Adjustment one.

For the last couple of years, a phone call to my Mom meant that you had to navigate through Pepa to talk with her. Often times he would get frustrated and difficult when he wanted you to tell him what you wanted with her!

I guess he was screening her calls! lol!

Often he would refuse to hang up, eavesdropping on your conversation much like the old party lines! He never wanted Memama to know as much as he knew and GOD forbid she knew more.

Sometimes I would fabricate something, just because I knew he was listening in.

This morning I called Memama's house for the first time since we lost Pepa.

It is amazing how strange it seemed that he didn't answer the phone in his usual method of talking before the phone actually activated, and more strange that I didn't have to navigate around him. Weird that something which was once irritating has become something dear!

Memama and her sister were sitting at the table drinking their coffee.

I am headed to Roscoe to deal with my farm help. I may even run the tractor for a while. Therapy!

Visitation tonight 5 to 6:30.

Oh FATHER.

Busy week. We have been trying to bring quite a few things together on the farm.

We finished the stalk shredding, and I finished the terraces on the section. Next matter of business was what we needed to do to put the land up.

I opted for hooking two plows up to two different tractors while weighing my options. Finally I decided to go with a V-ripper at the section in the curved rows. I was pleasantly surprised with how the plow was leaving the soil. Before I was done, I decided to try one of the straight row parallel terraces.

It looked so good, we began running around the clock.

As of yesterday morning we lacked 577 acres and counting down. We lost quite a bit of time with gauge wheel flats (stalks penetrating the tires) and moving from North of Roscoe to near Wastella.

My day had started at 4 when my alarm went off. I got on the tractor before six and off just after six in the evening. After a few errands, I was fueling my pickup at 7:30. When I finished fueling I made a split second decision to not go by Memama and Pepa's and head to Abilene.

I got to the house at 8:20, kicked off my shoes and began reading a four page letter in the mail. I was on page three when my phone rang. It was from Memama and Pepa's house.

I figured Pepa was wanting a report on how the farming was going.

Not so. It was Pat, and immediately I knew something was wrong. The call was too reminiscent of her call to me four years ago when Tj died.

She told me, " Memema called me saying Pepa was in the floor again".

When Pat arrived, Pepa was in the floor, no pulse and no respiration. Pat and Jake , who had arrived, began CPR and continued until an ambulance and EMT's arrived.

I took a quick bath. Bathing so fast that I didn't even get wet when I hopped in and out of the tub. Then it was a quick dressing and out the door, destination Roscoe or Sweetwater at a high rate of speed. While in route, Pat called to report they had Pepa on a gurney and were going to transport him to the ER at Sweetwater. Before leaving, the EMT told Pat and Memama that Pepa was not responding and that they were breathing for him.

I was about nine minutes from the ER when Pat called and said they had pronounced Pepa dead at 9:15.

Several family members were there at the ER, along with a handful of friends. Thank you friends.

We waited for the funeral home to pick Pepa up before returning to Memama and Pepa's house.

A long day got even longer.

This morning we met with the funeral director to make plans.

We are going to use the McCoy's Funeral Home in Sweetwater. Visitation will be Sunday afternoon from 5 to 6:30. Funeral Service will take place at 10 am. Monday at Roscoe Church of Christ. Interment will be in Roscoe Cemetery in the family plot.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of love and care from around the community. Thanks to one and all.

FATHER, bless our family in this hard time. Bless all of our friends and family who minister to us.

Saturday. I was so looking forward to a day off.

In fact, I had not even planned on being in the country. I didn't know where or what I was going to do. But it didn't work out, so I stayed in Abilene.

I had an inkling to go to the farm early, but didn't, then after lunch I slipped on my work clothes and headed west.

I had two possible projects. Work on my helper's tractor or finish plowing the terraces up on the section. I opted for the plowing.

I have often said driving a tractor is therapeutic. For some reason, Saturday's are especially good. Particularly late in the day. Kix Brooks and the Country Countdown accent the evening.

I plowed until well after dark.

Added bonus, I finished the section! Yeehaw!

Pepa was having another bad day. Pat calls it day 2 of his vacation. He had fallen twice more and was busy selling horses. (I have no idea, go figure).

