The Shut Down Begins Tonight

Bay City, Texas

Weather: low 67 degrees, high 86 degrees, partly cloudy skies

The planning is finished, all the people are here, spare parts are staged, and we are ready for the shut down to begin. The facility shuts down tonight, and when I go to work in the morning, we will be working to complete the scheduled activities in 38 days or less. That's an ambitious schedule, but one that is attainable. At least I hope so, because Carolyn and I have several things planned that we want to do when we leave here.

Working the long hours keeps me from taking the walks I usually take. However, this week the increase in hours and activities means that I probably walk as much or more compared to when I don't work. My work does not involve physical activity other than walking or climbing. Most of my work revolves around planning activities and preparing the way for others to do the actual physical work. The hardest thing about the job to me is getting up in the morning. Especially when I get up at 0400 hours in the morning so I can be at work by 0500 hours. Only a little less than six weeks to go. The countdown begins.

We heard from our daughter Terri in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, that she slipped on wet pavement last Sunday and hurt her ankle. She thought she had a sprained ankle. When the ankle kept swelling, she went to her doctor on Monday, where X-rays revealed she had broken the ankle. She's going to have a cast on the ankle for awhile. Terri's biggest concern when she talked to Carolyn was how was she going to be able to take a shower with a cast on her foot. Carolyn gave her some tips, but it's like anything else. Only the person suffering from something like that can really appreciate how hard it is to do the everyday things that we take for granted.

Carolyn told me I was cooking tomorrow night, so I guess I'll have to spend some time picking a good place to go. Oh, I know where we'll go. How does Dairy Queen sound, Dear? That was easy.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - New York, New York: The Concrete Jungle

Not all who wander are lost.