28 years and counting...

Have they be over the top wonderful years with gum drops and rainbows every day?  No - but would I trade them for gum drop/rainbow days if they were without Gary - NO!!  We have weathered through really tough times together and have enjoyed wonderful times together and been totally bored at times together... the best part about all of that, is that we have been together.  I don't know if everyone could do the amount of togetherness we do (especially now in a truck), but it just seems natural to us.  We are each other's best friends - that is SO important!!  What is also cool is that we still act like silly teenagers together too - LOL!  We even hold hands and walk arm in arm still :)

So how are we spending the day?  Not working (which is a blessing and a curse) and together.  Slept in (to a whopping 0730), bummed around the truck and talked with Gary's cousin Ron until he had to leave for work.  He picked us up last night and showed us around the town of Burley, ID - it is a cool small town (small compared to Sacramento) and one (at least in the summer months) that would be nice to live in.  When he left for work, he also left us the keys to his truck so that we could do some running around.  Which we did... picked up some steak, sweet potato and salad for dinner tonight and then we are planning on catching a movie (Harry Potter) - but who knows... that is one nice thing about days off - no set plans!!

Yawn - mmmm - a nap sounds really good right now - maybe I will do that for a while <grin>

Getting so close!!

It's getting so close to Grandma time!! We are almost to WI then heading back west... I'm hoping I won't have to fly - but am so willing if Eddie decides to come before we get back.  I feel bad because I'm not right there when my daughter is pregnant - you know to answer questions, concerns and to generally bug her - LOL! However it's probably just as well I'm not there - because I would most likely be bugging her - LOL! (love you kiddo!)

I am so hoping this (the lease and trucking in general) works out like we hope... yeah - hard work, but the bills we need to pay off!! This last 'settlement' was positive, but not much - but then we had a few days off and only had 2000 miles on it... OUCH!!  I can see where we just HAVE to keep moving.  That's gonig to suck when we want to spend time w/the kids and the grand (s)... wanting to spend time, but being pulled back out just so that we don't go in the hole. I can see that IF you get in a hole, it would really be hard to pull yourself out of it.  We have the hole of debt already - so we don't need another one.

I tried cooking in the truck again - and had way too many things plugged into the 'cig lighter'... melted the plug and blew a fuse... note to self - use a dedicated plug for the Burton Oven!! Found the fuse - replaced it and all is good... the plug that got melted was to a Y - so we could plug a bunch of stuff into it - LOL!  I did up a portabella mushroom pizza... next time I need to cook the mushroom a bit first - its so thick that the cheese was almost crispy, but the  mushroom was just getting soft... the taste was still there - cheese, pepperoni, garlic salsa and mushroom - total yum!

<tried to post picture - but it's on my phone and didn't get posted on FB where I could grab it - GRRR>

Well I guess I didn't post this - and stopped - now starting back up again...

Lets talk about yesterday evening... well it happened - our first 'accident'. No one was physically hurt, but
our confidence sure was!  Gary was backing into a 'tight' spot at a truck stop, I was on the ground w/my cell phone and we both had headsets on... things going a little tougher than usual (figured out later than the tandems were further up than CA standard - due to the weight of the trailer - so bigger tail swing) I told him to STOP but he didn't hear me because his headset had disconnected from the phone.  We have been having trouble with his phone randomly rebooting - so not sure if that is what happened or not - but he didn't hear me say stop until I was screaming and opened up the passanger door yelling 'you hit the other truck!!' - sigh - needless to say our movie night didn't turn out as planned and the paperwork really sucks!  The guy who's truck we removed the front fender of was such a wonderful person though... it really hit me and brought me to tears - as we were finishing up the exchange of info and saying goodbye - he grabbed our hands and said a quick prayer... Man did that bring me back to my priorities!  Thank you Lord that no one was injured!!  So now we have a $1500 deductable we have to pay (I'm sure the damage done to his truck will match or exceed that amount) and a 'defensive driving course' we have to go to. I say WE because although the company says 'Gary' as he was behind the wheel - we are a team, and it was both of us doing the backing.  One thing we did do though, is got a hand held CB radio... we are no longer going to rely on cell phones!! Better late - than doing it again!!

Quicky

This is going to be just a quick post - just to Hey I'm still alive type of thing.  Good thing is - we have been moving... that means $$.  As long as we stay moving I think we will do ok $$ wise, and we might even get some bills paid off - which will be REALLY nice! I also was able to get QB set up - bookkeeping again, but this time getting paid for it - in a way.  Daughter saw the Doc today and it looks like at least another week... our DM is really working at keeping us on the west coast - really like that!!  Now if we can get a minimum of 5000 miles/week and we will be really happy campers :^D... Speaking of which - I will be heading off to bed when I get done with this.  We got stuck at WM - 2 hours detention, but it made us 'late' for our pick-up and now subsequent deliveries (Smiths)... We have 3 stops in NV - then heading to CA for another pick-up (cheese stuff) heading to MI.  Our DM will arrainge for us to drop in UT and head back to CA (keeping us close to 'home').  Really looking forward to seeing the grandbaby!  Gary and I were talking and thinking about us when Lynn was little - and things that we would have done differently if we could have known then what we know now.  Such as making things more about her, and what she wanted, then about us and what we wanted... but hind sight is 20/20... and I think we did OK (seeing how she has turned out)... So any way - I'm going to sleep - and just might be able to have breakfast with the kids (woo hoo!).

