It is the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter. -Marlene Dietrich

Somehow there is great irony in the fact that the day I put an antique tag on my leadsled the engine blows up. We're not talking about a hose or belt going, this is rings disintegrating and major compression loss. The engine will have to be rebuilt. Came as a complete suprise. Thought the motor was good for another 75,000 miles.

It blew, I crippled about the day, picked up the license plate at the Neal n CC Ranch, then slowly chugged home. It's in sad sad shape. Thank God that Neal was there to help. Thank God it happened under somewhat controlled circumstances and not while on the way to Starkville and Columbus early tomorrow morning.

A great friend is loaning me a vehicle until it is repaired. Seems my doing things for others pays off. What's that old saying, "When you get lemons - make lemonade?" Well, when you get lemons at the beach house you throw the damned things in front of a train or, at the very least, make margaritas. The leadsled WILL run again. My antique truck tag WILL not go to waste. Ahhhhhh, man's gotta' know his priorities and limitations.

If your a client please understand my situation if I run a day or two late. I'll be in touch with everyone no later than tomorrow morning. Now I must go get greasy and spend the day starting the upgrade of the operating system in a Chevrolet.

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."-Albert Schweitzer