Pat had taken him off his pain patch, but he seemed no better than when he had it on.

He had taken a nap mid-afternoon, so when I was by between 7:30 and 8 he was sitting in his recliner. He seemed some better. We talked a little about farming and he seemed lucid.

Needless to say, it was late when I got home.

While enroute, Krl called wanting me to pick up supper. She was wanting Arby's. Don't ask me why, but I am not an Arby's person. So I made two stops, Arby's and Sonic.

When I arrived at the house I got busy on the computer. Yesterday was Kathryn's birthday so I wrote her a special little birthday greeting on her facebook wall!

Today is much anticipated. NASCAR. Daytona 500. The first event of the 2011 season. This year also marks ten years since Dale Earnhart was killed in the Great American Race.

But, my race will not go uninterrupted. Sometime this afternoon I plan to attend Larry and Ramona Olney's 50th wedding celebration at the Expo Center.

If I can squeeze it in, I might even squeeze a Presidente Margarita in! Hot cha cha!

Well, let's get 'er done! Have a day.

FATHER, I pray for a blessed week.

Another year older!

The week was very busy. Farm work. I had recently made a deal with a young man to help me get caught up on the farm. I put him on a tractor shredding cotton stalks while I assess his abilities.

I have been on the section plowing terraces up. It has been a few years since the terraces there had been reworked, so this has been a slow process. It has also been an opportunity to get reacquainted with the GPS guidance system on the tractor as well as expand into the contour capabilities. It has taken the week of running the tractor and mouldboard to get it all dialed in, but it seems that every day I learn something.

It has been a crazy week. On Monday I had told my helper to run until noon and then fuel and service the tractor and shredder. He ran until 12:30 and ran out of fuel. Then he had an issue with the fuel transfer pump and I had to get off my tractor and go to assist him. Turns out the pump I had purchased in July of last year had gone to pieces internally and locked down. We removed the pump, stopped by the barn and picked up the box it had come in. When we returned it to the farm store we invested a good hour in exchanging it. Luckily, I had purchased a three year warranty.

A fueling that should have taken ten or fifteen minutes took almost four hours. Yuk!

My week was plagued with flats. My plow has three tires on it, two of which were brand new. Tuesday morning I found one of the new tires flat. The tire shop told me it was full of thorns. They did two patches and filled it with stop leak. Later that afternoon I had the gauge wheel tire come apart. A trip to the barn and Jason and I replaced it with one from our tire rack. Wednesday I was able to stay on the tractor all day with no problems for me or the helper. Thursday the flat gremlin attacked again. Gauge wheel flat again!

I was on my way to the barn with the flat when I received a call from my helper with an issue. He had a metal hydraulic line crack on his tractor. I detoured and drove into the field where he was at. We removed the hood and took the line off. We went to the barn and mounted another tire for my plow and began looking for brazing rod to repair his hydraulic line. After a half hour search we had found no brazing rod. About that time my helper's ride arrived at the shop. Turned out this friend worked at Sweetwater Machine and he offered to take the line and have it repaired Friday morning.

We picked up the line, stopped by my plow and installed the tire and drove to my helper's tractor. In short order we had the tractor back together and he was back at work.

I had been on my tractor maybe an hour when my helper called and informed me the line was leaking again. I drove to him again and we dis-assembled the tractor and retrieved the line. While we were coming out of the field I called the shop that had fixed the line. I was informed that the man who had fixed the line was gone until Monday and they encouraged me to go to John Deere and buy a new line if I couldn't wait.

Needless to say, their response infuriated me. This business often laments about decreased business. If they treat all the customers like they treated me it is no wonder.

Memama had prepared a birthday lunch for me, so I went to lunch and on my way back I bought brazing rod. I fixed the line myself. By last night it had run almost three hours with no issue.

Probably the highlite of my day was Erica and Drew driving to Salido and they stopped by. Drew and I made a deal with his Mom for him to ride one round on the tractor with his Dandy. A close second would be that Ollie made it to Memama's house at lunch.