Refreshed...

I so needed that time at home - yes home... Technicly it is still our home, but it is also my daughter/SIL and soon to be Grandchilds home too.  I still call it home though.  I guess I have several 'home's.  My husband's arms is my main residence <grin> - then there is the truck; where we do our daily living - the house that the kids are living in, where our blood/sweat/tears and $$ is.  So yeah - I got 3 homes.  Each one has its part in my life, and I needed the last one and didn't even know how badly. I think the reason why I needed so much is to re-connect and touch base with my daughter.  Yes she is a grown woman now, married and about to be a mother (well she is already, but one that can hold her kid in her arms type Mom soon)... but she has also become a close friend.  I miss the day to day talking of the little stuff.  When we are out on the road we don't have that daily communication, and even if we did, it would be by phone and that's just not the same.  Its not bad - but not the same.

We also were able to visit Gary's brother/cousin... it was AWESOME to see him looking so good.  He has had some health issues and is doing great now - the hard part now is making sure he doesn't do TOO much - LOL! 

I also got to visit with one of my sisters.  Tried to get together w/both, but it just didn't work out :^( - however I will take what I can get!!

So these last couple days really refreshed me. 

Now its back to business.  Trying to take care of COBRA and setting up QB all i.n a moving truck <picture a bit a car sickness>... but I need to get use to doing office work in a moving vehicle.  Got a lot done though while we were at the shippers - parked - I guess I need to start taking advantage of those times, instead of goofing off - sigh - real world stuff - 'got to do's' instead of 'want to do's'... <blech>  This next run though is going to be a nice one... 2136 miles and only 8K pounds - we are going to be FLYING!!  I set a time of 54 hours - yes its padded a touch, but Gary got a new set of glasses he is getting use to.  With the new Rx its giving him some headaches, so for this first run with them, we are giving ourselves time.  Now lets hope there is a drop yard and a load to hook late on the 23rd or early on the 24th!!

I also got some 'house work' done... a shelf put up and some cleaning out of stuff we aren't using.  Rearrainging of other stuff and still have more to do.  All the laundry is done though (including bed linens!!) and we are freshly washed (love the daily shower!) so all in all - I'm feeling pretty good right now.

Home time...

Ah... home time... its a bag of mixed blessings.  Love seeing the kids! Hard to see the house and realise it's not really ours any more.  So much time/love/history and its gone (in a way)... I think its harder for Gary than for me - or so it seems.  The truck now feels more like 'home'... of course for me I'm home when I get a hug :)

I wish I was better with words and able to express my feelings - but I think they are so convoluted that even words wouldn't give them justice.

I have so many things I would like to do - now if I will have time to do them with the truck not moving. I want to basically rearrange the furnature - LOL - and in a truck that is hard to do... only so much space and we have STUFF - LOL! 

Well off to do something - not sure what... the main plans are to go see a real movie (Harry Potter is our choice) - maybe go to the State Fair (want to get a corn dog - LOL) - and head to the bank to get things around for our 'business'.

So what am I doing on the computer!?! I'm addicted - LOL!

Seriously!!

The load today was a joke... Unloaded at the first one (grocery D/C) and got 1 hour of detention... headed to our next stop.  Had to be there before 1430 - got there at 1400... they said we would get the next door, and even had paperwork ready.  Multiple trucks come and go, we are still waiting... and waiting... finally get a message over the QC and are told that the load won't be ready until tomorrow at 1000!!  Well needless to say there was some conversation over QC and phone - but it came down to the shipper messed up - and we will get detention pay until morning... so instead of trying to idle to stay cool in Texas, we are doing a motel tonight... TV, pool, BIG non-moving bed, and a bathroom just few steps away... so all in all not so bad - and at $50 cheaper than idling the truck!!

We are going to head to a local BBQ joint for dinner - you know, in Texas, got to do BBQ :^D and they have free WiFi - LOL!

We are giving our DM a couple weeks to get us miles... and one good thing is the load we are picking up after we FINALLY get this one done heads to Sacramento!!  Woo Hoo!! Get to hug my kid (((HUG))) and our DM will run us on the West Coast until Eddie is here - and maybe for a while afterwards - until the kids kick me/us out :^) However we have talked to a DM that deals with a dedicated route.  That would get us the miles, but the repetition of the same route over and over - not sure if we want to do that... but the miles/money might over ride the repetition.  There is also another dedicated route we might be interested in, but I want to ask my trainer what he thinks about it... he just moved over there because of lack of miles where we are now.

