Day 178 (Going Further East, Then West... For A Bit)

I shut down late last night at a service plaza on the Ohio Turnpike, just south of Cleveland. Once I started rolling this morning (with a fresh Starbucks grandé triple Marble Mocha Machiatto in hand... or rather, in the cup holder), it was, more or less, non-stop driving. The plan I had in mind was to get to the customer in Bethlehem, PA and check in... either they would take me in and unload me early, or turn me away, in which case I would have to find a place to park until about 0330 (getting an 8 hour break on my logbook), then go in to unload. My worries concerning this situation quickly faded once I arrived there, as the company I drive for now has a drop trailer at this customer (something I didn't know until today). While I was finishing the last 100 miles or so, I was given a pre-plan - to pick up tomorrow afternoon (1300) in Newark, NJ, a load going to Indianapolis, IN, to deliver by 1800 on Thursday.

So it's plain to see, I've been a little busy today, which explains why I am getting this blog posted over 4 hours past my self-prescribed deadline. I hope to, in future postings, be able to stick to this deadline, though I don't really want to post on events that have yet to happen as if they have already occurred (much like our mainstream media does on many occasions).

Well, I must sign off for now... I'm feeling a little depressed right now, the Phillies shut out my Boston Red Sox: 5 - 0.

Come on Sox!!


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Day 177 (Heading East)

I was unloaded early this morning, and since I didn't have another load yet, I went back to bed. Around 0900 I got my next load, and since it didn't pick up until 1230 (and about 75 miles away), that gave me time to walk to a nearby Starbucks for some coffee. This load picks up in Woodstock, IL and I will be delivering it to Bethlehem, PA early Wednesday morning.

I had hoped, but unfortunately was unable, to arrange a "meet-up/tweet-up" with Natali, a.k.a. @UberDorkGirlie, but perhaps there will be another time... possibly someplace closer to her so she doesn't have to travel as far.

On another note, I found out last Friday from my wife, Tikvah, that my passport had come in. Which means that, before too long, I'll be hauling some loads into Canada, possibly even through Seattle where I can finally another of the great "Tweeple" i've become acquainted with on Twitter (and later through Facebook), Terri (@TerriNakamura), whom also happens to have a really good blog: Confessions Of A Graphic Designer (which is much better than mine... though that doesn't say much, but trust me on this one - hers is really good!). I think now that I finally have my passport, that puts me on a list of perhaps 5 or 6 drivers in this division that can go into Canada.

But don't quote me on that number, I could be wrong... it's happened before.


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Day 176 (I've Always Liked Wisconsin)

Here I am in Oconomowoc, WI, a small city about 30 miles west of Milwaukee, and it's quite a lovely day. Unfortunately, the one important thing missing in this town (at least when it comes to my line of work) is a truck stop, as there are a scant number of places that are "truck friendly". But I shouldn't complain too much... after all, the temperature is mild, the sun is shining, and, most importantly, I have coffee (Starbucks, to be exact).

My delivery appointment isn't until 1 minute past midnight, so I have time to kill; perhaps watch a movie, read, nap, or even peruse the activity on the interweb. Though, at this very moment, my possibilities may be limited, that doesn't mean they have to be. I hope my next load tomorrow will take me into Milwaukee, then I may have the opportunity to meet Natali, a.k.a. @UberDorkGirlie (one of the "tweeple" I know, via Twitter and/or Facebook). Should that happen, she will be the third person I've met in real life who's acquaintance I've made through Twitter.

We shall see what tomorrow will bring... hopefully NOT a zombie apocalypse.


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Day 175 (On The Road Now)

I had mentioned yesterday (or perhaps it was Thursday) that I was picking up a load going to Wisconsin. Well, believe it or not, Tyson actually had my trailer loaded early. Instead of having it loaded no later that 1920 tonight, it was loaded last night. I signed for the bills, hooked up to the trailer, and waited until this morning to leave (in order to get a restart on my logbook). So I am now on the road, making my way to Oconomowoc (try to say that 5 times fast).

I hope to make it to South Beloit, IL tonight before I shut down, then finish the trip tomorrow. There is a chance I could meet another person whom I know from Twitter & Facebook, though, if that happens, I will blog about it tomorrow.

Thus far, today has been relaxing (as far as working goes) and low stress, as it has usually been on the previous Sabbath days since I have been working for this company. That, among numerous other things, makes for a very pleasant working atmosphere... an environment which is rare these days...

Wouldn't you agree?


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Day 174 (Feeling Adventurous)

Today finds me in the same place I was yesterday: the Tyson in Rogers, AR. I will be able to find out in a couple hours whether or not I can get loaded early (which of course I hope I can). Seeing as I am sitting here at their facility, and having all day, I decided to walk about 1 1/2 miles to get some business taken care of. After I took care of said business, I ventured to get some coffee. The nearest Starbucks was showing to be another 3 miles from where I was, taking me further from Tyson. Normally that's a good thing, but when you're walking... not so much. I perused my "Around Me" app on my iPhone, and found two places not too far from me. Little did I know, my quest for coffee would soon become a mini walking tour, which itself, was very nice. As some of you already have surmised, I am a frequent patron of Starbucks, but when one is too far, and there are independent shops around, I will gladly partake in helping the local business to survive.

On my way to the first coffee shop, I found this walking tour was taking me into the downtown area of Rogers... and very quaint it was!







As I approached the first coffee shop, Hookah Java, I saw a young lady walk in just a few steps ahead of me. Since it was the last little shop, right on the corner,that must be it. I walk in and noticed the young lady glancing back at me a few times, as she walked toward the back. I knew something was odd about this, and while my eyes were adjusting from the bright outside to the darker inside, I deduced why. So I politely said, "you're not open yet, are you?" She confirmed this to be true, and that they would open at 1500. I walked outside and looked at my iPhone: 1430. So I ventured south on 1st St. to the other coffee shop, Iron Horse Coffee Company. This was a very nice place with a relaxing atmosphere. It almost felt like the type of artsy locale where poetry readings on the weekends would not be out of place, nor out of character. I ordered their Machiatto. The barista told me that their Machiattos were different than that of Starbucks. Good! I like that, because now I get a taste of the personality of this independent business. If I want it to taste like Starbucks, I would go to a Starbucks.

My next visit was of a local business I passed by on the way to IHCC, and almost forgot about visiting on the way back, a place called Méridienne Dessert Salon • Café.







This is not the type of place you visit expecting a selection of Betty Crocker "straight from the box" baked goods, everything here is prepared "from scratch" (can you say that when referring to a pastry chef's masterpieces?).Originally I just stopped out front and scanned the menu in the window, until one certain menu item caught my eye:







Inside the Café had the feel of one of the pastry shops you might see in New York City, where if you place an order to go, it's put inside a cardboard box, not a styrofoam container:







I had only planned to get just the Caramel & Chocolate pastry, until the gentleman (who's wife is the owner/pastry chef) told me about the cake of the day. I didn't catch the entire name, but when I heard "Apple" in the title, I was sold. The photo below shows the pastry I first purchased (on the top) and a close-up of the Apple Cake (on the bottom). I took a close-up of the latter because, during my 1 mile walk back to Tyson, some of the frosting rather slid off.




