Another day of work has been completed, this time a short trip. After unloading in Ft. Smith, AR I ventured my way to the company’s terminal there, with which I took care of the required paperwork side of the job, as well as, shall we say, some personal matters (shower & laundry – which you may NOT have wanted me to disclose, but will know what is inferred when the subject comes up again in later postings). At this point, my withdrawal symptoms had kicked into overdrive, so I HAD to pay my “dealer” a visit – Mr. Starbucks (those Mocha Marble Machiattos are quite addicting).
All pertinent duties having then been accomplished, it was off to my next trip: Russellville, AR to Memphis, TN. Russellville is a nice little town; not quite as large as Little Rock, but larger than the town I live in. And, as a matter of boasting, even though the town I live in is smaller in size, WE HAVE 3G!! Russellville does have quite a bit more to offer by way of shopping and dining amenities, and, I think, they are not a dry county – AT&T upgraded our service network before them.
The loading process was quite pleasurable, only because it was drop & hook (I drop my empty trailer and hook up to a loaded one; this one of many terms within the trucking industry that I will explain, since to many, this is a jargon you are unfamiliar with).
Drop & hook in Russellville, then a brief stop in North Little Rock for another visit to Starbucks. This latter visit was the better one, since, after my drink was prepared, the barista (NOT a trucking term) said it was “on the house”. That could have been due to the fact their counter was cluttered with their outgoing holiday motif decorations – either way, free is good!
I’m in Memphis, which is one of those places many a music aficionado would make a self-imposed pilgrimage to visit. Unfortunately, what kind of description can I offer that would evoke in the reader’s mind the imagery of what is around me, when I’m in an industrial section of the city. Surrounded by warehouses, food distribution centers, railroad crossings, and roads in dire disrepair – not exactly a shangrila of the imagination, but this is what many like myself see on a regular basis.
Many places, such as this, do have a certain “luxury” available to us: the “roach coach” aka a meal truck. Many of these such trucks offer the standard bill-of-fare – burgers, sandwich, chips, etc. Some are quite exceptional (the port area of Philadelphia makes some AMAZING Philly Cheesesteaks, as well as awesome Polish Sausage hoagies). And still, others require you to take a Zantac with a tetanus shot chaser BEFORE you even walk up to it. These may seem, in some cases, like gastronomic misadventures, but (as was normal for us in the Marine Corps) we learn to make do, or at least make a trip to Super Target days before.
I’ve rambled on enough for today… sleep well, wherever you may be! I hope to see you tomorrow.
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