I talked earlier with Memama at the hospital. She said Pepa had a pretty good night. I asked if they were making any headway with the treatments the doctors chose to do over doing surgery and she told me she didn't think so. However, the family Medical Revue Office (Pat) called me to ask me to do a task for Memama and she told me she thought Pepa was much improved and the treatments being very effective. In fact pat thinks we could be moving Pepa home possibly Tuesday. (Of course all this is guess-timation).

Pat reported that Pepa had another very lucid day, so maybe they have figured out what meds he can take and what he can't. She said they have had a steady flow of company. The weekend doctor took Pepa off his lasix yesterday and this morning he had gained five pounds. Wow. Pat said the weekend doctor would probably correct that today.

I have been trying to figure some things that are kind of out of the ordinary for my weekend to do's. One driver is having money difficulties and he just finished his first year and wants to draw vacation pay instead of taking time off. (It sure is early in the year to make a commitment like this. He may regret this later.). Of course one thing in the back of my mind is that he could quit and just be trying to max out everything. This driver is the one we had so much trouble insuring. He is a good driver, but has an abrasive demeanor and personality. Last week his truck went down and I told him we would fix it in the shop. He told me he wasn't going to work in the shop for wages, he would rather draw unemployment. I told him it might be a problem to draw unemployment since he had rejected work. After four days he showed up for work.

I am no longer a fugitive from justice. I got my inspection sticker on the Explorer yesterday. I have put about a thousand miles on the vehicle since it came out of the shop. It had a hole that was the result of corrosion of the lower intake manifold. It was about a five week project to find one. Guess where I finally found one? Arrow Ford, right here in Abilene. They had special ordered it for someone and they never picked it up. Lucky for me! I was concerned that the engine might have gotten hot enough to do some damage, but so far absolutely no oil consumption. In fact the only thing I can gripe about is there is a vacuum leak and the cab blower doesn't move from defroster.

I am planning on moving a driver out of one truck into another one tomorrow. I am hopeful this proves to be a good move, for us and for this driver.

Krl has this driver coming in today at 1. She is meeting with him to try to straighten out a few problems they had last week (his first). He was supposed to come in yesterday but chose to go to a birthday party instead. No phone call or anything he just didn't show up. Biggest problem was his paperwork was due in yesterday. (If I get paperwork on Saturday I can get billing done and in the mail, two days up on Monday!).

I am fixing to get around and go to Regional to check on Donal and Maretha. Hopefully they will have him on the floor.

This afternoon I have to get together the IRS and SSA copies of 1099's and 1096 and W-4's and W-3 to go in the mail Monday. Thankfully the end of February fell on a Sunday!

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for turning my week around.

Wow.

I hate it when I get home late because my whole schedule is off. That was the case last night.

By the time I had done all of my normal routine, it was nearly midnight. Even when I went to bed, I felt like I was still trying to catch up.

My Saturday was much better than any of the days that preceded it. Lots of prep work seemed to come together. I had made arrangements for an annual inspection on a truck and also on the Explorer I have been driving. The Explorer came out of the shop three weeks ago and the inspection had expired last May. I wanted to shake the vehicle down and be sure it was road ready. I think it is going to be O.K..

The big truck has been out of service for almost a year. I am putting it in service to replace the truck that lost the clutch a week ago. I am not saying it is a replacement truck meaning an equivalent because this truck is older and not near as nice. I am hopeful though that it will be a more economical vehicle.

Two changes we have made should lessen the fuel bill each week. I am hoping for a fuel savings of about $400 per week. The big Caterpillar engines seem to burn about $1600 to $1800 per week. The big Detroit engines seem to burn $1300 to $1400 per week. The C-12 Cat burned $900 of fuel last week but had one snow day. The truck I had inspected today is equipped with a small Detroit which I think will rival the C-12. I expect them to be in there about $1200 per each for the week.

One benefit of staying up late was receiving word that the last truck out had made it home for the weekend.

This was the new driver who had disrupted our house the previous night with a middle of the night phone call. He did not have a very productive day until Krl told him he might have to lay over the weekend in San Antonio. Crazy thing was when she threw down the gauntlet he got it in gear. He was loading in San Antonio at 4:30 Friday and when Krl finally got him to answer the phone he told her he got home about 10.

Want to has a lot to do with it.

I caught the truck drive Einstein in a lie yesterday. I asked him if he had told me what he had told me last Saturday. He answered affirmative. I asked him why he lied and he told me he didn't know. I had given him a directive and he told me he had carried it out and it was complete.

Wrong.

Krl has the new driver coming over in a few minutes for a sit down. She is going to critique him on his first week and try to give him some pointers to make her job and his easier.

Time will tell.

I talked with Memama this morning and she said they had a busy night. They took Pepa and did more x-rays and they gave him two more treatments, so they had a busy night. She thought things seemed pretty good today though.

I have no new word on Donal Wayne since last night's good report.

I am so frustrated. As I said in last nights post, I drove lots of mile yesterday. this morning I put another twenty dollars of gas in the Explorer and it only rose to just over a quarter tank. That is $80 of gas since yesterday.

The inspections today were at Bruckner's in Tye. Cody, the service manager and I are friends, and the guys in parts are friends also. I have always enjoyed the people there. From Jeremy (the GM) all the way to Lloyd (the jack of all trades). It doesn't matter how long it has been since I have been there, we always just pickup where we left off.

I was very thankful that our preparations paid off on the inspections. They were quick with no surprises. Yes!

I needed that after the kind of week I had.

The only thing that could make my day better would be to win the Lotto!

Have a day!

FATHER, after a week of trials, it just makes a good day that much better. Thank YOU!

I think we have good medical reports tonight. Uncle Donal Wayne has all his tubes removed and is doing well. Maybe another 24 hours and he will be moved out of ICU (if I understood Stan correctly).

Pepa's doctor called in a surgeon to consult. They have determined he has diverticulitis (sp?) and also some sort of cystic disease, but both are treatable. They have also determined he has an obstruction or blockage but right now surgery is not being considered.

Pepa was very lucid today.

Pat had a conversation with Pepa's doctor and the doctor told Pat that we are getting where we can't fix some of the things that are wrong. However he says he fully expects Pepa to recover and go home and be normal and active. He said he does not believe this is the end.

Today was a horrid day. It actually began about two thirty this morning. Krl has a new driver and he can't follow instructions involving how much fuel money is on his card. Apparently he can't figure how much fuel he needs to go from point A to point B either. It isn't rocket science. He ran out of fuel while unloading on Wednesday. Then last night he called at two thirty. I almost stood straight up in bed. Immediately Krl and I both thought something must have happened to Pepa. It was a relief to find that first thought was wrong and it was quickly replaced with anger and frustration with the driver for not paying attention to his instructions and balances earlier in the day.

