CaseIHman......Unsensored

Hmmmmm, Makes you wonder.

2007-03-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

Go to this link and let me know what you think.

http://newsbusters.org/node/11567

Who'll bid me.....SOLD!

2007-02-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

It was the first tractor I drove, and the same one I learned to back wagons with.
Or the elevator that carried the thousands of straw bales up to the mow from the wagon.
The wagons also went, the one that had the funny end gate and the annoying bars that we always tripped over. When we sheared the sheep we loaded the wool onto a cart, it also was on the bill. the three wheelers, the old baler that was broke more than it worked, the combine that was older than I was, the 'mini' (which was actually the biggest of the fleet) which almost ran away down the hill with me and the other equipment that introduced me to farming.

This past Saturday Grandpa auctioned off all of his farm equipment, even down to the cans of nuts and bolts that lived in the shop. I can't say it was really that 'hard' to see everything get sold but there was clearly a sense of history and nostalgia. It would be interesting to follow each piece to its new home and see how it fits into the operation there. No doubt each piece will make many more memories, but at different farms with different people.

Irony

2007-02-20T16:43:00.000-05:00

Here are a few for you to enjoy and ponder.

Sign at a bank drive thru window: "For your protection and due to limited visibility please have your Photo ID ready." Honestly, if visiblity is limited, what good does a photo ID do?

Does a snow plow ever get stuck?

Rosedale Bible College has an excellent internet filter set up for their students. It is so good in fact that it blocks parts of their own website from the students.

A congressional Hearing on Global Warming had to be postponed because of....you guessed it, a big snow storm

A sign advertsing meat reads: "Grass Fed Veal"

My life has just changed....Alot

2007-02-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

To See the latest on my exciting life unfolding click HERE

"The Laceration"

2007-02-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

I am currently volunteering at Black Rock Retreat with an RBC work group during our week off.

This is what we are doing, tearing down this dilapidated shop

Taking the roof off shingles and all proved to be the easiest.The work of sledge hammers and digging irons.

THEN.....

It roared to life, flawlessly doing its job, throwing sawdust as it is maneuvered through the board. With ease it makes pieces out of boards. With skill and care I watched for nails and and avoided them. Suddenly the saw jumped, as it had numerous times, and quickly contacted my glove. The glove was no match for the blade as it performed its required duties. The glove gave way and the blade continued sawing. This time tearing flesh and not wood. The result was immediately known, even before removing my mangled glove I knew the day's plans were going to change. I immediately got a clean towel, wrapped the half severed (left-hand) thumb and headed to the ER. The doctor numbed it, twice, cleaned it out and explained the damage was simply a "laceration." This "laceration" cut the thumb cross-ways right in the middle of the nail, and about half through. In the process of repairing the damage the doctor had to remove the front half of the nail (at least my manicures will be 10% cheaper) so he could put in the 4 stitches. After it was all said and done, this was the result. 1 neatly wrapped thumb.

This is the glove, that is a red liner not blood. The blood on the cuff I guess didn't get washed off.

I have been asked about the pain. right now my meds have worn off and it feels like I hit it with a hammer, it throbs a little, but is bearable. I will probably take a pill before bed to help ease the pain.

If any of you want to see what it looked like before the wrap, I have a picture on my phone I took while waiting in the ER. It isn't too nasty. Just let me know and I can show it too you.

Shortly after I arrived I was told that another guy came in with a similar injury, but apparently he wasn't going to leave with as many fingers as he started with. If you think about it, pray for him.

"I didn't think I was that close"

2007-01-24T17:55:00.000-05:00

Operating large things is not easy, especially when vision is limited and the 'thing' is going in reverse.
Unfortunately I learned from my own mistakes. And thankfully no one got hurt and the damage was not too bad. I was backing one tractor trailer in beside another one and got too close. A bracket on the one slid along and sliced the trailer tarp on the other. Damage? 1 Really big hole in the tarp and my pride.

So this is what I spent the last two days doing. Replacing the old with the new.

Surveying the damage of the old tarp after it is off the trailer.

After removing the old tarp, I cut the good piece off to save for future use.

The new tarp came in a gunny sack all nicely rolled up and clean.

Unrolling the new tarp.

On each side of the tarp is a pipe that slides into sleeves at each edge. I made double sure the tarp was oriented correctly as I really didn't want to do it twice.I then rolled it up and lifted it onto the top of the trailer.
I spread it out across the trailer, making sure it was the right size and fit well. I also made sure to support this side so it didn't slide off onto the ground.

The stationary side is held in place by these brackets. The clamps pinch tight enough to hold the pipe, but have a gap for the tarp to fit through.

The clamps also double as stops to keep the tarp from falling off the edge when it is rolled to the open position (The tarp is not installed in this picture)

The roll side has the tarp screwed to the pipe using these washers and screws. Screwing the tarp to the pipe prevents the pipe from slipping in the tarp sleeve when rolling it up.

Installing the hand crank onto the roll pipe. The hand crank reaches to the ground and allows the operator to unroll/roll the tarp without climbing up onto the trailer.

And finally the finished product,
Road ready once again.

And this is what was on my mind,
distracting me from backing the truck (which caused the initial damage).

The 'New' Daily Grind

2007-01-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

So I am a little tired, here's why.

My life , on a good day looks like this:

5:30 Alarm goes off
6:00 crawl out of bed
7-7:10 leave for school (I leave early so if traffic is bad I am still on time)
8-9:20 Western Civ
9:30-Chapel (I sometimes study cause I don't have to go as I am 'off campus')
10:35-11:55 New Testament survey
12:00-After talking to Sarah for a minute or two I head to the farm, eat lunch, change and then work
4:30ISH-leave and go home
5:30-It only takes 20 to get home but till I empty my stuff and get a shower and relax for a minute or two before supper.
6:30-Done with supper, Start Studying
10:30-Almost have everything read, but I am tired. I did take 2 or 3 breaks to relax for a few minutes, so it wasn't ALL schoolwork.
10:30 Post on this site
10:33 (estimated) change and other ablutions (look it up)
10:34 fall asleep

Honoring an American Hero

2007-01-02T17:53:00.000-05:00

Recently Sarah and I attended her Grandfather's funeral. While a funeral is never a 'pleasant' or 'fun' event, I will say I count it an honor to have celebrated the life of Harold Holt with his family and friends.

