I should have let someone else do it...

A few weeks ago, the forklift we use in our day to day operation stopped working. The battery died. The service company came and left a rental, hauled the old one off to their shop. Repair estimate for the battery was $5,200 for a new one. Rebuilt battery was priced at $4500. This lift has been satisfactory so far, but recent changes in our product line indicated the need for higher lifting capacity.
The owner of our company asked us to investigate the cost for a replacement unit with the needed upgraded capacity. I spent quite a bit of time researching options. They were presented to our owner, who indicated his desired choice. A used Nissan forklift for $9,500. It was shipped from New Jersey to the local equipment dealer and repainted. We waited until the ice and moisture on the roads were gone and the lift was delivered yesterday.
It didn't work coming off the flatbed wrecker. A mechanic is supposed to come (as directed by the dealer) today to check it out, although the conversation I had with the dealer indicated "it was working perfectly when we had at the shop."
It has already been paid for.
I am sensing the coming of a battle over this.
I knew I should have let someone else deal with this whole thing from the start.....
No risk, no reward, right?

Sports Talk

As it does most every year at this time, the sports radio shows are filled with opinions on how to improve the Cowboys, what they need to do to fix the mess the team is in, who to fire, who to trade and get a better option. blah blah blah. i find some of it interesting, some entertaining and others indicative of why Darwin had it right.
But the most interesting this week has been the discussion of the Dallas Mavericks and their woes. This team won 60 and 70 games for a few years in a row, had a 2 game to none lead in the NBA Finals a few years back and is still considered by its fans to be an "elite" franchise. Oops. Were the playoffs to start tomorrow, the Mavs would be outside looking in.
So the current theme is that they need to trade Dirk Nowitzski and get a leader. Most who hold this opinion get mad that Dirk is not a vocal leader who "wills" his team to victory be taking over games and simply overpowering the opponent.
"He is nothing but a role player," is the complaint.
Hello? Michael Jordan was a role player... Magic johnson was a role player. So was Larry Bird. And so is Dirk. It is just that his role isn't the one you want him to fill and the fact that he is better at his role than nearly every other player in the world still disappoints. Bummer.
I think the Mavs SHOULD trade him. To a team whose fans will adore and value what he is and maybe let him win a championship. I imagine the Cavs would be thinking his game would go well with LeBron's and give them a great chance to get past the Celtics. And I'd root for them!

Interesting. Comforting thoughts

I have been reading The Shack by William Paul Young (Jenn recommended it). It is a surprising book filled with interesting nuggets.
One of the most provocative ideas I have come across deals with the Ten Commandments. There is a dialog taking place in the novel concerning the origin and purpose of those words of scripture. Have you ever considered the commandments to be not rules or laws but a promise? And that Jesus Christ is both the fulfillment AND the promise?
How is my world changed when instead of considering my failures against the measure of those words, I consider the condition of fulfilling those as a description of my future? Prophecy instead of the basis for judgement?
"Thou shalt not" as a trait, not an expectation or aspiration.
wow.
How can this happen? only by the grace of God. and my willingness to participate in a relationship with the Creator that will enable it to come to pass.
Spend a moment today to consider all the rules and prohibitions you think you know about Christianity and religion, then put them in that light. What sort of being will you be then?

We're baaacccckkk

Ok,
It was a fun trip over to Atlanta to check out where the girls are and drive my wife home. Cute apartment. Four flights of stairs up from the parking garage, although they use the elevator. I walked the stairs. Down was easy. Up made me wonder what I was doing....
Hannah took us around the city on Friday a little, after we made a trip to the Georgia Aquarium. I'm thinking Atlanta looks like a fun place to live, really. I especially liked Little Five Points.
We made the drive back over 2 days. Most of the trip happened yesterday. We drove from Atlanta to Monroe, LA. We spent the night in the Quality Inn there; Stephanie and Nicki stayed there on the way out and said it was okay. Our room there last night though wasn't so great. The shower/tub didn't drain at all when Stephanie showered. I HATE standing in water while showering so I waited until we got home. I did let the front desk know and will be sending the complaint letter to the general manager of the location. They did offer to send someone to the room right away to fix it, but I was ready to hit the road anyway. We'll see. I just don't feel as though we received the full value of what we paid for the room and will say so in the letter.
Back home and back to work tomorrow. It's all good.