Neither Krl or I were able to go soundly back to sleep.

The day did not improve any.

Truck drivers are like children. If one get something, the others want it too or something better. I get tired of refereeing. We are supposed to be on the same team. Throw in the fact that the rookie driver drove right into a DOT weight station and inspection and it was a tense day.

I drove between three and four hundred miles today and never got ore than fifty-eight miles from Abilene.

I am so ready for bed.

Hope your day was better.

We'll have another day tomorrow!

FATHER, thank YOU for the good news and improvements for Pepa and Donal.

I am not sure what they saw in Pepa's abdominal cat scan but they immediately hung two bags of potent anti-biotics. By late afternoon, one of them was already empty.

I stopped by on my way home from the parts store. Pepa had covers pulled around his chin and was shivering. He was much more aware than he had been in the early morning even and thank goodness, he had combed his hair.

Pat, Memama, and Jake were there when I arrived and Pat gave me a quick run down of her visit with the doctor. He has reassesses his interpretation of the kidney sonogram and now says the cysts on the kidneys could be responsible for some of or all of the back pain.

Today has been a crazy day. To be honest I have fizzed a lot. It seems every time I determine a direction for a plan, something happens to make me have to reassess and plan anew. I will admit I probably have not been sensitive to a lot of none trucking issues that Krl has been dealing with.

I will admit also that I am extremely tired of employees telling me what they are and are not going to do.

Currently I am trying to determine if one employee and Krl and Trc can work together or if it is a situation that won't be good for any of them.

More tomorrow. (Hopefully).

Gremlins.

They are chasing me. They have me surrounded, they are dictating where I can go and what I can do.

That is what I feel like. I feel like I am not in control of any aspect of my life. I am not a control freak, but I feel like I am being swept away, and not in a good way.

I left my house early this morning. Twenty to seven. I made my regular stops and still had time to drop in and check on Pepa. When I got to his hospital room he was awake lying in bed while Memama was sitting on her cot, still in her flannel gown. It did seem that Pepa recognized me, which would be an improvement over yesterday.

It was odd however that he seems to respond best to the nurses. He is able to speak directly and be precise. It seems when he talks to me or Memama he has trouble saying what he wants to say.

While I was there the nurse came in to take Pepa's oxygen level in his blood. Memama says they have had a problem getting it up, even though he is on oxygen. This morning however, the nurse was very pleased.

Memama said she thought Pepa was much better today, after decreasing med levels and increasing intervals between them.

Probably the most disconcerting thing for me this morning was Pepa's hair. You never see him with his hair disheveled. Today it is a mess. I figured out why when I watched him hold his hand on the top of his head. I guess one reason this bothered me is that often you see residents of nursing homes who no longer practice hygiene, including combing their hair.

They have scheduled him for a cat scan on his abdomen this afternoon. So, probably another day in the horsepital.

O.K., I am feeling better. I guess taking the time to write this has given me opportunity to decompress.

Have a day.

FATHER, I could use a lot of help.

Today was a frustrating day. Way too much going on on too many fronts.

I began my day trying to "de-ice" my pickup. I should have at least brushed off the deep snow Tuesday afternoon. However, I didn't. So I had to pay the piper this morning. I ended up having to pour water on my windshield wiper blades to free them from the surface. It added at least a half hour to my departure time.

I then went across town to pick up a new truck driver. He was scheduled to go out today on a truck we hadn't been running. When I took him to the farm shop I crawled in the truck he was supposed to drive and started it. Excellent. No ether, no battery boost. It just cracked off. As the ice and snow on the windshield began to melt I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The windshield was a spider web of cracks. Since this truck was due an annual inspection, I knew they would not put one on it with the windshield cracked.

So, on to plan "B". I made a quick call to put the driver into another truck. However, it was reluctant to start. Three hours and three vehicles boosting along with a battery charger, it started.

Just as the truck cracked off, I got a call from Hag. He told me he needed help getting some errands done. It seemed that the doctor was planning on dismissing Pepa from the hospital and had given Pat prescriptions for a wheelchair and a lift chair. Both needed to be in place by the time Pepa came home. Luckily, when we (Hag, Chris, and I) arrived at the hospital supply, Jason and Devon drove up to help. That gave us three young musclemen to manhandle the lift chair.

We got the equipment into Memama and Pepa's house, and quickly replaced and rearranged the furniture. After waiting a while for Memama and Pepa to arrive we got a call telling us the doctor had re-considered and was keeping Pepa another day.

It seems Pepa had been extremely dis-oriented all day. He didn't seem to recognize Jason and Devon, and he never seemed to figure out who Pat was either. The doctor seems to think it is a medication issue, however just about five Pepa spiked a fever.

Pat did say pepa seemed to be more coherent late in the day.

On my way home, I skipped my exit and went on to Abilene Regional to check on Donal Wayne. They have brought in a respiratory specialist who is trying to drain a lot of excess fluid. They seem to be a ways from removing him from the respirator. Maretha did say he woke up and looked around, trying to get his bearings. I am sure he is confused after missing several days.

Parts store again tomorrow.

Have a day.

FATHER, I am sure getting discouraged. Forgive me.

"Do you miss my Mother?" was a question Pat was asked late Saturday night by one of Terri's children.

"Every day", was Pat's response.

While Saturday was a festive day, it was not without some down moments. I think all of us had thoughts of Freddy and Terri, wishing they were there. None of us vocalized this, yet I am sure everyone thought it.

I don't ever look at Terri's kids without thinking of her and how unfair it was for them to lose their Mother at such young ages.

I don't look at Freddy's family without thinking the same, especially the three newest grand babies. Although Freddy's kids were older, it still wasn't fair for them to lose their Dad.

I think that sometimes in our efforts to not say or do something that might be upsetting to some we over compensate and say nothing or very little. This is not done out of disrespect for Terri or Freddy.

In Pat's conversation there was reminiscing of when all of Terri and Edwin's kids were little and they lived next door to Aunt Pat. How much simpler life was then for everyone.

I think the best thing that comes out after every gathering at Memama and Pepa's is that everyone has a home base, regardless of their present station in life. I would assume that when Memama and Pepa are gone, this base will shift again to Aunt Pat's.

Regardless, there is a bond.

To expand on Pat's answer, there is not a day goes by we don't miss Terri and Freddy. Their offspring just help make it more bearable.

Pepa remains in the hospital. They seem to be concentrating on his lower back. Sunday night they took him for back x-rays and then yesterday they were supposed to do a sonogram of his kidneys. Right now he seems to be more concerned with a "catch" in his back. While Memama has been encouraged to go home, especially at night, but she has refused outside of running home to bathe and change clothes.

