A Real Struggle Getting Back

We finished up work about 1:00 pm and checked out of the store. Sherri and I had to go by and get some gas before we hit the highway so we stopped by the Walmart just down the road. Gas there was about .15 cents cheaper than anywhere else and we try to cut every corner we can.
After filling up we decided not to stop for lunch just yet. We would drive to Abilene before we stopped. There would be more of a selection there to eat and we did not want fast food so we took off in that direction.
The drive to Abilene was only about 40 minutes and and we found a Jason's Deli just off the highway there. This would be a good place to stop and we could get something light and then get back on the road.
We did just that and before long we were trucking on down the highway with Sherri at the wheel this time. She drove until  we go to a place to use the bathroom. The stop was short and when we got back on the road I was behind the wheel.
Not too long after we left the rest stop Sherri got a phone call from one of her co-workers that was about 45 minutes ahead of us. He reported that there was some construction just as you got into Weatherford and the traffic was barely moving. Well that's great! We have a 5 hour drive ahead of us and now it will be lengthened to more due to construction. We tried to find a way around it but to no avail. So forward we marched right into the mouth of the traffic...Sure nuff we sat there for about 45 minutes.
We broke through just about the other side of Weatherford and picked up good time all the way until we got about 2 miles from I-35. The traffic there came to a screeching halt. OK now we are held up again and this time we spent about 40 minutes idling our engine. OH WELL...let's draw this trip out as long as we can!
We made it home about 7:30 and we were both beat. We had to unload the Jeep...log in our work and travel time and then get a shower.
It was sure good to lay down in bed and relax after a trip like that...

Somewhere in Time  

Allen's...Good Eats

Good Food in Sweetwater...try it out.

We got up around 5:00...showered and headed to the breakfast room here at the hotel. They had quiet the spread! Eggs...ham...French Toast...gravy and fruit. You could not ask for anything more than what we had. After breakfast we all headed to the work place and put in a long day.
After work we all headed back to the hotel to freshen up. I especially had to take a shower after setting charcoal. Now that is a dirty job. I looked like a coal miner after I got through and there was no way I was going to go out to eat looking like that.
Allen's is a buffet that specializes in chicken. They do make some good chicken. That is exactly what I got along with potatoes green beans coleslaw and a big ol Dr Pepper.
We all visited for a time and then we had to leave. We all had reports to fill out and get to bed so we could do this one more time tomorrow.
It has been fun to be out and doing something with all our work friends. I am not sure when I will get to go out again but until then I will enjoy today...here...

Somewhere in Time

Long Drive Day

Sweetwater Round Up...Sure hate I missed this.

We left Athens around 2:00 pm and headed out to Sweetwater. Up 175 to I-20 then straight into Sweetwater. It was a 4 1/2 hour drive with little traffic. We skirted Ft Worth on the south side and was surprised that the traffic was not that bad. It was early which was a good thing.
We got in about 6:30 and checked in. We unloaded the Jeep and started looking for anyone that wanted to go out to eat with us. We found Rick...who was staying across the hall from us...ready to go. We left with no idea where we would eat but soon spotted a BBQ and Steak house just across the highway. The food was OK but not as good as Soul Mans.
After eating we returned to the hotel to get our time turned in and then showered and got ready for bed.
We have a hard day ahead of us tomorrow so we both turned in and soon were fast asleep...

Somewhere in Time

What a Day

Some of the biggest Wind Farms are located around Sweetwater Texas 

Yes the alarm went off again this morning and I was in a state of shock! I could not believe how I got out of shape in that short period of time. I have not been working for several months and after yesterday I am really slow to pull out of bed.
We have to do a lot of bending over and climbing up on a short stool and then back down. Up and down up and down. After several hours of this a guy is really worn out.
We worked for a little over 7 hours and then we went home. Usually we work 8 hours but today they cut it short due to the fact that one of the big boys son was having a baseball game and he wanted to attend.
We wrapped it up at 4:00 and everyone headed to the house.
We don't have much to do tomorrow...which is good seeing as how we have to drive to Sweetwater  when we get off in Athens. That will be a 5 hour trip...so we will be pretty tired when we get to our hotel room.
I will fill you in on the trip out west when my head clears...

Somewhere in Time

Back to Work

The alarm went off at 4:30 this morning...yes that is am. I thought I was getting a telephone call but then I  remembered what was going on and I had not changed my wake-up ring to rooster. I turned off the alarm and headed to the showers. Today is a work day for me. I have not worked for about 3 months. I guess I still know how to...
We are headed to Athens Texas to a store down there that we are re-setting. This will be a two day re-set and we are driving back and forth. It is about 45 miles there so we have about an hour drive to and from. Not my favorite thing to do but it is money and we can always use a few extra bucks.
Taking off now...see ya later...