Pepa has been having some health issues this week. We suspect it is his Poly cystic Disease again. It has been a year tomorrow since it had been a problem. (If you remember, last year he had a cyst on a kidney that was as large as the kidney). Pepa's doctor gave him some patches for pain relief and Lortab for break through pain management. Pepa had been sleeping excessively, but yesterday he was very confused and disoriented. By days end he had slipped off the side of his bed and ended up in the floor.

Pat had come out and removed his pain patch earlier in the day hoping he would be more lucid.

I got home last evening, received a birthday call from my sister in Indianapolis, talked with the little wildman truck driver, waited for supper (but gave up) and went to bed.

I didn't go out with the group last night, a large contingency of the group went to San Antonio for the weekend.

I am trying to decide what I am going to do today. I am seriously considering going to the farm and trying to finish the terraces on the section.

Have a day!

FATHER, rest and renew me!

Friday night at Southern Nights the group was out in force. We were celebrating Von (10th), Georgia (15th), and my (18th), birthdays along with Valentines! We had a crew. I had invited my buds K.O. and D.O. to join in the festivities.

Earlyene and Andi had secured our regular tables and added one extra before decorating with a Valentine's theme. Debbie had cooked a combination Valentines Birthday cake. When it came time for the cake to be cut, I was instructed to cut 7 cuts on the length and 5 on the width, yielding 35 pieces of cake. When the dust settled one piece of cake went uneaten. I must confess, I for one didn't eat a piece. I got my share licking my fingers (after competing my task) and the knife.

While the majority of our group is composed of widows and widowers, there are a few divorced members along with a few married members. I think the average age for our group is about 62 or 63.

On occasion we join with another group called the Phoenix group. The Phoenix group is comprised primarily of couples. This other group is often referred too as the group that has money. Friday night this group was out in force, actually out numbering ours, but they are a very nice group of people.

To all who attended, thank you for your cards, gifts and birthday wishes!

My Saturday had one major pimple on it. A driver's safety meeting for K.O.'s company. I have been on his list of approved drivers for a long, long time. To remain current I am still on their random drug testing list and try to make one or two driver meetings a year. Since we recently leased on to his company, I wanted to set a good example and also to go see Pepa's and my drivers too.

This drivers meeting was of particular interest because we had DPS officer Arnwine in attendance to explain the new federal CSA 2010 act. I thought it was interesting that it is 2011 before it is going into effect. Leave it to the politicians!

The delay was because of appeals from the industry as to the point weighting for violations.

The big news is that the carriers are now going to receive points for violations which will result in warnings, safety audits and possible suspension of authority.

For the drivers, this meeting held good news. Rumor had it that these points would count against their CDL driver's license. In simplest terms, the driver now have a driving record (their license or MVR) and a driver profile or history (CSA), and the respective points are independent of each other. Also the CSA cannot fire a driver of a carrier or suspend a driver's license.

The MVR will still reflect violations that the license holder had pled guilty to.

The CSA will reflect any violation, warning, plus any positive or good roadside inspection. Moving violations, equipment violations, all of it will be recorded. This is being done to make the carrier's better stewards of their equipment and to try to hire better drivers.

The only detrimental thing the CSA will do for a driver is that it may demonstrate a pattern for a driver that prospective employers might not want in a new employee.

The meeting lasted about 4 hours. Best part was that the company bought barbecue for all of us!

By the way, the meeting was held at Square's Barbecue on North Leggett here in Abilene. Excellent brisket and ribs, sausage was a little off. The sides on the buffet were very good. The South Abilene residents have some good news, construction is well underway for Al's Grill on Buffalo Gap Road between Rebecca Lane and Chimney Rock. It is a new venture for the Square's group. Good luck!

Barbecue, Bar-b-que, -bq, bbq, no matter how you say it, the National food of Texas!

I am 100% Texan. When I was a baby I would have preferred barbecue sauce in my bottle instead of milk!

It is a sign of the times; NASCAR Bud ShootOut last night. The first even of the 2011 season. Fast cars. Kurt Busch won it in his new double deuce Pennzoil 22 POS. Jamie McMurry pushed all the way to victory in a Chevy! Today is qualifying for the Daytona 500. the front row will be determined today, and the fields for the twin 125 qualifiers which will set the remainder of the field for next Sunday's 500!