My final stop was rather an "official" visit to Hookah Java, since by now they were open (I also wished to apologize to the young lady, as I may have startled her earlier, by walking in so soon after her, and before they were open for business).




This place appeared to get quite a bit of business from the coffee and tea drinkers in the area, but the Hookah may well be their main source of revenue and/or customer base, though I can't be absolutely sure until I make a visit in their evening or nighttime hours. By the way, yes I did purchase a coffee from them, as well.

So that was my day, my adventure. It was a little warm, slightly breezy, which made the walking a little tiring, then again, how many truck driver do you know would actually, and willingly, walk about 5-6 miles. I myself know of quite a few that gripe if they have to walk across the parking lot of a truck stop.

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Day 173 (A Nice Change Of Scenery)

This load I picked up yesterday in Dexter, MO was actually ready when I arrived (around 2315), but the paperwork wouldn't be ready until 0200 this morning. I had run out of hours around 0200, so I couldn't leave until 1000 this morning. When I went into the shipping office, it was never billed out (in other words, 3rd shift never printed the bills). The load was originally due at noon, but because of my hours I didn't get here (Rogers, AR) until 1700 today.

I was pre-planned on one load earlier (which I liked better) which would have me dead-heading all the way to St. James, MN and delivering Monday afternoon in Wilmington, IL, but that changed. I will now pick up my next load at this Tyson (in Rogers, AR) and deliver Monday morning in Oconomowoc, WI (which is located west of Milwaukee). I liked the first pre-plan better, simply because it had 400+ more miles on it, but I guess beggars can't be choosers. The trouble with this load, is Tyson's "load by" time isn't until 1921 on Saturday. Which means I won't have any time to play with. Hopefully they will load it earlier than that... much earlier. Not only that, but I should be getting my passport in any day now. What does that mean? Since there are so few drivers in our division that have one, and our company is getting quite a few loads out of Tulsa, OK going into Canada (at least one a week), that will mean I will be getting some of them - which means MORE MILES! Who knows, I may even get one of the ones going to Vancouver, B. C., with a stop in Seattle, WA, and finally get to meet @terrinakamura (one of my Twitter & Facebook friends) in real life.

I smell a coffee "tweetup" in the near future!


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Day 172 (Back To Work For Another Few Weeks)

These last few days have been nice and peaceful, but now it's time to get back out on the road and start paying the bills. I left out today just before lunch, have to take the empty trailer I had back to our terminal in North Little Rock, AR, to get some work done on it, as well as a few minor things on my truck. As it turned out, I left the trailer and hooked up to another one to take to Dexter, MO, to pick up my load. The load there is only going to Rogers, AR (about 310 miles west), but at least it's a start.

When I arrived at Dexter, my load was already pre-loaded on one of our drop trailers. The problem is, the bills won't be ready until 0230. Since my day started just before noon, I'll be out of hours by then. The good news is I had Starbucks when I was in Little Rock.

These past days, while I was at home, were nice and quiet... very relaxing. As I mentioned this Sunday past, my wife, Tikvah, gave me a framed picture of The Rat Pack - at least most of them, as Peter Lawford was cut from the print. Although, when I mentioned said picture on Sunday, I realized I failed to include a photograph of the picture... so here it is:




As you can see, it's NOT some small desk top sized snapshot, it's fairly sizable. The type of picture that no entertainment room (or "man cave" if you so prefer) should go without - ever!

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Day 171 (My Last Lazy Day)

Tomorrow I head back out on the road, something I usually dread the night before. It has been a nice and peaceful last few days. NCIS, Law & Order (both the original and Criminal Intent), CSI were all on the agenda, but didn't take in any episodes of House. This weekend I also got around to watching the remake of True Grit, which I thought was very good.

On another note, I finally got around to cleaning out (expunging) my "friends" list on Facebook... and I will say, all who are currently subscribed to this blog have NOT been removed from my list (after all, that would be rude, disrespectful, and just downright uncool). There's no telling what the coming weeks will bring. One thing is for sure, I won't be going to Canada, as my passport has yet to come in. This weekend was also complete because of two things: coffee and cheesecake.

Day 170 (It's Nice To Relax)

Today has been a "do nothing" day... and it felt good. Except for taking our little dog, Maria, to the vet, for a rabies shot, I've done pretty much nothing. I was also able to watch a few episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

So what shall I do now?

Oh yeah, NOTHING!

Day 169 (Happy Father's Day)

Today was Father's Day, and first of all I would like to apologize to all of you for slacking today. Lately I have been trying to become more organized and disciplined with this Road Scholar series, by getting my post up by 1630 each day. As you can see, it's well past that. I guess I tend to put things like this off when I'm home.

This has been a nice day, very peaceful and relaxing. After service this morning, Tikvah and I, along with our youngest son, Nathan, and my in-laws had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant (which put a little spark of inspiration in me, so I made some Pico De Gallo when we got home). My Father's Day gift from Tikvah was absolutely awesome: a large framed picture of The Rat Pack (for those of you who may be unfamiliar with this gathering of legends, The Rat Pack was Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford - though my picture doesn't have Lawford in the shot). She wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but I told her, "if I had a framed movie poster of The Godfather, both would be on the main wall - next to each other - in the den." I'm sure she got the idea that I really like The Rat Pack.

I hope all the fathers out there have had a wonderful day with their families, and I hope they all were honored by the same.

Day 168 (Gradually Making My Way Home)

Started the day a little later than expected, but it all still worked out. Tony, the driver that is taking the New York load, arrived around 0900. After our brief exchange of "shop talk" we just began talking in general. Tony is a retired Marine (lucky dog!), and his wife Bonita - or "Bo", as she likes to be called- is originally from Boston (GO RED SOX!!). Tony, Bo, Joseph, and I had a good conversation, finally having to pull ourselves away, so they could start making their way to Half Moon, NY, and so I can get Joseph to our North Little Rock terminal... then I can get home.

All things considered, this has been a joyous Shabbat... and it's not even noon.

The weather here in Northeastern Arkansas is cool, but it looks as though there could be a storm moving in (there goes the neighborhood). I won't complain, as I like cool weather. If a storm does come in, the temperatures may drop, but nowhere near where I prefer, but it will be cooler. I hope a storm does come in... my truck needs a wash.


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Day 167 (Taking A Long Way Home)

Yesterday, after we got unloaded, then reloaded, the plan was to go to the Flying J in Tulsa and shut down for the night, then find out this morning what the plan was to swap this load (bound for Half Moon, NY) out. However, when Joseph drove up to the Flying J (about 2 miles away) the parking lot was completely full... at 1830! I found that both surprising and frustrating, but what can you do.