I have received no update on Donal Wayne since Sunday.

Have a day! Enjoy the snow!

FATHER, YOUR world looks very beautiful this morning cloaked in the pure white snow. I lift up those who have to travel for their safety.

Saturday was a busy day, even though Pat and Stephanie had done a lot of pre-party work!

Friday had seen the little wild man truck driver encounter a problem, so it was an all day sucker getting him home and putting a plan together to deliver his load. Thankfully, the vendor worked with us. I originally had made a plan to take a truck driver with us to Roscoe and then to let him return to Abilene with another truck to pick up the load left at the shop. However, I remembered we still had a truck at the shop in Abilene that had been repaired a while back. So, it made much more sense to let him put the repaired truck under the load and take it to Roscoe and then get the proper truck ready and under the load. All I was going to be required to do was help get a headache rack up on the truck we were sending to Houston.

Krl and I arrived at party central just after 10 Saturday morning. There was already a bustle of activity. Memama was already dressed for the party, but Pepa was still in bed. Gradually, the population of Memama's house began to grow. Rian, Erica and the three boys arrived about 10:30 in the bus (read RV) with the barbecue pit in tow. We began setting up immediately and got the fire started so it could burn down to coals.

It was fun. I had not seen Coach since July at the Lake. That would go for all of his family except for Kelsi. Colby and his family arrived shortly.

Almost immediately, the place came alive with kiddos playing.

Drew wanted to go riding on the big tractor so he and his Dandy took about a ten minute ride. He got to drive. It is really amazing, but with him there is no argument when the fun is over. He is just ready to go to the next thing. In his case that would be sitting in Chris and Jake's fishing boat.

By 1:30, Rian had all the cooking done. For a while it was touch and go if we could get it on and off the grill before someone stole it. I would say seventy-five percent of the attendees started eating early!

I have not looked at the register, but I would guess that we scared the dickens out of 70 for the meal and you could probably add another twenty to thirty stopping in to visit and have cake and punch.

Of course we had to take pictures of the "newly weds" with their siblings. Pepa had three sisters there, while Memama had two sisters and her brother there. Of course us kids had to get our picture made as well.

Pepa was in his usual mean old bustard form.

Finally, Krl and I decided to head for Abilene. It was probably close to six o'clock. We were nestled snugly in our little home, contemplating going to bed early when Rian called and said they had summoned an ambulance to transport Pepa to the local ER.

The Er admitted him for congestive heart failure and a urinary tract issue. They are going to try to drain a lot of the fluid off of him. It seems this is about an annual ordeal.

I think I am going to see if they can change his filter too!

Any how, Pepa had to upstage the whole program. No surprise.

The report today is that he looks much better, although he is complaining of back pain.

I am hopeful they will keep him until they wear him out.

Today I ran to Abilene Regional to check on Uncle Donal Wayne and his family. I got to see all the boys and their spouses along with Aunt Meretha. She even let me go back to the ICU with her to check on Donal Wayne.

I am optimistic that his situation has improved greatly. I think they are keeping him sedated so he won't fight the tubes.

I am beginning to put my Monday together. I think first on my agenda will be to find where my Friday paycheck ended up. Once again, I made a dry run to pick it up. It doesn't matter how or where I go, I just can't out guess K.O.'s office. I will admit it is getting a little old.

Hope you had a good weekend! Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for a good day Saturday. Thank YOU or better reports for Uncle Donal Wayne. Please bless this day!

I'm back. Although I didn't go anywhere extra. Just my regular week. But oh what a week.

Let's see, big news is, I am now another year older.

My heart has been really heavy all week, and I have decided this is the reason. Although I became the oldest son last March, Thursday marked an official birthdate that Fred never saw and Tj never will. Add to this the loss of a classmate's mother and Pepa's apparent decision to quit and it has been a difficult week.

The difference between Pepa last week and this week is enormous. Last week he was pretty mobile, with the help of his rolling walker. This week he seems to have regressed. Thursday he went to the doctor's office first for his monthly shots in his knees and then he was scheduled for the coumadin clinic. Pat met them at the knee doctor to be sure Memama could get Pepa in and out of the car. When they got to the coumadin clinic, Pepa could not get out of the car. Finally the PA came out side and told them he had rescheduled them for next week. He didn't even offer to assist. Just, "come back next week".

When they arrived home they had instructions from Pat to call me. They didn't, and once again he couldn't get out. Finally he told Memama to close his door and they would ride around awhile. After a trip to the farms they returned home and once again, Pepa couldn't get out. Memama called the parts store and Chris and I ran out and got Pepa up.

I have never heard such stories and excuses. "That knee doctor broke four needles off in each knee". I am not sure where this creative imagination has come from.

I suppose the thing that bothers me most about Pepa's dilemma is how hateful he is to Memama, and she waits on him hand and foot. It just kind of makes me want to put the car in their garage with him in it.

I know that sounded hateful.

Once again I am finding new appreciation for Grandpa Freeman each day.

I met Pat, Stephanie, and Chloe at Sam's Thursday night and we bought party supplies. It was an hour an half shopping marathon.

Today we are sketched to arrive at Memama's about ten, converging from every direction.

On a somber note, Pepa's sister's husband had surgery and is not doing well. They will be missed at our festivities. I ask that you lift Donal in your prayers.

I got to get. Party, Party!

Have a day!

FATHER, help us to get through this day. I pray for safety. I lift up Donal Wayne for YOUR gifts of healing and care.

I guess I should have been more specific in my quote about the American Skiers. I should have said the American Mogul Skiers look like they are wearing their pajamas.

I think the thing I really enjoy about figure skating is the music. It is always amazing with the arrangement variations they come up with.

I saw a commercial I really liked last night, it was for McDonald's and the last frame showed a bobsled going through the drive thru!

I would rate that one with the Opra, David Letterman, and Jay Leno Super Bowl Ad.

I worked at the parts store today. It wasn't a very busy day. About mid morning I got a call from Pat telling me they were taking Pepa to the doctor or the E R. He was complaining about pain in his chest and his arm. His nurse and his physical therapist were there and they helped load him up in Pat's vehicle. Pat made the call to go to Dr. Akers instead of the E R. Once they were there they took all Pepa's vital signs and Pat said what she saw showed no evidence of any cardic stress. When the doctor saw Pepa, he agreed and told Pepa his pain was just arthritis, told him to get off the anti-inflamatory pain meds, limit the Lortab to three per day and increased his Lasix. Pat said she thought Pepa was really disappointed that they didn't put him in the hospital.

When Pepa got home he didn't want to sit at the table and eat lunch. Memama and I got to visit a little about his situation and how there is no one to blame but him and no one can change it but Pepa.

