Wow!

It is getting to be difficult not to be a little depressed about missing three almost sure thing rains, only to have horrific winds follow them.


Sunday was a horrible day.  I had taken Memama to church and to the Seniors 2014 luncheon, and after it was over I decided to make a quick drive to check on blowing sand.  The one place I was concerned about was not blowing, but one that I was not concerned about was.  Big time.  Neighbors to the west and south were blowing on us and it just continued to snowball across us and onto another neighbor and only began to settle when it got to some native grassland.


I checked my phone and it showed winds of 40 and gusting higher.  There was nothing we could do. 


Monday was only slightly better.


Forecasters (I don't know why I even watch and listen to them) say the wind is going to be high until Thursday.  I am wanting to spray some yellow herbicide, but it appears we can't for a few days.


I saw a rain gauge yesterday from the Lubbock area and it had caught three and a half inches of sand.


Lovely.


I talked with Rian and he said it had been really ugly around Lubbock.


I sure wish GOD would let me in on his plans.


I have chemical booked.  I have seed booked.  But it is sure going to be hard to put it in the ground with this outlook.


A leap of faith.  Just jump right in there.


FATHER, we pray for relief from these winds and the blowing dust.  We ask for YOUR rain blessing.

Sure glad that one is over!

I am sure glad this past week is behind me.


I think I am mentally and physically exhausted.  Of course it probably didn't help that my doctor refused to refill one of my restless leg medicines Monday and they couldn't get me in until Thursday.


Thursday morning when he walked into the examination room I told him I didn't know whether to hug him or whip his ass!  He just laughed, as I told him it had been a miserable three days and nights.


I had not been in in eighteen months.  Bad news was I had gained 17 pounds since then.  Crazy thing is in March I was 24 pounds down doing the biotrust leptiburn diet.  Then it kind of went south, one day down the next day up, yo-yoing all over the place.  I was hopeful that Pepa's scale was malfunctioning, but I am sad to report they weren't.  I know I haven't  been real good the last month, but this is ridicules.  But I am due to take three weeks off about now.  We will see if I do better on my own.  He-he.  They have a money back guarantee if you will send your empty bottles back in.  Guess what!  I kept the bottles!


I have been working on an issue with TWC about some payroll taxes that were owed after I left the trucking company.  It was a different company and somehow I was listed as a partner.  I asked them to take my name off of it and they told me in 2005 I couldn't take myself off.  Only the person who put me on could take me off. 


I told the TWC man that was really warped.  If I submitted an application and put his name down as a partner there was nothing he could do?  He told me that was correct.


To continue my plight, the person who put me on, talked with the TWC man when he made a visit to the company's office, and the notes in TWC's system show that the person who put me on the account advised them it was a mistake and I should be taken off.


Then the TWC man retired without doing it.  Move forward to 2006, a lien was filed against my Abilene home unbeknownst to me.  Until April 16, 2014 when Carol was doing a mortgage modification.


I went to the TWC office and visited with a TWC office staffer and she immediately sent a request to Austin for them to look at this, and to check validity, and the amount owed.


It is a sad story of death and taxes.


I explained to the TWC staffer that we were working on a time line of April 18, meet the mortgage company's timeline.  Obviously the lien raised a red flag and they wanted it fixed immediately.  While Carol and I no longer live together, I don't want her to lose her home.


I made several request to the TWC staffer for a letter, telling that they were trying to figure out things, that I could forward to Carol and she could forward to the mortgage company.  I received no response.


Finally out of frustration I went on-line and found the executive director of the TWC, and his e-mail address.  I gave him a brief synopsis of everything and asked him who I needed to talk to.  Surprisingly, he responded within an hour and told me I would be contacted and within another hour a person from his staff e-mailed me telling me this would be figured out by the first of the week.


Oh.  And I carbon copied the local TWC staffer when I went over her head.  I bet she's not happy with me.


The moral of this story is, if you don't do me right I'll call your Momma and your Daddy!


Here is to crossing my fingers that they remove me from  their equation.


That was my big project of the week, although I had several.  Rian gave me one and it is five pages laying on my desk to fill out.