We made our way to Big Cabin, OK (about 45 miles away, and all our logbook would allow us) and shut it down for the night. The first plan of action was to meet a driver in Springdale, AR to swap... but then that was cancelled, and we were about 50 miles away. We found a parking spot at the Pilot truck stop there. That itself was very surprising, as that Pilot is nearly always filled up. We went in, took care of our essential business, then climbed back in the truck with the orders to head east with the load.

There was a bit of confusion with the details of the swap, but the other driver and I had sorted it all out. He is delivering his load to Union City, TN, then heading back to Hayti, MO to meet Joseph and I to swap. Tony takes this load on up to New York, Joseph and I take his empty trailer, head to the North Little Rock terminal (where I drop Joseph off), then I head up to home.

For those of you that have been keeping up, this has been a crazy week: unload in Osceola, AR, then a load from Dexter, MO to Rogers, AR; from Tulsa, OK to Carrollton, then Houston, TX; La Porte, TX to Tulsa, OK; now this load - all since Monday.

Who said being a truck driver was easy?

Have Starbucks, will drive!

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Day 166 (Back In Tulsa)

Once Joseph and I picked up our load in La Porte, TX yesterday, we headed back north as far as we could, making it to Centerville, TX. Centerville is a little over 100 miles north of Houston, on I-45. There was a little truck stop that we parked at called Woody's. It was actually more that just a truck stop, as the proper name is Woody's Smokehouse, and they bill themselves as "the jerky capital of the world". I went inside and I was quite surprised: they had all kinds of jerky (beef, pork, turkey, venison, elk, and buffalo), not to mentioned the deli. All of the jerky processing and smoking is done on site. I must say the smell was... well, it would draw one in like a moth to a light, one would go crazy, and eventually leave feeling like a bloated tick (and possibly a little lighter in the wallet).

We started rolling this morning a little after 0600 (again) and made it into Tulsa just before 1400, got unloaded, now we are sitting in door waiting to reload, with this one going up to Half Moon, NY. This is a good run, but we won't be taking it. Joseph is due to head to our North Little Rock terminal to take his tests, then get assigned his own truck. As for me, I'm due home this weekend for my time off... and to take care of some other matters (possibly even get a few hours on air with a local radio station).

Should that last one come to fruition, I'll probably post a link here... just in case you may be bored.

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Day 165 (In Texas, Is It Still Called "Texas Toast" or, Just Simply, "Toast"?)

We made it to the first drop (Carrollton, TX) only 30 minutes late, and down here in Houston an hour late for our respective appointments. Though I am one that doesn't like to be late, this will happen when I have run out of hours on my logbook. Yesterday, Joseph and I also got a pre-plan for the next load, which will pick up in La Porte, TX (a port city on the east side of Houston). This one will send us back up to Tulsa for tomorrow, but with our logbooks running out at 2000 tonight, we will see how that goes.

It's a bit warm here (though "hot" and "Houston" are pretty synonymous with one another), and I really don't want to be here when this time next month rolls in. Several years ago, when I pulled a flatbed, picking up a load of lumber out this way - at this time - was, shall we say, torturous... especially if that lumber had to be tarped. I hope, when we get to La Porte, our trailer (I guess it's a drop & hook facility) will be ready, and we can get out of the area before the afternoon traffic picks up.

It wouldn't be so bad if there were more Starbucks locations that allowed truck parking... at least nearby.


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Day 164 (A Farewell To Arfs)

Today we lost a beloved member of our family. Not a son or daughter, in fact, not even a human. Carrie was our Chihuahua. I used to think it silly, even absurd, how some would get emotional at the loss of their pet... now I find myself in that same state. Carrie was almost 4 years old. Had she been a couple years older, her passing could have been age related. Alas, that is not the case... she was hit by a car. My wife, Tikvah, is taking it pretty hard, as Carrie was, pretty much, her baby (though we all enjoyed her company and antics).

Carrie had a great personality... and funny too. She would sleep in our bed, under the covers. In the mornings, when we were tending to the usual morning ablutions, she would poke her little snout from underneath, look at us, then pop back under and continue her siesta.

In my younger years, the loss of a pet would cause me to be "bummed" or slightly depressed, but never in this way. The way she would greet us at the door as if we had been gone for a couple days, when, in truth, we may have been gone for 1-2 hours. The way she would curl up on my lap and snooze while I watched House or NCIS on tv. Even the way she would come up and nuzzle my hand with her nose, wanting - no, demanding - some attention.

I'm going to miss that silly mutt!












Maria (top) and Carrie (bottom)



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Day 163 (Westboro Baptist Church Gets A Taste Of Their Own Medicine)

Today has not been very productive: we got unloaded this morning, and we are presently waiting to get loaded here at Tyson in Dexter, MO. I did, however, read something if interest.

While waiting here, I decided to peruse through the latest posts on Facebook, when one of those on my friends list (whom will NOT be faced with be expunged from the aforementioned list) had posted a link to a delightful article. Radio personality Charley Barnes, of country radio station K99 (based out of Greeley, CO) wrote an article of a trip he made just a little over a week ago to Topeka, KS where him and a couple other biker friends paid a visit to the Westboro Baptist Church. I won't reveal any spoilers, but it is well worth the read. Interestingly enough, Mr. Barnes did reveal some information about WBC that has been so conveniently left out by our own mainstream media (though we know just how passionate they are about reporting the full story - with all the facts - and allow us to draw our own conclusions on the topic being reported upon).

There's no telling how many people have posted this link on Facebook, or "tweeted" it, but I plan to send this post to Mr. Barnes in the hopes that he will see that his story is indeed getting out. If I was at a Starbucks right now, I would order a second grandé triple Marble Mocha Machiatto, extra hot, and raise them BOTH to Mr. Barnes and his merry band! I can't wait for round 2!


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Day 162 (A Quiet Sunday, But Tomorrow May Be Different)

Joseph and I are still here at the truck stop on the west end of Osceola, AR, a small town about 22 miles south if Blytheville, AR and 48 miles north of Memphis. It has been a week since he was assigned onto my truck, and I'm hoping we can get him assigned to his own truck later this week.

This Friday will have been two weeks. Usually a student is on a trainer's truck for 3 weeks, but since he was with another trainer for a few weeks, then he doesn't have to go another 3 week term. What I'm perplexed by is the fact that the other trainer only pointed out that Joseph wasn't very good at backing. On his second day with me, I, through observation, discovered where the problem had lied... mirror adjustment. Joseph would have his mirrors pulled in too close, thus making the task of backing a truck & trailer more difficult than necessary. Since then, his skills have been improving (and I discovered this problem after only 2 days, when the other trainer gave up after 2 weeks). Skills like this don't materialize overnight, they take time, but when a minor adjustment can only result in improvement, well... perhaps it's the trainer and not so much the student.


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Day 161 (Another Short Day)

Joseph drove us the rest of the way here to Osceola, AR. I had him park at a truck stop on the west end of town, where we are about 6 miles from the customer. It's been a quiet, peaceful day (we hit a little but of traffic, but since it's the Sabbath, I didn't worry over it too much).

