What a week.

Surprisingly, while we enjoyed the good rain Wednesday, the parts store was very busy. Steady foot traffic, and some "good" sales. Thursday I got tired of looking at my co-workers, as I am sure they did with me. Slow.

This is the first year I have ever been at the parts store when winter is around the corner. It may be a challenge for me. Sylvia was cold for two days, walking around with her coat on and wanting to turn the heater on. In fact one time I came back from lunch and I could barely breathe inside the store. The thermostat was on 85!

I asked what she was going to do when winter fully arrived!

Max and Chris haven't been too far behind. Chris has already worn his "camo" hunting gear to work, and Max has worn his jacket although he will hang it up during the day.

Me, I am in denial! Winter is a state of mind!

The weather delayed the new seasonal location from going "24" (meaning around the clock, seven days a week). K.O. and I talk regularly and he told me to load the little wild man the remainder of the week. Then Thursday night he called saying Friday night they were going "24".

The little wild man was supposed to load Friday morning in Plainview, so we formulated a new plan. He loaded, and brought his big truck to the farm shop. There he got into the white truck, hooked to his seed trailer and returned to his home in Lamesa. Then he had to be to the gin at eleven last night. He is running 11 at night to 9 in the morning. He will run Friday and Saturday night, then Sunday morning I will go to Lamesa in my pickup, put my things into the seed truck, and he will bring my truck back to Roscoe to pickup his big truck with his Laredo load. He will deliver Monday morning, then hopefully load a return load to our area. then he will return to the new jobsite in my pickup and I will load my things up and come in.

If things go well, I will run Sunday and Monday nights.

To be honest, I am kind of looking forward to it. I have said it many times, the easiest part of trucking is crawling in the truck and closing the door.

Actually, me running the entire season out there was a strong possibility, especially when we were having problems insuring the little wild man.

If vendors do what they way they will, yesterday was a very productive day collecting delinquent bills. Thank goodness. Krl has done a good job juggling limited funds, but even she has admitted how difficult it has been to pre-pay fuel for Pepa's truck too. Now we will throw in another truck. Just yesterdays fuel budget was $1700.

Fuel prices have been making me cringe. The other day I walked to the front of the parts store and was looking out, just in time to see their fuel bill board change. Twenty cents up in one fell swoop. Yesterday there was a thirteen cent range of pricing. That correlates to a savings in excess of $41.00 if the drivers shop fuel instead of just pulling in at the most popular fuel stop. Times the number of trucks, times the number of days of the week and it is serious $$$$$$.

One of the most difficult challenges we face in the office is predicting fuel needs and fuel price. The trucks using the bank cards have to have the monies deposited before three in the afternoon for the funds to be available by eight in the evening. Cash is instantly available. For weekend fuel use, the money must be deposited by Friday at three to be available before eight Monday evening. (The bank does not post anything from Friday until Monday evening unless is cash.)

Our immediate area is having a very good football year. Both of Abilene "proper's" teams are district leaders as well as Abilene Wylie. That is a 5-A, 4-A, and 3-A district leader. Wouldn't it be neat to see them all make deep drives into the post season.

The mighty Plowboys got beat last night. I am not sure where that will put them in district standings although they should be solidly in the playoffs.

The 'stangs have had a difficult year. First year Coach Slaughter and his staff are in a rebuilding year. They will rebound.

The Mojo's seem to have found their stride, but is it early enough to get back in the playoff hunt.

The Lions knocked off the #6 3-A team in the state last night. they may have a little more starch than some thought they would this year.

I always have questions when a coach leaves, meaning do they see something other do not? Coach Jackson may have seen a down year coming when he decided to move to the metroplex.

The new UIL enrollments are in, although it will be February before the new district alignments will be out. there is some speculation that Abilene Cooper will return to 5-A classification and that the possibility exists for the reformation of the "Little Southwest Conference" of old. (Meaning, Abilene, Abilene Cooper, San Angelo Central, Midland, Midland Lee, Odessa and Odessa Permian).

And I can't help but reminisce. Pizza Pro, our provider of choice is celebrating their anniversary in Abilene. December will mark twenty years that our family has been in our current location, and Pizza Pro has been here for all of them. We ordered pizza and hot wings last night. While it is still good, I can remember when they offered a "five pounder" and a "three pounder". The larger was a large pizza sporting five pounds of toppings, the smaller was a medium pizza sporting three pounds of toppings.

We could eat off a five pounder for days! And that was when Rian was home.

Well, I had better get my day off the ground. My main objective today? Haircut. Which means I had better be sitting in Toni's chair by noon.

Have a day!

FATHER, bless this day and our preparation. I pray for safe travel and safe work. To YOU be the glory!

Wide eyed.

That is me.

I seem to have a really weird sleeping pattern going. One night is fitful and short, the next night I sleep like a rock.

