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!