Born in 1926, Grandpa was a member of a generation that some have dubbed "The Greatest Generation." Like many young men of his day he enlisted and participated in WWII . Not only did he give of his time, but a combat injury to his arm stayed with him the rest of his life. When he returned from Europe he attended college and earned an Ag degree from Penn State.

Agriculture was one of Grandpas passions and he dedicated his entire career to it. He first worked on a dairy farm and then in feed sales and finally as an extension agent for over 25 years. Grandpa was also extremely involved in his community. In addition to serving faithfully in his church he also filled his time with 4H, FFA and the local American Legion.

Even though I did not know Grandpa very well I have heard many stories about him and his dedication to his faith and his love for life. I also admire him for his patriotism and dedication to his country, not only by risking his life abroad, but also giving his life promoting agriculture here in Pennsylvania. After all, agriculture is the backbone of this country's economic prosperity.

I am grateful for Grandpa and others like him who worked hard to make this country what it is. You have certainly earned the title "The Greatest Generation."

Lack of posting

2006-11-18T23:05:00.000-05:00

I feel compelled to comment on why I haven't. I just finished the second week in which I logged almost 70 hours at work. I also spend time with Sarah, try to get in devotions and other necessities like laundry. So maybe when the harvest is finished I will have time to post pictures and make more cool and perhaps humorous comments.

Video of how not to play football

2006-10-21T21:48:00.000-05:00


Miami - Florida International Football Game Brawl. I want you to leave your comments on what should happen to the players or the teams that are involved here. If you are interested in learning more just go to Google and type in "Miami Florida International brawl" or something similar.

Aston Martin and Cash

2006-10-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

Aston Marton was always one of those always talked about but never seen cars. Well, That day has come to an end. I was on my way to pick Sarah up for an evening out (for her birthday) and I decided to go a different way as it was a friday evening AND It was rush hour. In the process this interesting vehicle, one that I did not recognize, passed me . Now I pride myself in being able to spot a make and model after seeing only one profile, but this one had me guesssing. I am pretty certain it is an Aston Martin, but as the fancy writing on the back was hard to read all I saw was a capital A and a capital M. So let me know it is a just decoy.

On a different Note. I recently recieved a pair of pants. I am not sure whose they are but they fit and they had a bill in the pocket that had the picture of President Lincoln on it. Now I have decided to give this bill away. However to recieve this bill you must be the first to meet the following requirements.

A: E-mail me your current mailing address. DO NOT post as a comment, this is not very secure for either of us.
B: Tell me how much is a "Lincoln" bill worth.
C: Agree to use this cash to bless someone else.
D: Provide at least one unique suggestion on how you might use this money to bless someone.
E: Be at least 10 years of age and be able to read, right and do arethmatik in inglish.
F: Be Ok with me publishing your first name and idea.
G: Not be dating me. Sorry Sarah, (I'll take you to a nice place for your birthday).

Good luck!

WE HAVE A WINNER
Congratulations to Charlie, who earned the "Lincoln" by knowing that it was worth $5. He apparently is planning to use it to help support his sponsored child.

Down on the farm

2006-10-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

I have Bragged about my Girlfriend, blogged about my time out west, Taken pictures of my new mansion, and even told you about my neighbors. And I am sure you are wondering how I afford the luxuries that I indulge in. I am going to satisfy your curiosity with snippets from work.

Welcome to M&M Farms. This is the shop.

This is the inside of the shop, or a different angle.

Commodity storage.

Equipment storage. But I think we are going to fill this with corn this fall.
The truck I drive the most is on the left.

More equipment in storage

We dont' just sit around all day. We often haul fertilizer onto the fields.
This is the plant where we load. A tanker can hold about 4800 gallons.

Then we drive to the field.
In this picture we have to back off of the road because the field is too soft for the trucks.
We try to unload downhill so our tanks empty better.

We transfer the load to a vacuum tank spreader called the 'Balzer'. It holds 7500 gallons. There is a hydraulic powered vacuum pump that powers the unit. When we are loading we turn the valve to suck air out of the tank, the vacuum sucks the contents from the truck into the spreader. To spread we switch the valve to apply pressure to the tank which unloads when we open the valve on the rear.

Then we spread it on the fields at the appropriate rate. The rate of application is determined by the percentage of nitrogen (N) of that particular load. We have a chart in the tractor that tells us how fast to drive. One load I had to drive 15 MPH.

We also haul lime out of lagoons like these.
This lime was used at a water treatment facility to soften the water.

It is then transferred to this settling lagoon to let the lime settle out
before the water returned to the local estuary.
We have a pump we back down into the lagoon which mixes the lime and the water and then pumps the slurry mixture into our trucks. The slurry is similar to that of elmers glue in texture, and is about 40% solids.
We then apply the lime to fields just like we do the fertilizer.

Yes, agriculture is a science. Yes, it is a form of industry
and yes, it does put healthy food on your table.
Thank a farmer today.

Sexual Offender: Marked for Life

2006-10-03T19:28:00.000-05:00

I was looking through the mail this evening and I came across this interesting semi-scary looking piece of literature.The reverse side has a mug shot of a person with their address, hight, weight, eye color, offense and other pertinent information informing us that this person is living in our area.

I had always read about communities having a sex offender list but I never gave it much thought. When I showed it to my buddy who was with me the first thoughts were how this poor person will live with this info following them for the rest of their life, wheather they change or not. Then we dicided that it might be nice to take them supper sometime. After all, we know their name and where they live, and they probably don't get many visitors. We didn't do it yet but I am sure two able bodied young men don't have much to fear, especially given the picture of this poor soul.

In case you can't read it, the fine print gives some common sense safety tips on this side, and the other side has a warning informing me that using the enclosed information to commit a crime is a bad idea (I didn' t read that part too close, Is providing a meal considered a crime?). That is one reason I am being careful, the other is just to preserve this person's dignity. Also remember that the definition for "Sex Offender" is rather broad.

Could this be the modern day "samaritan" or "tax collector" ?
Thats all for now, and let's remember to pray for this person.

MTV: Cribs-My new house

2006-09-24T18:12:00.000-05:00

Its been exactly two (2) weeks since I have moved into my new Pad here in the thriving metropolis of Columbus OH, (better known as Hollywood East). It is an amazing place with massive expanses of yard to roam, a pool, an elaborate dining-room, an exsquisite deck overlooking many gardens,a library, a TV room, a fully stocked kitchen, a hot tub/Jacuzzi, and even a well stocked wine cellar with hard-to-find wines. I even have exclusive use of a yacht whenever I want, and if I choose I have limo service to and from the boat club.