Sunday night I was awake by midnight, never to find the elusive sleep the remainder of the night. Monday night someone must have turned my switch off. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Last night, it was a short night. I sleep only briefly before I woke and looked at the clock. It was a little after ten. Three more times I napped before I was done shortly after one.

Of course it doesn't help when I am laying with my eyes closed and I sense someone looking at me. When I open my eyes, Phoo Doo is about six inches from my face staring at me. It seems sleep is elusive for her as well. Of course if I will pet her or rub her belly, she will sleep until I stop.

I am trying to decide if I was dreaming or if it really happened last night. I can remember hearing a racket and the bedroom door opening, but no one was there. I was wondering if Krl had gotten up and fallen, but when I checked she was in bed.

Maybe I am losing my mind.

We were planning on sending the little wild man to the new seasonal work yesterday, but with the weather forecast being what it is, the gin manager changed his mind about going twenty-four hours.

I made the most of it. We borrowed Jason's step deck and loaded the forklift going to K.O.'s work. Then we loaded the day cab truck that has had problems and we made a circle, first the truck at the shop and then the forklift at Anson.

Krl was able to book the driver a load for today.

The other driver can't help himself. If you give him a "window", he will work on the back half of it, allowing no time for any problem. Yesterday it caught up with him. He off loaded in Sweetwater and was to reload in Seminole. He should have been in Seminole by one, but arrived about three and they refused to load him. This is a cotton gin which has warehousing and since the new ginning season has started, they have restricted their loading times. In the past if you signed in by four they would load your. Not any more.

Yesterday this driver's work ethic bit him in the butt.

We are hoping that when the little wild man driver is in Laredo Pete will have us a check to send with him. Pete, our contact has talked with Krl every day trying to figure the loads out. He is at wits end with the girls in their office.

The other customer who is extremely delinquent is not even trying. This is the one who has lied about checks and amounts and then becomes furious when you can't get a hold of her and go around her. Krl threatened to file on the woman's bond for the remaining balance.

I think we need to report their pay history on the load boards we subscribe to.

On the derelict side, I have been trying to get hold of our forklift dealer/repair shop we used out of Midland. I am needing a couple of items and I can't get this man to call me back. For several years, I would send my forklifts to his shop as soon as the seasonal work was completed to be checked out and any repairs made. Then I would allow him to put them in his rental fleet, splitting the rental monies 60/40. It worked well for a few years, then when I picked up machines to return to the seasonal work he told me he could not pay me, even though he owed me $4400. Since then he has opened another location and closed the Midland store, even though he still lives and works there. He terminated all his workers, even his son, and now this man is a walking one man band. He may think I am trying to collect money even though I have left messages telling him I need parts. Of course this neglect in the past could be a reason for the downsizing. For two years I have not paid for one single part I have gotten from him. His son tells me what we have used would not pay the interest on the rental money owed us.

Wouldn't you know it. My early morning MASH has just gone off (4 to 5 in the morning on TVLand) and I have one hour before I need to be getting ready for the parts store and I am getting sleepy.

Darn the luck.

Have a day!

FATHER, I could use a lot of help today.

Memama had a doctor appointment in Lubbock on Wednesday. This was Dr. Lehman, the hand specialist. He dismissed her, giving her instructions to continue to work on the two base joints on her pointer and middle finger of her injured hand.

To be honest, this really pisses me off. He has admitted she has no tendons in those fingers to extend or bend her fingers, yet due to her age he feels surgery isn't necessary. What she has is a "hook" hand. I told her if I could find the sorry dog who did that to her I would beat the hell out of him!

I think that is what she is scared of.

The bathrooms are located adjacent to the elevators so if they are having a good day they stop in the bathrooms on the fourth floor. If it is a bad day they will stop on the ground floor, second, third floor and finally the fourth floor. (Just kidding).

Memama said as they exited the elevators, they were headed to the appropriate restrooms when Pepa lost his balance and fell. He has gotten in the habit of using a rolling walker which has brakes and all, but he refuses to use it outside of their house (it was in the trunk of their car). He told Memama he thought he had a stroke.

For the last few weeks, he has been very depressed. About crops, about money, about nearly anything you can imagine. Add to this he hasn't felt really well, but he won't go to the doctor, even though they have a new one located in Sweetwater. (I don't know, maybe the new doctor isn't far enough away).

Lately Pepa has developed his "little old man" voice. It is not unusual for him to be in bed mid morning.

I keep on thinking about Grandpa Freeman. I know he had to worry about money, as well as other things. Yet even though he had lost a leg, he had a routine and was really pretty active.

I personally think Pepa would be much better if he would get off his duff and make the rounds each morning. I have been in and out of their house several times the last few months and he is asleep in his recliner, sometimes never even knowing I had been there.

Late yesterday, Pepa's truck driver called to tell me he had blown an air bag (some people call them air springs) on his trailer. I told him to stop at the shop and I would find an air bag. I ended up ordering one out of Dallas, but I drove to Roscoe to take the driver home and make plans to make the repair this morning.

