Yesterday, staying up to date, November already

I was out of the office yesterday. I had one last direct report to talk with and she is located in Elk City, Oklahoma. It was about a 400 mile round trip but she was glad I took the time to see her in person. We talked for about two hours, so it was not like we had a short conversation after I drive almost four hours to get there. After we talked I headed straight back home and got there just in time to help feed the calves and get them set up for the night.


I did have enough time to get ready for church and sit down to finish my Bible reading. I had left part of my daily reading undone in order to get an earlier start in the morning. All in all it was a good day – especially since I do not mind driving. I was able to pick up five bales of straw in Altus, OK at a pretty good price. Since it was on the way home, I thought it worked out pretty well. We are going through the straw since we are using it in the calf stalls every time we clean them; twice per week.

I am assuming Chase and Makaila made it back to Amarillo safely and that the car did very well for them. If they told Mama she did not relay the information to me; that happens quite a bit. I think that Grandma forces Mama to engage in so much conversation that she is pretty much talked out when I am there. Hence, I often do not get the stories relayed to me through Mama.

It is becoming apparent that we need to get the apartment done. Grandpa even offered to rent a place in Montague or Nocona in order to give us a year of space during which I could get the apartment and farm house completed without feeling cramped or rushed. I told him we could work it out without another move, but I appreciated the offer. I did not ask if he and Grandma felt too cramped with the current arrangement.

I know Mama does more so than I do. I am only at the farm a few hours per day and sometimes I can see the wear it puts on Mama to be there full time while she waits on me to get the bigger projects done. That is one of the reasons I am fasting right now; to beg God to speed things along while increasing our faith and patience. (I always hesitate to pray for patience.)

Our pastor asked us three questions last night. 1.) Do you want God to do something with your life? 2.) Are you asking God to do something with your life? We have to ask because wanting and asking are two different things. We can sit on the sidelined all our life without offering ourselves to God; wanting something but never surrendering enough to ask God to do whatever it takes to make us available for service. 3.) Are you expecting God to do something with your life?

It really is hard to believe it is already November. In just two weeks we will be heading to Florida for Thanksgiving. Christmas will be on the heals of our home coming and 2013 is almost upon us. For some reason, this year it seems to be far more to me than a calendar change. It seems more monumental. Maybe I am just getting older, but the passage of time seems to be forcing me to a realization that it will end for me in less years than I can now look back upon.

I am getting older in a way that is less satisfying than the “getting older” of years gone by.

Farm news, purchases, Aaron

I took yesterday off both to recover from the week I had last week and to have the time to participate in farming and finance activities. We had a vet scheduled to come to the farm to cut the calves and Mama and I had scheduled the signing for the purchase of the Flex. We got both done and Mama was also able to attend a birthday party for one of the little girls in the church.


The vet arrived at the farm as scheduled at 9 a.m. He pulled into the calf lot and set up pretty quickly. We helped him maneuver the calves into place and I held as he cut on all but one of the calves. He packed up and pulled out at 9:20 a.m. It was very quick. I will not call it painless – nor will I describe it to you in detail. But for future reference, Grandpa and I now know what to do to steer a young bull. Later that evening we doctored the wounds and gave the recommended antibiotics. To say the least, they were all very sore. Today, they should be more so but it is easier to heal from a clean cut. The vet treated us well on the charges we paid later that day. I am glad we went that route.

After Mama took her shower we left for the dealer in Muenster, TX. Chase and Makaila came along so he could see the Flex. Makaila remarked that it looked better in person than it did in the pictures they had seen. I was very relieved. It did take some tome to get the paperwork done but all in all we were on the road in about forty five minutes. Chase and Makaila followed us back in his car and we tried to go out to lunch but the place we were going to take them was closed on Monday – so that fell through.

They left from Bowie in the early afternoon headed to Taco Bell in Wichita Falls. Makaila was needed to help her sister in the job the two of them have as a business and Chase had classes to go to. He had planned on skipping out but the call came for Makaila early enough in the day for the two of them to change their plans. I assume they made it back safely. I will find out today sometime. Mama and I hope this car lasts longer than the Breeze lasted him.

Mama and I left hours later for Decatur where I picked up a truck so I could have it to take to Elk City on Wednesday and she could go to the salon for the first professional nail painting of the nine year old whose birthday they were celebrating. I do not know what time she got back. I went to bed about 8:30 so I know it was after that.

I did talk with Maggie for a while and she related to me the transport problems Aaron had run through as he went from Mississippi to Virginia. With super storm Sandy barreling up the East Coast one of his flights was delayed then cancelled and as he went to the bathroom at one point early in his travels, his phone fell into a toilet which rendered it useless. I think he borrowed a phone to get in touch with Maggie to keep her from panicking from his lack of response to her texts.

Later on in his excursion, he borrowed a phone from a hostess at a military rest in the airport and was telling Maggie he had not eaten all day – not to complain but in answer to her questions about his welfare. At this point it was quite late. The hostess went out and bought him some dinner to eat as he waited for his last flight.