In the afternoon Pat called me and wanted to know how things were at Memama and Pepa's after she had left. I told her Memama thought she (meaning Pat) was cross at her for having to take Pepa. I told Memama I was sure that Pat was just frustrated because with her training she knows what is going on, but Pepa won't take what she says as a professional opinion, he has to hear it from someone else.

Pat made the observation that Pepa has suddenly realized that this weekend everyone is coming in and all the sudden he doesn't want to have the party because he doesn't want all of those that haven't seen him in a while see how his situation has degenerated.

With Pepa's little spell it knocked Memama out of going to Mary Lois's funeral. I didn't go either since I was working, but Jason told me it was a really nice funeral. Standing room only.

Ollie has gotten herself in another mess with the law. I asked her if they make you take Idiot 101 before you can graduate from Lake View or Central. I think they are going to have to lock her up and throw away the key before she understands. She was in Sweetwater last night and in Sweetwater and Roscoe all day. The most current mess cost her her job. Oh well, she kept this one long enough it was almost a record!

Late in the day Jason came by the parts store and we visited. He is leaving tonight to go to Oklahoma to move some fertilizer loads. As he was leaving I caught a ride and picked up the Explorer. This is the first time I have driven it since it came out of the shop. Its maiden voyage was a hundred miles to Lamesa and a hundred miles back. It seems to be running good, but I think the steering damper might have developed a problem during its down time. I will know more about this tomorrow.

I had planned on converting the Explorer back to cash, but now it appears there might be a need for it, especially if Brently doesn't make the payments of all of the vehicles. I doubt the is smart enough to realize their bank has cross collateralization. He can't just pay his payment, he has to pay all of them or he defaults on all of them.

I got to leave the parts store a little early. I needed to pick up some racing oil for a customer from one of our vendors in Abilene. It is getting to be that time of year where some of our competing customers are gearing up for competitions. I had one call today wanting me to re-order spark plugs for him but is asking for a spark plug we have never stocked or sold. I told him I would get them if that was what he wanted, but we had never sold that particular plug.

Before the day was out I received another call and added to his order.

No matter how hard it is, the customer is always right.

Hope you had a day! We'll have another one tomorrow! (GOD willing).

FATHER thank YOU for a good day!

Is it just me or do all the American skiers look like they are wearing their pajamas?


Maybe this is a budget minimizer and this outfits double as competition uniforms and pj's.


I had heard all the pre-olympic hype about the uniforms and I am convinced Ralph and Lauren weren't on the same page!


(I know, it is Ralph Lauren).

I associate the Winter Olympics with ice skating, downhill skiing and ice hockey. I am not really into the moguls and the snow boarding with the half pipe and all. I see a lot of the additions as gut checks. Who is willing to take a bigger chance.

I have always enjoyed the bobsled competition, although it has only been recent years that the Americans have really become competitive. Yeah, it's probably something about a guy and his car.

Trc came over yesterday for a brief while, trying to sort through some things she had been working on. She and Krl run the trucks in Texas only, but changes to the Texas DOT require Texas carriers to apply for a United States Department of Transportation number. Last week Trc had applied, but the system locked down before issuing a number. Then she re-applied. Same result. A third time proved to be no better. Now she had three application numbers. When she came in yesterday, she found a number had been issued but we have no idea which application went through. Weird. We are wondering if the snow storm in the north east had anything to do with the problems we experienced.

Today I am pricing some things we need to get another truck ready to go on the road. This afternoon I am having a meeting with Lance at his office to discuss some issues that came to light last week. I am hopeful I can have a productive day.

Hope you can too! Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for this day. May it be blessed.

Are you in touch with your mortality?

I seem to deal with death very differently. I have stated before that I don't think I have ever gotten over my maternal grand dad dying at the age of 61. I was 16. We were buds. I didn't think anything could hurt as much as it did to lose him. We had plans. Luckily, I spent the entire day with him the day prior to his death. I don't know if I could have survived if I hadn't.

I will say that there have been a number of deaths that have rivaled his. Primarily Freddy's and Tj's. I have always heard how difficult it is to lose a sibling, thankfully I have no idea what it is like to lose a child. I have lived losing a sibling twice and would concur. I suppose this is getting awful close to home and having to realize how temporary and fleeting our time here is. I find it more difficult when we lose people of my generation. A brother, a sister, a cousin, a cousin's spouse, quickly come to the fore front of my mind.

My day yesterday started with a text message telling me a high school classmate's mother had died. that seemed to set the tone for my whole day as more evidence came in supporting the message despite my wanting to discount and hope for an inaccuracy.

Part of my day was spent in the office, then I went to Kinko's and the Post Office. Finally, I went to the grocery store. As I would make decisions about what and what not to buy, I caught myself thinking, this would not be a concern to Fred or Terri or Rene, or Mike ..... . . . . . and the list could go on.

Now before someone wants to lock me up in a rubber room, I am not suicidal. It is just a realization that when you finish your time here it must be a relief. No more stress. No more money. No more aches or pain. The rat race is over.

I often hear my Dad say, "If this is the way it is going to be, I just wish he would take me now". I don't doubt that he hurts. I don't doubt he feels he is living with diminished skills and capacities.

Luckily, he is not in charge. Someone much bigger and much wiser is.

Yesterday I reported a family friend had died. This proved to be true. Mary Lois Boston Williams age 78 of Roscoe died yesterday in Abilene. I am not privy to exact facts but my sources tell me it was a massive heart attack. She and her husband Herbert have been long time friends of my Mom and Dad. The men have served on various boards together and partnered on ventures in the past. The women have been friends and served as room-mothers and hostesses to various events. Their family and our family are mirrored. Larry is a year older than Fred was, Nancy and I were classmates, Judy was a year older than Pat, Randy was a year or two ahead of Coach and Wes (or Waldo as he was called in his early years) and Terri were the end gates. You can't live in a community of 1500 without having a lot of interaction.

Mary Lois taught piano many years ago. It wouldn't surprise me to learn she had taught her grandchildren. Pat took from Mary Lois, I took from Ms. Miles. I think nearly all of us offspring played in the band. Larry played a trombone, as did I. He served as President of the band. Nancy was a trumpet player as was Freddy and Nancy served a drum major. Judy played a flute (I think) and Pat played a clarinet. I can't really remember if Randy was in the band, but I know Coach played the drums. Wes and Terri were too far removed in age for me to know if Wes was in band or not.

Mary Lois played the piano and organ at First Baptist Church. I know the last time I attended services there she still did. However, Mary is probably best known for sending all of the youth of Roscoe into the world as she played the processional and recessional marches for Roscoe High School graduation.

