WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

Thanks to my friend, MICKEY, I'm reminded that I haven't posted for 14 days.
I'VE BEEN BUSY!!
Well not that busy, but you know how it goes.
I might not have mentioned it before, but I manage a fairly good sized fuel oil and propane company.
This is the time of year when customers get antsy about locking in their price for the coming winter. So I have to study the market and calculate usage, and bicker about why the company across town is four cents lower then us.
And usually the person worrying about the four cents uses seven to eight hundred gallons a year. So four cents a gallon on 800 gallons = $32.00.
Now if these were the customers who are unemployed, or working in McDonalds, I could handle it a lot better.
There not!!
They are the ones driving the SUV with the boat with the 225 horse Honda, the Harley, and snowmobiles, living in the 300,000 dollar and up houses, and making double and triple my salary.
They will spend an hour on the phone telling what a crook I am and how I don't appreciate their business, and how they're going to the competitor because they care more about their customers.
FOR $32.00!!
So what do I do???
I give them another two cents off,(if they haven't gotten personal and offended me),because I know most of them will either call or write the home office to tell them what a loser they have managing their Keene subsidiary and thus causing me a heap of explaining to my boss, when he and I and his boss all know I was justified, but there are board members, and owners and share holders and on and on that are aghast that we lost a customer.
All for $32.00.

Phew!! I sure feel better!!
If it wasn't 8:44 AM on this side of the world, I'd probably pop the top on a PBR, or Ballantine xXx ale, and take the edge off.
But it is 8:44 AM, and there are lawns to mow and weeds to whack, and sideing to be put on and a deck to build, and a window or two to be replaced, and, maybe I'll go fishing..

I'd like to get MICKEY and NIGEL, and THE CHIEF On the SS Minnow for a three hour fishing tour.
What a treat that would be.

My circle of blogging friends continues to grow.
I try to spend a little time each time I'm on line to search through others blogs, and when I find one that I like, or that moves me in one direction or another, I comment.. I always welcome the comments of others who read my blog, regardless of whether they agree with, or are contradictory to my opinions.
Even those that simply say "hi, how ya doin.
And those who correct my grammar, and spelling, or scold me for my prodding or berating of others, SUZY, and LUIN.

Last week I was privileged to have, MIGHTY MOM, stop by.
She's got her hands full with three little ones, and a husband who is a Navy vet, having served on submarines. I imagine he operates well in confined and well defined spaces, but how does he do out in the wide open spaces? Mom?? (Thank Subvet for his service to our grand country for me!!!)
I will certainly keep your cousin, SPC Baker, (first name?)in my thoughts, and prayers.
If you know, could you pass along which unit he's in?

I'd also like names and addresses of relatives of all my friends here who are serving in Iraq, or Afghanistan..
I have an associate that organizes a mass mailing of care packages too the troops around Thanksgiving, and she would be happy to add names to the list.

On another note, the list doesn't look to be getting any shorter any time soon.
In spite of the fact that our congress has gone through the charade of passing legislature that would initiate a well defined strategy for our safe withdrawal from Iraq, our wonderful, President has no intention of doing any such thing..
The bill doesn't call for an immediate wholesale withdrawal. Just a well defined exit strategy. A viable plan. Not vague lines in the sand, ( I think they call them benchmarks), that are easily changed when not met..
Even in the face of mounting pressure from his own party, GW stands fast and says, "when I'm old and living down there in Crawford, I will be able to say I looked in the mirror and made the correct decisions based on the facts."
I think he meant to say that he'll be able to look in the mirror and say he made the correct decisions, or does he have a magic mirror telling him what decisions to make?
I only hope that everyone is paying attention to what our government is doing, and when it comes time to vote in November of 08, that we send a clear and concise message to our leaders that we want our country run as a democracy where we the people have rights, and that the special interest groups no longer control the decision making. Disregard the amount of money a candidate earns to run his/her campaign, yet pay close attention to where that money came from.
Do your homework on each candidate, and decide which you feel will do the job with our best interests in mind, and then VOTE..
There, (he said, stepping down off the soap box), I feel better!!!

Mark? I trust that Mark made it back in country safely.
There isn't a day goes by that I don't think about him, and you, and hope and pray that he finishes his tour, and gets back to a normal life..

I pray that God will give them the strength, courage, and wisdom to complete their mission, and when completed that they will understand that they did what their leaders asked to the best of their ability, and that they should never look back in shame, but live in honor and with pride of their answer to the call to duty and service to their country.

I hope that all who read this blathering will take a minute to visit the Freeport Flag Ladies.

HEROES .
Take a minute to drop them a note and have them add you to their mailing list.
Elaine writes a few words of wisdom every Tuesday. I look forward to reading them.

Well, now I've written a blog of "Mohawk Chieftain" proportions.

I hope you're all happy!!

It will probably be another fifteen days or so before I get the chance to write again.
Here's a picture of what I imagine I would look like at the Chiefs bonfire.

Heh Heh.
RABSINEPO.