Good news, travel, misplaced items, seeking closure, sick little ones

I got some pretty good news yesterday as I talked to our accountant. We went over the preliminary tax numbers for 2012 and it looks like I will have paid off the tax debt in full by the end of the year. I may owe a few hundred dollars but the $17960 will be paid in full as we settle our taxes in the coming year. That will be a huge financial burden off of me and Mama.

I met Mama at church last night so I could drop off the company truck at the office. It keeps her from having the make the trip into Decatur to pick me up. If we had not met there I would have missed a great service. I was a little late since I did not get to leave Amarillo until almost 3 pm, but it was worth the extra effort. The visiting evangelist preached a great sermon on the fact that, contrary to what we are teaching our children these days, God expects us to win and He has prepared a way to enable us to always be victorious.

I feel like I got a lot done while I was in Amarillo and Borger but it is becoming more and more difficult to make the trip. There are compelling business reasons to go but there are compelling farm and home reasons to avoid the time on the road. Thankfully, it is the only area I need to visit on a regular basis – and due to company drivers (reorganization and realignment), that need may change. I will have to wait and see.

I was going to stop and see Chase at the Mall on Tuesday evening after I got off work but when I got to the mall I could not find him. I texted him and found out he was being shuttled from the mall to his apartment and back in hopes of finding his spare car key at the apartment. The key he usually uses was locked in the car. The spare, it turns out, was still in the glove box from the original transfer.

I have not talked with him to see how it turned out but as I left he had help on the way. A person working with him at Sears was a security guard in the past and proclaimed himself proficient at using a Jimmy to unlock a car. I hope the bragging was supported by a successful demonstrating of the skill. I suggested he put the other key in a safe place in his apartment. I would suggest giving it to Makaila, but I do not know if she is any better at organization than he is.

When I worked at the Pilot Plant in South Charleston, WV there was a young female engineer who came to work one cold morning wearing a hoodie rather than the heavy coat she normally wore. When I asked about it she admitted that she could not find the coat. She bought another one that day and I thought nothing more about it. Months later, she told me she finally found her missing coat. It had been wrapped up in some blankets. When she and her husband finally made the bed, they came across the coat.

Mama and I talked more about the Licensing job and I will apply for the position in January. It is the only way I can have closure on the issue. At this point I do not know what the demands of the job will be and there is the potential for several deal breakers in the assignment – required move to Houston, multiple short assignments abroad without Mama, etc. I need to find out the particulars before I completely dismiss the idea. So I will talk with my boss and put I the application next year – Lord willing.

Mama tells me we have several steers that are getting colds so we are doctoring them. We also have one particular little one, Little Bit, who is not doing very well. Grandpa is in high gear trying to get him past whatever is ailing him, but as of last night Mama was not sure of his condition. He is among my favorites; born more than two weeks premature, he is a perfect miniature bull.

It would be a shame to lose another one, but especially him.