Somewhere in Time

The Cough is Getting Better.

How can a cough get better. Maybe the tone of the cough is not as irritating to others anymore? I think it is really going away and not better...
Moving on I did wake up after a good nights sleep. It was 7:00 am when my baby greens fluttered open and I saw the dawns early...really late...light. I have not been walking as much and when I get up I don't move as well. This morning is no different. I had to pull myself out of bed and into the kitchen to the coffee pot. Poured me a cup and here I sit at the computer ready to catch up with everyone out there.
If you noticed I got me a new gadget on the page. I got the Cluster Map. Not sure how all that works but I will give it a try and see where everyone is located that reads my journal. The map is so small I may not be able to tell but then I will have a general idea.
Sherri made it home and it sure is good to have her here. She immediately told me what all I had done wrong all week without her. I need her here to guide me in the right direction. I got to work on correcting all the things I had done wrong and now feel better.
Do any of you guys out there run into this when you are doing your assignments. I just don't know how I have made it this far in life without all this instruction.
I think it is raining this morning so yard mowing is out. I do have to vacuum and wax the cabinets. This should keep me busy today. All the other outdoor projects will just have to wait for another day...

Somewhere in Time

We Are Going To Widen The Porch

This is our screened in porch under the barn roof. 

I slept a little better last night. My cough is subsiding a little and I did get some good sleep. When the sun starting coming in through the window I knew I had slept in. I swung my legs out of bed with the last little bit of strength I had and headed toward the kitchen to make coffee. I gathered up the hotel coffee I had stashed in the cabinet. Our store bought coffee in the can had run out and I was so proud to have this stash held back.
After last weekend Sherri and I decided to widen the porch. With all the people we had out there it was too close to visit and move around with only 8' of space. Even with 16' in length we still did not have enough room. So I am figuring plans on widening it to 12' and moving the entry door around to make it easy to move from the MH to the porch.
This will take some time and as always we wait until the hot time of the year to take this project on. I have a lumber take off sheet made up and this weekend I will have to go down and price all the materials that it will take to finish it out. The price could set the time line for completion too.
The weather here today and yesterday has been real nice. We did not get over 80 here yesterday and today they say we should have the same. I love this kind of weather. I know that we have some more stormy days ahead and then we will have some real hot ones too. I just hope that we don't have it too dry like we did last year. That was scary.
In reading today I see where many of the winter Texas are getting ready to head north. Many of them are heading back to North Texas. What is that all about? I think I would be heading to Colorado or points further North. It will be a scorcher here and this is where you want to leave from...not go to.
I will be headed to Athens next Sunday and then make my way to Sweetwater Texas. Not my choice of places to visit but I will be able to pick up some money there. I hope to get some work in this summer as long as Sherri is headed in the same direction. We stay together when we work at the same stores. Having only one car I have to bum a ride to the towns we are working in. I know I am a kept man but what can I say.
Well that sums up my life for this day. Maybe something exciting will happen today and I can add it to this post...Not. I will be happy if I can make me some lunch...

Somewhere in Time

Now I Have To Blog...

What is with all the word swap on the comments this morning?? My goodness She said they said...I am not going to mention any names here because those I speak of are my friends and I am just concerned that they have taken too much to heart on these "COMMENTS".
I read BLOGS I write a JOURNAL. OK so I write a JOURNAL on Blogspot. This program seems to work well for me so I use it. I could use "Word" and save it in a Document file for posterity. So if anyone out there reads my dribble about what I did today and they show some discus for my style of writing or the content then so be it. I am not in any kind of a contest here to see how many people I can please through my post.
I do enjoy reading comments about what I wrote. If people like my post and comment and tell me so it makes me feel good inside. If they write and tell me that they think it is dribble and a waste of time then I understand they are wasting their time reading it so I still feel good.
I want all you BLOGGERS out there to chill out and say what you want to. That is what BLOGGING is all about. But I will tell you this if you offer suggestions...ideas...answers...or basically give your opinion be ready for someone to counter it with theirs. If they don't have the skills to do it with kindness then consider the source and move on.  
As for me...I will continue to write about me and how wonderful I am so that my family will remember that when I am gone. You know if you don't blow your own horn someone will use it for a spittoon. I will just keep blowing mine...