Well, let''s get 'er done!

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for good days, for good friends. I lift Rebecca for YOUR continued gifts of healing and care as she under goes more surgery tomorrow. Be with her surgeons, nurses, and her family as they continue this ordeal. Be with Pepa as he is under the weather. In YOU I trust!

Calf rope!

Just in case ol' man winter is waiting for me to throw in the towel. I don't want to be the one hold out that prolongs this cold weather!

Wednesday evening late, I got a call from the driver on Pepa's truck. I have to continually remind myself that I am not working with rocket scientist. This man drove from Abilene East for 110 miles before he had an air issue on his truck.

K.O. and I tried to talk this man through the issue, but it became evident very quickly that this wasn't going to work.

These trucks are usually equipped with air dryers which "dry" the air. Condensation in the tanks and air system in sub freezing temperatures is a problem waiting to happen. Another option to the air dryer are drain valves. A driver can walk around his vehicle and easily reach down and pull one of these cables, draining any moisture from the tank. It seems that this driver had been draining two of three air tanks, but the one he wasn't draining was a problem.

K.O. picked me up Thursday morning and we made the drive to Weatherford. We were well equipped. Two propane tanks, one space heater, one pear burner, and a hand held propane torch. Of course we were carrying an excessive amount of regular old rubbing alcohol. When we arrived, we donned our insulated coveralls. K.O. grabbed a wrench and shimmied under the big truck. In about five minutes he had located the problem areas. Ice in one air line and a check valve that had ice in it. In just moments the air line expelled the ice, but the check valve was removed and placed on the exhaust side of the turbocharger to defrost. After about thirty minutes we started the big truck and gathering tools.

K.O. and both were on the ground, him under the truck and me on the ground communicating with him and jockeying tools and equipment he requested. The driver, never even looked under the big truck. I suppose this is the thing that frustrates me most! This driver didn't learn a thing.

Mental note. This driver doesn't buy into that be all you can be stuff.

From mid afternoon on, once we returned to Abilene my day became filled with Pepa's refrigerator dilemma. My original intention was to drive to Roscoe to pickup Jason's trailer to haul the new refrigerator to Roscoe. I decided to go by the store where I had made the purchase. It was a good thing. Their truck was unloading, having just returned from picking up appliances in the metrolplex. Long story short, the company back ordered Pepa's refrigerator. The salesman told me, I was going to call you today. I asked him, "When?"

He told me he had just gotten busy, that there was a model number change on the unit we had ordered and that caused the factory to back order the appliance. It would be another week before they would have the purchase.

This went all over me. I had given these people a check for the new refrigerator when we ordered it. I told the salesman I wanted the money back, cash. (The check had already cleared.) First of all he told me I would not find another unit in town that would fit in the hole at Pepa's house. I assured him there were two units in Abilene and one in Sweetwater. Another salesman came into the fray and he told the salesman there was a unit on their floor that met the physical requirements. The biggest difference was that this unit was not white on white, as Pepa had required, it was stainless. And there was a $108.26 increase in pricing. He wanted me to jump on the wagon immediately and I told him I was going to have to make a call.

His buddy saved the sale because he intervened between me and a pushy salesman that had already screwed up. Anyway, after the close of the regular business day we finally made our deal.

I never made it to Roscoe, but it worked out. Jason is coming to Abilene this morning and we are s going to pick up the new acquisition.

By the way, stainless was always my preference.

The group is celebrating my birthday along with two others tonight.

Have a day. Make it a good one and we will take off the next two!

FATHER, I could sure use some warmer weather!

A Farewell to Charles.

Charles Homer Martin Sr. passed from this life Thursday, February 3, 2011. For the last nine months, life had been a struggle. Circulatory issues, culminating in the amputation of a leg, renal failure, and finally pneumonia, contributed to his untimely passing.

Charles and I go back 17 years. 15 of those years Charles drove a truck at the seasonal work. We worked together. I always said if I had a dozen like Charles, my life there would have been a breeze. But, they only made one of Charles and threw away the mold.

I for one am glad I had the opportunity to know and work with him.