We didn't leave from Effingham until about 1115 this morning, then topped off the fuel in Matthews, MO, before finishing the day/weekend here. I figured it would be better to stop here at this little truck stop so we would at least have a restroom facility available. Once we got here and parked, we sat for about 10 minutes before the wind really started to kick up. Right now it seems to be blowing rather relentlessly.

On another note, I've been thinking of doing a little "cleaning" of my Facebook friends list, as there are a few that I either don't interact with (for some reason or another), or their is just no connection worth maintaining. I posted as my status what my intentions were (and of course giving adequate warning - 1 week), and also stated that there were those whom have nothing to worry about. For those who may be expunged will probably not even comment, or even plead their "case" as to why we should remain "friends." The term "friend" is one I no longer throw around too freely. For me to consider one as a "friend" does take into consideration a variety of different factors. My wife, Tikvah, is my best friend (that's a no-brainer); C.J., whom lives in Pittsburgh, is also a best friend, since him and I have been there for each other on many different occasions over the course of 20+ years; Rich, whom lives in New Jersey, is also a good friend, since we were in the combat zone together. There are people I've known for many years that I don't call "friend", primarily for the reason that if I don't think they would be there if my life (and possibly their own) were at risk, then they are not worthy of being called a friend.

By the way... I also had Starbucks today.


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Day 160 (I Made It A Short Day)

Joseph and I made it to the Tyson plant in Chicago at around noon, and (luckily) they made short order of the unloading process. That was a good thing, as we had to be at our pick up by 1430 to get our next load. We got to Monee, IL (just south of Chicago, off of I-57) at about 1400, and they made short order of the loading process there. Once we got loaded, we started heading south. At first, I was only going to stop in Effingham, IL long enough to make a run to Starbucks, but when I thought about it (and realizing that it would be more difficult to get a parking spot later tonight), I decided we will just shut down there for the night.

There is only about a 4-5 hour drive left for us, so we (actually Joseph, since he is in training) will finish the run tomorrow and be able to get another 34 hour restart on our logbooks by the time we get unloaded on Monday. More than likely, he will get released from me next Friday and get his own truck. He's coming along pretty good with his backing skills, and I'm pretty sure we can hone them up even more this next week.

It has rained a couple times this evening. It even rained where we shut down at last night (early this morning) in Wilmington, IL (a small town off I-55, just south of Joliet). It was also cool enough for us to sleep without the APU running last night. The good thing about being here in Effingham tonight, is I will be able to get a grandé triple Marble Mocha Machiatto (or triple Tuxedo Mocha, if that's how you prefer to call it) before we get under way tomorrow.

Until tomorrow's post, may you have a blessed Shabbat!


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Day 159 (Almost To Chi-town, Then Back To Arkansas)

Last night, after taking care of essential business in Russellville, we made it to Fayetteville, AR where we loaded this morning. This load delivers tomorrow in Chicago, and I was hoping we could have made it there tonight, but that may not happen. The reason it may not happen is A) the trip is over 600 miles (and only Joseph is driving), and, B) if we did get up that far, we wouldn't make it to our destination because there is road construction going on just south of the customer.

Once we do get unloaded tomorrow, we've already been pre-planned to pick up in Monee, IL (south of Chicago, but on I-57 instead of I-55), and that load delivers Monday in Osceola, AR. In short, we will both be getting another restart on our logbooks, but neither of us will be able to get home, as our respective homes/families are too far out of route. I'm sure it will all turn out for the better anyhow.

Driving a truck is not a bad line of work, but it's also not the greatest either. As with any line of work one may be in, there are always the "bad apples" that make it less respectable for the rest of us (though I often wonder if the "bad apples" from other lines of work were dumped on us - it seems that we have more than our fair share). This is a pretty good job, but I'm still looking for that one job that would allow me to take a two-week paid vacation, 26 times a year.

So far, no luck.

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Day 158 (Heading To Chi-town)

We made our appointment in Russellville, AR only about 10 minutes late, but it's still all good. Once we dropped our loaded trailer and got an empty, we headed back to the Flying J to scan in our paperwork and get a shower. After all that was done, we ate (I had been cooking a roast with baby potatoes, shallots, garlic, green beans, and seasoned with Mesquite flavored Liquid Smoke all afternoon in my 2 quart crock pot). It was, in a word, delectable! This next load will have us heading to Chicago for Friday.

The weather continues to be hot. If it's this hot now, I'm going to dread it when July and August roll in. I don't mind a dry heat. In fact, dry heat is more bearable... but this humidity is horrid. But that's just me. For some reason, my imagining a snow storm just doesn't seem to be doing the trick.

Can't we just cancel the rest of Summer and just have an extended Fall?


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Day 157 (A Tyson Load? UGH!)

Joseph and I got unloaded early this morning in Albany, KY, then made our way up to Corydon, IN where we are now sitting waiting to get loaded. I don't like dealing with Tyson, because no matter when you get there, they load you when their computer program tells them to.

Either way, I know The L-rd has a purpose for all this... He usually does. It's been hot everywhere today, and my air conditioner is in good working order (though I'm still ready for winter to come back). Being a truck driver is not as easy as it may seem, there are a multitude of laws and regulations you have to be aware of, along with maintaining a logbook, plus the skills needed to actually operate the truck & trailer in a safe and professional manner. Though sad as it may seem, there are plenty of truck drivers out here that really show little to no courtesy - professional or otherwise. So if nothing else, at least I can instill my professional driving habits upon others, one student at a time. Let's see how far that goes.


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Day 156 (Back At Work, And I Still Don't Like Mondays)

Joseph and I are out on the road after a nice quiet weekend, though it's always hard leaving home... and, of course, leaving Michelle. We got the trailer loaded at around noon, got scaled out about 25 miles away, then went another 90 to get fuel. When we got to West Memphis, AR, there apparently was an issue with the fueling network, and we lost about an hour getting everything lined out.

Once the fueling issues were dealt with, we continued on. Joseph did most of the driving (after all, he is the student). I took over from Bald Knob, AR to West Memphis so that he could eat, and I finished the trip from just west of Cookeville, TN to where we are now in Albany, KY. When we got about 35 miles east of Jackson, TN, I climbed in the back and started on what we had for dinner: chili. It's simple, really: a can of Rotelle, and a can each of two different kinds of Bush's Grillin' Beans, along with some sliced beef Polska Kielbasa, let it simmer a few hours in the crock pot, and voilá!

Now it's time for bed!


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Day 155 (Playtime Is Over, Back To Work)

It's been a quiet week at Lake Wobegone... wait, that's not me. It has been a nice day, Joseph joined us for service this morning, then came over afterwards for lunch. A very good time: food, fellowship, and a few laughs. Alas, tomorrow it's back to business as usual. The good thing is the pickup is just at the other end of town and heading for Kentucky.

