Krl and I are trying to get excited about the new week. That is pretty hard when deep down we are dreading it as bad as we are.

We are starting the new week pretty much squared up. All I lack is making copies, and putting invoices in the mail.

Don't ask me why, but I told Krl my skin is crawling. And that is usually a bad sign. If Krl and I both have this sensation, it is usually better to stay in the house with the lights out. Krl asked me if I have any idea what it is about. If I knew, I would fix it!

If I were to fathom a guess, I would say it probably would have something to do with the GM from the work we declined when we didn't sign the contract.

It is very seldom I can't work with someone. But this is one of those instances where this man is so insecure and so in need of validation, he is threatened. When you talk ego about this man, it has multiple e's and o's.

I have been as above board as I can possibly be. Every single one of my people that have called wanting to be sure they have work, I have referred to Frank the plant Super. If I was wanting to mess with our former work, I would refer them or promise them work at alternate jobsites.

So, I guess we are fixing to find out a couple of things. #1) If my "skin" is right, and #2) if this is personal or professional.

This is a man I have caught in several lies, the same man who told me as far as he was concerned "We had a deal", the same man who then tried to slip in several things in the contract that were not agreed to in the negotiations.

I have been told by one person, that this man is all about power. He wants everyone to know who is in charge, and continually presents challenges intended to force people to "knuckle under".

I don't need this. I guess the retired GM spoiled me. He would give me a goal, and it was up to me to get us there.

I guess I am all grown up!

As a boss/manager, I have always subscribed to the Billy Sol philosophy. Surround yourself with good people, and multiply by dividing. Ie; Hire good people and delegate. Never ask someone to do something you can't do, but find someone who can do it better than you. Instill the sense of team.

Krl and I seem to be getting a new direction. She is pushing pretty hard. I want to take it very slow and deliberate. I think today will be the first steps of where we are going.

It was kind of a relaxing day and evening yesterday. We had absolutely zero pieces of equipment moving. And that was nice. Today I have the one truck off loading his Saturday load and coming to the shop, while the others are loading. The truck coming to the shop is one of Pepa's, but I am going to take the driver to have a drug screen for Krl's company. This is the first step to blending the two entities. If and when our drivers have had a problem, Pepa has allowed us to put them in his "idle" truck.

Here is my problem, Pepa has no drug testing program. Over a year ago, I told him if he was going to do this, he needed to do it right. He asked me what I meant and I told him driver qualification files, pre-employment drug screens, random testing, maintenance files. The whole enchilada. He told me, "I am 79 years old and never had to do all that, why would I start it now?"

I take that to mean he wants to do business the way he did back in 1950. I think the regulations have changed a little since then.

I am probably going to start preparations for putting unit #244 on the road, IF, Pepa's truck doesn't get out of the shop. We took a load for Tuesday for F23, but if it doesn't answer the bell, I guess I had better be prepared. Pepa tells me his truck will be ready. His driver said the second shop it is going to told him they would need the truck a day and a half.

One of our vendors Krl has been arm wrestling with finally sent a check. I would love to meet their payroll clerk. Krl called on some loads we hauled for them in June. Our terms are net/20. The payroll clerk says their terms are net/30. Our terms begin when they receive the invoice. They claim their terms begin when they receive the invoice, not when we hauled the load. Either way, if the invoice was June and it is August and the load hasn't paid, I would think both terms have been violated! Crazy thing is, the load their payroll clerk paid is not their oldest one.

In an even crazier turn of events, the above mentioned customer's lead dispatch, Mandy, called Krl just to vist on Saturday. While it was just a "friends" type call, Krl told her about the check they had sent. Mandy was appalled and embarrassed.

I have decided my favorite time to watch television is between three and five. Surprisingly, I did not like Roseanne when it was first on. Now that it is on TV Land, I find myself enjoying it. Don't ask me. I don't know if it is more mindless TV now or back then. After Roseanne, it is Three's Company followed by MASH. I don't like anything that if I walk out of the room and then back in, I can't find my place in the show.

Yep, I like to laugh.

I guess I had better get prepared to laugh in the face of my Monday.

Have a day!

FATHER, we need a good dose of YOU in our week!