Charles' work ethic was unmatched. I could let him in on a plan and forget it, it was a done deal. I don't know how many times drivers much younger came to me and told me how that "old man" was relentless.

Charles wasn't flashy or fast, but he was steady and solid.

It has been said that if a person will find something that they truly love to do and choose that vocation for their work, they will never work a day in their life.

Charles loved driving trucks.

Several years ago, Charles' wife Loretta took me aside and told me, "You know you don't have to pay Charles to drive that truck. He would do it for free. That is what he loves to do."

Charles and I always had a little telephone banter. I would call and say, "What are you doing?"

If he was already at home he would reply, "Just sitting on it!" Or if he was still on the road he would reply, "Just riding around!"

The story is told that a former employer of Charles' bought him a brand new truck. He drove that truck 1.2 million miles before anyone else ever drove that truck.

Charles never complained. He drove top of the line equipment, he drove older equipment. But he always got the job done.

There was a time I was starting over. Money was tight. Charles was aware of the situation and called me with an offer of help. I was thankful for the offer of financial help and for the fact that someone believed in me.

After that we enjoyed several more years of our association, two of which were record setting years for production.

I couldn't have done it without a mainstay like Charles.

We've lost a good one. A man I am proud to have known, proud to have worked along side, and proud to call my friend.

It seems so little to offer this up, but "Thank you Charles. I love you!"

FATHER, thank YOU for Charles, and for having known him and worked with him. I lift up his family and friends for YOUR comfort and care as we deal with his loss. Thank YOU for blessing our lives with him.

I am torn, as to who I should cheer for in today's Super Bowl.

First of all, it seems if I cheer for a team it is the kiss of death. Second of all, I don't want either quarterback to win today's game.

So, my pick shall remain my pick and mine alone.

Go Team!

I had a text from Rian about thirty minutes ago, he said it is snowing like crazy in Lubbock this morning! Yuk! I would love to get rid of our snow we have before we get a new model.

Jason continued his quest for Pepa's elusive refrigerator. Of course the problem isn't what we are finding. It is that Pepa doesn't like the prices we are finding. I met Jason yesterday at Sears in Abilene. The same unit Jason found in Sweetwater for $999 is $1299 in Abilene. Go figure. The absolute closest I could get is $180 more than what they already found and it would have to be ordered. I think we made them all. Best Buy, Sears, Beals, Home Depot, Aarons, Lowe's. I called Jason and told him of my final stop and that I would call Pepa.

This quest has been going on since Thursday. Several miles have been driven over very treacherous roadways. When I called Pepa and told him his best buy was Jason's first find, he found it hard to believe. I told him Jason and I had better things to do than run all over the country checking price and availability while he sat on his fat asthma. He told me, "I guess ya'll are getting tired of running around for me?" I told him yes we were. He told me, "Well, I will tell Memama ya'll don't care if she has a refrigerator or not." I told him Memama isn't the problem, she would be happy with an igloo cooler.

Don't try that crap with me!

I couldn't believe how crowded everything was yesterday. Mall, building supplies, grocery stores. Packed. I think all the people were going crazy!

Me, I still feel under the weather!

Well, have a Super Day!

FATHER, I pray for healing!

Amazing extremes.

As beautiful as the wintry snow can be, it sure turns ugly before it leaves!

I am still feeling under the weather. I stayed in most of yesterday. My only errands were to go to the mailbox (on Buffalo Gap Rd. It is the earliest exit in Abilene.) and to go to the bank in Wylie. Then I received a phone call and decided to shop for a refrigerator while I was out!

It was after lunch when I finally ventured out. The roads were much improved although there was still a healthy presence of ice and snow.

The mail drop was uneventful, then on to the bank on Antilley Road. I came to do business with these people quite innocently. A few years ago, when we were in South Texas for cotton harvest, my drivers needed somewhere to cash paychecks and such so I stopped into a convenient bank in Bishop, Texas. It was a brand new bank, easily accessible to the guys in big trucks. Before I left South Texas that summer I received notification that this bank had been merged with a larger nationwide bank. Hence my affiliation with the local bank, also a part of this large conglomerate.