He did finally arrive at the training facility, minus one of his pieces of luggage – the one containing his uniform. After reporting in and getting to his assigned room, he borrowed enough pieces of the uniform ensemble to be properly attired for class. I do not know if they will actually have class today or if the remnants of the storm will delay that also.

Many people on the North East will not be going to work today; some will not be going home for weeks. It is always surprising and sad when a massive weather event like this happens – no matter where it happens.

Come and gone, off again on again, hotel living

While Mama and I were working with the dealer in Munster for the purchase of the Flex, Grandpa found a F250 King Ranch truck at a used car lot in Bowie. Mama sent him to look it over but by the time he got there and hour later, it had already sold. It was priced right – about $4000 below Blue Book. No wonder it went fast. Mama was willing to pass on the Flex to allow me to get it but that is not how it worked out.


Meanwhile, she and Chase were signing papers at Happy State Bank to transfer the little car loan, registering him as the payer. It will retain the car in our name until it is paid off but allow him to assume the loan. It will be great for his credit and he gets a nearly new car in the deal. He has proposed selling the little ranger truck and paying Victoria a portion of the proceeds to repay her for the loss of her car. Please pray he can sell the truck for at least $2800.

Mama, Chase, Makaila and I will go back to Bowie on Saturday afternoon after he gets off work. We will travel together so he can return to Amarillo with his new car. This saves him having to drive the little truck over and back while someone else drives the little car back. It delays Mama and me a bit, but we can deal with that.

Mama and I are ready to be back in Bowie. Hotel living is not the life we are looking for right now. Don’t get me wrong. It is not burdensome, quite the opposite. It is a relief that the company is footing the bill. Everything is provided for us – including breakfast and dinner. The hotel offers free laundry and our room has a little, well supplied kitchenette. The beds are comfortable. But it is not home.

I think Mama is used to being busier now that she has adapted to the farm and she really misses the morning feedings and taking care of the chickens, the horses, the dogs, etc. Besides all that, it costs me money to be away from home; incidentals, snacks, drinks, extra gas – which the company does not pay for – etc., etc., etc.

We are ready to go home; such as it is.

Travel, trouble?

Yesterday I drove about four hundred miles as I went from office to office here in the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma in order to have a face to face visit with three of my direct reports. It turned into a long day when we added church into the late evening activities. As I was out traveling across Texas, Mama was looking at vehicles in Amarillo. She found some pretty good deals and worked out a couple issues we had discussed concerning the little car, so she had a long day also.


Everything looked like it was going to work out pretty smoothly until I began to look at the five year commitment we were making in order to have a bigger, nicer car. With the uncertainty of the economy and the financial needs on the farm, I am not completely sold on the idea. In reality it only affects our debt load by a little over $200 per month, so it is not terrible unreasonable. At this point I feel committed to completing the paperwork required to start the process; maybe a little trapped by the circumstances.

I regret that the day did not end well. We both decided on what car to purchase and how to take the little car off of our books, but even though Mama was pleased, the dealer was pleased, the credit union was pleased, certainly Grandma will be pleased, I am not sure I am pleased. I am not sure God is pleased.

That is a rough place to spend the night.

Sitting through retirement, Chase and Makaila

Mama and I spent the day in a retirement seminar yesterday. It was a wealth of great information for both me and Mama. She enjoyed what she got to share of it. The seating was not comfortable so she spent about half the time in the actual meeting. The rest of the time she was in the car with the seat laid back or on a couch in the common area of the building where the meeting was held.


It acquainted her with the many decisions we have to make concerning leaving the corporate world and entering into a phase of life without a company paycheck. It is sobering to see just how much money – and thereby planning and saving – it takes to get out of the corporate race. I am not going to be able to rely on ConocoPhillips retirement to supply all of my post-working needs. That is why we have the farm. (I am certainly missing it while we are away from it this week.)

We got to visit with Chase and Makaila last night for an hour or so. They came by the hotel to eat dinner with us, and then we went to his apartment to feed his snake and to look through the items we have stored there to see what needs to go back to Bowie with us on Saturday. Mama was especially looking for a razor, since she did not pack one for me; we did not find what she was looking for so we had to go buy a cheap one for me to use this week.

On the way back from Chase’s apartment we stopped at Walgreens at Mama’s request. We found a substitute razor and went to check out. The cashier asked if we had our rewards card and Mama asked if she could look it up for us. She asked for the phone number starting with the area code. Mama got a blank stare and said “I don’t remember the area code, but the phone number is 723-etc” Mama, I said “that is the area code.” “Oh good grief, I was thinking she was asking for the zip code.” I knew right then that I was in trouble.

As we progressed through the process of looking up the account we had to change our address to the current address. Mama could not remember the zip code for that either. We finally made it to the end and Mama told the lady she usually does not have this much trouble looking up her rewards number at CVS, “They usually punch in the phone number and it comes right up.” “That could be,” the cashier replied, “but you are at Walgreens.”

Makaila’s mom had her baby – a boy. The only information I know to be correct is that he is healthy and hairy. I was told that information numerous times. He was born last Wednesday. Since Makaila’s mom is distracted by the little one for the moment Chase has been substituting for her in various tasks related to the business they have that are run on the computer. He has set up an invoice system, created a letterhead and made several bid sheets for the dad. Makaila’s dad has forbid her to break up with him for now.

