Year 2, Day 237 (A Lazy Day)

Today has been just what the title implies... and much welcomed. I've spend much of the day engaged in Torah study... because I can. Perked up some coffee and occasionally watched out the truck window as the rain fell earlier. Shortly I will enjoy some of the cobbed corn that I cooked up in the crockpot.

I had somebody recently suggest that I boil it. I've had it that way when I was younger, but doing so takes away some of the flavor. Since I don't have a grill, the crockpot seems to be a pretty good alternative. I also have some leftover Caribbean Wings, so I'll finish those up along with the corn (which will be slathered in butter - or at least what is being passed off as butter - and some salt & pepper). It may not be a gourmet (or even elegant) meal, but it works. And since the corn was free, that makes it better still.

That and coffee.

Year 2, Day 211 (Homeward Bound Very Soon)

Though it may have taken a while to get loaded yesterday, Nathan and I did get out of there with a little time left to drive. I stopped in South Beloit, WI to scale out, then I shut down for the night in Rochelle, IL. Even though there was still nearly 1 1/2 hours left of available driving time, I chose Rochelle because there was a Pilot nearby where we could get a shower. There was also a Petro (which is where we parked where we could get a good meal while I washed what was left of our laundry.

The food at The Iron Skillet (Petro's in-house restaurant) has always had good food, and last night was no exception. Nathan had the Sirloin Steak Sandwich, while I went with the 7 Pepper Whitefish.

Today gives me a little over 500 miles to cover on this load. It's due tomorrow morning, but we do have a drop trailer there, so I can do a drop & hook and be out of there. No telling if I will load up something else and have it re-powered to another driver, or if I will just get sent home from there. One thing is certain, I'm ready to go home and relax!

Now to get some coffee.

Year 2, Day 209 (300 Miles To The First Drop)

I made it from Rockwall, TX (just east outside of Dallas) to Hayti, MO (on the southeast corner of the state, 19 miles north of the Missouri/Arkansas state lines) before I shut down for the night. The traffic hasn't been very bad at all along the way. However, I did take a detour. Just east of Little Rock I know there is some construction going on, and the drivers being normally inconsiderate, that area can get pretty jacked up. So I took a detour north that brings me into the south side of Jonesboro, thens skirts a little south, then back east and north again, putting me on the east side of Paragould, AR, where I pick up U.S. 412, which then brings me to Hayti, MO. That route may take a little more time, but it's also a little shorter.

Once Nathan and I leave out of here, I'll more than likely make a stop in Effingham, IL to top off the fuel (and of course get us some Starbucks) before finishing for the day.

Year 2, Day 181 (Chillin' Out In Olathe)

We arrived in Olathe, KS at 0015 this morning, did a drop & hook, and now are getting a re-start. We are getting a re-start due to the fact John and I were both low on hours, that and the fact we didn't have a load pre-planned on us after this delivery. While we were heading this way, I put the rest of the roast in the crockpot to heat up for dinner. We stopped in Booneville, MO where we topped off the fuel, as well as took care of some other, more personal, business. This morning has been uneventful, but not a waste of time. I, as my first activity of the day, partook of my daily studies in Torah. This afternoon has been spent cleaning the few dishes left over from last night, then watched a few movies. The first was the re-make of Conan The Barbarian, which I didn't think was too bad. Either way, this day has been quite relaxing and refreshing.

Now it's time for coffee.

Year 2, Day 174 (Getting A Re-Start In Kansas City)

John and I arrived at the customer at around 0200 this morning, got unloaded and are now on a 34 hour re-start. As I had suspected, the customer was located in one of the several cave facilities in this area. What that means is that not only is it a single business whose warehouse was built into the side of a large hill/mountain, but an entire industrial park that was carved out and sits underground, beneath said hill/mountain. It's rather impressive, to be honest.

After we went underground and backed into the dock, John and I agreed conclusively that any of these cave facilities would make an ideal stronghold in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Sure, some modifications would have to be made, such as fortifying the entrances (replace the steel gate with a reinforced sliding, hydraulic operated concrete wall) and some of the outer dock doors, but it could make a very good safe-house for a community of survivors. We make have put more analytical scenarios into it than was necessary, but it sure doesn't hurt to be prepared.