In recent years, it seems that I ran into Mary at the Post Office in Roscoe. Sometimes I would be getting into my vehicle when she would drive up or emerge from inside. More often than not I would get back out and visit with her for a brief while, checking up on Herbert or whatever the hot topic of the day might be. I am glad I did.

My grand dad use to tell me, "Deaths come in threes". For the most part, as long as I can remember, he has been right. We wait with hopes that death skips our doorstep, although we know it could be any day.

Boy, does GOD have a big job.

Have a day.

FATHER I am sad. For my friends as they have lost their mate, mother, and grand mother. I lift them up for YOUR gifts of comfort and care. Bless them. Thank YOU for Mary Lois and the impact she has had.

Ah. I slept late this morning. It was sevenish when I woke, but probably nineish when I crawled from bed. It seemed to be animal time in bed. The little pups were wanting to cuddle, and I slipped in a couple of "cat" naps!

By the way, we have a visiting hound. Missy, one of Trc's and her girl's hounds is spending a few days with us. She is a sweetie, but being only a few months old she has sooo much energy. Yesterday was her third day, and initially the little Redhead and Phoodoo were not overly receptive. Especially when it came to bed time. Krl and the pups went to bed and the two regulars were very protective of their usual spots. When I went to bed, it was like a major movement with the regulars migrating to my side of the bed. The visitor was relegated to sleeping between me and the edge of the bed. I will say once she is asleep, she is a good sleeper. I have the impressions from her finger nails in my side to prove it! I think she slept with her paws on my side all night long. As the visit has extended, the two regulars have gradually accepted their company.

Crazy thing is, we didn't pick any of our current hounds. They just came to own us. the little Redhead came from Rescue the animals (we were just supposed to be a foster home for her), Phoodoo was Trc's middle girls hound and she came to visit because their other hounds would not stop picking on her. Two years after she came to visit Ln wanted to take her home but Meme told her it would be cruel to separate her and the Redhead. (They are a lot like Mutt and Jeff, I guess if the new hound becomes permanent they will become the Three Stooges).

I had not planned on working yesterday, but K.O. called and said it was there if I wanted it. In a change I took a different truck and hauled a load of seed to Pyco in Lubbock.

It sometimes amazes me how things will come together because we had Valentines and Valentine Candy to go to Lubbock to the boys and we also needed to get paperwork from the little wild man truck driver and he was loading yesterday in Lubbock. While I would have preferred to leave early K.O. didn't want to go to work early. So we decided to meet about ten. It might have been a good thing because of the remnants of the winter storm that came through, primarily the fog.

I finally left Anson at 11:44. I scaled in at the oil mill at 1:52. It should have been a quick in and out at the oil mill, but one of the dump operators had dropped the ball and when we opened the pit it was level full with seed. We had to empty the pit before we could begin to lift and dump my truck.

I called Rian about the time they began dumping my truck and he drove the mile and a half or so from the school to the oil mill. While the official reason was the boys Valentines, it gave us a chance to visit as we ran to one of Rian's favorite burger stand to get something to eat and some ice tea.

While it was a relatively quick visit, it was good.

When I left the oil mill I headed for the compress where I helped the little wild man finish tarping and securing his load. The previous night he had a light problem and he had located the culprit, but had to show me what it was. It will be an easy fix. We left the compress together, him headed to Lamesa and me to Anson.

My only stop on my way home was to drop off paperwork and pick up last weeks paycheck. This exchange took place at the Better Burger.

In what seems to be a weekly occurrence, my check was messed up again. I guess I will have to turn in a cash ticket for extra gas for multiple trips to pick up supplemental checks. I am not sure what the why is but if I were to hazard a guess I would have to say it is organizational.

When I was in charge of the paper side of the family business I always stressed getting a routine and then being consist with it. If you do the same thing over and over, you develop the habit and the drivers know what to expect.

If I am guilty of anything, it would probably be giving my paperwork to K.O. at the jobsite or leaving it in their travel trailer at the jobsite (he and his family stayed there when the gin was running around the clock). The loads omitted from my pay were turned in to K.O. at the travel trailer and were sitting on box of peppermints on the kitchen counter. The only thing I was paid for was 1/31 which had been broken out from a manifest for 1/29 and 1/30. (All three days were on the same manifest).

Oh well. I know they will get it right, it is just the hassle.

When I walked in the office this morning I discovered I had left my cell phone on my desk. When I retrieved it to check the charge level, I found I had a text message from Jason informing me that one of my classmate's mother had died this morning from a massive heart attack. This family is a long time friend of my family. While my first thought was that I hoped it was erroneously reported, I fear that is was not. I would put this lady about the age of my parents.

I got a call from Rian shortly after I received Jason's text message and he was shaken, having received the same message. He told me it makes it a very real possibility that this could happen to Memama and Pepa or His Mawmaw and Papaw. I reminded him this is a real possibility for any of us. He told me he just was not ready for it. I told him he was talking to the wrong person, I am not in charge of this.

If I could pick how to go, it would be short and sweet. I am thankful that Freddy and Tj did not go through lengthy illnesses, even though we would have been more prepared for their exits. Of my grandparents, my maternal went short and sweet at 61 and 66. Both to heart attacks. My paternal grandparents died at 67 and 86. My grandmother lived and suffered from terminal cancer for the final nine or ten years of her life. My granddad had a stroke and died after an extended stay in a nursing facility.

Luckily, none of them suffered from any type of major dementia. I think that this is one of life's cruelest illnesses. I would say that you lose these loved ones twice. Mentally and physically.

I have an aunt who lost her mother and father and I believe both of them suffered from Alzheimer's. To further antagonize her, her older sister has the same disease and has been in a home for years. This aunt worries about this fate befalling her and her family and she reads and does everything she can to help her situation and hopefully prevent this.

Life can be good. Life can be difficult. Life can be cruel.

Have a day.

FATHER, thank you for the safe day yesterday. I pray for the family of our deceased family friend and lift them up for your comfort and care. I pray for those who suffer from ailments as they age, and for their families.

How 'bout this Texas weather?

I can not believe how wet our area is. Hopefully we are in a position that with a few good spring thunderstorms we can have some runoff and fill some lakes and tanks.

We had rain during the night. Sleet when I walked out of the house this morning, which turned to snow during my drive to pick up donuts to take to work.

I guess I have let the cat out of the bag, so I will admit it. At the parts store, we have imported donuts. I pick them up in Abilene and drive them fifty miles to Roscoe every Thursday. Some times they are so fresh the bottom of the box is still warm when I arrive at the parts store. This has been a Thursday routine for over a year, so regular in fact that the donut lady knows me when I walk in and she can recite my order to me from memory.

Oh what the hey. I go to AM Donuts on South Treadaway. Now there is a plug.

