Wow - has it really been this long since I've blogged... time all kinda mushes together... and one day is so similar to the next. Although today is Halloween and I'm going as a truck driver - LOL! Well I guess I have to, since today was the last day to renew my license as a nurse. So I guess this is it, unless I want to redo some training or something... not sure how I would go about renewing my license once it laps - but hopefully I won't need to find out! It was over $100 and I hadn't done any CEU's - which would have cost $$ - and time... so I'm now a 'use to be' nurse and now I 'am' a truck driver :)
Past three days we have been to three different dealers and an alignment shop... 1) just to get a clearence light - our truck is 'special' and doesn't take OTC lights. 2) checking out some 'codes' that have popped up - that was covered with our warentee - because there was some 'electrical' stuff causing the codes. 3) front steer tires w/outside wear and a vibration - dealership didn't have an alignment rack, but gave us a name of a local one... so $220 later a 3 axle alignment - not too shabby... and we will still be on-time for our next load.
Well - off to take a nap/rest - have a run up to Chicago today/tonight - and this load is 'time sensitive'... which means driving through the night without 'nap' times - LOL! Yep - night driving I take 'naps', usually about 20 minute 'power' naps - they let me go for another 2 hours.
The bigger fridge is working out ok - but it is a bit more wobbly... I don't dare open it while the truck is in motion... EVERYTHING would shake out of it... and has - LOL! We have been able to have icecream (no sugar added) - however with that setting it freezes our lettuce - sigh... Oh and we got a couple cases of free bananas - we were able to give them away, but kept a couple bunches... the only thing is they all get ripe at the same time and there are only so many ways to have bananas in a truck... and there is only so much (with the WLS) that we can eat at one time... but they sure do taste good :)
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Family and Friends...
I am so grateful for them!! Today my MIL is needing to go to see her Dr. for her yearly check up... normally that wouldn't be too much of a problem - just parking downtown type of stuff right? Well there is a bit more challenge than that with her. Its call Alzheimer's... Also we aren't there to help - right now we are in Northern Florida on our way to a delivery and looking at sitting there for almost 24 hours (but that is another story - grrr). So instead my daughter and a very good friend is doing what I feel like is 'my duty'... taking Momma to the doc. Guilt, guilt, guilt... yep that's what I'm feeling - no its not rational - but its there. We are doing what we HAVE to do. I try to make the best of it (what else is there, besides pissing and moaning) but at times like this it really isn't 'fun'.
I try not to look at all that we have lost/given up but sometimes it just hits ya' right square in the eye... well enough of this for now - pulling into another truckstop near our delivery - get to wait out the day/night here until we can get rid of this load tomorrow morning... and there is only so much to do in a walk in closet... sigh...
I try not to look at all that we have lost/given up but sometimes it just hits ya' right square in the eye... well enough of this for now - pulling into another truckstop near our delivery - get to wait out the day/night here until we can get rid of this load tomorrow morning... and there is only so much to do in a walk in closet... sigh...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Sigh...
You either laugh or cry... well maybe not that extreme, but you can either go with the flow or get ground up on the rocks of frustration... I'm trying to go with the flow - because there isn't much I can do to change what is happening right now. We had the chance to 'drop' the load we just delivered, but since we/I felt a cold coming on, wanted the chance to 'take it easy' for a nigbt - "careful what you wish for" comes to mind here. So we get to our delivery - and we wait, and wait and wait... we end up getting 1.5 hrs detention (which starts 2 hours after our appt. time)... then we head to our next load - we didn't have an appt time, just told to head in... so we are 15 minutes away and get an updated appt time - for over 12 HOURS away!! OMG!! So this is where we 'go with the flow' or 'get totally frustrated' - I'm trying to 'stay calm' and Gary is FUMING... of course to make matters just SO much better - we are waiting in line at a 'Blue Beacon' (truck wash) and there are over 5 trucks in front of us - talk about waiting... (it's been 45 minutes already)
So - if there are no accidents, and everything happens for a reason - what reason can my tiny little mind think this waiting and frustration is for... to learn patience?? Maybe to teach patience... either way its a struggle... One of my favorite prayers (and it really does work - at least for me) is "God grant me patience - and I want it RIGHT NOW!!" - LOL!