I had not written a check on this bank in three years. I might go in and do some transfers, use a debit card, or even use inter bank forms, but I wrote no checks. In recent months I began to use this bank more and more, strictly for convenience. On one visit to the branch location I visited with the manager and inquired as to whether or not my old checks were still good. He advised me they were not, that the routing number was no longer valid but he would replace them at no cost to me. Six weeks later I had not received the replacement checks. On another visit I inquired as to Tony and was told her was tied up, and the cashier asked me what I needed. I explained, and they began to check. When they returned they told me for some reason a hold had been placed on the check order but they called corporate and got it lifted. In a few days the checks arrived. And in another few days they arrived again. Problem is they also debited my account twice for the "no cost to me" checks.

Yesterday, Tony was not able to make it in to work. Weather hazard. They told me to come back Monday.

I can remember a time . . . . . . . .........................

As most of you know, Memama's fridge went out Wednesday. She went to get ice and found she had none and further investigation revealed she had a gallon of melted ice cream in the bottom of her freezer. In this cold weather they could just put the frozen stuff outside!

I have tried to prepare Pepa, but I don't think he even begins to understand how much "ice boxes" have gone up. Bubba went to Sweetwater yesterday and found a limited number of units that will fit in the slot. 32 3/4 is the maximum width they can have. Most of the fridges are 35 1/2. Our fridge at our house is 25 cubic feet. Memama's is 23.5 cubic feet. I ran into the same dilemma in Abilene. In fact at Lowe's they only had two units on the floor that would fit.

Pepa's only requirements were that it had to have water and ice in the door. Oh, and he also wanted white. (Don't ask me. They have a white fridge, a white freezer, a stainless (new) dishwasher, black double oven, black glass range and black ventihood.)

Throw in some harvest gold, and some avocado green and he would have a room for all seasons and years! Lol!

Jason's investigation yielded a find that was on sale at $999. Mine were $200 to $300 higher.

My personal favorite (size be damned) is the Samsung French Door model. I think it begins at $2600. Yikes!

Champagne taste and beer budget!

My friend K.O. has had a lot on his plate. His primary vendor parked all their trucks, electing to move their products on outside carriers at escalated pricing. More to be hauled than can be hauled. With the slightest break in weather the vendor has decided to kick off production again. This means sending trucks into the metroplex to pick up required pieces of them to run.

People are dumb. Just because weather and roads are improved here doesn't mean it is in the metroplex!

For the first time in our trucking relationship, I feel that my bud was not totally square with me. I am trying to figure out how to deal with it and address it. I don't mind putting equipment out there if he is doing the same and if it is comparable freight. Don't put me on ice skates and then ask me to get road conditions for another route and route your trucks there. (the majority).

We have had one other issue floating near the surface for about a year. We have nibbled and nipped near, but have never had a sit down discussion.

We may have to clear the air.

Fred use to have a saying, "If you will sign your truck on and let us run it like one of ours, I will make you money". I will say that Fred was oblivious to ownership and on rare occasions he found a dispatcher or salesman trying to route loads to particular trucks there was usually h-e-l-l to pay.

I'm hoping I am wrong.

I stayed on standby yesterday. My friend had called asking me if I felt well enough to make a cross dock run to Lubbock. It seems he had drivers who didn't want to go. I finally called to learn he didn't need me.

I guess I am pretty enough to take to the prom, but not pretty enough to dance with.

Maybe I just feel bad!

I'm fixing to get me some more meds and try to lay back down!

Have a day!

FATHER, I pray for relief!

My intentions yesterday were to do nothing. I almost got by with it.

About 1:30, I got ready to exit the house. I needed to go by the Burger to pick up some stuff that K.O. had left for me. I had talked with Larry and he said they would be closing between 2 and 3. They have been working the dinner run but closing when things slowed. Not one single car was there when I drove up. Larry was telling me that they haven't done enough outside of the dinner run to pay the gas bill.

I told Larry business might be slow, but this gave him opportunity to tend to his cows during daylight hours. He had to agree, that was a silver lining.

We visited a bit as he was waiting for a vendor delivery that was originally scheduled for Tuesday. He was telling me Ramona had a pot of potato soup on the stove at home. That got us into a conversation about what we like to eat in cold weather. I guess down deep we are just a couple of country boys. Soups, stews, and chili's topped both of our lists.