This morning the driver came to my house, we drove to Roscoe, picked up the parts, went to the farm shop and made the repair. As we were leaving to return to Abilene, I drove by Memama and Pepa's house, just to say hi. I met Pepa about a half mile from their house and I continued on to their house. I went in, got a piece of banana nut bread, determined Memama wasn't there and was exiting the house when Pepa pulled back up. He wanted to know what I was doing and I reminded him he had called me in the middle of the repair, that we had finished and I was headed home to watch OU/Texas.

He began his little voice, complaining to me about the same thing he had complained about yesterday. I was short, and walked away from where he sat in his pickup, got in mine and headed East.

So much for my day off!

Hope yours went better!

FATHER, I need a lot of patience right now.

Late evening, yesterday. I got off from the parts store at five, then I went to the farm shop. My plan the entire week was one day, any day, I would bring the little International truck to a local shop to have an oil leak checked out and to have an annual inspection done. Before I could drive the truck, I purchased a single trip permit to make it legal to drive, but more importantly, I needed to weld some mud flap hangers for the rear mud flaps.

The previous day I had intended to bring the truck back to Abilene, but I had failed to get to the county tax collectors to do the permit. I almost decided to roll the dice and take the truck anyhow, without the permit or the rear mud flaps. I got to doing the math if I got stopped, $111 for expired registration, $111 for expired annual inspection, $141 for equipment violation (mud flaps), and I decided while my luck has been good lately, I had better not tempt the spirits that be! I left the farm shop in my pickup, hit U.S. Hwy 84 and before I got to Roscoe I met a D.O.T. Officer.

Whew!

I had made plans with Trc to pick me up and drive me from the shop to the house. As is usual, Trc was busy with one of the girls after school activities. Yesterday it was Kat and softball. Although I had to wait a while, Trc got me to the house. It turned out the ball game was late starting because their umpire was called to another game.

My day yesterday was pretty good. Especially at the parts store. Traffic was steady, sales were good.

The only glitch was a phone call I got shortly before my lunch hour. It was Jason's truck driver Kenny.

"Can you come to the farm shop?", he asked.

I told him it would be a short while before I could take my lunch and I could come then.

"I have a situation I need your help with", he said.

I made further inquiry and he continued.

"I was loading pieces of a wrecked trailer to haul off for scrap when a piece hung as I backed the truck under it. Before I realized it, the forklift was leaning, going on its side. I don't know how to get it set back up", he said.

This forklift has had a hard life. It was a refurbished machine fifteen years ago when it was purchased to handle the little gin at the former seasonal work. It had made the transition from St. Lawrence to Coyonosa, to the farm, but not without being thrown off a trailer while in transit. Insurance had actually totaled the machine out but we purchased it back, and Hag and the farm help rebuilt it. It was more than adequate for the needs on the farm.

I was in new territory. Thankfully, I have never had a machine turned over during the seasonal work.

When I arrived, it was evident Kenny had been trying to get the forklift righted. If he had been successful, I don't know if anyone would ever know about the incident. But he wasn't. After studying the situation, I decided we needed another forklift. I offered to drive him to town to pick up one of the JBK Manufacturing's big machines, but he told me he would have to take the forklift back. I told him I was going to run a couple of errands and pickup some items and I would meet him back there in an hour. During the time away, I put together a plan in my mind.

When I returned, Kenny and I went over the possibilities. I explained to him how the big counter weight on the rear of the forklift mounts and is secured, and also how it is more than half the weight of the machine. I told him I thought it was paramount that the way we chained to the machine, one chain had to be over the top of the counter weight where it would induce the machine to roll toward being up right. We decided on another location for the front chain.

Kenny took the forklift and helped get the process started, then I slowly backed away on the farm tractor I had hooked the chains to, and the forklift slowly righted.

I told Kenny to let it sit, just in case oil had seeped around the rings and on top of the pistons. The last thing we needed was to save the forklift and break the engine.

Luckily, by days end, the forklift was running as if nothing had happened.

Everyone needs to catch a break like that once in a while!

Well, have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for YOUR blessings, big and small!

I haven't been very faithful to my blog. My scheduling seems to be "off".

I am not still up tonight, I am already up this morning.

It has been one of those kinds of weeks. Krl has been wound up tighter than you can imagine, and I feel for her.

We have two customers, one in Laredo, one in La Port, that we have hauled for frequently. The one in La Port has always been difficult to collect from, but not impossible. The one in Laredo will get behind, Krl can chastise them and they will get caught up.

Both of these customers owe amounts totalling over $14,000. Not a huge amount, but large enough that our little company is sucking wind. Of course by the time we do collect, all of our expenses have been pre-paid. So, that makes it even more important to "maintain" a good cash flow.