I really can't complain, meals are catered, free wireless internet, great downtown location, security system, and the rent is impressivly cheap.

My camera crew is on strike (150 grand/year seems to be too little) so just imagine I am taking you on a tour myself, all decked out in my bling-blings and oversized pants falling to my knees, and an NBA jersey that is 5 sizes too big. And don't forget I also have a couple gaudy earings and a semi-sideways cap on advertising the latest rapper.

This is the front view, Notice the flower garden bottom center.

This is my office which also doubles as my room.This is the dining room with the library to the right.

This is the TV room. The TV however has not been installed yet as there is not enough space for it.

The Hot Tub.
Note the pure Ivory pedestal sink imported from a poachers workshop in Zaire.

This is the Deck, with one of the gardens, and did I mention the commercial size grille?

This is the view from the deck. Note the VAST expanse of lush green backyard space to roam and host skanking parties. If you look close you can see the security system on the right, The guards and their dogs were not allowed to be photographed for security reasons.

This is the pool, it has been drained, however, for winter maintenance.

This is the wonderful street front that provides access to literally ANYTHING, including many other famous Hollywood-East'ers and their properties.

The Wine Cellar.
Of course we use only the best oak casks. You can also see the beginning stages of the process in the two 5-gallon 'vats' in the left side of the TV room.

I almost forgot the yacht, we call her MOY (Mother of Yachts). I still have'nt even been in all the interior rooms yet, but I hear they are elegant.

This in Butch, the best of my three (3) limos. We also have a red German made, and a green domestic SUV style that we cruise around in depening on the occasion.

So if you ever get to central Ohio look me up and I will give you the code to my security system and you can either lounge in the pool, watch football on the bigscreen, or just relax in the Hot Tub until I get back. And if you fly in, I could probably even send one of my drivers with a limo to pick you up.

Until then 'Hang loose bro'

Price Update

2006-09-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

Gas prices continue to fall, the lowest I saw them was $2.05. I was talking to a friend tonght and he said he saw $1.99. For other updates in my area go HERE.
-I am sure there is a web site for the locations near you-

$ 2.13 A Gallon, but not for Milk

2006-09-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

That's right folks, I filled my Jeep today for two dollars and thirteen cents per gallon for regular gasoline near Hilliard OH. I don't know why gas is going down but I do know that when the news stops talking about the horrible "Oil Crisis" we get some welcome relief, even if there is a pipline rusted out in Alaska. Here are some other possible reasons why the fuel prices are backing off. Feel free to weigh in and leave your feedback, or give your own reason.

1-The summer "rush" is over (but isnt' winter coming?)
2-New Orleans is back to normal, refining as much as ever
3-Bush has buddies in 'Big Oil' and he pulled some strings
4-Americans are using less fuel (so we dont' cause cancer in rats and Californians)
5-I am subsidising crude oil prices, Happy early birthday Sarah!
6-New drilling technology being used in Alaska doesn't disrupt the caribou and semi-extinct birds
7-New drilling in Alaska, and the caribou and birds are just dealing with it.
8-The Democrats want to win the next election
9-Exxon-Mobil discovered 'ethnic' imigrants (who actually work) so they are firing the white boys.
10-Winning the war in Iraq increases the stability, which equals more crude and less uncertainty on wall-street
10.5-Prices are'nt really coming down, I just think so because I got my gas at Wal-mart

It is still a sad day when we think $2.13 is cheap.

Wheat Harvest: Home for a Spell/Final Saga

2006-09-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to my good friends who decided to get married I had the wonderfull chance to come home for a weekend.

This is Sarah's wonderful family that we had breakfast with Sunday morning at a park.

Special thanks to the early wheat harvest (and the boss) for letting me add a week to my vacation and be home for Labor day.

What did you do on Labor day?

And special thanks to the sorry corn crop (although I am not excited about the poor yield the farmers will get) for not needing me for fall harvest.

You heard me right, Mel called the other day and said that they don't need me for the fall, so I am staying east. While it does cause complications in trying to get my stuff shipped in, cancelling plane tickets and such, I am not dissapointed to be back home.

And while it is nice to be back in familiar territory, it was great to be able to see the west and I learned a lot from and through the people I met. I saw lots of amazing sunsets, often with combines in the foreground. I met lots of good Americans who work hard for the food we eat, and I grew in understanding of their lifestyles.

With that I conclude this chapter of my life which will be forever remembered as
Wheat Harvest: 2006

Wheat Harvest: Good-bye Montana

2006-08-13T18:11:00.000-05:00

I don't have any new pictures but we have wrapped up many (well over 10,000) acres of wheat and are now looking to heading back to KS to start the corn harvest. We will be here for a week or two yet doing minor repair on the combines. It is nicer working in 80 degree weather here than 100 degree weather in KS. It will take two trips to move the entire entourage, and will probably take two days to get there. Don't worry mom, it will most likely take a good week to complete the whole process. I am leaving for a wedding on the 27th, taking a few days off (yes, I plan to spend time with Sarah) and then flying back to start fall harvest. Since the wheat was about 3 week ahead, here will be a few weeks of down time before we start corn.

See you all soon.

Wheat Harvest: FIRE!

2006-08-06T16:58:00.000-05:00

“I think my combine is on fire” yelled the radio. I looked out across the field that I was combining and that quick there were two machines coming straight at me full tilt around the outside edge and a third cutting right through the middle of the field (leaving a rather hairy pass as he was driving too fast to cut the wheat clean). If you want to see action, imagine 8 combines all screaming across the field and then the operators grabbing their fire extinguishers and running to the burning combine. Its like kids running to free candy. I took the cue and followed suite, not knowing exactly what to do I took the advice of the old adage “when in Rome do as the Romans”. So I too hurried to the combine in question and hastened to it with the first of my 2 pyro-suppressors. By the time I arrived they had put it out, “it” being the orange glow and a lot of smoke. So I re-mounted my fire extinguisher and went back to harvesting wheat while the boss assessed the damage. The verdict: a bearing got too hot. I apologize for the lack of fine photographs of this event, but taking pictures is not top priority when a quarter-million dollar machine is being threatened by fire.

