge the system, I just need to evacuate it first. I may drive it a couple of days this week to the parts store.

The plugs I put in yesterday are Bosch plugs that have a different design than the two sets of Champion Copper plus plugs that I used before. Max, a co-worker at the parts store thought they would be worth a shot. They cost about four times as much as the Champions.

Krl has been working past dues lately. She talked with a former employee we had done some work with the end of February and first of March. Pay terms were net/thirty days. She had been instructed here and there and finally this man told her if we had an EFS check he would give us an authorization code to settle the account. I had picked up a check from a business here in town and Krl had been calling this man, only to have to leave a message. Yesterday she finally got to talk to him and he told her the home office was issuing a check, she told him she had the EFS check and to cancel the home office check. He told her he couldn't do that. I may have to make a road trip.

I also need to add another to that road trip list. After doing the show at Melody Oaks Ranch, I invoiced them for the services. Monday will be thirty days ,post show. Terms were due upon receipt. I don't know if I will be wanting to do this show again.

Out of the twenty-five years I have been doing these shows, I have only been stiffed once. Good ol' J.T. with Universal Motorsports. I had flown in to meet with the show manager, in fact, he and I were sharing a rent car. The first inkling of something gone wrong was when we left the facility after the final show and found our rental car was gone, along with J.T.. Thank goodness, the airline ticket was a prepaid round trip, and the hotel room was comp'd in exchange for advertising.

I think these current guys will pay, it may just take another bill with finance charge to get their attention or maybe an afternoon trip South.

Well, tomorrow Krl celebrates her birthday. One of the big ones! I had been talking to Trc about what we might want to do for it, and she says for me to decide and let her know. I am thinking we may just go out. I just don't want Krl's birthday to end up being work for her (whether it is cleaning the house or helping cook).

Two area schools have closed because of the swine flu. Four probable cases prompted the closings. That is one more reason to celebrate at home.

You really don't think about how much exposure we have. Lrn works as a teller at one of the credit unions, so she is handling money and paper all day long. I went to the inspection garage and handed them my insurance and later a check. Then I stopped to cash a check, before going to Wal-Mart and loading the cash on a money card, so I handed over the cash to the cashier while she handed me a receipt. My final stop was at a convenience store where I opened the door, then purchased a lottery ticket. More paper. Probably the one place that had a mental impact on me was when I went to the Post Office. Lots of traffic. What if the mailman who delivers our home mail handles a piece of mail from one of the people who are infected. How many homes, does he visit each day?

It snowballs, doesn't it.

But some things don't make sense at all. Officials cancelled Kathryn's softball tournament at Albany, only to replace it with one in Abilene. I guess the flu threat is less here.

Have a day!

FATHER, bless us with good health. I pray for those who are working on medications and vaccines for this flu, that their work would be expedient and successful. FATHER I continue to ask for YOUR blessing of rain for our area, for our family, and for our friends West and South.