This weekend I was able to learn a bit about Joseph, which will help me as a trainer in order to help him to become a better driver. My goal is to be able to get him in his own truck by about the 17th of this month. As of this writing, my wife, Michelle, is playing Foreigner on the turntable. We've been playing several records this evening, just reminiscing... some old disco (Donna Summer), 80's pop (Madonna), some 80's alternative (The Cure), and 70's pop (Harry Chapin). I'll have to wait to until I come back home to play some more of the old "licorice pizza".

Day 154 (A Full, Yet Relaxing, Day)

Today, being the Sabbath, was a peaceful day, plus I got a lot of other things accomplished. The rest of my record collection has been sorted through and added onto the shelf along with the rest. I went over to the motel where Joseph (my student) is staying and brought him over to have some dinner and enjoy more than just a motel room can offer. We all listened to music, ranging from John Coltrane, to Bruce Springsteen, to Cafe Jacques, to Carl Reiner/Mel Brooks, to Tears For Fear (which is playing as this post is being written). For dinner, Michelle made a splendid Taco Soup and Cheesecake Swirl Brownies.

Now that the den is beginning to take shape into something of an organized state, which, by the time it's done, I'm sure there will be other things to do... but at least there will be vinyl records to provide an adequate soundtrack for what ever that may be.

"Something happened, and I'm head over heels,
I never found out, 'til I'm head over heels... "
                                - Roland Orzabal &
                                  Curt Smith

Day 153 (What An Unexpected Surprise)

I unloaded this morning at 1130 in Little Rock, AR, well, actually, I arrived at the customer at 1030 and was put in a door right away. Once I finished unloading, I went to our North Little Rock terminal to run a few errands and take care of some business (Starbucks being high on the list of priorities). I picked up an interim student, one who was with a trainer already, but was sent to the terminal to receive some additional training to hone his backing skills. He (Joseph) lives in Little Rock, but was unable to go home due to his wife having to work, and he would not be able to get a ride to the town in which I live (that's where our load picks up on Monday).

Yeah, that's the unexpected surprise, this next load picks up about 2-3 miles from my house. So what we (myself in collaboration with my employer) have done, we put Joseph up in a motel (a rather nice one at that) literally next to the truck stop where the truck is parked. But tomorrow, I'll pick him up and bring him into my home for a few hours. Then on Sunday, he will be joining us and our congregation for service.

Then when I got home, and got Joseph settled in his room, Michelle picked me up, and we saw our youngest son, Nathan, as he played a gig at one of the local coffee shops. He did very well, for somebody who has only been playing guitar for about 6 months. Way to go, Nathan!

Day 152 (A Long Day, A Lot Of Miles)

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, today would be a long day... and it was. I started out a little after 0800 and I've covered a little over 630 miles in a time of 10 hours, 39 minutes, averaging about 60 miles an hour; not bad, considering the hills I had to venture over in Virginia and Tennessee.

Right now I'm 68 miles from the Tennessee/Arkansas state lines, then another 130 miles more to my destination. The only stop I made is to get fuel and my usual grandé triple Marble Mocha Machiatto from Starbucks (definitely not in that order). Today has been a hot one, very humid. It seems that this year Winter left early and unimpressive, and Spring left whimpering after Summer arrived early, and if I may say, unwelcome. I'm hoping that Summer will be just a big-talking blow-hard much the way this Winter past was.

It's been a taxing day, time for me to grab something to eat and call it a night (after all, that's what it is).


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Day 151 (Making My Way To Little Rock)

Finished my way to my second pick-up in North Bergen, NJ this morning, then waited a few hours before actually getting loaded. Once I did get the rest of the product on, then the fun task of going south (about 10 miles) to a truck stop to scale out, then getting out of Jersey. The delay, as usual, affected my available driving time.

For those of you whom have never been to New Jersey, all I will say is it's an experience you would never forget. Over my many years of driving, I've learned to adapt to many cultural driving habits. In the New England areas, it's very fast paced and hectic. For example, in the Metro areas of New Jersey & New York, if you use your turn signal to change lanes, many around you will take it as a personal challenge (here's a hint: ALWAYS yield your right of way to somebody driving a severely damaged vehicle).

I've only made it as far as Racine, VA, which is about 60 miles north of Roanoke. Since I'm looking at another 800+ miles to cover by 1130 Friday, making that appointment will be rather tight. Tomorrow will be a rough one, a lot of catching up to do.


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Day 150 (I Forgot The Maple Syrup)

I got unloaded this morning in Half Moon, NY, then had to wait nearly 2 hours for my next load. This one has two pick-ups: the first being in Middlebury, VT, then down to N. Bergen, NJ. Middlebury is... well... in Vermont, about 35 miles south of Burlington... and nowhere near an interstate. N. Bergen is in the metro Jersey area, just north of Newark, and across the river from NYC.

I was doing pretty good on time once I got the first pick-up loaded, but once I got to the fuel stop in Newberg, NY... well, I'll just say it was nearly a 30 minute wait before I made it onto the fuel island, as FOUR of the pumps were out of service. Needless to say, I didn't make it to N. Bergen before I ran out of hours.

Just so you know - the fuel price for diesel in Newberg, NY: $4.28/gal... and I got 119.5 gallons.


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Day 149 (Memorial Day 2011)

Today is Memorial Day, and while I could go on a historical lecture, I won't. Instead I'll just refer you to this link on the subject. I am sitting here in Half Moon, NY where I will be unloading tomorrow morning. Today across America people are gathering around barbecue grills along with friends, or family, or both. As for me... none of the above. The closest I am is about 130 miles from a good friend who lives in New Jersey.

Memorial Day is the day where we reflect upon those who gave their lives in the service of this country, so that we may have the luxuries as stated above. This is not limited to just those who have served in the military... at least not to me. In my humble (though some may argue that there is not a humble bone in my body) opinion, the law enforcement officers and firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty should also fall into the same mold as those who have fallen on the battlefield for remembrance (does the date 9/11/01 ring a bell?). Let's face it, as a Marine, soldier, or sailor has protected our freedoms abroad, so, too, have the firemen and police officers protected our freedoms here.

I don't want to pervert the memory of our past combat warriors, just broaden the spectrum of those worthy to be remembered forever.


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Day 148 (What A Blessed Day!)

Today turned out very nice indeed. Last night I shut down on the east end of Erie, PA. When I got up this morning, and after tending to my morning ablutions, I took a 3 mile walk to Harbor Creek High School, where Grace Church has set up a satellite location (temporary, of course), and pastored by Mike Watson whom I first became acquainted with via Facebook. I met Pastor Watson once before at what is now the "Flagship" location of Grace Church in McKean, PA... on the west side of Erie. Pastor Watson is still beaming with excitement & enthusiasm as this was the 5th week the Harbor Creek location has assembled.

In the two times we have met in person I have come to this conclusion about him: He is a man with a serving heart, a love of people, and most importantly, a man that seeks unity... not just within his own congregation, but with the surrounding congregations within his community as well. Should I find myself in the neighborhood again, you can bet I'll be there to visit and fellowship with his congregation again.