Earlier in the year, the customer from La Port told Krl that things were tight because her daughter was getting married. I don't know why this should affect the business. If it does, something about the structuring is not right. Thing is, since the wedding, it hasn't gotten better, it has gotten worse. Add to this the fact that this woman has given her sister and another lady jobs. I think these people's job is to keep the people trying to collect money away from the owner. For three weeks she has promised money, going so far as to give Krl and Trc check amounts and telling them when they went in the mail. Needless to say, if I am venting these checks have never arrived.

The other company is a Mexican owned business. It is usually pretty interesting to see the checks written in Spanish for millions and millions of pesos. Of course the checks are drawn on American banks. We work with a gentleman, not the owner, and he and Krl have established a rapport over the last ten months. Usually Krl can bark and Pete will get a check for her. The past three weeks, this has not happened.

Recently I had told Krl if she was going to continue to dispatch Pepa's truck, she needed to cover the fuel. I guess I have created a two headed monster. It has made a difficult money situation even worse.

It would be a much better world if people did what they said they were going to do.

I have been spending some time at work, building and replacing hydraulic hoses on bale clamps. I have leased two of these out for the coming season. I am hopeful that these will be trouble free. I may be barking at shadows. I know these machines will think they are on holiday from the seasonal jobsite. They may handle six hundred bales a day at two locations instead of the 1500 bales every twenty-two hours.

I did do some quick figuring, and these two machines and the three clamps (I have a spare) have handled 930,000 bales in fifteen years, or 437,ooo bales in the last four. The forklifts have changed multiple times, eleven if I am correct in remembering. Two of the clamps are "originals". Outside of hoses, slide inserts and cylinder packings, not much can go wrong.

I am hopeful that by being diligent in my preparations, I won't spend a lot of time working on machines at the jobsite. At times I get to worrying, but then I calm myself, knowing that if we had returned to the seasonal work, these are the two machines I would have taken. That tells me I have confidence in the machines.

If things go well today and this afternoon, I plan on bringing a truck back to the shop when I come home. This truck has been in the shop three different times for the same oil leak. While the shop is "eating the do-overs", it sure is aggravating.

I did get an e-mail from our former-insurance agent. She told me that when we were getting ready for our annual renewal, the underwriter had put $7800 in reserves to settle the accident the little wild man had in Lamesa. Our driver says he had a green light when he entered the intersection and a woman pulled in front of him. No citations have been issued. BUT, since we went with a new agent and new provider, the old underwriter increased the reserve from $7800 to $420,000 dollars. I think it is a case of sour grapes, trying to make the new insurance underwriter think we are a "risk".

I am not concerned about the amounts, because that is not at or near our limits, but I am concerned about the "why".

Right now, I am sure praying and pulling for our mail man.

Have a day!

FATHER, we are struggling. Help us to find a way to be effective in collecting the delinquent monies. We know that YOU are faithful to meet our needs. I pray for a blessed seasonal work as we expand our boundaries. Bless us, Oh LORD!

It is almost becoming a weekly ritual, early Saturday morning watching previously aired episodes of Extreme Home Makeovers.

This morning I watched the abbreviated story of Patrick Henry Hughes and his family who live in Louisville, Ky. Patrick was born with no eyes, and he cannot extend his limbs, making it impossible for him to walk. He is a multi-instrument musician, who with the help of his Dad marches in the University of Louisville Band.

By most counts, Patrick is disabled.

After watching this episode, I say he is enabled!

Throughout the entire episode, I was amazed at the interaction of the mother and father along with the two other brothers. The way they would take time to describe what they were seeing to include Patrick.

The University band was the recipient of a new field to practice marching on, that bears a sign saying "This field was inspired by Patrick Henry Hughes".

Of course if you have ever watched the show, you know they select a family who has experienced difficulties, sometimes monetary, sometimes health, broken homes, lost parents, there are all sorts of reasons. However, the results usually include the community coming together to rebuild or build a new home which meets the special needs of the selected family.

I watched as Patrick's family walked into their new home, it would have been easy for other family members to get too excited to tell Patrick what they were seeing. I watched as Patrick felt of the fireplace, the new furnishings, the counter tops, and even the railings around his accessible toilet in an apartment within the house designed specifically for Patrick.

To finish the segment, Patrick played the piano, singing Ronnie Dunn's "I Believe". Ronnie would have to be pleased.

In a moving statement, Patrick's Dad thanked the Extreme Makeover Crew for their gifts and that he and his family would continue to earn it every day, by continuing to give back to the community.

And for some reason, I feel like I have not lived up to my potential.

Forgive me FATHER, for not being all YOU intended for me to be. Help me to give YOU full control.

Today marks eight years in Afghanistan. Roughly 900 Americans have lost their life there during that span.

I have mixed feelings about being there. I am torn by a sense of responsibility and debt to those who have lost their lives.

Yet at what price, and for who?

Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.

Korea was deemed a Police action.

Vietnam, I have been told was a conflict America didn't want to win.