This picture, however, does show what could happen if a fire goes unchecked. Not only could it consume the combine and surrounding equipment, but possibly thousands of dollars of crop still in the field. All farmers have a “fire truck”. This is usually a 4 wheel drive vehicle with a water tank, pump, hoses, shovels and other things used for fighting fire. If someone has something burning everyone drops what they are doing to go and help. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

And for those of you wondering, Sarah still acounts for the majority of my phone time, as little as it may seem.

-CWTSYA-

Wheat Harvest: The Crew

2006-07-30T16:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my co-harvesters. I dont have the best pictures for everyone, sorry. I also included what they do and where they are from.

Mel (Boss), Laura (Chef), Tanisha, Ok.

Andy (Co-owner), Combine, OK
Ben (Co-ower), Combine, OK

Kyda (boss's daughter)
Breanna, Combine, Ks.

Me, truck, PA

Jeremy, Combine, Pa

Riley, Combine, Ok.

James, truck, Ky.

Ned, truck, Va.

Adam, Combine, Ne.
Dave, truck, Pa.

Allen, Truck, Pa.

Chad, truck, Pa.

Nate 'fuzzy', Combine, Va.

Junior, truck, Pa.

Matt, Combine, Pa.

Linford, Combine, Pa.

Wheat Harvest: Montana

2006-07-30T15:20:00.000-05:00

It is touted as one of Wyoming’s finest resort destinations. Nestled quietly in the beautiful foot hills of the Bighorn mountains this metropolis not only has the wild open west feel too it but also a relaxed everyone-knows-everyone atmosphere. The city of Lost Springs boasts beautiful golf courses, a lovely lake, and close to 1000 hotel suites with verandas that look out onto the lovely Bighorn mountains. The finest restaurants coupled with the hot springs draw close to a million visitors a year, anyone from newlyweds to corporate execs to retires come and enjoy this truly exotic area.

While moving north into Montana we got to drive through this beautiful municipality and enjoy the amazing décor. Apparently the mayor is a very prominent public figure and is engaged in daily life. Here is a picture of the expensive sign that greeted us as we entered the town.

Of course this is all tongue-in-cheek, but I thought it would provide some entertainment.

We are finally in Montana. Enjoy.

When the truckers can't get to the chuckwagon, we deliver.

Chppewa-Cree indian reservation. This is one of the dozens of cattle guards that we cross every day.
"Truck 106 leaving the field and heading down the mountain" is a common phrase used on the radio. It is also a safety feature when on roads like this the passing spots are scarse. Imagine having a 30+ ton truck heading down these roads meeting an empty truck coming up. It might be 100 feet till we stop if we did go off the mountain.

In case you couldn't tell that's an atelope on the sign. Probably in 16 miles there will be another sign. We also see many burned spots like this. Some bigger, some smaller.

Post office of a town similar to Lost Springs. I think the other buildings in this town included a cattle corral and a stock watering tank.

In Hemingford NE, we made the local paper.

Look at the pretty clouds. Well actually it is smoke from a fire. We could see the smoke at least 30 miles away.

Montana, or maybe Wyoming.

Montana.

Wheat Harvest: One Day, Minute-by-Minute

2006-07-10T17:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday July 8, 2006

This is a Minute-By-Minute account of a randomly selected day. This was a normal day in many respects but abnormal in others. See the notes (*) for clarification.

All the pictures shown were taken on the aforementioned day so they correspond directly with the description.

740-Climbed out of bed, Got dressed and got my water jug ready (Filled, for those of you in Rio Linda)

750-Checked my truck. Tires, oil, air, and such.

800-Waited at the in the trailer. while waiting, I watched the bonus features on Ice Age and Bourne Supremacy.

901-Dave let us know that we are leaving in an hour and fifteen minutes.

948-Called home and talked to my brother cause no one else was home.

954-Went back in the trailer and got side tracked discussing “needs”. What is a need and what isn’t. e.g. is having a vehicle a need?

957-Brushed my teeth

959-Worked on lap top

1015-Leave trailer yard and drive to field*

1107-Arrive at field and wait, I often read, nap or do devotions while I wait.

1154-Get info on who this field gets credited to and which elevator we take it to

1200-Decided to grease my truck, Started Greasing**

1236-Chuck wagon shows up, I eat lunch

1252-Done with lunch, back to greasing

149-Finished greasing after fighting with a grease gun that didn’t pump, move truck to different part of the field. We will usually use the edge of the field as a staging area, and only have 2 or 3 trucks in the field ready to load at once.

157-I rode in the combine with Andy, If nothing else it is air conditioned in a combine and it helps break up the monotony.

236-Borrowed the phone again and called home

248-Moved my truck into the field so they can load me

254-Finally get wheat dumped on me

306-Truck gets full, Tarp the load and leave field

341-Stop for construction

347-Moving again

410-Arrive at elevator and sit in line***

441-Get to probe shack and they take my sample

446-Done at probe shack, head to Pit #1

517-Pull onto pit/scales to dump

522-Finished dumping and head to trailer

528-Arrive back at trailer. This is free time.

601-Told to go to the combines/Leave for the combines

619-Arrived at combines and waited for Mel to arrive with the escort/service truck

634-Follow combines to the new field

655-Arrive at field, Chuck wagon caught up to us on the way so we parked to eat. Normally the combines and any trucks at the field stop to eat meals.

728-Finished with supper. They wanted to get a sample of the wheat to make sure it was dry enough to send to the mill. With 9 combines in a field it doesn’t take long to get a lot of wasted wheat if it is not dry enough to send to the elevator. Usually one combine will drive through the field to test it before everyone else goes crazy. So the rest of us waited. They decided it was too wet to cut.

830-The other service truck (the one that came originally had to go and help fix a combine that broke down in route) arrives and begins to fuel the combines.

850-Since it doesn’t take 12 guys to fuel, and it was Saturday evening, I called Sarah.****

907-We left the field and headed back to the trailers, leaving the trucks and combines there

928-Arrive back at the trailers.

932-I called Sarah back. We took a brief time-out while I was riding home.

1238-Back in the trailer, I took a shower and got ready for bed.

1257-Climb into Bed

1257.5-Fall asleep

NOTES:

*Normally the field is not 45 minutes away. It took the combines 2 hours to drive, they left earlier.