Oh well.  All in good time.


Let's have a weekend!


FATHER, I know you don't give me more than I can handle, but I think we are getting close.  YOU are the one driving this bus.  Let it be!

little men

 Drew and his business venture!

Noble with his gift to his Mom when I picked him up.

Happy 32 (THIRTY-SECOND) Birthday Merrit.  Now grow up!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Chance of severe thunder storms later today and tonight.  As Gon Gon used to say, we may have to have a storm to break this drought.


I drove to Dallas Sunday for an appointment Monday.  I just decided I didn't want to get up early and drive down there and then fight all the idgets in traffic.


After checking in at my hotel, I drove to the closest Salt Grass for dinner.  It was located in Grapevine.


While waiting for my meal a small group came in.  Two guys and three women.  One of them was VERY tall, VERY blond, and VERY attractive.  High cheek bones, full pouty lips, and every part of her being was long and graceful.


I overheard part of their conversation and apparently they were coming from a photo shoot or prepping for one.  The two guys were kind of artsy fartsy so I figured one was the photographer because he was talking about the flash powder in the old days.  I took the other guy to possibly be the artistic director for the shoot.  He was carrying a shoulder bag briefcase when they came in.


The woman seated next to the tall blond was talking makeup, and eye lashes and such so I figured she was the makeup artist and the remaining woman I figured was the fashion or clothing expert.


Now, the tall blond looked vaguely familiar, so I am going to keep my eyes peeled for her in any printed material.


All of the talk surrounded the tall blond.  It was astonishing how  much the others could brag about her looks.


Problem was, this blond seemed to actually believe it.  And for me that gave her a big ol' wart on the end of her nose.


My Momma says pretty is as pretty does!


Last night I was getting Memama down and putting in eye drops.  Between drops, especially the second round, we have to wait a few minutes before putting the final drops in.  It is during this time that she and I have some of our best, quick, conversations.


Last night I told her I was driving to San Angelo today to supervise a visit.  I explained that since CPS was allowing unsupervised visits, their staff no longer oversees any visits.  So, it falls to me or Merrit's mother.


Memama asked me where is Merrit's mother living now.  San Angelo, I replied.  Memama said I thought she lived in Post?  She did, I replied.  Why did she move back to San Angelo Memama asked.  She has a beau down there I said.  Oh, she replied.  Have you met him, she asked.  Yes, I said, at Nobles birthday party.  I see, is he nice she asked.  I told her, he seemed nice enough, that he was into motorcycles, and he had been hit by a city of San Angelo truck a ways back.  What do the kids think of him she asked.  I told her the only one that had said anything was Ollie, and she didn't like the fact that he called her Mom his biker bitch.  His what, she asked.  I said, that is biker lingo for girlfriend.  Oh, she said, and I could tell she was thinking.


I told her on my way home from Dallas I was passed by a guy on a Harley and he was probably mid to late 80's.  I continued, I tried to catch up to him to get him to stop by so I could hook ya'll up!


She was quiet for a minute, then said, So I could be a biker bitch!  And she burst out laughing. 


I think she is figuring me out!


We finished our night time conversation talking about how a two hour visit takes  about two and a half hours for Ollie's Mom because she lives in San Angelo, where a two hour visit takes me about five hours drive time and all.


Rian was catching me up on the escapades of the older grand sons.  He said Holt goes to Reid's ball games and when Rian sees him he has a snow cone.  Rian asked the boys mother, Did you give him money for that?  No she replied.  I thought you did.  Rian asked Holt, how did you get that snow cone and Holt replied.  The people just gave it to me.


Holt didn't think that his parents might know or visit or possibly question the concession people.  But his Dad did.  They told Rian, Yes we gave it to him for turning in a foul ball.  Further investigation revealed, Holt did in fact turn in a ball.  Truth be known, before going to the game Holt would go into the back yard and get one of the boys baseballs and carry it with him.


Holt may be voted most likely to do time for a Ponzi scheme!


I saw a facebook post the other day and I shared it on my timeline, and I tried to download the picture here, but for some reason blogger wouldn't upload it.


