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.