As for the worship team that led this morning... they were very much "in the pocket"!


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Day 147 (What A Nice Day)

Today is pretty nice, at least in Kentucky and Ohio, that is. I stopped in Florence, KY for some Starbucks, and I'm glad I went through the trouble of finding this particular location, as I met a young man (Joseph was his name) and we had a very nice fellowship... which turned out to be a nice bonus, since today is the Sabbath.

Joseph and I discussed a great number of things. In our discussion I found he, like a good number of other Christians I have met, has become weary of the "business as usual" traditions and practices of "The Church." The type of blasé and mundane routines that many are "comfortable" with: go to services on Sunday, listen to the Pastor speak, then go home. Sadly, there are a good deal of these congregations that do NOT do as Scripture says, "Study to show yourself approved" (2 Timothy 2:15). The sad fact is (and I personally know of a few people like this) many will go to a bible study and quote the interpretations of known "scholars" (such as Kenneth Hagen, Kenneth Copeland, or Benny Hinn - and countless others whom I personally disregard as "learned" as opposed to "famous") without so much as their own meaning of what Scripture is saying. Many of these within the followers of the afore mentioned "famous scholars" will call themselves Christians, following a Jewish Savior, yet they themselves have prejudices against Jewish people. As I mentioned many weeks ago, I am Jewish, and I am also a Talmid of Yeshua HaMashiach (student of Jesus Christ). I wasn't raised in the traditions or practices of the Judaic liturgy, but with the assistance of The L-rd, G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I have been able to "reprogram" my thinking out of the Western cultural mindset (a.k.a. the European mindset, which gets its roots from a Greek mindset), and into a Middle-Eastern mindset - which is what the Scriptures are written in - and to use the former in order to understand Scripture (which was written in the latter) is absurd. Once you take on the way of thinking that was customary to those whom The L-rd used to document the events which make up Scripture, many passages will begin to make sense, as opposed to reading Scripture in a Greek mindset where it then is "lost in translation."

Learning the Hebrew language will also help once you begin to seek deeper study.


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Day 146 (Does My Reputation Precede Me?)

Made it to our North Little Rock terminal last night, showered, and did my laundry. This morning, before I ran my errands, I found out the Andy (my new student) was not going to be my new student. I wonder if word got around how hard-nosed an instructor I am (totally untrue). Instead, he is at home right now deciding if he wants to be a driver in either the refrigerated division, the flatbed division, or even be a truck driver. I've been told he has a little daughter, and he's unsure if he wants to spend 3 weeks at a time away from home... which is what's usually the case in the refrigerated division. This is not an easy line of work to get into, nor is it for everybody. For me, it seemed to be an easy transition, as I had only been out of the Marine Corps about 4 years when I began driving a truck. I, from my time in the Corps, had already been accustomed to being away from home for extended periods. In fact, just 4 days after Michelle and I had gotten married, my unit was doing some cross-training with the DEA in Texas & New Mexico, in which we were gone for a month. So, in essence, both of us had gotten used to being separated from one another... but it also made our time together (even to this day) that much more special.

Though we've both learned over the years, in order for us to enjoy certain luxuries (each other's company, a.k.a. quality time), there are certain sacrifices that must be made (being away from home for weeks at a time). This line of work also helps to pay the bills, which comes in very useful, considering the economic shape the country is in.





Oh, and I also applied for my passport today, too.


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Day 145 (Leaving Tulsa... Eventually)

I unloaded this morning, and I will be re-loading this afternoon from the same customer. Though I hope I will not have to wait until 1700 to do so. This trip will put a couple hundred miles more on me, as I have to go through our terminal in Little Rock to pick up Andy, my next student.

The weather here is pretty nice: moderate temperature with a nice breeze blowing. Last night there was some wind, just enough to rock the truck ever so slightly. Since it's about lunch time, I will make myself a sandwich, or just have some flatbread & hummus (now that I mentioned it, the latter sounds pretty good), though I could go for a nice roast. Last night, and up to this point, has been a bit uneventful.

I think a nap is in order.


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Day 144 (Time For A New Student)

Today has been, and will continue to be, fairly easy. My delivery will be in Tulsa for tomorrow morning, where I will also re-load at the same customer a load bound for Braintree, MA, then to Half Moon, NY. Once I do get loaded, rather than head through Joplin, MO, I'll have to detour through Little Rock, AR to pick up my new student and begin a new 3 week cycle of training. This first load for him could prove to be very challenging for him, since Braintree is a suburb of Boston, and Half Moon (as I pointed out Sunday) is just north of Albany.

I've driven through a bit of rain traveling along I-44 in Missouri, and it looks as if there may be more to come. I won't complain. In fact, I hope it rains through the night. The reason for this, is that, like watching the snow fall in winter, rain is also very therapeutic. If it's a moderate shower, the "tap, tap" sound made of the roof of the truck makes it easy to drift off to sleep. Even a heavy storm has the same effect, due to the fact that with a heavy storm, there is also a wind that accompanies it, which will cause the truck to rock... and like the famous "baby in a cradle" off to sleep I go. Though such rains do pose their own problems... such as the premature need to use certain facilities, which, in turn, cause the need to exit the dry comfort of the truck, thus become exposed to the very same elements to which I have to run through in order to use the afore mentioned facilities.

On second thought, forget the rain.


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Day 143 (Vote All The Morons Out)

This past Saturday's post saw this blog going in a slightly different path from the norm. Today, I may explore something new.

I, as many of you already know, am a truck driver. I travel the country - a lot. There are thousands of others that do the same thing, sadly, there is just a small percentage that can actually hold an intellectual conversation, let alone enter into one. I count myself within that small number of intelligent drivers. As I have observed (and this goes beyond the truck driving community), too many people are allowing their thoughts to be formed by the "insights" and opinions of the politicians that "we the people" have elected AND the media "reporters" that "report" the same - without so much as an original thought of their own.

For example... Barack Obama. Four years ago came this man out of obscurity. Hillary Clinton would have become President if not for Obama. We didn't have much to choose from, so when he was elected, regardless of party affiliation, I wanted him to succeed. After all, the first black President - a historic milestone, just in that alone. Yet in the years since, he has done NOTHING to impress me. He made many promises on the campaign trail: close the prison in Guantanamo Bay (it's still open); bring our troops home (not only has this NOT happened, but their numbers have been increased in Afghanistan) - need I go on? Yet, he found it so important to lobby on behalf of Chicago before the International Olympic Committee. He HAS managed to pass a health care bill - against the will of the American people (and the deciding vote that passed it was cast by Blanche Lincoln (D) of Arkansas, whom, ironically enough, was ousted in the last mid-term election), take over the banking AND the auto industry - all of which are a repeat performance of what had been done some time back (research your world history here).