Rian said that Monday afternoon he was running some medicine and clothes the boys had left at his house over to their mother's.  When arrived, he found Drew had his tent set up near the street and he was selling hotdogs. and mac n' cheese.  His sign was really cute, it said seleeng (selling) macarone (macaroni) and hot dogs.  Rian said as he drove up a customer was pulling away.  I asked, did you buy a hot dog from him?  Rian said no, another customer drove up and he only had two.


Rian said that Drew may be the Blue Bell hot dog salesman.  He eats all he can and sells the rest!


Pray for a rain blessing!


FATHER, oh the joy of little children.  Bless them and keep them.  I ask YOU for YOUR rain blessing.

Strange

Just prior to one in the morning I got a text message.  "I assume you know Ricky passed away this morning".


I don't recognize the number, and since my phone ate all my contacts the name doesn't come up.  When I do a reverse look up one site says it is a  mobile and one site says it is a land line but neither identify the owner of the number.


It is very disconcerting as I have relatives and friends that are named Ricky.  So far I haven't figured it out but I am hoping it is just a wrong number, although it is sad someone named Ricky has died.


I had a call last week From the National Hot Rod Diesel Association.  They are outing on a show in Ennis, Texas this weekend (Saturday) beginning with drag races, then three of their classes of diesel trucks, and then a session of the Texas Truck and Tractor Pullers Association show.


My understanding is this is taking place at the Texas Motorplex, although where on the grounds I don't know for sure.  This is kind of a dream come true and a throw back at the same time.  Many years ago I went to the NHRA races down there with the express purpose of seeing and meeting a man named Steve Evans.  He did a television show featuring drag racing, tractor pulls, monster trucks.  You name it they televised it.  I don't guess I thought it through because if wasn't a good time to be trying to talk to him when he was working.  Long story short, nothing came of that trip or meeting.  A couple of years later he died and with his death any opportunity.  I don't believe I have seen the production company since.


I just think it is unique that I am finally going to get to go to such a facility and get to announce.  I am booked in as back up announcer for the NHRDA announcer, and they want us to do some interacting.  They broadcast a closed circuit television segment and want me to do that, and when the TTTPA show begins, it is all mine.


Too bad I'm not twenty years younger.


I find myself excited and apprehensive.  The motorhome is in Shallowater, so I don't know if I will go down Friday (motorhome or not) and then drive in after the show Saturday or maybe go into Dallas/Fort Worth and stay Saturday night and part of Sunday.


We got just enough rain for us to know what it is.  Not enough to help really.  All in GOD's time.


I drove to San Angelo this weekend to supervise a visit Merit had with Noble.  It was good to see him.  He is such a pleasant child, considering everything he has been through.  Sandy and Don and Becky have done a very good job with him.


CPS denied Merrit's request for unsupervised visits but apparently there is some miscommunication between probation and CPS.  Merrit's attorney has scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday asking the judge to order the unsupervised visits.


Personally I think we are approaching the time that Merrit's attorney will request Noble be returned to his Mother.  I think he is waiting for Noble's Dad to get his legal problems figured out.


After that, they will be back to the divorce issues.


Well, I got all my banking loaded into excel yesterday.  Today I will total it all and get it to Tom.  One of these days I am going to surprise him and get it done early.


Have a day!


FATHER, I'm just along for the ride.  YOU do the driving!

Ah

AHhaaaaYIYIYIYIYIYiiiiiii!


Ariba ariba ariba!!!!!!!!!!!


I get regular e-mails and notices from places I go to frequently.  Just this week I have had multiple notices of specials on the Riverwalk in San Antonio!


I love the riverwalk and watching and interacting with people.


What really has my interest piqued is that until Cinco de Mayo it is "Fiesta" at the riverwalk!


A couple of years ago I caught a national junior high mariachi contest going on there.  It was a blast!  Some of those kids guitars were bigger than the kids.


Some bands played, some bands had singers too.


Man, what could be better than sitting riverside with a Mexican lemonade watching a mariachi contest.