I was able to make a Starbucks run yesterday after we finished shopping at the grocery store in downtown St. Louis. Today, though, I'm getting ready to brew up a pot in the truck. I already have dinner cooking in the crock pot, and have gone through my daily dose of Torah, so this will be a peaceful, relaxing evening.

Year 2, Day 157 (On The Way To Tennessee)

I was loaded and leaving from Chicago at around lunch time today, this time I'm heading to Covington, TN, just north of Memphis. This is a fairly heavy load (about 42,000 lbs - that's a lot of Tootsie Rolls), but still not too terribly bad. They were fairly efficient in getting me loaded, and the traffic on the interstate ran pretty smooth... it helps when I can get through before any rush hour. Since there is a 48 hour D.O.T. blitz going on, I wanted to make sure my weights were legal and NOT draw any attention to myself. This 48 hour blitz is something that happens every year. A 48 hour period where D.O.T. officers nationwide do a lot more vehicle inspections than the rest of the year... or, at least they are supposed to.

I also found out this morning that I will be getting a new student. My latest victim... uh, I mean trainee, will be ready to be picked up after noon on Friday. So far, all I know is his name is John, and he's from Dowagiac, MI. I'll touch bases with him a little later this evening and find out a little more about him. Therefore, he will be a recurring subject for the next few weeks.

I was able to get a good start to the day this morning by paying a visit to the Starbucks, which was inside the Target that I parked next to last night. Now that I have found a suitable replacement for my previous mug, which was an arduous search in itself (the previous mugs I had purchased just didn't keep the drink hot long enough, so I ended up going back to my old mug). The previous mug lasted me about 6 years or so... yes, it had seen a lot of coffee fills.

Carpe Java!

Year 2, Day 92 (Almost Halfway To San Antonio)

I finally left out of Harrisonville, MO at nearly 2000 last night. I stopped in Peculiar, MO to made sure the trailer's fuel was topped off before going in to the Tyson facility in Olathe, KS. Fortunately, the load I was picking up had been pre-loaded. Once I dropped my empty and hooked up to the loaded trailer (and scaled it to make sure all the weights were legal), I was on my way. I made it to just north of Oklahoma City before I shut down... which was nearly 0500 this morning. When I awoke, I decided for a more healthy bill of fare for an albeit late breakfast- fresh strawberries with a cream cheese dip:

I still have over 450 miles to cover yet before I get to the customer in San Antonio, TX. My appointment to deliver is for 0700, and if all works out, I'm hoping to be there around 2300 tonight. But only time - and Ft. Worth traffic - will tell.

I. Need. Coffee.

Year 2, Day 90 (Who Will Meet Me In Texas?)

I made it into Illinois last night where I shut down... mainly due to almost being out of hours. This load isn't due until 1800 tomorrow, but I will be getting there tonight, and relax and enjoy the Sabbath. I made a stop in Wentzville, MO (on the north west end of the St. Louis area) to take care of a few things, and, of course, visit Starbucks. I also made a visit to the St. Louis Bread Company, which (for those of you who didn't know) is the original name for what is now known as Panera Bread. With so much to choose from, and so little stomach (and financial) capacity, I ordered the Chipotle Chicken sandwich... and it was - as my friend Lauri Rottmayer would say - FABU!

Now I'll continue this trip, and prepare for the next, which will have me going someplace I haven't been to in a couple of years: San Antonio, TX. My pre-plan will have me picking up in Olathe, KS and delivering in San Antonio on Monday.

Perhaps I can sent a message and get together with Nemo The Artist while I'm there... and in case you have forgotten (or just didn't know), Nemo was the first person I met in real life via Twitter... he does some really cool artwork too!

