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!