Iraq, there are accusations of oil interests, and a personal vendetta carried by the latter Bush for the former Bush. The actual use of force was in response to weapons of mass destruction, only later to reveal none were found.

Afghanistan, this is where American retribution for 911 was launched.

I have serious questions about modern wars in comparison to the "big" wars. (I knew a man who use to tell me "I fought in the big war"). I look at the sacrifice of so many for World War II. Factories converted to build munitions and weapons. Women going into the work place to provide adequate supplies for their men deployed. I have heard of coupons for fuel and tires as well as many grocery items.

It seems as though in the "big" wars, there was sacrifice across the board. It seems in every action since, someone or some group has profited from the action. Of course these people were not the ones who put their lives at risk.

Personally, I probably would prefer using soldiers of fortune to infiltrate terrorist cells and take out individuals like Bin Laden.

History would seem to indicate Afghanistan could be another Vietnam, battling an enemy on their own turf, a rugged terrain.

While I have mixed thoughts, I think we need to be all in or all out. There is no place for in between.

Personally, I am relieved I am not the one having to make these decisions.

Wow. What about this Fall weather! Brr. Not what some of the young cotton needs. I know the farmers have to be very concerned about the temperatures but also the possibility of hail. It is hard to get a crop almost to harvest, only to have a natural act turn it into a disaster. But that is the nature of the beast. You can't raise a crop without it, and it can turn on you in an instance.

I am so relieved yesterday is over. There was all sorts of maneuvering it seemed by the pertinent players in the company insurance saga. Ultimately it came down to simple economics. $$$$$. The lowest bid was by the renewal agent but they wanted to exclude the man we have paid all year to get back to the cotton season, when his expertise will pay off. Once that agent began to try to cover this driver, her rates went through the roof. Finally, a late entry into the fray blew them all away. $2000 savings per truck. I was leaning toward proclaiming them the winner when I got a call from the agent requesting vehicle identification numbers. She said, "We need to get this thing done!" I tried to temper her, telling her "I haven't made a decision yet." She informed me that she had just been on the phone with Krl and Krl pulled the trigger.

I did get to call the other entries, thanking them for their participation and telling them they didn't win. I always get the tough jobs.

My mega million ticket was a winner, just not a big one! $145M Friday.

Well, hump day! Make it one!

FATHER, thank YOU for YOUR blessing of rain. FATHER be with our leaders as they make hard decisions. Be with those protecting our liberties. Expand us. For YOUR love, I am thankful!

Going to Roscoe to work on a day I don't usually go really messes with my mind. What little mind there is to mess with!

And to prove the old adage about best made plans of men and mice, I didn't get hardly anything done.

Yuk.

Recently I had done some work on the walk in door of the farm shop. While they were locking it, access was hardly more than slowing you down a step to get in. When I arrived yesterday, I found my old trick to gain entry no longer worked. And since Pepa had put new locks after the departure of some old employees, I was locked out.

I walked the entire perimeter of the building, made another attempt, and decided to go to Pepa's and get a key.

Once I had retrieved a key, I drove to Sweetwater to have a copy made.

When I returned to the barn, I was talking with Frank the plant superintendent at the old seasonal work. I was giving him a heads up that I had a truck coming to his area to pick up a few items we usually left there from year to year. Pepa was just coming out of the barn. He had told me where a key was supposed to be hidden, and he had driven out to check on the hidden key and to feed his barn cats.

As I was standing by my pickup finishing my call, I spotted a coiled rattlesnake just a few feet to the left of the barn door. I pointed to the snake and Pepa kept asking me what I was pointing at. I stepped near the snake and it raised it's head, but never rattled. Finally I told Pepa to watch the snake while I got a hoe. The snake never rattled, never tried to flee, never tried to strike.

I realize it was cool yesterday, and this snake was in the shade. If it was sunning earlier in the day, as the sun moved to the west side of the barn the shade reached the snake.

My biggest problem with the snake was when I walked the perimeter of the shop, I walked directly in the path where I found the snake.

I hate snakes!

The company that built the engine we put in the little S-10 called me yesterday. They want us to pull the engine out and submit it to them for inspection. Their options really suck. They say if there is a problem with the engine that they feel is their fault, they will replace the engine. If they do not feel it is their fault they will return the engine in pieces. The other option was to buy another engine and then submit the current engine and if they determine it is faulty, they would refund the money.

If you are considering a rebuilt engine for whatever reason, contact me and I can tell you who not to buy from!

I pulled the warranty out and it says 75,000 miles unlimited mileage.

Yeah right.

Well, I have to report one of those dumb deals I did. As many of you know I usually go to Roscoe to the parts store on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I have such a routine that on my way home last evening I stopped and purchased a few Megamillion games lines. Then this morning when I first got on my computer I went to the website to get the winning numbers.

Ha! If they would post them the day before, I might figure out a way to win!

And finally, when I grow up and hit forty, I want to be just like Brett Favre. The man played inspired football last night against his former team the Packers. He was hurling that football leading the Vikings to a victory!

