2004-5-13
I spoke with Brent Johnson today and it looks like Monday the 17th is the day I will be going north. There are still 3 combines, 2 grain carts, 2 semi trailers, and all the support equipment to be moved south.
2004-3-25
No big news lately. I'm now under 2 months until "go time" and it seems I have a lot of projects to complete before then. I had ordered a digital camera from Dell; due to low supply they canceled the order and then shipped it anyway after I already ordered another camera from somewhere else. I also now have a case and charger for the iPod that I don't yet own. As of today I'm now a MCSA on Windows 2003, just 1 more test for the MCSE update. Things around our own farm are starting to liven up too. Most of the tillage equipment is ready to go, the new grain dryer has arrived, and I'll probably need to mow the lawn soon. Bring on the fun!
2004-3-2
Took the CDL driving test again today and passed. I got a 84 of the 85 points on the pre-trip inspection. Now I need to get back onto IT testing and get my MCSA and MCSE on Windows 2003 before I leave in May.
2004-2-19
Took the CDL driving test today and failed the pre-trip inspection. I got 65 and needed 68 out of a possible 85 points. Seems the key phrase is that I am looking for anything that is "bent, cracked, or missing". Well now that I have done that once, I know what to look for and say next time. I can't say I'm real impressed with the DOT office either. The office I went to operates on a first-come, first-serve basis for driving tests. So I'm there when they open, get ticket #001, and yet wait over an hour to start the test. I'm still perplexed by this, but at least the people there are courteous. On the drive out to the DOT office, I had tried shifting with and without the clutch. On our particular truck, it just shifts beautifully by floating the gears. Almost to the point where I wish my car could do that.
2004-2-7
I visited the guys up in MN. Kind of a meet-and-greet mixed with an interview. This answered a lot of questions for me about how everything works on harvest. It ended up being 873.1 miles round trip, but was worth the knowledge gained. We checked out the crew trailers, headers, service trucks, and the other trucks that transport the grain. Their oldest combine was in the shop getting a thorough check-up and rebuild. There is also a newer 2388 in the shed and 6 new 2388s still at the local dealer. These are the 7 that will be going south for harvest. There are 2 new grain trailers on the way and potentially another Kinze grain cart. I am getting the feeling that these guys really like horsepower.
2004-1-23
Since the new year rolled around, I've been working on some Compaq/HP tests that I need for my ASE. I finally took an hour to study for the HazMat test and then passed it this morning. I still say it is far too easy to get a driver's license in the US. I also found out that I will be taking my driving test in Cedar Rapids. That is going to be a blast with all the traffic in town on any given day.
2003-12-24
I got my CDL learners permit today. I thought it was supposed to be hard to pass those written tests? Maybe I'm just used to testing from all the IT tests I do. I'll be taking the HazMat test soon, which means I'll have all the endorsements except passenger. I'd do that one too, but I don't have easy access to a bus for the driving test.
2003-12-17
Today I found out that I cannot take the Compaq Systems Management test that I have been studying for. Turns out the testing center is closed until next year. Time to start studying for the CDL in the interim.
2003-12-16
I've always thought it would be interesting to see how large scale farming works. I got to looking around the Internet and came across Johnson Harvesting who I am planning to work for in the summer of 2004. Looks like the schedule is mid-May through November. I've heard some people speculate that wheat acres will be up this year due to the aphids, rust, and other diseases in soybeans lately.
Background
So maybe a little about me would make more sense of the situation. My name is Lance Lefebure and I have grown up on a farm in Eastern Iowa. We grow primarily corn and soybeans in this area. As of this writing, I am 22 and have absolutely no experience with wheat or custom cutting because everyone around here owns their own combines. While I do live on a farm, I work in town as a computer systems engineer since I graduated from college 3 years ago.