Actually we have a crazy routine. Tuesday is from the dollar menu at McDonald's. Wednesday is breakfast burritos from La Popular #1 on South Treadaway, and then the donuts on Thursday.

Today, by the time I made it to the outskirts of Abilene it was snowing sideways! The interstate was basically "one lane". As traffic backed up behind a more cautious driver, a few of us dare devils pulled into the fast lane and eased past.

Hey, I thought if the situation goes bad I have enough gas to keep warm and I did have a dozen donuts.

Luckily I made the drive without incident, although there were a few times the back end of the pickup got a little twitchy. The drive took me about ten or fifteen minutes longer than usual. It is like I tell our drivers, if you stay with it, speed makes very little difference.

Thankfully, there was not a sheet of ice under the snow and it quickly became slush.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to make a quick trip to Lubbock. I am hoping the roads are good by mid morning.

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for the gift of moisture for YOUR earth. Thank YOU for safe passage. I ask for a safe and blessed day tomorrow. YOU are good.

I am so thankful. The big man upstairs has put together potentially two good weeks for me!

I have watched my Mom and Dad, affectionately known as Memama and Pepa to most, as they have begun on the accelerated aging scale. Pepa more so than Memama. In some instances it is sad, primarily when they discover they can no longer do something they have done regularly. But you can almost bet that most instances will be funny. Especially their vocal interchanges. They have their own little language and you have to really pay attention to keep up.

Pat often talks about the roll reversal.

Ironically, Pepa continues to rely on Memama, as he has the majority of their married life of sixty years. It is quite alarming that he seems to think she has the size and strength to help him when he needs a little push or pull. Obviously he does not see himself as the "big" man he is. I think many of the grandchildren who have not seen them in a while will be surprised at the degression.

Probably the most tell tale sign of the process is Pepa relinquishing the driving duties to Memama.

Law enforcement please skip to the next paragraph. Memama doesn't even have a driver's license as I type this. A year ago she went in to renew her license and found that a new law requires a persons birth certificate, their social security card and their driver's license to mirror each other. There was a typo on Memama's birth certificate which prevented her from getting her license renewal until she waded through the correction process. Pat and Memama corresponded with the Bureau of Vital Statistics and had to gather all sorts of information, an affidavit from her oldest living relative, an affidavit from her oldest living off-spring and copies of all her identities. Simply stated, my Mother was and continues to be a fugitive from the law. Just kidding. Actually the identity problem is solved and she possesses all the paperwork that would allow her to renew her license but she is leery of the eye test. He eye doctor in Dallas has told her he sees no reason she can't pass the eye test, but if she were to fail to call his office and he will send his test results. It seems that grey or overcast days affect Memama's eyesight more than anything.

We have begun preparation for their anniversary celebration which is to take place February 20th at their home. By preparations have begun I mean we are talking about it. We are confident it will all come together because we are a multi faceted family with a broad array of skills and talents.

Well, I had better get before I grow old.

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for being so patient in our aging and education.

I really enjoyed this past weekend. It had been too long since I had a day off. I ran my weekend a day early on all counts. I even filed one report that needed filing. I like it when I get caught up.

Yesterday I talked with K.O. early, he told me, "Don't be in any rush to come out here to the gin because we may not have a load all day".

I had put on work clothes and was fixing to put brake pads of Trc's Yukon just after lunch when my phone rang. It was K.O. telling me by the time I got there a load would be on the ground. It would have been more appropriate if he had said I would have a load in the mud. Whatever you can imagine, it is much worse than that. I actually got stuck twice while trying to load the bales.

What should have taken three hours start of loading to delivering and returning to the plant, took almost six.

It was about seven when I got home last evening.

The gin at Anson will clear all the trailers and modules from their yard today, but they have ninety modules still in the field and who knows when they can get them out.

Weather calls for a large front to move in tomorrow and snow is supposed to begin tomorrow afternoon's and go through the night and Thursday.

Wow!

I need to get more firewood in the dry!

I am at the parts store. Come on down, everything is on sale! So far this morning I have not seen a single customer walk through the door. If it continues to be slow I plan to pull Trc's Yukon into the shop and put the brake pads on. (I drove her Yukon to work today).

Have a day!

FATHER, I need a lot of patience today. Peace, perfect peace.

How 'bout those Saints?

You can rest assured, since I called this about four weeks ago, I did not have any money wagered on the game. In fact I had a perfect post season picking games.

Now don't get me wrong. I cheered for Bret Favre, yet picked the Saints to win. I cheered for Peyton Manning, yet picked the Saints to win.

After watching the beating Favre took against the Saints I was fearful that Peyton might get hurt. Possibly a knee or lower leg injury. Surprisingly, the Colts offensive line did a good job of keeping the Saints in check.

It is going to be quite the celebration "when the Saints go marching in" to New Orleans.

That celebration might only be surpassed "when the Saints go marching in" the Pearly Gates!

I did catch an interview with the mayor of New Orleans who said he doubted anyone would do anything productive until after Mardi Gras. For a city that needs no reason to party, they have one.

I was glad for Drew Brees being named the MVP. He seems to be a very real person. It was touching to see him celebrate with his son.

Have a day!

FATHER, may this day be blessed.

I have enjoyed not being behind the eight ball all weekend. I am running well ahead of what I need to in order to finish all my tasks.

On an interesting note, I went to mail invoices last evening. My problem was I thought the mail pickup in downtown Abilene was at 6pm. Monday through Saturday. Wrong. Monday through Friday, yes. Saturday pickup is 5pm. However there is a late pickup at 7pm. weekdays and 6pm. on Saturdays. I had to get out of my pickup to read the address. 1020 E. Overland Trail. I thought I knew where this was at, so I drove there. However I never saw a mailbox.

Go figure!

I talked with Rian yesterday and he was going to go work on his big pulling tractor. Last week he became very frustrated when he could make it run on gas (when priming it) but not on methanol. After we had discussed it and thought about it, I told him the small hex shaft that inserts in the end of the camshaft and drives the pump, had to be either broken, rounded off, or it had slipped out of the camshaft or the pump.

When Rian returned from San Antonio, he was determined to get the big blown Chevy running. He removed the pump extension from the front of the motor and discovered there was a three/eights difference in the length of his old pump extension and the one he had chose to use. That small difference would be enough to keep the pump from pumping.

When Rian had re-installed his old pump extension he began trying to start the engine. VVvvarrumphhh! He primed it again. Vvvvarrumphh!! As soon as it had devoured the priming gasoline, it would die. He was instantly disappointed, and began trying to figure it out when he discovered he had failed to open the fuel shut off valve. After opening the valve, he primed the engine and gave it another try. Vvvvarrrooooommmm! It roared to life! He timed the ignition system, then tested the multi disc slipper clutch. All systems were go and worked flawlessly.