As we talked at dinner Chase showed us his newest gadget; a Nexus 7 tablet. Chase was anxious to share all the details of display pixels, processor speed, adaptability, etc. I have to admit that it pretty cool but I do not see the purpose in my life – except for Mama to play with. Chase also related his latest sales. Makaila finally piped up and said, “Now you see what I have to listen to all the time.” It made Chase blush. Mama liked that.

I will be on the road most of today. I have to visit my direct reports in the three offices in this area to do year end reviews. Mama and I will go to church with Chase tonight at Central Baptist. It will be her first time back in over a month.

It should be a good day.

Saturday

Saturday was a busy day for all of us. We had invited about a dozen people from the church to come out in the evening to “pick and grin” for Grandma. It took some cleanup and a lot of food preparation to accommodate the hostesses but we were ready when everyone started to show up. One family with young children came to help us feed the calves. It was a first for all of them.

The mommy of the group got waylaid by one of the calves on her way out of the pens where we keep them. The calf got his tongue around her elbow and she got so tickled by the attempt to nurse that all of us got a great laugh out of it. The experience was a little overwhelming for the two year old, but the older girls enjoyed it thoroughly.

The wind had blown in 20 mph gusts throughout the day but in answer to prayers, it dropped to about 5 mph as everyone arrived. We ended up entertaining about fifteen adults and children. Victoria got home about an hour after we started eating but she was in time to get in on most of the music; aside form the time she took the little ones horseback riding. Jazz behaved himself wonderfully.

There were about nine who played instruments off and on. Our pastor shuttled between the fiddle, the mandolin and the guitar. Six or seven others played guitars. One played the banjo and one played the bass violin. They sang for about two hours. It thrilled Grandma. Grandpa enjoyed it too, but it did not seem to move him very much. Everyone that came had a really good time and all of the participants expressed an interest in coming back as often as we would offer.

It was a good use of the front porch on the old farm house. There has not been that much activity on that concrete porch for two decades – according to neighbors. I do not know if there had ever been that much good gospel music ever sung to the ancient oaks in the front yard.

The only regret we have of the evening is that none of the pictures came out as well as I would have liked.

Lonely evening, staying in touch, choirs

Last night was a little weird, with Mama being gone all evening. She and Victoria went out with the ladies of the church. I do not know what time they made it back to the farm but it was long after I had gone to bed; which was about 7:30. I am in the process of testing the ancient farming proverb: Early to bed, early to rise, makes the farmer wealthy and wise. I am not sure if there is any truth to it, but the sleep will do me good.


Grandma told me last night that there was a message from Jake on the house phone. It was his usually inclusive, “Hello Mama Kim, Papa Tim, Victoria, Grandma and Grandpa…” I do not remember if she told me anything that followed. That is where her attention had been drawn. I know it has been a while since we have heard from him. It puts me in remembrance of Emil and Lana. It has been too long since I have talked to them.

I do not know why it is so difficult to stay in touch, especially considering the advent of social media, the internet and cell phones. I value the friendship and need to foster it even over such a long distance, but I get distracted, caught up in things day to day, sometimes hour by hour and pass by the opportunity to reconnect. Shame on me.

I will be getting a new phone soon. It will come with local service which will assign me a new number so I will have to communicate that information out as soon as I get it. I am expecting it to be the last week of the month at the earliest. I am also considering changing the phone at the farm to a local number. Many local people are hesitant to call it since it is a New Jersey number. I have kept it for consistency, but it might be time to start a new number that we can keep for another decade or so.

I was talking retirement with a colleague of mine yesterday. We are the same age but he has been with the company for over thirty years and now he has had enough. We were talking life expectancy; for us about seventy six years. That is only twenty years away. That does not seem like much at this age. He referred to a morbidity calculation given to him by a financial planner where the headings were, “Doug Dies” and “Helen Dies”; he and his wife’s names.

He was struck with the terminal nature of the statement. His life will end and, from his own exposition of his past, he will very likely not make it to that age. He looked at me and quipped, “I need to start working on that other life.” I smiled and answered back, “It is highly recommended. Word is, that life is going to last a lot longer than this one.” We both went back to work, but it reminded me that I need to continue to pray for him; the person who was once my greatest adversary in this company.

It is during this time of year that I miss our church in New Jersey the most. With the holiday season approaching we would be getting ready for the Christmas cantata. I did a lot of years without having a choir to sing in. Since we left Somerset Bible Baptist there have been church choirs that I have participated in, but none the caliber of the choir there. Here at Immanuel Baptist, there is a choir that is fairly good. The music program could use some work but it is fun to be in a choir that is pleasant to sing with.

Don’t get me wrong, the choir at Central Baptist Church was a great group of people doing a work of ministry in music to the local congregation. The music was truly sung from the heart and the music program was developing and well run. I am glad to have had the opportunity to sing with them. It just feels more like home here.

And here, maybe I can help.