Of course during all of this 'frustration' and while we are driving on a bumpy, underconstruction road - I realize I didn't put the strap on the refridgerater door again... and the door - yes it comes open - and there goes all of our groceries onto the floor... thank goodness we didn't have many of them, however I will miss the cherry tomatoes... and boy do they roll ALL over the place!! (they also spray seeds everywhere when you step on them)
So yeah - trucking can be 'fun' but there are also parts of it that rruely frustrate us...
Thanks for reading my rant :)
PS - just as I was going to hit 'post' the computer shuts it's self down to 'update' - thank goodness it/blogger automatically saves 'drafts' - or I would have had a bunch more typing to do - LOL!
So - if there are no accidents, and everything happens for a reason - what reason can my tiny little mind think this waiting and frustration is for... to learn patience?? Maybe to teach patience... either way its a struggle... One of my favorite prayers (and it really does work - at least for me) is "God grant me patience - and I want it RIGHT NOW!!" - LOL!
Of course during all of this 'frustration' and while we are driving on a bumpy, underconstruction road - I realize I didn't put the strap on the refridgerater door again... and the door - yes it comes open - and there goes all of our groceries onto the floor... thank goodness we didn't have many of them, however I will miss the cherry tomatoes... and boy do they roll ALL over the place!! (they also spray seeds everywhere when you step on them)
So yeah - trucking can be 'fun' but there are also parts of it that rruely frustrate us...
Thanks for reading my rant :)
PS - just as I was going to hit 'post' the computer shuts it's self down to 'update' - thank goodness it/blogger automatically saves 'drafts' - or I would have had a bunch more typing to do - LOL!
Monday, October 10, 2011
What are we doing now...
Well this is cut and pasted from a 'Trucker's Forum' we are on:
Update...
Well we made it over the hill - and on our way to Hershey, PA we repowered a solo load. That was kind of and interesting one. He was heading the same way we were, but would not have the hours or time to deliver his load. So we picked it up from him, and he hooked on to our PA load. We delivered his in IA and then met him back up in IA (50 miles back - since that is where he ran out of time for that day) and picked our original load back up and then TRIED to deliver it in PA. When I say tried, yes we did deliver it, but it was a confusing mess. The address they had us go to the first time, was the address on the bills, but they refused it. They said it was to go to the D/C - went to the D/C and they said it was to go to the original address... ARG!! Finally they said to just leave it at the D/C and they would straighten it out on Monday (don't ya just LOVE weekends!!) So we met up with Celtic Wolf on our way out there - great to met and talk with folks you only have had a chance to read. Didn't get a load until Sunday 30 minutes until it was to be picked up 150 miles away!! So we get there - when they said they would be closing - and not only got in, but had to take it back to get it reworked. All of that for a 317 mile load - but hey, better than dead heading - LOL! Now we are watching the 'truck stop' show after delivering our load. The impatience and rudeness really shouldn't surprise me, but DA##! Not really looking forward to having to get out and deal with this mess, but we need to fuel. So that brings you up to date on what we've been doing... We are planning on staying out until Nov (Thanksgiving) and taking an extended home time (10 days!!) - I can't wait!!
Reading and communicating on the forum (for me at least - Gary likes his FB games) is a good distraction from the 'waiting' we have to do some times... One thing we were hoping to do while we were 'out on the road' is to go to some of the 'Church of Christ's that were in the same 'group' as the one we went to in Sacramento... however that hasn't come to pass. So we thought - Mmm they have the 'Church in a Truck Stop' chapels, but we still haven't made it to one of those... So instead we have found our solution. My nephew has founded/seeded a new church. Its called 'The Garden City Church'. He has been a 'Preacher/Minister/Teacher' - (what ever name you want to give the position) - for several years at other churchs. He was 'called' to start/seed this church, and puts his 'lessons/sermons' on pod casts. THIS way - when Gary and I have time (and now we are 'making time') to listen to them, we are. We don't get the social aspect of the church, or the communion, but we get the words and the message. We were so missing that!! It had been quite a while for us, what with (long list of excusses) - we can now 'go to church' - even if its in the front seat of our truck :D
PS - got the bigger fridge and its working pretty good - however it might have worked TOO good and froze the celery -sigh - but we did get the carrots and snap peas :)
Update...