**I only grease my truck about once every month.

***Normally the line is not very long, but this is the only elevator for about 40 miles or so, and this one is known for being slow, and not being very customer friendly. Today the line was shorter than yesterday. I talked to one local guy that said last year he sat for 16 hours in line at this elevator.

****Saturday evenings is the only time that we really get to talk, (Besides early Wednesday mornings) and that is only if I don’t have to work too late, Remember mountain time is 2 hours behind eastern.

Wheat Harvest: NE panhandle

2006-07-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Nebraska. Some of it looks like Kansas and some looks like this. It is much more exciting (and dangerous) driving truck here than the plains.

To move 9 combines with only 8 trailers is quite a feat The first convoy (which included me) left at about 5 am and then returned. The rest of the equipment and vehicles left about 1 pm. The temperature that day was in the upper 90's. That means overheated trucks and blown tires. When a tire does blow the combine needs to be unloaded, and the service truck is essential for tools. With 15 energetic young men a tire can be changed fairly quickly,the combine re-loaded and we can be back on the road with efficiently that rivals some pit crews.

When we come to town, sometimes the elevators look like this. One truck at the pit, Two in line and another pulling onto the scales. They are all ours.

Thanks to mother nature, this is what we did on independance day. Good ole' BBQ, with Mel at the grill. Note the homemade propane grill made from 3/8" well casing, mounted on the trailer so it swings out of the way for quick packing when we move.

Special thanks to the town, there is a 'walk-on' golf course that we played at one evening. I have nerver seen a course with pasture style fairways and sand "greens".

Our current home-Hemingord NE. There are about 6 other crews in town , I think about 2 are staying in our "park".
One last story:
We were told of this and reminded to keep our distance. Another harvest crew had an accident recently. Apparently one trucker was following too close to another one and didn't stop in time when the first one did. 65 mph was the number I heard, and the way I inderstand it the dash was crunched in and the driver had to be 'medi-vac'ed (sp?) to the hospital. I believe he is still alive, but certainly not 100%.

Wheat Harvest: Nothing better to do

2006-06-24T12:12:00.000-05:00

I am still here at the library so I figured I would use the internet while I have the chance. I have taken about 1000 pictures so far so I wanted to post some more.

This is a picture of what the inside of my truck looks like. I have a normal radio, and then under that is the two way radio that we use ALL THE TIME. Try coordinating 10 trucks, 2 service trucks, 9 combines, thousands of acres of wheat, miles of unmarked dirt roads and a pickup with lunch and dinner WITHOUT radios and you would have one big mess. It really gets hairy when they get ou of range (20 miles). Then we have to use the base station to relay messages back and forth. And the Last Item is a picture of Sarah and I. This adds some beauty to my otherwise dusty and dirty job. What you can't see is the picture I have of us on the dash .

We had a really nasty storm recently. I went outside and could hardy see these comines because of the dirt and dust blowing around. This is later after everthing settled down.

Often we save a few loads of the best wheat for seed. This often gets hauled back to the farm or other storage bins for planting this fall.

I am used to raising chickens by the thousands, but in Kansas everthing that is counted has at least 3 zeros behind it. This is the milking parlor (double 60) of a dairy that milks about 6000 cows.

This is a feed yard that we hauled grain to. He said they can hold between 30 and 40 THOUSAND beef cattle at this facilty.

Unloading at the Feedyard, (thats not me).

From Left, Adam, Ben, Kyda, Andy, Kamie (Ben's Wife)

This is our Current "town". It is the back side of the fair grounds.
There are probably about 4-6 other harvest crews here too.
Everyone in these towns know and understand the harvest. Anywhere you take more than 3 or 4 young men people know you are a crew.
Our trailers are at the far end.

Combines

Wheat Harvest: Picture Diary

2006-06-18T16:15:00.000-05:00

First, I want to thank the Colby , KS library for the use of their computer. I also want to thank God for the rain (dont' tell the boss) that gives me time off for internet use.

So here are a few pictures and brief headings which are snapshots into my life here on harvest.

2 (of the nine) combines loading a (one of the 10) truck

Big storms bring hail=destruction for the corn crop.

Kyda, the boss's daughter. Runs around being cute.

The map I keep in my truck. Colby is the big box near the bottom.

This is one the grain elevators we haul to.
Frontier Co-op, Brewster, KS

Rain Day.

More rain day. Boss paid for the whole crew.

Chuck wagon....Errrrr, Chevy Pickup

New Wheels, For me anyhow.
The old ones had holes that let wheat in everytime I jumped into my loaded truck.

Day's half done.

3 of the 9

Um ...Boss ....we lost the hitch.
Ready to head north.

Bad wheat= Time to nap.
Anywhere, anytime

Tidbit of Info: Pay.
The formula for a harvest crew getting paid goes something like this. There are three seperate calculations all added together. 1-Per acre, 2-Per bushel, and 3-Overage.
Per acre is just that, ABOUT $15-18 dollars per acre harvested regardless of yeild. Per bushel is also just that, ABOUT 15-18 cents per bushel that we haul. Overage is like a bonus that the harvesters get if the average yield is over 20 bu/ac. Last year was a good year and many fields got 40 bu/ac or more. This year they say 20 is the average, but many are not harvested because they are too poor. Yesterday we were cutting a field that was at about 5 bu/ac.
I get paid a monthly salary, + room a board. He also does things like pay for us to go to the races and such. So on days like this I still get paid to check my e-mail. But yesterday We started aobut 8 and I got back to the trailer just before midnight.

Wheat Harvest, first edition

2006-05-31T15:02:00.000-05:00

I am terribly sorry that I was not able to update you all sooner but working from 8 am to 11ish pm with no internet within a 20 minute drive makes E-life difficult. Today and yeasterday we were off because it rained the last two nights. Here are a few of the pictures I have so far.

This is the combines (minus 1) lined up in the morning with our service truck. We are probably greasing them and getting ready for the day. For the first 4 days I ran one of these. Try driving around in a field with 8 other combines trying not to run over each other while keeping your 27 foot header from digging up rocks or missing the top of the wheat and leaving a "skipper". I was surprised at how hard it was during the day, and then it got dark. Here are two pictures of my 'house'. It is an old refrigerated semi-trailer that has been converted with bunks, shower, toilet, sink, TV, DVD player, stereo, washer and dryer and lots of storage space. About 8 of us will stay in here. Sleeping in a constant 60 degree climate controlled trailer is really not that bad (except it was broke the last few nights, but the repair man is there now). Other than sleeping we really don't spend any time here except on days off, Sundays and rain days.

