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 He advised me they were not, that the routing number was no longer valid but he would replace them at no cost to me.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!