Have a day!

FATHER, bless this day. I ask YOUR guidance as important decisions are made today. Peace, perfect peace.

True confessions.

Yesterday and today were the first days I have missed being at the seasonal work. This weekend should be the Annual Parrish Fall Festival. That would mean the men gathered at the gymnasium early Saturday morning to make their special blend of sausage, probably somewhere around ten or eleven thousand pounds. It will go into the sausage haus and a small portion will be used today in their Sunday noon meal with the bulk being sold across the counter.

I can remember the first few years I attended the sausage making, they were still using the screw extruders to force the mixture into the sausage casings. Over the years they have gone to air powered extruders, making the filling of the casings much more quick, and ultimately shortening the time frame for making the sausage. They have tie tables marked, and once the casing is filled, they will tie and cut at each mark, giving them some consistency as to the length of the sausage.

Use to be they used the lining of the intestines as the casing, but changed to store bought casings, which are gathered on the spout of the extruder, and as the casing fills it stretches the casing down the table.

The process has started much earlier, in fact probably days for some, especially if they fed out hogs to be donated for the sausage making. The carcasses will be hauled in on a refrigerated big rig along with beef which will be blended in their special sausage.

The first stage is the boning of the meat. They will trim all they can from the bones and the meat will be piled on the appropriate table of pork or beef. As they begin to make their sausage, they will fill buckets with meat to be weighed and put through the grinder and then blended together with the other meat and seasoning specific to each individual Parrish.

Usually, as the first sausage is tied and cut, some of the more senior members of the men will begin boiling it in pots and before too long, they will have samples of their new product to be wrapped in bread and sampled.

I suppose one of the hardest things for me to become accustomed to was the fact that the older people there prefer their sausage boiled rather than grilled. They say it also makes a big difference with how many plates they sell at their noon meal on Sunday. Ironically, the younger members prefer the grilled sausage.

Once the sausage making is done and all the sausage is hung in the sausage haus, the men will get busy cleaning the gym. The floor has been covered with sawdust to absorb any fluids that might make their way downward, so as soon as the tables have been broken down, the sawdust will be swept and hauled away. When cleanup is complete, the men will retreat to behind the hall and let the women and children begin setting up for the boothes for Sunday. There will be games of chance along with quilts and baked goods, and even a few raffles.

Shortly after noon Saturday, the men will fire large pits and begin cooking the ribs and some of their special sausage. As they begin the cooking for all the participants, kegs of beer will be tapped and the festivities will begin. Saturdays are the fun days for all the residents, once the work is complete. You will find groups gathered around their preferred brand of brew, women and men. It is a jovial time for all. Around four in the evening the bell will toll as the Padre calls his flock to Mass.

After Mass a new round of kegs will be rolled out and the festivities will continue. Parish officials have learned over the year two things. To limit the number of kegs made available and to have a curfew. These two things seem to help with the quality and number of workers they will have in attendance on Sunday.

Saturday evening, a group of cooks will begin cooking briskets which will be the center piece of the Sunday noon meal (some Parrishes serve turkey and dressing). They will toil through the night, keeping fires going and feeding coals to the pits.

Sunday will find the residents reporting to their assigned tasks after bringing whatever part of the noon meal (vegetable or dessert dishes) they volunteered to bring. Sunday is a day of work and these people have very little time to socialize.

After the noon meal and all the activities wind down, Parrish members will gather for their annual auction of donated items.

This one weekend is the major tool for financing the parish for the up coming year.

So, I confess, I miss being with and socializing with all our friends out there and we hope their festival is a huge success!

One quick note, while the sausage will sell out very quickly (most of the sausage will be sold by parish members prior to the festival) each Parrish is known for its particular blend of sausage. Crazy thing is usually what one Parrish prefers is the sausage of another Parrish. It may be like cooking your own meal, it is always better if it is someone else's cooking.

And my final confession of the day is, I hate watery oatmeal.

I look at recipes as recommendations. Where you take it from there is your own business.

Oatmeal is a regular staple in our house. I am the maker of said oatmeal. I always begin cooking the heart healthy recipe, but usually end up adding more oatmeal to it!

So much for water oatmeal.

I like to cook it like I cook gravy, when it lets a void trail behind the spoon I am stirring with, I know it is ready to come off the stove.

They say confession is good for the soul!

Have a day!

FATHER, bless our friends at St. Lawrence. Reward their efforts.

I talked with Rian yesterday afternoon. He was headed home to get into another vehicle to go to Amarillo to the Greenlawn Elders Ministers retreat.

He told me the original plan was to leave his pickup on the north side of Lubbock at some friends house, to expedite the get away to Amarillo. As it turns out, the elders and ministers wives are going as well. Rian said this is the second year they have included the wives. When Rian called to coordinate the timing for meeting Erica and the others they were riding with, Rian learned that Reid was having a meltdown kind of a day. With Erica trying to calm Reid, Rian decided to make the drive to their home and leave from there.