I know how he felt. I have always gotten a thrill out of being able to tear an engine down to basic pieces and re-assemble it and make it run.

It is almost like magic!

I did watch yesterday and last evenings debut of NASCAR 2010. Danica did good. I was disappointed one of my guys didn't win the Shootout, but oh well. I was thrilled Mark Martin won the pole for next Sunday's race and Junior will join him on the front row. The twin qualifiers are Thursday to determine the rest of the starting order.

I am eager to get the Super Bowl under way.

I don't know if I ever told ya'll about it but a few years ago I was invited to a Super Bowl Party and I was in charge of the punch. When they found out I intended to purchase a new toilet to use for the Super Bowl Punch Bowl, I was relieved of my duties.

Hey, I was really into the theme.

Have a day, enjoy the game if you are into it!

FATHER, thank YOU for down time. Please bless my coming week!

I spent the majority of yesterday at Anson. It was a muddy mess. It is hard for me to imagine why a manager and board of directors would be blind to facility improvements.

When the cotton bales come out of this plant, they are transported by the gin's forklift and operator to be blocked into 108 bale loads. The area where the loads are staged is an uncovered dirt area with standing water. In prior years this plant has had bales rejected at the port and returned due to water damage.

Earlier this week the compress had made a call to the manager to file a complaint. The bales were wet and muddy, especially the ones that have to be laid down before being loaded on the top of the load.

In defense of the loader operator who was working at that point, there were no dry options available for laying these bales down.

Finally, the gin manager decided that the top bales would be transported to the shed that covers the old trailer suction. The seventy-eight bales that go on the bottom of the load would be loaded in back of the plant, then the truck would have to re-locate to the front of the plant, retrieve the forklift, and load the thirty bales on the top before strapping and securing the load for transport.

The strapping and securing was another muddy task. There is no where to go to avoid the mud! I have always wanted to be 6'4", but not with mud lifts on my shoes!

I only hauled one load yesterday.

The plant should get caught up, possibly today, with everything they have been able to haul. They do still have 90 modules in the field and it may be seven to ten days before they can get in to get them, provided it doesn't rain any between now and then. (Guess what, there is more rain in the forecast).

K.O. had talked to me Thursday about working Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I really didn't want to, but I didn't want to leave him in a bind either. I was very relieved when he told me the plant would be closed Sunday, he had someone else who wanted to work Saturday, and it would appear there would be no cotton to gin or transport on Monday.

Yes.

It has been fifteen days since my last day off, and I had even done double duty getting the W-2's, 1099's and all the year end and quarterly reporting done, after hours. It was nice not to look out the corner of my eye to see what time it was, even though I didn't sleep terribly late.

Yesterday I had just returned to Anson when my phone toned. It was Pat. She told me that Memama and Pepa had just left Roscoe, headed to Abilene for a doctor appointment. The doctor's office was only a mile away from my home and Pat asked me if I would be able to meet them to help Memama, should Pepa have problems getting out of or in the car.

I finished my paperwork before I got out of the Peterbilt truck, left it for K.O., loaded my personal affects in my pickup and headed to Abilene.

I arrived early at the doctors office and waited about fifteen minutes before I saw this car slowly make its way into the lot. As I walked up, Memama, then Pepa saw me. I think Memama was relieved. We gave Pepa a choice, wheelchair or walker. He chose walker. Surprisingly he was able to get out of the car and inside, unassisted. When it was time to go back, he got up, and apparently he had no problem when it was time to go.

When we walked into the office, it was straight up 3:30. Which was Pepa's appointment time.

We left the doctor's office at 6:10.

Excuse me, but that is totally unacceptable.

This past week has been a really good one in a lot of ways. I am not saying it wasn't without anxiety or questions, but there were a lot of really positive things that happened. I am excited.

I am also very thankful because the good LORD definitely had a presence. There had been some critical issues that were totally out of our hands, yet they unfolded timely and more than met our needs.

I know I have often kidded that GOD has to get frustrated with my backseat driving, and how often times HE has to let me really screw up by tossing me the wheel and allowing me to drive. Problem is I don't have his map or his insight. No matter how difficult things might seem, HE is working his plan for me.

I have a minimum hour of drive time each way to and from work. At other times I have had much more. This past week I have tried to use this time to vocalize my concerns and fears, but when I hand if off I know it is all O.K..

My day today, while I call it a day off, requires me to drive two hours to pick up a driver paperwork packet. This driver wanted to keep his paperwork and mail it Monday after completing one more load. That would mean a Wednesday arrival for billing and payroll. As close as time frames run and with all the fuel prepaid, it is critical that billing go out preferably no later than Monday, Saturday if possible. Trc had contacted the driver and made arrangements for him to leave his big rig and paperwork in Roscoe and to take an "extra" car home to Lamesa for the weekend. This would be a substantial savings over paying truck fuel for the 220 miles of driving just for the convenience of this driver getting home for the weekend. $120 compared to$28, big truck compared to passenger car.

Just yesterday morning I had stopped by and paid the Explorer out of the shop. Jason worked with me by getting the truck driver to the Explorer, so it saved me a trip to Roscoe Last night. Thanks, Jason!

Rian and Erica made it home from San Antonio. He has two more trips scheduled, one in February and one in March, one to Houston, one to Dallas, both to schools that were rated exemplary.

Have a day!

FATHER, thanks for a great week! Keep up the good work, YOU are doing good!

"Instant"

I have decided this is the downfall of civilization.

"Instant" pudding. "Instant" coffee. "Instant" tea. "Instant" oatmeal. "Instant" potatoes. "Instant" gravy.

"Instant" gratification. "Instant" satisfaction.

"Instant" Salvation.

I think without fail, the real deal is much better. I prefer brewed coffee. Brewed tea. I prefer 5 minute oatmeal. Real potatoes. Real gravy is better and it is an art!

I think something that takes a long time in coming about give a greater sense of gratification, the same can be said of satisfaction.

My take on "instant" salvation is still out, but I believe salvation takes a lifetime of work and commitment. While it is a start, I think there is a lot more to it than simply taking Christ as your personal savior.

Rian and Erica's flight was postponed about four or five hours yesterday. He texted me at 8 last evening and they were in San Antonio.

For those of you who enjoy reading I have a suggestion. Sandra Brown's Rainwater. I have read and re-read it several times. I haven't read a lot of her works but she could replace John Grisham as my favorite author, especially if his last two books are an indication of what is to come. The Associate, and Ford County were extremely disappointing. I have hoped there would be a sequel to The Associate.

Rainwater is very well written, it is based in a small Texas town about a single mother with a special needs child who runs a boarding house.