Well we made it over the hill - and on our way to Hershey, PA we repowered a solo load. That was kind of and interesting one. He was heading the same way we were, but would not have the hours or time to deliver his load. So we picked it up from him, and he hooked on to our PA load. We delivered his in IA and then met him back up in IA (50 miles back - since that is where he ran out of time for that day) and picked our original load back up and then TRIED to deliver it in PA. When I say tried, yes we did deliver it, but it was a confusing mess. The address they had us go to the first time, was the address on the bills, but they refused it. They said it was to go to the D/C - went to the D/C and they said it was to go to the original address... ARG!! Finally they said to just leave it at the D/C and they would straighten it out on Monday (don't ya just LOVE weekends!!) So we met up with Celtic Wolf on our way out there - great to met and talk with folks you only have had a chance to read. Didn't get a load until Sunday 30 minutes until it was to be picked up 150 miles away!! So we get there - when they said they would be closing - and not only got in, but had to take it back to get it reworked. All of that for a 317 mile load - but hey, better than dead heading - LOL! Now we are watching the 'truck stop' show after delivering our load. The impatience and rudeness really shouldn't surprise me, but DA##! Not really looking forward to having to get out and deal with this mess, but we need to fuel. So that brings you up to date on what we've been doing... We are planning on staying out until Nov (Thanksgiving) and taking an extended home time (10 days!!) - I can't wait!!
Reading and communicating on the forum (for me at least - Gary likes his FB games) is a good distraction from the 'waiting' we have to do some times... One thing we were hoping to do while we were 'out on the road' is to go to some of the 'Church of Christ's that were in the same 'group' as the one we went to in Sacramento... however that hasn't come to pass. So we thought - Mmm they have the 'Church in a Truck Stop' chapels, but we still haven't made it to one of those... So instead we have found our solution. My nephew has founded/seeded a new church. Its called 'The Garden City Church'. He has been a 'Preacher/Minister/Teacher' - (what ever name you want to give the position) - for several years at other churchs. He was 'called' to start/seed this church, and puts his 'lessons/sermons' on pod casts. THIS way - when Gary and I have time (and now we are 'making time') to listen to them, we are. We don't get the social aspect of the church, or the communion, but we get the words and the message. We were so missing that!! It had been quite a while for us, what with (long list of excusses) - we can now 'go to church' - even if its in the front seat of our truck :D
PS - got the bigger fridge and its working pretty good - however it might have worked TOO good and froze the celery -sigh - but we did get the carrots and snap peas :)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
My apologies
I know as a 'blogger' I'm suppose to post something a little more often than once a month - sorry - what can I say?? I think of all these great things to type about while I'm driving, then its my time off and I'm tired - or we do a 'movie night' - or I'm doing 'office work' in a moving truck and after doing that, I want off the computer as soon as possible (trying not to spew!!)
So how are we doing - pretty good I guess. We stuck with our DM and she has kept us moving. We are heading back to CA for a little bit of home time (Gary has a Dr's appt). Taking home time does mess w/the miles a bit though because she has to aim us and the loads might not be timed right or that long a distance. Seeing the kids is important to us though... yes she is a big girl now, and married and a mom, but I need the hug. Plus its just not the same to talk on the phone, although we did try the Skype and that worked 'ok'... back ground noise and connection was a little rough - but we can work on that :) not driving down the road might help - LOL!
Now how am 'I' doing - that's a good question - LOL! It depends on what is happening at the time and what I'm thinking about. If I'm driving and enjoying the view from my office - I'm glad I made this career change... if I'm getting dressed after hardly sleeping to wander into a LOUD/BRIGHT dirty truck stop to go pee before I either start driving or go back to sleep - yeah I have some doubts. If I'm thinking about everything we left behind - I greave some and think back to the 'old days'. Then I start thinking what might have happened if we didn't choose this path - and I'm glad we took the path we are on. So all in all I'm glad to be rolling down the road with my best friend/husband <grin>.
On the WLS front - I'm really disappointed in myself :( I tell myself I'm going to stay away from the nuts and I'm going to cook meals, and I'm not going to eat unless I'm hungery and I'm going to drink water and not as much coffee... then I start driving and my other 'robot' self kicks in and the hand goes down to put food in my mouth. Habit I know... I'm not hungrey really, just need that hand to mouth going while I'm driving... thank goodness I don't smoke anymore - I can so easily see myself going through 3 packs a day if I did!! When we first started munching on nuts and jerky, we were thinking that it wouldn't be so bad - they are low on 'carbs' and they have protein - yeah and they are LOADED with calories!! So easy to say - do veggies - and we tried them, but getting to a store (parking the Freightliner) and storage (only have a 1.7 cu fridge) - there are some challenges... Damn it though - I DO NOT WANT TO GAIN ANY MORE WEIGHT!!