Anyone that knows me would know I can't pass up an opportunity to tease, so I told Rian I was surprised that they were taking the wives on the retreat. I told him I figured this was a little like going to the deer lease, a male bonding activity comprised of beer, pizza, and watching lots of football!

Rian knows his dad pretty well so he just laughed and told me there were probably a couple of elders that needed to loosen up a little!

Nothing like dipping into the communion wine!

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!

My Friday didn't take the shape I had in my mind. It was probably my minds fault.

I had planned on going to Roscoe to work on forklifts and trucks and trailers. There is a good possibility that the ginning season will begin this week, that means I need to have at least one forklift delivered and at least one seed trailer ready to go.

I am doing some preventative maintenance. Hopefully the machines we lease out will live less stressful lives. I can't imagine they could have it any worse than where they have worked in the past. Instead of being run 24 hours a day seven days a week, I expect three hours a day would be the max handling two to three hundred bales instead of the twelve to fifteen hundred they have had to handle in the past.

I did some office work yesterday morning while waiting for a ride to pick up the S-10 from the shop. Once I arrived back home I made a call to the engine re-builder the engine in this little truck was purchased from.

I hate calling these people. It is a maze getting where you need to go and then they will take your number and the technicians will call you back. I waited most of the afternoon for the call back. I have a plan in mind for this man named Richie. It seems I call California and they transfer me to him in Grape Vine, Texas. He has been a little shorter every time I have talked with him. A little more brusque and abrupt. He has already quizzed me about whether I was credible enough to do the removal and installation of the engine. I told him I had a lifetime of working on engines, transmissions, differentials, brakes and other components of vehicles trucks and tractors. I topped it off by telling him we had done warranty work for Case and John Deere in our shop. Yesterday he changed directions asking about whether or not this shop was a certified shop. I told him I asked for no certification, but the shop has been on going for at least two generations and over fifty years.

Finally this technician told me to have the shop call him. He wouldn't take the time to call them.

I am trying to go through all the correct channels, because I don't on them defaulting due to a technicality. I did get my warranty information out and it is three years, unlimited mileage.

I figure the first time this man gets a little testy with me, I will tell him to give me an address and I will bring the little truck to him. I am sure it is one thing to have the truck a few hundred miles away separated by a telephone connection. Me, I am an up close and personal kind of guy.

Of course, if he refuses, I can always use that favorite line, "Let me talk with your supervisor!"

I guess I had better back up to give you a better idea of my Friday's demise.

The first phone call of the day was Max from the parts store in Roscoe. He said Pepa's truck driver was there needing a brake valve. This is the same valve this man turned in ten hours work on last weekend. Fact is, this man called Carol late Thursday night telling her the valve had malfunctioned and was applying pressure to one of his brakes. (My problem with this scenario is that if this particular valve malfunctions, it will apply all the brakes on the trailer.) This would be no major problem for most truck drivers, they would back off their brakes and get to somewhere they could get parts or help.

Not this driver. He told Krl he had no flashlight and was putting out his emergency triangles and going to sleep.

For me, the problem is bad enough, especially after he alleges he worked on it for ten hours last weekend. But the unforgivable sin to me is the fact that this man did not have a flashlight with him. In fact, a few weeks ago he and I had a major lecture series about you don't go off in a big truck without black tape, a flashlight, a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. This is an absolute minimum.

Of course this man wanted someone else to fix what he had screwed up. And for me that is another major offense. Actually I figure this man decided he didn't want to go back to Laredo. He had come by the parts store earlier Thursday and was lolly gagging around. I asked him where he was loading and he told me he had plenty of time. My problem is he works on the bare minimum of time allotted instead of having a cushion. When he called Krl he was two more hours behind where I figured he would be from the time he left the parts store.

If what I am hearing is correct, this man was down the country when he encountered this problem and drove back to Roscoe on Friday morning. If that is true, this might be enough for me to terminate him. He has exhausted all the excuses.

My other problem is that I called Pepa to see if he could check on the driver when he was in Roscoe (since he is Pepa's driver) and Pepa said they were on their way to Brownwood and didn't even offer. We may be dispatching his truck but there has to be a line somewhere.

And to wind up my day, I had sent out an e-mail asking all those who were intending to quote on the annual insurances for the company to submit them by e-mail or fax them to me by days end. All but one did. Some are high, some have exclusions. Probably the worst proposal is from our current insurance agent. I had asked her specifically to quote a certain way, yet she quoted mileages that I had not given her and with one company it is one number of power units and with others it is a different number. It isn't like I am comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges. She has mixed the entire proposal. I am very disappointed.

It appears it would cost between $1500 and $2000 dollars for us to keep the little wild man. I guess it will be up to him, if he wants to pay the difference.

Well, I have dawdled long enough. I need to go to the post office and then put some money on a fuel card.