Year 2, Year 71 (A Few More Days, Then Home)

We covered a lot of ground the past couple of days, of course it helps when customers are efficient during the loading process. Take for example this past Tuesday: we loaded in Tulsa, OK. Our loading appointment was for 1330 (CT), but the customer didn't even start on us until 1530 and we didn't leave until a little after 1730. When we loaded this past Friday in Guilderland Center, NY, (which was an open appointment: 0800-1600 ET) we were loaded and leaving within an hour. I've always seen it as if you can't keep your own loading schedule, then why bother even making a schedule.

Last night I had Larry take us to our terminal in Madison, IL (just outside St. Louis, MO) where we called it a night (which is rather redundant... it was dark out, therefore it IS night). We ate the chili I had made, then I washed up my dishes and went to bed. I woke up this morning, took a shower, and made a run, with Larry and 2 other drivers in this company, to Starbucks (I really should be getting some sort of bonus from Starbucks for all the suggestive sales I make for them).

Carpe Java!!!

Year 2, Day 70 (About Half Way Done With This Run)

Larry and I parked for the night at the T/A truck stop in Lodi, OH (about an hour north of Columbus), where, surprisingly enough, there was still quite a bit of available parking spots. Surprising because it was around midnight (ET), plus I had him park there because we may not have been so lucky a little later. Before we left this morning, I went inside the truck stop which so conveniently had a Starbucks location. We topped of the fuel just north of Columbus, then on to Dayton to do a little shopping. As I compose this post (shortly to be put to bed), I have some ground beef (with taco seasoning) in the crock pot, along with some beef sausage, to cook in preparation for the chili I am making tonight.

This has been a beautiful Sabbath, although warmer than I would hope for (probably somewhere in the 50's), but still a beautiful Sabbath... then again, any Sabbath that The L-rd blesses me with is beautiful!

Year 2, Day 57 (Still Catching Up, But Making Progress)

I apologize for (yet another) tardy posting. These past two days have been quite busy. When we started off yesterday in northern Oklahoma, we still had a lot of ground to cover, but took a chunk out when we shut down in Cheyenne, WY, for a total of 710 miles. Today we were off to a late start, but got underway nevertheless. However, the freeway getting shut down in Laramie, WY certainly didn't help matters much either. Fortunately we only had a one hour wait. We just left from Evanston, WY, where we topped off the fuel and grabbed a quick bite to eat (I am determined to get to Woodinville, WA by tomorrow night).

At this point, if Larry can get us at least to Jerome, ID, we'll still have a bit of ground to cover, but we will still be in good shape. The delay that Tyson's inefficiency put upon us Thursday/Friday has set back the plan I already had in place. Otherwise, we would already be in Idaho, and more than likely would be shutting down in Oregon tonight. Things were going so well with the previous Tyson loads, I should have expected this.

At least music - and coffee - can still soothe the savage beast.

Year 2, Day 51 (I'm Finally Doing Some Driving)

Yesterday turned out somewhat productive after all. Even though I didn't get a load, I was able to get some laundry done and make the rest of my Pico De Gallo. This morning I was dispatched on a load that picks up in Sidney, OH and delivers tomorrow in Pocahontas, AR. That means that once I get unloaded, I will probably be sent to the North Little Rock terminal to pick up Larry (my next student).

This load will deliver between 0700 and 1500 tomorrow, so that does give me some time to work with. However, if there wasn't that cancellation of yesterday's load, I would have already been in Wilmington, IL and just waiting for my appointment to roll around. So I think I'll treat myself to a Starbucks later today.

I think I deserve it... don't you?

Year 2, Day 42 (Taxes Are Done, Dinner Is Almost There)

This has been a beautiful, but cool, Sabbath... very peaceful and relaxing. My wife and I had our taxes done this afternoon, which will help us get this house done, so we can sell it in 2 years and move back to California (yes, we are getting a refund). As I put this post together, I'm enjoying a fresh cup of coffee, and tonight's dinner still has 11 minutes left in the oven.