Sigh... well this blog has taken a couple hours to do - (ADD type of thing - squirrel!!) - and now I really need to get some sleep - driving again in a few hours...
Bye for now...
So how are we doing - pretty good I guess. We stuck with our DM and she has kept us moving. We are heading back to CA for a little bit of home time (Gary has a Dr's appt). Taking home time does mess w/the miles a bit though because she has to aim us and the loads might not be timed right or that long a distance. Seeing the kids is important to us though... yes she is a big girl now, and married and a mom, but I need the hug. Plus its just not the same to talk on the phone, although we did try the Skype and that worked 'ok'... back ground noise and connection was a little rough - but we can work on that :) not driving down the road might help - LOL!
Now how am 'I' doing - that's a good question - LOL! It depends on what is happening at the time and what I'm thinking about. If I'm driving and enjoying the view from my office - I'm glad I made this career change... if I'm getting dressed after hardly sleeping to wander into a LOUD/BRIGHT dirty truck stop to go pee before I either start driving or go back to sleep - yeah I have some doubts. If I'm thinking about everything we left behind - I greave some and think back to the 'old days'. Then I start thinking what might have happened if we didn't choose this path - and I'm glad we took the path we are on. So all in all I'm glad to be rolling down the road with my best friend/husband <grin>.
On the WLS front - I'm really disappointed in myself :( I tell myself I'm going to stay away from the nuts and I'm going to cook meals, and I'm not going to eat unless I'm hungery and I'm going to drink water and not as much coffee... then I start driving and my other 'robot' self kicks in and the hand goes down to put food in my mouth. Habit I know... I'm not hungrey really, just need that hand to mouth going while I'm driving... thank goodness I don't smoke anymore - I can so easily see myself going through 3 packs a day if I did!! When we first started munching on nuts and jerky, we were thinking that it wouldn't be so bad - they are low on 'carbs' and they have protein - yeah and they are LOADED with calories!! So easy to say - do veggies - and we tried them, but getting to a store (parking the Freightliner) and storage (only have a 1.7 cu fridge) - there are some challenges... Damn it though - I DO NOT WANT TO GAIN ANY MORE WEIGHT!!
Sigh... well this blog has taken a couple hours to do - (ADD type of thing - squirrel!!) - and now I really need to get some sleep - driving again in a few hours...
Bye for now...
Saturday, September 3, 2011
1/2 Century...
Yep my 50th is coming up - and will have been on this earth for a half a century!! That makes me sound SO OLD!! I remember I would look forward in time and think it would be SO long until I was THAT old... well that time has come. What is weird though - I don't really feel 'old'. I feel no different really from when I was in my 30's... thinner, and a few joint aches I didn't have then, but basically the same. Thank you Lord for putting the gastric bypass in my life - I don't think I would feel this good without it. Also talk about a midlife change of careers!! From nursing to truck driving - B I G change! I'm just glad I'm not doing it alone... I do miss a few things though - my family is first and foremost. My daughter in now married and has a child of her own, so we are now on the fringes - but I would LOVE to be there more often and just be a total pest - LOL! I also miss our house - we havc and are sacraficing to make sure it stays in the family, but I'm also glad to be able to witness the passing from one generation to the other - while I'm still alive to see it!! It does raise some questions as to where we will go when we 'get off the road'. Will we move back into the front bedroom? Or get our own place? Who knows what time will bring... Yeah as I get older I realize that God really laughs when we make plans. If he agrees with the plans - no problems, but if he doesn't - it really messes with what we want to do - LOL! I'm just glad he has agreed with our wish for a healthy grandchild and a happily married daughter - with those things we are the richest people... (yes I'm getting mushy).
So here we sit getting loaded with some sort of fruit - about 200 miles away from Sacramento. So close and yet so far - being this close make me miss them even more - but we do have 'home time' scheduled for next week (my birthday) and our DM (bless her heart) has done great in getting us there on time. Miles will be less than what we want - but we will be able to see family!! The next scheduled 'home time' will be during Thanksgiving.