Have a day and weekend!

FATHER thank YOU for all blessings of any size!

Another difficult week.

Lately that seems to be the norm.

Of course we have some deadlines looming, all of which require money. And as usual, there is never enough. I find myself trying to get down the road one more month, and hopefully money will be more abundant.

I am so tired of worrying.

I have watched an "Extreme Makeover" weekly segment this morning. Very, very moving.

A single parent family, a father and his five boys. It is quite remarkable to see the bond between the family members. They lived in a rental, sleeping on the floors in a space intended for fewer and smaller people. The father had started a group called Single Fathers of Camden to support single father families. In a neighborhood filled with drugs and gangs, this single father has raised his sons to be a positive influence in their community.

I don't know the selection criteria this show uses. I would think they are covered up with requests. In this particular instance there was a foundation called Open Promise (I think) that donated the land for construction of the new family home.

I would think the selection process would be difficult and painful.

The show has a saying "Changing America one family at a time".

I did get tickled when they were interviewing one of the five teenage boys. The family had been sent on vacation to Spain for the week long project. He said maybe they should send all of America over there to see all those old buildings and architecture.

This episode was high impact.

It makes me think a lot of Rian and how his small group of young men from his school has grown.

You never know what you can change by being a positive influence.

As the health care issue swirls around us, I remain convinced we need it. Luckily, we have coverage. Albeit very expensive coverage. It has almost doubled in three years from what we use to pay.

I caught part of a segment yesterday that made a very profound statement. Lack of coverage and lack of money breeds poor health.

Earlier this year, my drivers and I put an engine in the little S-10 pickup. This is an engine I purchased through Chris' parts store which as a chain has a distribution agreement with the world's largest engine re-builder.

From the completion of the engine installation the new engine left a lot to be desired. It has consumed oil, and performance was not quite what I remembered it to be. I had deliberately waited to charge the air conditioning system, figuring that would just be an expense I could avoid, since I do not have a freon recovery system. The engine has warranty, three years and 75,000 miles. I have called the California office and visited with them and they had a technician from near Dallas contact me. This man started off as nice enough, though as we have visited he has become more and more abrasive. The engine has recently developed a "weak" miss. It is on its third set of spark plugs in less than four thousand miles. The last time I talked with this technician, he told me to keep the plugs for him to reference and he wanted to know what training I have had to do the engine swap. He seemed to think the problem is an installation problem. Luckily I am thick skinned.

Wednesday morning I carried the little truck to a friend of mine whose family has operated a repair shop for forty plus years. He made some diagnostic testing and called me to report. He said he felt there was a piston issue with the number one cylinder. In his opinion, these people owe me another engine. This may be an uphill battle.

To further complicate things, I have made a deal to sell this little truck. And we are fixing to get into a time of year that time is a valuable commodity. I need to make this happen before gin season and before the little truck goes to its new home.

And finally, my scratch off game card streak continues to live. I had picked up one game card this week and finally scratched it. Not huge again, but enough to get another game card and pocket a little cash! In my book any good news is welcome regardless of size.

Krl has been battling one of our regular vendors. They are saying that rates are going down for some of the hauling we have done for the last nine months. Our biggest problem is the owner of this company speaks no English. The gentleman we deal with is only an employee. He tells us his boss feels that with fuel prices being down, the freight rate should go down. I don't know why they are deciding this now that fuel is at its highest since last fall. It has not been lucrative, in fact for the most part it has been trading money.

I am so in hopes of placing at least one more and possibly two more trucks at various cotton gins through West Texas. That is better cash flow and less headache than what we are currently doing.

And our quotes have been coming in for the insurances that renew in a few days. The little wild man is turning out to be a problem to buy coverage for. It is available, but rated up. I have four companies working on it. I talked with my buddy and asked him if he has ever had a driver that insurance didn't want or wanted to rate up. He told me it was more common than I might think and offered me some advice. He told me if his drivers want to keep driving and are rated up, they pay the additional premium.

I can already hear the little wild man wailing!

This has been a hard week for Rian. He has had the entire building by himself since Monday. His boss and the other assistant principal have been in Austin for mandatory TEA meetings. This is a result of their campus being deemed unacceptable during last years testing. To make the week tougher, Rian has been feeling sub par health-wise. On Tuesday another teacher plus a staff member had to join Jimmy and Gail in Austin for the meetings, so that was four out of the team down there. I am sure Rian will be tempted to hug all their necks when they arrive at school Friday morning!

In a rare occurrence Rian called the church Wednesday and told them he just couldn't be there Wednesday night. They told him they would rather him stay at home and try to get to feeling better before Friday because they are supposed to leave today for the elders/minister retreat this weekend.

Well, have a day!

FATHER, I seem to be really struggling. My heart is heavy, and I am becoming discouraged. Once again I find myself needing YOUR reassurance that everything will be alright and is unfolding as YOU intend. Forgive me for ever doubting YOU!