Updates

We got the Uplander van back last night and even though the mechanic has had the vehicle for three weeks he charged us only $40 for service. That was to reimburse him for a fuse he bought that had gone bad. Mama and I paid him more than he asked but he insisted that he did not really make any repairs to the van and would not charge us for the time he spent trouble shooting the alarm system that has been giving us trouble. People like that are a rare find.

Victoria is a little disappointed because now that we have all our vehicles back in service she will go back to driving her car vs. driving the truck – which she really likes. Last Saturday she had to return the children we were watching to their mother and she stopped at Starbucks in Decatur on her way home. That is a very tight parking lot – I avoid it unless I am driving one of the smaller vehicles  - so I was surprised she felt comfortable enough to take the truck into that space. It did show me just how much she likes driving it.

Before church yesterday evening, Mama, Victoria and I drove out to the property on 4010 so I could show Mama the cleanup that had been done to the area near the road and old barn. It looked very good. I would not have uprooted so many trees or torn down some of the attachments to the barn, but it does present the property in a great way. Should we decide to purchase that piece of property, it saves me several thousand dollars’ worth of cleaning.

Grandpa and Grandma are supposed to be traveling to the farm this weekend. Mama and I are not sure how long they will be staying with us but it will be a good change for them. I am anxious to show Grandpa the property, just referred to above, since we are considering buying it. I would like to get his thoughts on the lay of the land, the road maintenance that will be required, a home building site and any potential drainage issues that he can foresee. Where we would place the house on the property is paramount. I do not want to get that wrong.

I told Mama I looked over a job opening for a position in Houston. She was not enthused. Frankly, neither am I but I am getting to the point that I feel I need to do something else. I do not see myself maintaining my current role for the next seven years (until my 65^th birthday). So she suggested we look very seriously at starting the Rita’s business. That would give me someplace to go if things do not go well at work.

When oil prices drop as they have recently, company stock prices follow that downward trend and big oil companies start to get nervous. We are not too far away from those nervous moments. Nothing happens fast but adjustments will eventually be made and headcount is generally the first adjustment; quick, easy and definable in actual dollars.

I am taking tomorrow off. I need the break and I have to use the day I have earned for the month before things get crazy next week.