Oh, and don't forget the cornbread!

From there I went to WalMart to pickup some prescriptions. I had rolled the dice figuring it would get better weather, but it didn't. Finally I was out of meds. You cannot believe how busy they were. Long lines awaiting check out.

While they may have shoveled snow and chipped ice off the sidewalks immediately in front of the store, they had done nothing to their parking lots. Add to this the fact that I bet a thousand shopping carts were strewn across the parking lot and it was a nightmare.

When I picked my parking place, I did so with the thought that I was going to have to be able to leave. Most of the Walmart parking lots are designed for drainage, and with this slick ice, snow mix the slightest incline can pose a problem.

Krl gave me a list of stuff to pick up, and I tried to "guess" what we might need today, hoping to avoid an unnecessary trip out.

I did have a call from Pepa yesterday. It seems that Memama's refrigerator went out. Go figure. This is a big Kenmore unit that is about three years old. Pepa has been trying to get hold of Sears since Wednesday and has yet to make contact. Finally he called me asking me to see what I could learn on a new one. I asked him what he might want or need. Size and model. I told him if I had it to do over, I might get the new "French" door model, with the double fridge on top and the freezer drawer on the bottom. Pepa's first question was about the ice and water dispenser in the door. Yes, Pepa. It is available that way.

If any of you have experience with this model, or if you have an opinion, please let me know.

Can you believe the Super Bowl finally comes to Texas and this is the kind of weather they have to lead up to it!

I have really enjoyed watching all the snacks on the morning talk shows, that the pros are making for the big game. Some of them are simply scrumptious.

I am still sick. Trying to take my meds, stay warm and drink plenty of liquids. And my tail bone has not forgiven me yet for my attempt at gymnastic history (for that feat that had never been attempted and still has not been done). Ouch! I did see one man that probably resembled my fall. He was walking across Treadway street in insulated coveralls with a back pack on, complete with straw hat on top, hands in pockets when he lost his footing. I will testify his feet went above his head and he landed on his straw hat and back pack. I just hope he didn't have a bottle of Ripple in the back pack.

And congratulations are in order to my friend DMS on the arrival of another granddaughter, Itsy (Kayleigh Jean) 8lbs, 3 oz and 20 1/2 inches. Complete with dimples. She is a little chublet!

Well, keep those home fires burning and stay close to them!

Have a day!

FATHER, heal me! I pray for relief from this weather.

I received a call early yesterday morning from the little wild man truck driver. He missed a turn going to make his delivery, tried to turn around and got stuck.

He came all the way from Houston on Tuesday, running in the snow and ice for the last couple of hundred miles with no problem, then with his destination in view he had trouble.

In good weather, he could have done what he tried to do with no problem. With the snow and ice, it was bad news. K.O. came to town and we put his 4 X 4 on a chain and tried to pull the truck back. No movement. We took a shovel and began digging behind tires and under banjo housings. Another tug and still no movement. K.O. and I talked and decided we needed to pull out all the stops, or call a wrecker. I left the little wild man digging and I went to a lumber yard to get rope and 4 bags of sackrete.

If this truck had steel wheels we would have put chains through the holes and across the treads for added traction. But this truck is equipped with aluminum wheels. I had once seen a man who took rope and went around the tread and through the holes in the wheel and came up with an alternative for aluminum wheels.

When I returned from the lumber yard, K.O. had returned along with two guys from the truck shop. A smaller wrecker was going by and one of the truck shop guys knew the driver and he stopped and helped. Eventually we hooked the 4 X 4 of the truck shop guys on to the front of the wrecker and shoveled sackrete under the tires and the little truck came out. Four hours after we begin working to get it out.

I nearly froze my fat asthma off.

By then K.O. had issues with more trucks and he went one direction and I went the other. I went to I-20 and Fm 600 where a truck could not pull up a slight incline. We shoveled sackrete and I instructed the to back down the road and take an alternative route. I took a fall with a difficulty rating of 26 while we were shoveling. He misunderstood and instead just went to the other service road to encounter the same problem on the other side. About then K.O. arrived and gently gave this truck a bump and the truck crawled up the hill.