The recipe I had actually obtained from an acquaintance that I know via Facebook and Twitter (@MissInformation). She had made it a few weeks ago for a dinner party she was throwing. After seeing the message several times, I decided to give it a go. The recipe is for Mushroom Lasagna, which I got (through Donna) on the Smitten Kitchen website. It almost seemed a bit daunting (especially since I had never made any kind of lasagna before... ever), but I worked my way through it. It seemed a bit time consuming (perhaps it's because I had to pop my "lasagna virginity"), but as I put it into the oven, it all seemed worth the effort.

I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Year 2, Day 40 (Home At Last)

Due to being short on my hours available for driving, I was unable to get home last night. I shut down in Poplar Bluff, MO last night and finished the trip this morning. Shortly after I arrived home, my wife, Tikvah, and I were on the road heading to Little Rock for the afternoon. I had some business to take care of at my employer's North Little Rock terminal, then we went to lunch at a great Mediterranean restaurant called Istanbul, located on the west side of Little Rock. We've been there before, so we knew the food would be excellent. We started off with some warm, fresh Pita Bread with Babaganouja:

We each also had some Lentil Soup:

With my food also came a salad, which I opted for the Mediterranean Salad:

We both ordered a Lamb/Beef Kabob dish, though each one was slightly different (as we expected):

The food was very filling, yet not heavy. Quite delicious! Afterward, Tikvah & I went over to a Starbucks where we "carpe'd the java" with the fabu Lauri Rottmayer (whom is also a fellow blogger).

We are presently sitting at the Greyhound bus station, waiting for our 19 year old son, Sean-Patrick, whom is returning from staying with my brother for the past couple weeks in Las Vegas. So far, this extended weekend is starting off pretty productive... and filling.

Year 2, Day 39 (I Will Be Heading Home Soon)

Today has been a long day. Once I got loaded in Morristown, TN (yesterday), I made my way toward Monett, MO. Unfortunately, I sat in the dock door waiting to get loaded during the shift change (which took about 45 minutes), which cut into my driving time. I made it as far as Paducah, KY before I shut down. At that point I still had about 20 minutes left to drive, but I knew there would be no place to park along the way. I parked in the parking lot of a mall there in Paducah, which offered a bit of solitude, plus there was a Starbucks inside (yes, I paid them a visit this morning before I left).

I started driving about 0930 this morning, and just arrived at the customer here in Monett about 10 minutes ago. There were a few stops I made along the way, Though I tried to keep the time at each stop as minimal as possible. I received word a little while ago that once I am unloaded, I'm to head home. This has been a long 5 weeks, and I am very ready to go home. I may (if time permits) make one last stop at Starbucks along the way, to get my (as some may call it) "froo-froo" coffee drink.

My sincerest apologies for the tardiness of this post... though I am getting better in keeping my deadlines (I hope).

Year 2, Day 37 (A Few More Days Until I'm Home)

I left from the North Little Rock terminal later than I wanted to yesterday... MUCH later. No big deal, though, since I still had plenty of time to make my delivery. I drove through the night (without even having to push myself) and made it to the truck stop in London, KY, and even found a good parking spot as well. The weekend was relaxing, yet productive. Not only did I manage to refrain from doing any manner of work on the Sabbath, but I was also able to get a LOT accomplished afterwards. I was also blessed to have engaged in a couple intellectual conversations centered around scripture.

As of this moment, I still have no clue as to what I will be doing once I'm unloaded. More than likely, I'll get a pre-plan fairly soon, before the CSR's leave for the day... at least that's what I'm hoping for. There's a possibility they may have me re-load in Robards, KY going to either Rogers, AR or Russellville, AR (just a wild guess), which either place will put me in a good location to be sent home after delivering... and I'm ready to go home (I've been out about 5 weeks this time around, so a rest is in order).

Year 2, Day 36 (Re-Start Over, Back To Work)

It's been a nice, quiet, and fairly productive day. I woke up later than I wanted,, but I feel rested. When I got myself motivated, I cleaned the truck up a bit (vacuuming, cleaning the floor, etc.), took a shower, finished up what was left of my laundry, and just came back from making a Starbucks run. I saw some familiar faces of people I knew from my previous employer. They are going through orientation here to start driving for the same company with whom I am presently employed. They are here because they no longer are employed. The company they drove for (Ronnie Dowdy, Inc.) closed their doors and went out of business this past Friday. Fortunately, Ronnie Dowdy had the courtesy to get the drivers all to the terminal in Batesville, AR and offer them either a bus ticket home, or a shuttle to my present employer to begin working for them... obviously the drivers I spoke to earlier today chose the latter option.