Somewhere in Time    

Coughed Myself Awake

I have had this cold for the last week and now it has settled down in my chest. I don't mind the stopped up head but when it starts to drain down into my chest I get really down. You know that family moves in and starts having parties in my chest. The commercial about Musinex cough relief is what I am referring to. I think they have moved in two families this time!
 I started to cough last night about 2:00 am. I got  up several times and it seemed to let up. When I would go back to sleep it would start all over. Finally at 4:00 am I got up and went down to the living room.
I had some cough drops and tried some of them. After sucking down two of them my cough eased up and I felt somewhat better. Every Spring I get this head cold that does this. Last year I got my first pneumonia shot thinking that it could go into something worse. Well so far it has stayed the same. One thing I have always done is keep moving. I never lay down and nurse a cold in bed. I wont let it get the best of me. It seems to get better  if I stay active.
I don't know if I have told you are not but Sherri is working in Tyler Texas. I am not traveling as much with her anymore. Seems the cost of having me and Kris tag along is not worth the $. I am really not into staying in hotel rooms all day. I use to do it but I had much rather be here at the lake. There are many projects here that I can get done if I am not on the road.
Yesterday it rained hard! We got over 3" according to the weather guy. We need this rain but I am so afraid that we are going to have a dry hot summer this year. Last year almost did us in. We had little to no rain and the fields were so dry. Wild fires filled the news cast all over the state and there was no relief in sight. I do hope this year proves to be wetter and cooler than last. I do know this...It will be my last full summer here in this part of the country. I am heading north were the temps are a bit cooler.
Not much else happening now. I am going to tune up the mower this week. I know after all this rain the yard is going to take off growing. I better be ready for it...

Somewhere in Time

The Meaning of all This

This morning I got up and made my coffee...poured me a cup and sat down at the computer as I have done for so long. Mornings are my favorite part of the day and the only time things are slow and quite. I scrolled down to my favorite journals and the first one I  read every day is Rick's http://rickpaulettervjournal.blogspot.com/ blog.
Rick had some good information on the length of a post that I think many bloggers out there should read. I am not one for long lengthy blogs that go on about more than one topic or that cover several weeks of the past. I like to read about different peoples take on life itself. It can be religion politics I don't care as long as they deliver their beliefs across in a concise manner and don't waffle as many politicians do.
Now on the other hand I don't really blog too much. I have got on a roll about certain things that have pushed me over the edge but I try to steer away from those topics due to what this Journal is all about.
I write these entries most every morning so that somewhere in time my children or my children's children can read about my last years after I retired.
I don't really know whether or not they will ever be interested but just in case they are they will have these post in my journal to go back and see what type of a guy I was.
I have always thought how cool it would have been to have had a journal from my great great grand father who fought in the Civil War. I know he was an office and later in life became a Dean at a college in Texas. That is all I know about him and could probably put together some things to enlighten me on his life...but to have a journal written by him telling me what he did that day and what his thoughts were...How priceless would that be!
OK I have gone on long enough about this.
For my family who might be reading this one day I just want you to know what was going on in my life and where Sherri and I were headed. I might even get to know you personally but if not maybe you can know me better by what I write about here...

Somewhere in Time

You Just Have to Laugh

We dodged the bullet this time. The storms came through with a vengeance and left us thanking the good Lord that we were spared the damage that is associated with these types of Spring storms.
As usual the wind surge that leads these thunderstorms were fierce to say the least. Off in the distance you can see the band of rain clouds billowing up off the horizon. Inside those black Cumulus Nimbus you can see the bolts of lightning coming once from the ground up and then alternating with the clouds down. If you wait you can hear a faint rumble of thunder that grows louder as the storm clouds get closer.
At the leading edge of that wall of clouds is the wind. The wind rushing out of the way as the storm advances along. As the cold air hits the much warmer air the fight is on for supremacy. The end result is tornadoes and strong damaging winds.

I was reading Rods http://retiredrod.blogspot.com/ comment on one of my journal entries and it made me think about the weather men when they were predicting these storms that night. You could see the excitement in their eyes as the laid out the storm in living color. Telling how it was that time of year and that we were in for a rough night and predicting all the damage that would occur when these storms blew through. 

As the night progressed and the threat of the storms lessened you could see the disappointment in their eyes as they had fewer and fewer reports to report. The excitement died away and they were forced to return to where ever weather men go when there are no storms. I almost felt embarrassed for them.  

We got the damaging winds but luckily this time my fence did not go down. The barn held up and we stayed calm inside. We did lose a tree in the back and Rodney, my BIL, lost one of his Pear trees. We just don't know how many of these we will suffer through each Spring but we do know that we will have them.
I will have to get the old chain saw out and take care of the damaged trees. It is a shame to lose these fine trees after so many years of caring for them.
I pray to God this will be our last Spring time in this part of the country. Being  gone will not stop the storms from coming through. I will still worry about our place here and hope that it is still here when we return. One thing for sure we wont have to worry about is being blown away...

Somewhere in Time