Oh, what a week it's been! I've been at our biggest trade show of the year, which had to be re-scheduled from September because the convention center was full of hurricane evacuees at the time. No one knew what attendance would be like in December. On the one hand, there are almost no plant turnarounds going on, freeing up people, but on the other hand, it's like -- December-- with kid's programs and Christmas shopping to do. There are also a lot of people who worked for two or three months without a day off, struggling to get their plants back up and running after the hurricane damage. As it turned out, attendance was very good. I can't recall a stretch of more than two minutes when there wasn't someone at our booth. Usually I get a chance to walk around and talk to people, but not this year. Then after standing all day at the booth, I had to go to the hospitality suites at night. I was so tired, I only drank ice water. I was afraid even one drink would wipe me out. I'm making this sound like an ordeal, and I guess in a way it is, at least physically, but it's also a lot of fun. I get a lot of leads, see people who are really hard to catch, get a lot of hugs and a couple of job offers, and occasionally even learn something new.

Last night I took some engineers from one of the refineries, and some people from our factory to dinner at the restaurant at the top of the new Hilton in downtown Houston. It was close enough to walk to, and the view was awesome. The food was pretty good, and the bill, for nine of us, came to $902. I tried to pretend like I had ever signed a dinner bill like that before! My boss is always on me to spend more money, and this bunch of engineers told me that whenever I need to run up my expense account, they'll be happy to help me out. See how nice they are?!

This morning was what we used to call "engineering student day" because the professors would bring their classes through to show them the different kinds of machinery. We don't see that much anymore, but we don't see many good leads, either. To liven things up, I wore fake reindeer antlers. They made everyone grin, and I explained to a few people that some days you just wake up horny. One guy was way ahead of me; he said "Nice rack!" It was only later that I realized that that was the first time in my entire life anyone has had reason to say that to me! Is that pathetic, or what!

I spent many years in inside sales/customer service, and I know what a difficult, unappreciated job it is. I try to do as many nice things for my factory people as I can. Every year I send a big box of homemade cookies. Last year, when they were struggling with the moldy carpet which couldn't be removed because it was glued to asbestos tile so they were strewn out all over the building with their files in boxes somewhere else [takes breath], I wrote them a poem very roughly in the style of The Night Before Christmas. This year the problem is orders, more orders than we have capacity for, more orders than we can ship on time, and still they keep flooding in. It called for another poem. This is not completely tweaked yet, but here's my close-to-being-the-final-draft:

Deck the halls with quotes and orders, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
We have had four booming quarters, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Our shop is full, and how! Fa la la, la la la, la la la
All the customers want it NOW! Fa la la la la, la la la la.

We are making lots of stuff, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
But it never is enough, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Expediting, tracing shipping, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Deliveries just keep on slipping, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Salesmen with weird applications, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Drawings with new iterations, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Change in speed and new bore sizes, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
We need jobs with no surprises. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Grow the business, do more with less, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
And some days, it's just a mess. Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Salesmen yelling, clients calling, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
There are times we feel like bawling, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

We are short of inventory, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Every day, the same old story, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Santa, bring us this Noel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Bolts and steel and inconel, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

We have worked hard all this year, Fa la la la la, la la la la
Now it's time for Christmas cheer, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Love and peace and joy to all, Fa la la, la la la, la la la,
And have a merry Christmas, y'all, Fa la la la la, la la la la.