So this week I got to spend monday in a truck, #106 to be exact. It is a tandom 10 wheeler with about an 18 foot grain dump box on it. This is me at the controls of this 30+ ton rig.
This is a small sampling of what 9 combines in one field looks like. You probably can't see all nine, since I am in one.

And one parting picture of the grand sunsets with the combine infront. This picture really does'nt do justice. Imagine 180 degrees of sunset behind 9 combines. I will see you all soon, maybe. And you can e-mail me, but I probably won't have time to e-mail you back. stay posted for more pictures as we move into Kansas and then on north to Montana.

A Journey Begins...

2006-05-21T18:56:00.000-05:00

I am going to give you a few details of a journey I have recently decided to embark on. It is a scary journey, one with many unknowns . But a journey that is well worth the risks.I am not talking about a backpacking trip or even a journey in time.
I am talking about a relationship.

Allow me to start at the begining, say back in november.
I asked the lovely Sarah to the annual Christmas.
I was thinking "I'll ask a good friend and we can have a great time."
So this was my invitation and...
She checked YES!

We had a wonderful evening, so we took a picture.

It wasn't long before we found ourselves (unconsciously, for a while) among the same group of friends on the weekends, Occasionally playing poker (Sorry momma Staley for the bad influence). And I must add that her first game she made even the best among us shake our heads at our loses.

Over time we had more and more talks, conversations,
and other interations, often in uncommon places at all hours of the day and night.
The topics usually wern't about anything in partiucular, just life.

I was not really looking to start anything as I was leaving for 5 months and the means of communication are questionable at best. But we all know that when a young lady catches the attention of a young man there is not much that can stand in the way.
So when the counsel I recieved on the matter said I shouldn't wait, it didnt' take me long (long, in this case was probably measured in nano-seconds) to see it their way. May I add that waiting two days untill her college finals were over were probably the hardest days of my life.

So, then as of May 18 2006 we officially started dating.
Or you could say we embarked on a journey, a path, or a road, that as of right now is heading in the same dirction at the same place at the same time, but the end is still far off , and uncertain.
So Keep checking back regualarly to see where God leads, and after reading this post (which certainly took more than 30 seconds) please take just 30 seconds to pray for us, invest in our lives, it will be greatly appreciated.

Dime-A-Dog Day

2006-05-08T23:46:00.000-05:00

"Limit 5 per person per visit" read the sign above the concession stand where workers feverishly labored to keep the hotdogs stocked for the droves of customers lined up outside. This was the scene at just one of the possibly dozens of counters that offered this cheap commodity.

That's right, 10 meager cents would buy 1 whole hotdog compete with a bun and condiments. "Dime-A-Dog Day" is just one ploy to attract fans to see a game of the "Columbus Clippers". Which, (for those who don't know) is the AAA farm team that supplies talent to the New York Yankees. The downside is that a large drink cost $4.00. So for 5 of my hard earned dollars I opted for 10 hotdogs and a Mt Dew. Note to self: #1 goes down a whole lot faster than #9 (I gave 1 away, slyly apearing to be generous).

Of course there was some baseball mixed in with the festivities, featuring the fledgling Clippers against the Rochester Braves.

And Entertainment Provided by the ever present Mascots.

And if the game and mascots got too boring there was always a vendor shouting about his various products which may include, alcohol, cracker jacks, peanuts, popcorn, cotton candy or other various items.

And then there were those stray foul balls. My apologies to the guy I smacked in the head during that scuffle, I hope my glove wasn't too hard, but you did end up with a ball to show for your efforts.

Unfortunately, "If they lose its a shame" was reality. 7-3, but if it wasn't' for the two home runs by the same guy on the Braves, the game would have been really close. Oh well, the night ended with much enthusiasm and hollering, it is so much more exciting to cheer when you really have no interest in who wins.

And with that, I leave you with one last look at the park, Cooper stadium, downtown Columbus.

Bigger Than Life

2006-04-27T22:34:00.000-05:00

2300 horsepower. 66 feet long. Almost 44 feet high. 289 tons (empty). Digs, scoops and carries 80 tons of material. An oil change takes 66 GALLONS of oil and a full tank of gas contains 1050 gallons. The driver sits about 14 feet off the ground and operates a 25 foot wide loader bucket that can hold the same volume as 28 pickup trucks combined. Of course I am referring to the LeTourneau L-2350 wheel loader, the largest of its kind to ever be built. If you want to be more impressed with pictures click Here. What brings me to this collosal piece of equipment? Well, a new book I just purchased from the famed "Book Loft" called-

This book is full of the worlds largest, biggest and meanest heavy machinery. This is just my kind of book, with 283 pages chock full of color pictures,diagrams, statistics and stories. The only other thing competing for my time recently is the fact that I purchased a Digital Camera. That's right my very own Canon Powershot A700. So it is only fitting that this book is one of the first pictures I took with my new camera.
(Small break taken here because I got sidetracked momentarily by my new book and an article about mine dump trucks)
I am sure if you stay tuned you will see more exciting pictures taken with my new camera, especially this summer while I am harvesting wheat.

Exciting College Night Life

2006-03-29T02:07:00.000-05:00

It's finals week and everyone is crazily busy working on papers and trying to complete that umpteen hundred pages of reading. At 1 am I was bored and there were still a few people awake, so I decided to invite anyone who wanted to to join me for a round of (drum roll is heard in the distance) FRISBEE GOLF. The thrilling, exhilarating game taken to a whole new level and complicated by the lack of light. Cornfields are peacefully quiet at 0100 which ads an element of mystery to any activity, especially on an already fogy damp, still night.

The first few holes recieve mininmal light from the surrounding buildings. The drive on hole 3 has the potential to hit the presidents house. Hole 5 found the women's RD waiting to see what was going on. The long, par five, hole 6 decends into darkness and not even the basket was to be seen until about the 4th (or sometimes 5th throw). Hole 7 starts dark and ends darker. Complemented by the fact that there is light on the horizon and the Frisbee is only visible until it is released. This results in four people tromping around looking for lost frisbees for a few minutes. Each hoping for the best but secretly fearing the worst. Hole 8 is lost among the pine trees and is impossible to see at high noon, let alone midnight.