Buy or check out this book!

Krl is dealing with an un-cooperative truck driver this morning. A year ago this man was our "ace", This year the spelling would be changed to use two "s'". This year it seems he is never where he is supposed to be when he needs to be there, and he is always telling Krl what he can't do instead of what he can do. Krl and I both think something is going on beyond the surface. This man's wife was gone from before Christmas until last week and while she was gone this man worked very little. Since her return she had put the fear of you know who in him until he wanted a three day weekend and then after working three days went back home. Krl has him dispatched through Friday but when she called him this morning he was still at home. He knew he needed an early start to get back on track and that won't happen today and he might not even get on track by tomorrow. Oh well.

I don't think this man has any idea how easily it would be to park his truck.

What a rain. I cannot believe how wet it is. This morning on the way from Abilene to Roscoe, I saw water running out of the field into the ditches. Excellent!

Have a day!

FATHER, why do I ever doubt YOU. Forgive me. Thank YOU for blessing my day yesterday. YOU continue to meet our every need. YOU strengthen me!

I confess, I have been derelict in my blogging duties.

I don't know why, and I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I have been setting an alarm for about the last week and I have been studying my eyelids when it has gone off. That is until today. I woke seven minutes prior to the alarm going off.

I have been tired. I have been sleep short. I have gone since the twenty-fifth, my last day off, and I will go to the sixth of this month until my next schduled day off. Add to this the quarterly reports I was working on and I had several nights of close to midnight work in the home office.

This past week I had done the parts store, after starting my week helping K.O. on Monday. On Friday I had agreed to fill in for K.O. so he could go to Oklahoma. I was going to work forty-eight hour straight. Friday, Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night. He expected to return on Sunday morning.

K.O. had a difficult time leaving. We had ice and his destination had even more than we did. I encouraged him to leave, telling him we would handle whatever came up. It might be ugly, but we would cover it one way or the other.

Finally he got in his pickup and left.

Our deal had been for a base line pay, tied to shift work. We knew how much I make in a regular day and how much added pay I could make in an exceptional day.

I had loaded bedding, my bag, three changes of clothes (I was afraid as wet and muddy as it was I might need to change to stay warm), and a few grocery items. The plan called for me to spend the nights at the jobsite in his travel trailer, waiting for the alarm to sound alerting me to switch trucks under the auger.

K.O. tells me how physically demanding this job is, and I have no doubt that day after day, week after week it takes a toll being on site and on call twenty-four/seven. I was game for the job because it would enable K.O. to do something he really wanted to do, even though I did dread it.

I am not the kind of guy who enjoys not having anything to do, so I thought I would be able to stay busy loading bales, loading seed, and loading and hauling burrs locally for cattle feed.

I would be wrong. On Friday they battled wet cotton all day long and by days end they had ginned twenty-four bales, all day. I had hauled one load of burrs, loaded one load of seed, and loaded one load of bales, all of which were finished on my watch. The majority had been ginned prior to seven Friday morning.

Late Friday the head ginner came to me and told me, "We are all very tired. This wet cotton is difficult to gin. We are going to shut down and not gin until noon or there about tomorrow. Go home, and return tomorrow."

I checked in with the office, just to be sure. When I headed to Abilene I called Krl to tell her of the new developments.

K.O. told me that whatever time the head ginner told me, to take and hour off because he is notorious for starting early.

Saturday morning I got up, dressed, went to the barber shop and then headed to Anson. When I arrived there I was well ahead of the scheduled time, even with the cushion. I began starting trucks, forklifts and loaders. As luck would have it, it was good I got there early as two trucks refused to start without serious encouragement. In fact it was after the plant had started that I got the last truck started.

After ginning thirty-six bales, the plant went down just prior to the anticipated shift change. I went inside to investigate and learned they had a broken seed auger flight which had stacked the flight in about four inches of shaft instead of it spiraling for a foot and a half or so. As luck would have it, it was a left handed flight and they had no replacement or flighting. They were going to have to remove the damaged auger from under the gin stands and then heat and bend the flight back into proper shape before welding it. They informed me it would be late before repairs were completed on the auger and then it would have to cool down before re-installation could take place.

The manager told me, "Go home".

I returned Sunday morning between six and six-thirty (once again trying to ward off an early start). I started all the equipment, having to boost only one truck. Then I sat and waited. Finally I went in to K.O.'s trailer and turned the television on. About nine the plant came to life. At one o'clock my first truck came to load seed, and about mid afternoon I saw K.O., for the first time. He asked me to stay on while he dealt with an issue in Abilene and finally about six in the evening I relinquished command of my post.

By the way, they ginned about sixty bales Sunday. I shipped two loads of seed, one load of bales and hauled one load of burrs for the day.

K.O. can't believe my good fortune of getting two nights off in a row. Of course he was wanting to know if I was going to cut him a deal for the time I was on site. I told him while I sympathized with their pathetic production, I was on site.

It will be interesting come pay day. Since I did work Sunday, I only lost one shift of the four I was scheduled for.

We had guests at our home last night. Ollie and one of her Liberty Tax girls came to Abilene to train the new marketing manager and the Liberty Tax girls in Abilene. It was a pretty good evening. It turns out that Ollie has moved into a house with two of her three girls that work for her. I had a good time kidding her employee Chelsea. I asked her if Ollie had ever shown her her set of surgical equipment? She looked at me weird until I told her when Ollie was little you could ask her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she would respond, "A body parts salesperson". It took her a moment to realize I was hinting that Ollie might be a serial murderer. We had a big laugh.

The girls wanted me to get them up early so they could be at the office by eight. I gave them a choice. Six or Seven. I get up prior to six and I spend the hour bathing, doing personal hygiene, and getting dressed to leave by seven. Although they wanted six-thirty they opted for six. When I woke them, I made Ollie sit on the side of the bed so I knew she was awake before I retreated to my bedroom and bath.

When I left the house just prior to seven I did a double check on the girls, then I called just before eight to be sure they were on their way.

While Ollie had place an order for the supper menu last evening, tonight their boss is taking them to Lytle Land and Cattle for dinner.

When I woke this morning, I could hear the steady sound of rain. It is beginning to get wet in our part of the world. Usually a wet winter makes for a good crop year the following spring and summer.

We can hope.

Rian is flying out today going to a seminar in San Antonio. He paid for Erica to accompany him. He is going with two deputy Superintendents from Central office and another principal.

Pepa is continuing his therapy. He doesn't like it, but I think it is doing him some good.

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for YOUR blessing of rain. I lift up Rian and Erica for YOUR care and safe travel. I continue to lift up Pepa for YOUR gifts of healing and care. FATHER I continue to seek YOUR guidance as we move forward. Bless-ed by YOUR name.