We went to Coca Cola warehouse parking lot and began swapping supplies back to their appropriate pickup and began planning and regrouping.

By the time I got home it was almost three o'clock.

And I am sick! Drainage, fever. And my head and my butt hurt where I had landed in my fall on the ice. I took some meds and ran a hot tub of water to soak in. Problem is, my tailbone hurts right where I like to lay when I am soaking. Ouch! I was in bed by 4.

Woke about 9 for stew and more meds and back to bed. Woke this morning and took more meds and fixed me a glass of cornbread and milk.

I am hoping to do nothing today!

Betsy got to go back to the rehab facility on Tuesday. Good news.

Keep close to the fire! Be safe, be smart!

Have a day!

FATHER, thank you for YOUR blessing of warmth and shelter. And thank YOU for YOUR love.

Brrrr rabbit. It is cold! Ol' man winter came a visitin' again!

Summer like temperatures, then the bottom fell out. Twenty degree drop in about an hour followed by thunder, lightning, rain, sleet, snow! And wind as a chaser! Weather officials are saying that these could be the coldest temperatures in sixteen years!

That is one department I am not looking to set a record!

Yippee! I got done with the tax reporting! It was a full Sunday and Monday sitting at the computer. Of course, nothing comes easy in this house. When I began to print, my black print cartridge had dried up or run out! I wish there was some way I could preserve my laptop's printer cartridge. I've thought about taking it out, putting tape over the dispensing end and maybe sealing it in a ziploc!

I slipped on my jeans and hiking boots and hit the door to go to the office supply. I figured I needed to go to the pharmacy while I was out. I hadn't really given it much thought, but WalMart was a busy, busy place. I bet I stood in line forty minutes to check out. I visited (if you can believe me talking with anyone) with the cashier and she told me it was the weather forecast. "When they predict bad weather soups, chili, and alcohol fly off the shelf", she said. I had gone down the soup aisle, and it really didn't register how picked over the shelves were.

When they didn't have the soup stock I wanted, I went to United. When I walked in the door, I took the very last grocery basket from the rack. While they had the soup stock, they didn't have fresh spinach. Needless to say, the store was packed.

With no fresh spinach, I went to Albertson's. They too were packed, but they did have my spinach.

Last night I went to dance class and when I went by United, their parking lot was overflowing. Even the parking slots along Buffalo Gap were full.

Predictions are we might not see above freezing temperatures until Friday.

As a precaution I toted a fair amount of firewood on to the back porch yesterday afternoon.

Well, Ollie called me yesterday. She got to her new job and they told her they were with drawing their offer of employment. She asked why, and they told her because her crime was a crime against honesty. She had been very upfront with them about everything that had transpired in her life in the last couple of years and they had no problem hiring her. She asked them wouldn't any crime be a crime against honesty.

Needless to say she was distraught. Her crime was a fourth degree felony, but it could really be a problem going forward. All I could tell her was that if she was going to be in and out of rooms containing clients belongings, they want to avoid a possible situation.

For every action there is an adverse reaction. Words to live by.

On the bright side Ollie doesn't have to battle the elements to get to work today! (And that could save another vehicle).

Jitterbug. Lots of turns and spins. And you put it together. That may allow too much creativity for me! Certain signs and movements mean certain things to your partner. Cross your partners face with her hand and it indicates you turning her in that direction. Take her hand away from body and that indicates you turning under or beside her. Pretzel. Rib tickler. ?????????? Lots to injest and digest!

My biggest problem was probably that the lady I was dancing with knew even less about the jitterbug than I. I can certainly see where one partner knowing what is going on could help the other learn.

I still can't wait til we get to the Junebug! Ha!

Reports last night indicate Aunt Betsy is doing much better, although she is still in the hospital.

I just had a call from Pepa and he was telling me Rian's littlest one was confused. If it is going to snow, why isn't Santa coming?

'Splain that Dad!

As much as I don't want to, I am going to have to get out and run a couple of errands.

As for you? Keep the home fires burning, and stay close to them.

FATHER, YOUR nature is beautiful. We pray for safety for all those on the road, for warmth and protection for everyone. Great things you do!