However, would we have been better off with John McCain? More than likely, we would be in the same situation. My conclusion from that is that D.C. politics is no longer about Democrats vs. Republicans, nor Liberals vs. Conservatives, but rather, the discreet and devious takeover of Socialism, or Communism, or Marxism - more than likely it's a combination of all three.

There is a man, he is a great orator and can stir up the crowds, he rose up practically from nowhere, and his citizenship was always in question.

Let that whet your appetite for history.



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Day 142 (Heading West, Just Not Far Enough West)

You are all familiar with the quote "Great minds think alike" or perhaps a variation of such, (as used by W.E.B. Griffin, a favorite author of mine) "Great minds travel similar paths". Such is the case today in regards to my occasional rants about the use of turn signals by fellow "motorists" - or lack thereof. As I read the latest of the daily offerings from those cool cats at The Toilet Paper, I've found I'm not alone in said opinion.

That aside, let's move along...
I unloaded this morning in Half Moon, NY, then headed over to Guilderland Center, NY to reload, and am on my way to Tulsa, OK. Last night this company sent a fleet wide message about a tornado which apparently travelled through western Missouri - Joplin in particular. The State Police there have closed down the stretch of I-44 and U.S. 71 in that area, which could pose a problem, as my routing to Tulsa just happen to go that way. I'm still quite a ways from there, so tomorrow I'll find out from Monica what the latest road conditions are like in that area. I am hoping that, should any damage have occurred on those roadways, that it will be (at the very least) passable by the time I get there. I hope the damage of property, and most importantly, injuries to people, are minimal - nonexistent to the latter is preferable.

Here in upstate New York, the weather has been cool and, for the most part, sunny, though there have been spots of rain. I should make it into Ohio before my hours run out for today (I did start out fairly early), but how far into Ohio still remains a mystery. This load doesn't deliver until Wednesday, and knowing the customer it's going to (and the distance involved), it will be the afternoon before it get there. More than likely, I may get reloaded at the same place that I'm delivering to. Either way, this can prove to be a win/win situation. The only thing that can make it better is an endless - and free - supply of grande triple Marble Mocha Machiattos from Starbucks (well it's nice to dream, right?).


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Day 141 (I'm In Upstate New York... Now What?)

I just finished the final leg of this trip, and am sitting here in Half Moon, NY, just north of the state's capital of Albany. Once I get unloaded in the morning, I'll head to Guilderland Center (just outside of Albany) and pick up my next load going to Tulsa.

I started reheating my leftovers from Wednesday (the roast) and, as it did when I first cooked it, smells delicious. I'll probably chase it down with bread & butter, and perhaps some flatbread & hummus a little later (more than likely in the company of John McClain). When I stopped earlier to top off my fuel, I was VERY tempted to pick up a 1/2 dozen Boston Cream doughnuts from Dunkin' Donuts, but was successful in warding off the afore mentioned temptation.

I haven't normally expressed my views nor opinions in the way of politics, but yesterday's post was something I felt HAD to be said. There were many other things I wanted to get in to, but I had gone on quite a bit as it was.

At least you know where I stand.


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Day 140 (Off The Beaten Path)

Rather than my usual banter, I would like - if I may - to veer off in a different direction.

Just the other day we were "honored" with yet another speech by The President. I didn't watch it on t.v., nor hear it on satellite radio, but was able to locate the text of what he said. However, there were a few things that stuck out. Those things I will address... but I will use his words, while attempting to not take it out of context (as is VERY common among politicians and mainstream media reporters).

I won't go through the entire speech, just a few select sections, such as this paragraph:

"For decades, the conflict between Israelis and Arabs has cast a shadow over the region. For Israelis, it has meant living with the fear that their children could get blown up on a bus or by rockets fired at their homes, as well as the pain of knowing that other children in the region are taught to hate them. For Palestinians, it has meant suffering the humiliation of occupation, and never living in a nation of their own. Moreover, this conflict has come with a larger cost the Middle East, as it impedes partnerships that could bring greater security, prosperity, and empowerment to ordinary people."

First of all, for him to say "For decades, the conflict between Israelis and Arabs has cast a shadow over the region." is a gross understatement. He is, more than likely, primarily referring to the time since Israel has been recognized as its own Nation. But the "conflict" goes back further than that... MUCH further. Rather than go into any great detail, I'll just make reference to an incident in 1929 - nearly 20 years BEFORE Israel became a nation.

Another thing that sticks out is "For Palestinians, it has meant suffering the humiliation of occupation, and never living in a nation of their own." The mere use of "occupation" implies that the land in which they live is already theirs, which it is NOT! The land, first of all, belongs to The G-D of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If you want to point fingers at the people of Israel and say that they took the land illegally, and they should move out, well... let's look at our OWN country. The land we live in was taken by force, illegally, so by using that same judgement, the only ones that should be left in THIS country are Native Americans and Mexicans.

Palestinians are also not a nation, but more of a nomadic people originally. They are of Arabic decent, yet their own Arabic neighbors are the ones REALLY abusing them, and propping them up for political gain. To put this into perspective, the Arab world treats the Palestinian people much the same way Al Sharpton did to the people of New Orleans did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: they are helpful for an agenda, but once the hype dies down - and there's no further "face time" - they are cast aside and rendered as "useless". This whole fiasco is just set up to reveal our government's intentions: to vote in the affirmative, this September, for the creation of a Palestinian State. Obama further proved that with a statement, further on in his speech:

"As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself -- by itself -- against any threat."

Basically, The President is supporting a Palestinian state, and turning his back on Israel. Israel is an ally! Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you claim a nation to be an ally, that means you stand with them - and they with you - in any battle. You may not realize this, but Scripture points out that those who bless Israel, will be blessed, and those who curse Israel, will be cursed. We went through that already, with G. W. Bush. He supported, then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to give up the Gaza Strip in exchange for peace. Shortly after - VERY shortly after - Hurricane Katrina came out of nowhere. We were held responsible for our leader's actions. If a Palestinian State is voted in this September, Katrina will seem like a light shower compared to what will befall us!

This is just some food for thought - worthy of some serious rumination.

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Day 139 (I Will Be Busy)

I mentioned yesterday that I was going to repower a load going to Half Moon, NY, which I did this morning. This load originated in Tulsa, OK and the other driver and I swapped in Strafford, MO, just on the east side of Springfield. Once I deliver on Monday morning, I will only have to deadhead 20 miles for my next load (which I have been pre-planned on), which will be taking me to Tulsa.

The weather was rainy earlier, but now it's just a little overcast. I stopped into our terminal in Madison, IL (just outside St. Louis) to get a routine service done on the truck (a.k.a. oil change). They got my truck in and out, which is always nice. Now that I've showered, run a few errands, and my truck service is complete, I can continue down the road on today's journey to see what adventures I can explore... ok, I'll just drive.