They were some faces I hadn't seen in several years, and names that have eluded me, but we all remember one another (in my case, it's pretty easy to remember a Jewish truck driver when I wear a yarmulke). I gave them a "heads-up" on what to expect while they go through orientation. I also encouraged them as to how professional this company is, and (most importantly) how well they take care of the drivers. After all, I been here nearly 2 years, and I am VERY pleased to be part of it.

Now it's time to put this post to bed, drink my grande triple Marble Mocha Machiatto and get some miles behind me... a.k.a., get back to work.

Year 2, Day 34 (Farewell, Lou)

This morning Lou and I left Joplin, MO at about 0845 and made our way to the customer in Bentonville, AR (yes, Walmart). On the way there we had received a pre-plan for our next load, but that was soon afterward taken off. Once we were unloaded, I took us to a little fuel stop right off of I-540... which just so happens to be a block away from a Starbucks, to which I paid a visit. We had waited a couple hours when we were dispatched on a load coming out of Russellville, AR. The load is scheduled to ship on Sunday, but since we have some dropped trailers at that Tyson, it will be a drop & hook.

I've already called in to check on the load, which they are presently working on. I am dearly hoping they have it loaded within the next 2 hours, this way I can get it and head to our North Little Rock terminal. When I get there, Lou will be logging off and getting his final evaluation on Monday afternoon. I will stay there, get a re-start on my logbook, and head out Sunday, to deliver Monday at 1715 (ET) in London, KY. I only have a few more days to go then I will be heading home for some time off.

As the Sabbath approaches, I pray you all will have a joyous weekend.

Year 2, Day 30 (Another Day, Another Load)

Lou and I made it to the customer last night, in Kansas City, MO before we shut down. We were unloaded before our appointment time, so I drove us down the road a little to the Flying J truck stop, where we waited.

...and waited...

... and waited some more.

As I had figured, the freight was a little slow... then again, this is all part of the job. We were dispatched this afternoon to pick up tomorrow in Springfield, MO, a load going to Gas City, IN for Wednesday afternoon. The weather has been pretty mild up here in the K.C. area, probably upper 60's to lower 70's. Seeing as it's close to rush hour (and where we are - on the outskirts of the city), I'm hoping we will be able to avoid some of the traffic... but we will know for sure once we get south of here.

This load we will be picking up in a facility that has been built into a hill, a.k.a. a cave. Therefore, Lou will get some experience with loading in a cave. He should do well, especially since he knows this will be his final week with me. Next Monday he is scheduled to be released from me. He then takes his final evaluation test, and, surmising he passes (which I'm sure he will), gets his own truck

Now it's coffee time!

Year 2, Day 28 (Getting Loaded Tomorrow)

Last night my employer got a motel room for Lou and I, since my truck was in the shop and would be sent to Freightliner for some warranty work. When we returned to the terminal this morning, I checked in at the shop on the status of the truck. The shop foreman said that Freightliner was predicting the truck wouldn't be ready until 2000 tomorrow, which would not be helpful for the load we have to pick up in Pine Bluff, AR going to Kansas City, MO.

Fortunately, I went down there earlier to pull my laundry out and discovered that the truck was ready to go. This has definitely been a blessing from HaShem!

I may head over to Starbucks a little later for my signature coffee drink (I am kinda jonesin' for it). Then again, I may have to cut back on it a little, since my wife, Tikvah, and I are planning to move out to California in 2 years. I'm hoping during that time that my company gets a solid travel lane out there, so I don't have to leave. This company I drive for is a GREAT employer... I'm treated well, and I get some pretty good runs. In the meantime, I'll just have to wait and see what the next two years will bring.