Well enough typing for now - heading for BBQ!!

Waiting again...

Yeah this is getting old - not that I don't like the evening having dinner sitting still and enjoying a movie w/my husband... however that doesn't get the bills paid.  We got another load that is 1400 miles - but 4 days to do it in... what part of we are a team, not solo do you not understand!!  Our DM said she would try to get us a repower so that we can take another load and keep us moving... if she doesn't, that will just about settle our minds to try to go dedicated and 'fire' her.  She is a nice lady, but we also have to think about our 'business' and she is not being good for our business!!

Getting excited about being a Grandparent :D I am wishing that I would be able to spend more time with the kids and Eddie, but we got to do what we got to do... and that is pay down bills and keep the house.  So we are working... its not all bad though... and its an adventure - LOL!  I need to take the time and reorganize the cab though - things are still scattered and hard to reach and disorganized... and you know how when your home is disorganized it rubs off on everything else (or at least seems to) so IF we don't get repowered - I will (tis my goal) reorganize the cab of this truck and 'declutter' things - LOL!  Such lofty goals - now to just do them!!

Sigh...

Two weeks into leasing the truck - and so far... ehhhh... We were hoping for more miles, but nope... for a team we have been getting solo miles - just won't cut it... we might have to go dedicated.  We would like to give our DM a chance, but we also have to think of our business - because that is what this is.  We will have bills and such for the truck and for ourselves... taxes, health insurance etc. PLUS all the bill we had before - mortgage, phone, CC... sigh... I sure hope we start getting miles soon!!

Moving again...

Finally!!  Last week was a cluster <____k> I swear it was the closest I came to saying this just isn't worth it!!  However we signed a 3 year leash (yes I didn't miss type that - leash, not lease) so at least for now we are sticking with it... Sort of have to because we have no other income/job lined up and not enough OTR experience to jump ship.  We would also need to find someone to take over the lease - and I (even though I though about it) don't want to give up yet.

We have a great DM (driver manager) and we trust her to not screw us over, but anyone else out of our home terminal, or the planners - - yeah - - not so much if any trust there.  The info we have gotten last week was either incorrect, missing or they were pulled from under us (unassigned) to 'repower' another load that was to heavy for one truck - what makes you think ours is any lighter!!  GRRR!!  Lots of wasted time and fuel - which WE pay for now.

Eating wise - we are finally going to stop and shop - going to use the crock pot and do up a stew... really missing 'home cooked' food.  Restaurants, even if they have different names, have basically the same foods.  Not a whole lot of variety.  Mmmm salmon patties and curried rice - nope they don't have it.  Stew with brussel sprouts - not a chance.  So that is what I'm going to fix for tonight, stew with a couple brussel sprouts tossed in :)  We have a load going from Irving, TX to Lincoln, NE... not sure when we are meeting the other driver to swap loads, but it is scheduled for sometime tomorrow (little nervous about that - we have to be in Nashville, TN at 0630 the next day - if the swap driver is too late it will mess us up) so we have time once we get up there for a nice 'sit still' dinner and long shower, and maybe even a DVD movie!!  Ah the little things in life - LOL!

All in all though - this job/lifestyle has its good and bad points.  I try not to dwell on the bad points, because then I can't enjoy the good points.  When we are moving we will make OK money - but we have to be moving.  The view from our office is spectacular!!  However I missed out on my daughter's baby shower - I miss being able to give her a hug every now and again.  We talk on the phone, and its great to hear the news, but its not the same as being there... (sniff, sniff) OK - off that subject - don't want to dwell on it - sigh...

We did and do get to see friends/family in different areas of the country - that we wouldn't be able to do other wise than by doing this... so that is a plus.  Just had a wonderful time in Charlette, NC with a good friend.  Had fish tacos for the first time (they were ok, but its just another way to serve fish) but it was the company that made the day special. 

Ups and Downs...

Life is full of them... and yes I know you can't appreciate the ups unless you have downs to compare them too... but Grrr...

Not a big down, but a frustrating one.  We are sitting and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... I guess there was a screw up with the load we were suppose to do - and we got pulled off another load to do it !!  HURRY ITS A HOT TEAM LOAD!!  Yeah right... we have been sitting since 8 pm last night - and its now over 12 hours later... yeah time in money (as they say in their company koolaid 'on hold' message) and they are costing us money!!  Its the weekend crew - they screw us every time.  Repowers - rriiiighttt...

The ups though - we were able to see a friend that moved across the country from us.  We (now as L/O) we able to bend our route a bit and swing down close to where she lives.  We had a great time sight seeing and having lunch and catching up.  Oh and that was in Charlotte, NC.

So even though we are having some downs, there are still the ups to look forward to...