I am getting extremely frustrated with the farm help.  We came back to the house yesterday to finish a job we started in October.  We are replacing all the propane lines, but only finished the back half of the house before we needed to strip cotton.  We did a makeshift repair on the front half.  All that is up there any more is one water heater (although with out power outages this past winter I am tempted to put a valve and riser in for a stove where maybe one room would be warm).  I had several hoses that I plumbed propane with at the St. Lawrence jobsite, hooking all the travel trailers to a single tank.  We used those hoses and got propane to the front water heater.


A day and a half and not one piece of pipe has been connected.  One of the guys had to take his little boy to the doctor, they are afraid his hand is broken.  He called a friend in to take his place and the friend was gung ho until he got under the house.  If her got very far from the access holes he began to panic.  Finally he said he couldn't do it.


Where we are at is at a cross roads.  This is something the hands haven't wanted to do, and every time we come here they have some sort of problem.  It is fixing to be a battle of the wills, and it will happen or they will be on their way.


I have been wanting to cut down to a single hand, but I am beginning to think with it as dry as it is about going all the way down to just me.  When summer comes Rian could probably help.  that would help him out and it would help me too.


Problem is, the main hand just borrowed $700 and wants to pay it out $50/wk.


I have been walking again.  Probably three or four times a week.  I had a beginning distance and every time I would add a telephone pole to it.  I'll be honest, some of the telephone poles are really close, especially around the intersection.  Well, last night I reached the railroad track and reached down and touched it before heading back.  That was almost a mistake.  It was a lot farther down there than I thought.


I figured walking would help my cardio but to tell you the truth I don't feel any better.  At times I believe my chest feels more constricted. 


When I get enough wind, I am going to go dancing.  It was tempting to go last evening.


Well, have a day!


Date night tonight!


FATHER, I could probably use a little patience right now.  Help me to figure out how to motivate these guys.  Thank YOU for JESUS and the hope and the promise we have in him.

GOD is NOT dead!

Sunday past, I drove to Abilene and went to church, drove to Tye and ate brunch (The Huddle House famous MVP), then I drove back into Abilene, had my car washed and then went to the movie. 


I saw GOD is NOT dead.


I really liked it.  I felt like my money was well spent.  I particularly liked at one point when the entire packed theatre was applauding.


Here is a tip.  Go see it.


Another movie coming out is Heaven is real.  I believe it is being released Easter weekend.  I've read the book and anticipate the movie to be quite riveting.


It seems like we had a lull in good movies.  Kind of like the Holiday New Year Releases and then they tapered off.  However there are some good movies coming up besides the ones I have mentioned.


Lots going on on several fronts.  Farming is almost at a stand still right now.  Probably the most daunting task is to sweep all the fine powder like sand out that has filtered in during our sand storms.


Pat took Memama to Doctor Eaker yesterday.  Memama has been complaining that she doesn't feel good all over.  She told the doctor she is tired of being here and she has no idea why GOD is keeping her here.  The doctor told her he could find no reason that she doesn't feel well, other than she is 83 years old.  The Doctor finally told her that obviously GOD is not ready for her because she is an inspiration to so many. 


I still don't think that satisfied her.


When she got home from the doctor she made a bee line for her bed.  I woke her up at 6, telling her if she continued to sleep in the day it would mess up her night.


I grilled last evening.  Big time.  Ribeyes, boneless pork ribs, hamburger patties, german sausage and bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos.  We should have enough left over for the week.


Memama was ready to eat, but those that know me know that I don't really like eating my own cooking right off the grill or stove.  So Memama fixed her plate and I put my walking shoes on and walked two miles.  If the weather permits, I try to do this three or four times a week.  Sometimes the wind is horrible or the sand is blowing.


When I got back Memama was in bed waiting for me to doctor her eyes.  After eye drops I sat on the couch for a minute, then went to the kitchen and put everything in baggies, I didn't even eat.  I ended up going to sleep on the couch and waking up just as Letterman was going off.


That is two nights in a row falling asleep on the couch.


Have a day!


FATHER, thank YOU for giving us little nudges like YOU are not dead.  Let us all be beacons for YOU!  I continue to ask for YOUR rain blessings.