Most likely strategy for hole 8: PRAY, throw in general direction, PRAY, hunt for frisbee, keep hunting, say a not so nice phrase (indicating the poor throw) when your frisbee is finally located, repeat until the "chink" of chains is heard and visual confirmation is acquired that the Frisbee in the basket is in fact yours. This is a common scenario, except that often the "not so nice phrases" are more frequent than as described above.

I must admit, there are a lot of other exciting late night things that college kids could do, but this is one that very few ever get to experience. I don't even regret it in the morning either.

Party hard-Play Frisbee.

Short Story of my recent life.

2006-03-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

Sunday going home from church....
Pass new red bug with very flat tire...
Slow down and write sign to tell driver...
Tire Disinigrates all over road...
We pull over just infront of bug...
We get out to help....
Driver tosses baggies with white powder into ditch.... (just kidding)
Jack up car...
remove very damaged old tire...
install full size spare...
Unjack car....
put jack and tire in back....
say good bye...
drive home...

Knowing you helped somone in need.......PRICELESS!

I Guess I Don't Understand

2006-03-08T21:15:00.000-05:00

The small college I work at recently decided to "improve" their auditorium. So last year at this time plans were made for the project to commence as soon as classes finished for the summer. The bulk of the plans included, raising the stage a few inches and re-finishing the floor, Painting, new carpet, padding the benches, installing A/C and a few minor configuration changes to the small backstage area. The plan was to have the project done by the beginning of school (Some details are still pending completion)

To give credit to the Maint. (the responsible party for overseeing the project) they decided to install extra conduit and floor pockets to run more mic lines, and add a sound/technical booth at the back. Being a sound technician I was elated, to not only have more space but finally have things laid out correctly. It was also recently approved to revamp the entire system including new control desk, amps, speakers etc. This was wonderful. Until recently.

I then found out the reality of life, or at least due process. Unfortunately they did not consult the staff responsible for the sound equipment. This makes an interesting situation, having people skilled (We have some fine craftsmen I must say) in fixing plumbing and heating ducts, made responsible for building sound cabinets and installing DVD players.

I am having trouble understanding WHY anyone in maintenance even cares how tech gear gets set up. It is confusing why end-users are not embedded in the process, let alone consulted. When a company builds a hospital I am sure they get input from the doctors in regards to how and what they like in the operating rooms. They probably ask nurses what they need easy access to at the nurses station and how many linen closets they want on a floor. Why would a college undergo a building project, installing an expensive system that will be used at least once a day, and not solicit input from those who know best, the operators.

I guess I don't understand.

Ice Storm Pictures

2006-02-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

As promised here are a few pictures:

This the road before we got to the interstate

This is that poor road grader.

One of the two pieces of snow removal equipment we saw all day

This is the interstate, or "Interskate".

We stopped for 45 minutes, stuck in traffic, this is the road, up close and personal

This was a common sight. Note the jacknifed truck in opposing lane.

It is a double jacknife, the front of the second trailer is just visible

behind the one that is sideways.

Ummm.... Boss, we have a small problem.

The south Don't do winter

2006-02-24T00:06:00.000-05:00

I feel I must first apologize to all of you who have been waiting forever for me to post. Well, THE WAIT IS OVER.

I recently had the opportunity to travel west through some of the mid-west and southern states. Not the least of which was Arkansas. Now while we were there they made a big deal about POSSIBLY getting snow, lots of it. They were claiming up to 3 inches. I laughed when I heard only 3 inches. Anyone from snowy PA knows that 3 inches is simply a pebble to a bulldozer. Well come morning we got up and come to find that it had not snowed 3 inches but only drizzled a little bit. Of course I assumed that a little drizzle on the interstate was nothing. So we headed north.

The first hour or so was not too bad, they were back roads and were somewhat Icy, but nothing an experienced driver from the north couldn't handle, or so I thought. The roads kept getting worse but we finally got to the interstate. Unfortunately they were even worse. We ended up driving about 250 miles that day, that day being about 11 hours of driving. Most of it was at the whopping speed of 15 MPH. The interstates were nothing short of a sheet of ice (probably an inch thick in some places), and once every few miles we would come across a small patch of visible pavement. This pavement was most commonly covered with "black ice".

Now to give the state of Arkansas credit we did see a few (very few) trucks out putting sand down. Now, sand works great at the beach. But these roads were icy in 29 degree weather.
Also to their credit we saw two pieces of snow removal equipment all day (sand trucks apparently are not commonly fitted with snowplows on the front). They included 1 (yes just one) snow plow, and one decrepit, laboring road grader that was not much bigger than a pickup, and looked like it could hardly turn its own 6 wheels. We saw the cloud of black smoke it was producing long before the machine itself, in fact, we never did see the machine until we were directly beside it while passing it.

To finish this story we finally got a motel and the next morning the roads were no better than the day before, UNTIL we got 10 miles across the line to Tennessee. Then we were able to drive, oh, lets say about 70 MPH at least, God bless Tennessee for their 70 speed limit.

NOTE TO ARKANSAS:
1-Salt that is spread on roads will melt ice.
2-Sand does not melt ice (until the sun comes out, or the temperature gets above 32)
3-One grader and 1 snowplow is not adequate to plow all the ice from the Arkansas roads (Invest in one or two more)
4-Commuters traveling through your state do not enjoy long delays because of unnecessary ice on the roads, although it might boost the economy. (I am sure the towing, body repair and Hotel industries did quite well for a few days)
5-Your problems un-doubtedly stem from the Clintons originating in your state.
6-Finally, I plan to vacation elsewhere next time. Smoggy LA, Slums of India, Sahara desert and a summer in Anarctica all sound more appealing all of the sudden.

I hope to be posting pictures shortly so stay tuned for more updates.

Poker

2006-01-16T00:27:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have ever played Poker you know that the point comes, usually near the end of the game, when you realize that you put too many chips in too fast earlier in the game. It is usually at this point where you decide not to take any risks at all, unless of course it is a guaranteed win. Have you ever had a similar experience in life? It is possible that we often "play" too much energy in the areas that really are not going to provide any return, then we get to a point that we realize that the energy is gone, and we don’t have what we need to "play" when we get that "perfect hand".
The challenge is this: Are you spending your "chips" on things that matter? Not only in the long run, but for eternity? If not, you need to make some changes so that when that "Perfect hand" comes along, you have what it takes to win.