Oh and we stayed with our original DM - we had dinner with her the other night, and it finally clicked - she really doesn't have much power over what loads we get - its the PLANNERS that hand out the loads - she is just the intermediary between us. So it might have been a mistake not to go Dole - and we might try that bridge if (after this home time) the miles shrink again. However we did say to her we would give her 2 weeks to bring up the miles - and she has. She has also worked her fanny off getting us home on-time for Eddie's birth and my birthday. So we will continue this 'Grand Adventure' not knowing where we will be sent next... and not really looking forward to the winter - but we got to take the cold with the hot - LOL!
PS - reminder to self - pick up chains for the truck...
So here we sit getting loaded with some sort of fruit - about 200 miles away from Sacramento. So close and yet so far - being this close make me miss them even more - but we do have 'home time' scheduled for next week (my birthday) and our DM (bless her heart) has done great in getting us there on time. Miles will be less than what we want - but we will be able to see family!! The next scheduled 'home time' will be during Thanksgiving.
Oh and we stayed with our original DM - we had dinner with her the other night, and it finally clicked - she really doesn't have much power over what loads we get - its the PLANNERS that hand out the loads - she is just the intermediary between us. So it might have been a mistake not to go Dole - and we might try that bridge if (after this home time) the miles shrink again. However we did say to her we would give her 2 weeks to bring up the miles - and she has. She has also worked her fanny off getting us home on-time for Eddie's birth and my birthday. So we will continue this 'Grand Adventure' not knowing where we will be sent next... and not really looking forward to the winter - but we got to take the cold with the hot - LOL!
PS - reminder to self - pick up chains for the truck...
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Should we or shouldn't we... that is the question...
And I think I know what the answer will be... in fact I'm pushing for it myself. That is to go dedicated. I'm thinking of it in a practical aspect. We need the miles CONSISTANTLY... not just when we bitch and threaten to go some place else. From what I've heard about this fleet - it is a LOT of back and forth across country... however it is TO just a few locations, however on the return trip there might be some veriety. (ps sorrry for any typos - done in a moving truck - LOL) Also it sounds like they would be able to run us through our home town - want to be able to see our kids and grand - we really are missing them!! So we said we would give our DM 2 weeks - and Monday is the end of the 2 weeks. So decision time is at hand.
Oh - and by the way - I'm a Grand Mother!! <silly grin>
So for a run down of this last week...lets start in IN - picked up a bunch of bread crumbs and took them to NE (706 miles). From there picked up just down the street (nice) in NE and took it to a trailer drop yard in IL (563 miles). Then headed to MI to load and take it to UT (1500 miles). Then we got some yogurt in UT and took it to OH (1595 miles). Then some more yogurt in OH to AL (711 miles). From there we had a bust ass run from AL to CO (1285 miles - in 26 hours or less!!) - now we are on a run from CO with one stop in OH then PA (1824 miles) - so this week has been a good one (these span from the 17th until today - so a touch over a week - (8184 miles))... but its not consistantly like that. We also have had to PUSH to get those - and bitch about runs... such as one they assigned us - 500+ miles dead head (basically paid just enough to cover costs) for a run of only 450 miles... NOPE we really don't want that one!!
Well we just got off the freeway near my BIL house - (one of the nice things about this job) - going to visit - so bye for now :)
Oh - and by the way - I'm a Grand Mother!! <silly grin>
So for a run down of this last week...lets start in IN - picked up a bunch of bread crumbs and took them to NE (706 miles). From there picked up just down the street (nice) in NE and took it to a trailer drop yard in IL (563 miles). Then headed to MI to load and take it to UT (1500 miles). Then we got some yogurt in UT and took it to OH (1595 miles). Then some more yogurt in OH to AL (711 miles). From there we had a bust ass run from AL to CO (1285 miles - in 26 hours or less!!) - now we are on a run from CO with one stop in OH then PA (1824 miles) - so this week has been a good one (these span from the 17th until today - so a touch over a week - (8184 miles))... but its not consistantly like that. We also have had to PUSH to get those - and bitch about runs... such as one they assigned us - 500+ miles dead head (basically paid just enough to cover costs) for a run of only 450 miles... NOPE we really don't want that one!!
Well we just got off the freeway near my BIL house - (one of the nice things about this job) - going to visit - so bye for now :)
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