Meetings, moving, planning

This has been a very busy week. I have been in meetings for at least six hours each day beginning on Monday and ending on Thursday. In the sporadic free moments I have been trying to get a grip on the additional assignments I have taken on by visiting with the person I am replacing. He has been very helpful and understanding, but neither of us has had time to get much information transferred. Today there are no day long meetings so we may be able to drill down on task load in a more formal manner.


The vehicle swap has begun. Last night Chase drove the little truck to the farm. After only a few hours of sleep he, Mama and Victoria will drive Victoria’s little car as well as the Nissan back to Amarillo. Victoria has a dental appointment in the afternoon – the original motivation for the trip. Chase will keep the Breeze in Amarillo and Mama and Victoria will drive back tomorrow evening bringing the little van back along with the Nissan.

When Cori and Nate come over they will take the little van and Chase’s truck, leaving their car for Victoria to drive. That will still leave us with the Lincoln, Grandpa’s truck, the Nissan and Cori’s car at the farm. Four vehicles will be enough to meet our driving needs even if I do not get a truck assigned to me. It should also lower our insurance bill some. I am not sure by how much, but every little bit helps.

I got notice of my initial relocation advance last night and it will be enough to get us a long way on the shop with the apartment. There will not be an excess, but enough is good enough. I will not get the money for a couple weeks so we are still on a very tight budget, but hope is high with help on the way. We will make the most of the opportunity we have been given. The real increase will come in the reduction of expenses we will see by living in only one place. In other words, all Amarillo expenses will be removed from the budget allowing our singular focus to be the farm. Additionally, when the farm begins to produce an income, it will really help our finances.

It is a little frightening to have all our eggs in one basket, so to speak, but we are not alone by and means. Most people have their finances set up in the same shaky way. They have one job as their income, one house as their investment strategy, and one bank account that it all funnels through. Many do not have a savings account, a retirement account, life insurance or any long term plan by which they attempt to secure their future. We are living in frightening times.

We were talking in our meeting yesterday afternoon about the planning assessments we have as a company to track and advance our employees. One of those tools is an Individual Development Plan. My boss has been after me to update mine but I have held off in expectation of the move I am now making. With the expansion of my role and by default, the role of my group, I am going to update my plan to read: 1.) Breathe in, 2.) Breathe out, 3.) Continue repeating steps One and Two. That should suffice until I catch up.

I am sill not sure when Grandma and Grandpa will be coming back but I expect it will be when they get their monthly check – which usually comes in around the 15th of each month. Grandpa told me he and Norman have their eye on a baler but they do not yet have the money to buy it. I know there is a trailer load of other items he will be bringing back with him so maybe the baler is not there for us. It could be closer to the farm than we are giving God credit for, but we will only know as the right opportunities arise.

I am still praying for them to be successful in West Virginia for the hope that it will be an encouragement to them.