My summer "vacation"

2006-01-14T01:01:00.000-05:00

I was kindly (and rightly so) informed that blogs with pictures are much more interesting. So I will use three pictures to briefly describe my summer "vacation".
Shown here is a 48 foot 50 ton tractor-trailer dumper manufactured by Peerless. When I say "manufactured" I mean they built the main unit as a "Kit' and then we welded it together and mounted it on the base frame that we built on site. The entire project started January 2005, when the layout for the concrete walls and piers began. I believe the total concrete used was in the 450 cubic yard range. This also included a moderate pad below for the material to be stored on. By the time I arrived on the scene, in mid summer (during summer break), the concrete and majority of the frame was finished and the bed itself had just been set in place. We aligned the bed, and finished attaching all the accessories. These included the trailer retainer (the bars near the back that go around and over the top of the trailer), the rails, walkways, hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic pump and reservoir unit, stops, shims and other braces which needed to be installed. In addition to the "kit", we needed to create an operators platform (picture #1 where we are standing) and stairs to link the operators platform to the lower level (where the pump unit is housed). All this needed to be designed, created and welded together. Unfortunately the foreman I was working under needed to take off for a few weeks because of problems with his hand, which left me to do most of the work. This was great, except my welding skills are elementary at best. Thus I spent much of my time welding things temporarily until they could be finished later. Finally on my last day we were able to perform a test run (shown in picture #2) to its full 60 degree angle. To get an idea of the how high this thing is, the top of the brown frame in picture 2 is 15-20 feet off the ground and the trailer itself is 53' long.
When I left there were still a few minor details to finish up.
Last time I was home it was finished and in working order, flawlessly unloading tractor-trailers (hauling waste wood to be recycled) with ease and style.
There is nothing like a rewarding summer vacation.

FIRST PICTURE!!!!!!!!

2006-01-10T00:12:00.000-05:00

I am playing around with my Blogger and was hoping to put this picture (Of me nonetheless) in my personal profile. But alas it ended up here so I decided to leave it here and let you look at it here.

Me over my lid?

2006-01-07T00:35:00.000-05:00

I feel compelled to respond to the emails and comments I recieved after my "Stupid american System' post.
NO. I do not think that moving from student to RA to RD is moving into an incompetant area. Now becoming dean of students would be questionable and President would certainly be way over my competent level.
That post was more of a conglomeration of observations that I have had over the last few months. Not all bad observations.
Kudos to Zeager Bros. Inc. (www.zeager.com) for being aware of this principle. They have their shop pesonell organized in such a way that the best mechanics are not sitting behind a computer all day on the phone. Their best mechanic is in the shop making decisions and his assistant (who is good with keeping track of parts and other stuff) is on the phone ordering supplies. It works quite well.

So for those of you wondering, I don't think me as RD has much potential as a career to "move up the ladder". But I do feel, to some degree, capable of doing my job.

Black Gold

2006-01-05T00:56:00.000-05:00

For anyone who has been reading or at least keeping up with the news it is well known the tragic deaths of the miners in west Virginia. Now that it is over the fingers are pointing and the families are "outraged". Why the uproar? Apparently the families who were anxiously waiting news were told that 12 of the 13 miners were alive. Only to be told later that 12 of the 13 were dead. While I am in no way minimizing the tragedy that occurred it is certainly an interesting scenario.
The mine owners are apparently hated by the families. But I would guess that if the outcome was different the mine officials may have been praised for their rescue efforts. And if not, the miners themselves would be the hero's for reacting the way they were trained (which they did do) to. So who is to blame? Who's fault was it? We will probably never know the whole story because there is only one of the 13 witnesses still alive. Unfortunately the Employer is going to look like the bad guy.

One report said some are now questioning their faith. What kind of faith is it if it is shaken by a mere mortal dying? Would their faith be strengthened if the miner that they knew was still alive? If the people waiting for the news had a "faith" why did they try to bring harm on the bearers of bad news? Was this supposed to heal the wounds? Make them feel better? Maybe even bring back their loved ones by chance? What ever happened to a faith that is grounded in the Rock of Jesus Christ. The rock that is in control of EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. The creator, sustainer and taker of life. The Rock that gave his life so that ALL have the choice to dwell with him forever.

Anyone with genuine faith in a genuine God is going to respond in a manner that is consistent with that faith. Angry? Possibly. Sad? Of course. Confused? Understandable. But even with these Emotions, The ultimate example (Jesus Christ) was acting on his unwavering "Faith".
I encourage the families who lost Loved ones to continue to trust in Jesus and strive to imitate his character through this tough time.

YOU TOO.....................

2006-01-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

I was listening to comedian Brian Reagan (SP?) the other night and he was going off on how we often use "You too" as a greeting of sorts. The waitress says "enjoy your meal" and you answer with "You Too."
So I was getting doughnuts the other day (only 4 dozen) and the checkout guy says "Enjoy". And being a not so bright bulb I answered "you too". As soon as I said it I kicked myself because that poor guy probably doesn't even make enough to buy Ramen noodles, let alone Krispy Kremes. How did we ever come to accept a phrase that rarely makes Sence? YOU TOO.

Stupid American System

2006-01-01T16:14:00.000-05:00

Why do we in America seem to promote people who are not equipped to do what their new job requires? Take for example a Carpenter. He gets a job out of High school and works for his employer for, say, 5 years and becomes an excellent craftsman. Then he gets promoted to "Job Foreman" because there is an opening. So far so good. So he works for another 3 years and the business grows and he is then promoted to site coordinator. He still does a good job, but he is then using his possibly undeveloped organizational skills instead of his instictive excellent carpentry skills. A few years later he is promoted to Personell Manager. This is where the problems flower. Here we have a H.S. grad who is a superior carpenter, working with people, which issomething he is not trained to do, and possibly doesn't want to do. While he may be content and do a fine job managing people, the chances are slim.
From his employers perspective, he is being done a favor by "moving up", but in reality he is being set up for frustration and failure (as well as his subordinates) by putting him into a role that he is is not necessarily gifted in. Eventially we have an entire company full of people who are operating out side of their expertise and making decisions that they may have no knowlege of.
I Say we keep the good carpenters as carpenters.
But kudos to any business that wants to try to make their best carpenter a CEO.

The first

2006-01-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to Get my thingy going incase I ever want to develop a blog later.

-Chief