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Day 138 (I'm In Misery... Uh, Missouri)

Yesterday I noted that I was unloading in Wilmington, Il. I arrived there an hour before my appointment (which was 1700) and didn't leave from there until around 2000, only to have to hustle to get into Chicago to pick up my next load. Once I arrived there and got loaded, I made my way back south... and try to cover a few miles before I ran out of hours. Once I hit I-55 south, I also hit traffic... so, needless to say, in the period of 18 of my remaining 20 minutes, I only covered 8 miles. My delivery time for this load was for 0700 this morning, but since it was a plant to plant run, they were a bit more forgiving.

As for today, I have less than 3 hours left to drive today, to which I should be able to make it into Springfield, MO. Tomorrow I will be meeting up with another driver and re-power his load which delivers Monday just outside Albany, NY. As for right now, it's time to eat... and tonight's feast consists of chili:





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Day 137 (Blah, Blah, Blah... Yakkity, Schmakkity)

I am here in Wilmington, IL waiting to get unloaded, to which once that is done, I'll head to Chicago, load there and head to Sedalia, MO. How far I get tonight all depends on how efficiently I get unloaded here and loaded there... so far, it's not looking too good. My appointment here was for 1700 and I've been sitting in the dock door for over an hour now, and no movement in the trailer.

As I sit here my stomach is growling from hunger. I have food to eat, but I'm waiting until my meal - presently cooking in my new 2 quart crock pot - is ready. I bought some things for a few meals last night, and I'm cooking one of said meals now: a roast with a citrus & savory rub, a little soy sauce, fresh garlic, shallots, baby potatoes, and green beans, and all doused with hickory liquid smoke. It's been in there for a little over 3 1/2 hours... and smells SO GOOD!! I don't consider myself a chef, but I do enjoy cooking (and when I'm home, my wife makes no complaints when I express that I'll be cooking). Along with this roast, I also picked up some stuff for chili, and some Beef Kielbasa & Sauerkraut... each of which I should be able to get about 2 meals from. The next things I will have to get will be some more Lock & Lock storage containers to put my leftovers in.

This food will be SOOOO worth the wait!






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Day 136 (Is It Time To Go Home Yet?)

I just left out this morning and I'm sitting here in Jonesboro, AR picking up this load that's going to Wilmington, IL for tomorrow evening. I already miss my family! After all the years I've been driving, that still happens. The weekend had been busy and somewhat productive, and most enjoyable; a lot of fun, food, and laughter being with family, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end. However, bills have to get paid somehow.

Going through the last of my record collection that was brought in from Vegas I found a few titles I had forgotten were there. Titles such as the movie soundtracks for The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Flash Gordon, as well as John Lennon's Double Fantasy, Julian Lennon Valotte, and Speaking In Tongues by The Talking Heads (which the copy I have was pressed on clear vinyl, but over the twenty + years it has sat in a box, along with surviving Hurricane Wilma, oxidation has given it a reddish tinge). When I get back home, the process of integrating those into the (somewhat) organized shelves will begin... not to mention the task of replacing some of the plastic sleeves on a few of the jackets. Many of today's youth have never heard of vinyl records, let alone seen them. I've spoken with a few that have NO historical knowledge of the music they listen to: for example, they didn't know that "Careless Whisper" by Seether and "Word Up!" by Korn were big hits in the 80's, nor did they know the original artists who recorded those songs were Wham and Cameo, respectively.

Though the music industry is a lot to blame for this dilemma, as they are only concerned about "the next big hit." There are no longer artists that are groomed for longevity within the industry. Though I personally don't care for him, I feel sorry for Justin Bieber, as by the time he's 22, he will be considered "yesterday's news" - a.k.a., a washed-up has-been. You can even see this pattern in American Idol. All the years the show has been on, Carrie Underwood is probably still the most prominent name to arise from the show. If you notice, the ones that create the most controversy are the ones exploited most by the industry, vis-à-vis, music sales (can anybody say "Brittany Spears"?).

In the words of Forrest Gump - "That's all I'm gonna say about that!"


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Day 135 (Much To Do, But That Will Have To Wait)

Today I got quite a bit done, but there's a few things that will have to wait until the next time I get home. One such thing is organizing the rest of my albums. My brother brought the rest of my record collection with him from Vegas, but I have yet to collate them into what I already have on the shelf (and to give you some perspective, my collection is a couple hundred titles).

Alas, tomorrow I'm going back to work. Though I don't really want to, but we all have to earn a living. I'm still trying to find that one job where I can take a two week paid vacation 26 times a year... but so far, no luck. It was nice seeing my brother and step-mom, and I'm hoping to get a load (sometime soon) that will take me out there to see them. The weather is fairly cool tonight, though I know summer is just around the corner, which means just one thing - MAX a/c temperature on the truck. Be cool - be safe!

Day 133 & 134 (Busy Weekend, With Family)

Well, this has been a busy weekend. First of all, in order to make my logbook legal, I had to sit (nap) in Pontoon Beach, IL until 1900, then make my way home. I finally made it home at around 0100, only to be back on the road around 1000, with my youngest son, along with my brother and step-mom (who were visiting from Vegas), and headed to Milan, TN. We went out there to help my step-mom get here things from when she lived out there a while back. Surprisingly enough, we were able to get all of her things in both cars, grab a bite to eat at a local Mexican restaurant (which, by the way, was so NOT impressive), then make the 200 mile trip back to my house - where we unloaded said items into our house. Barbara sorted through everything to consolidate it in order to fit it into one car (not an easy task).

There are a lot of things that she is having us donate to our local thrift stores, as well as a few boxes (mainly photos & photo albums - which reminds me, I really need to "acquisition" some of my pics (from my teenage years) before my wife finds them, and BURN them. We were given some VERY nice items: a Seder plate, a Challah bread dish, and most importantly, a napkin holder once owned by my grandparents (may they rest in peace).

This afternoon my wife and I went to the Jewish Food Festival in Little Rock, which was very enjoyable... though the food was a bit pricey and NOT commensurate with the portions served: for example, 2 cheese blintzes were $5 (ugh!). We did find a really nice Kiddish cup, and pretty reasonably priced too. We headed home, after a stop to Starbucks (which some of you have come to expect from me), and then my brother, Larry, and I took control of the kitchen to make dinner: Matzo Ball soup, Pita Bread & homemade Hummas,  Lemon/Rosemary Chicken, Latkes (potato pancakes), Falafel, and Cheesecake for dessert (that was bought from a store). Tomorrow Larry and Barbara head back for Vegas. I hope they have a safe trip, though it's sad to see them go... it's been a busy, but VERY enjoyable and productive weekend.

Day 132 (Unilever In Chicago = SLOW!)

First of all, I apologize for yesterday's blog not posting until today... wait, why am I apologizing for Blogger, after all, they were the ones that went down for maintenance. Anyway, I got to the shipper yesterday afternoon around 1500, and my appointment was for 1700-1900 (a two hour window). At around 1730 I asked about, roughly, when I would get assigned a door, only to find out that their production line was down for maintenance (just like Blogger) and had just started back up. When they finally called me, I dropped my trailer (so the yard jockey could put it in the door) at about 1945. What time did I get out of there, you may ask... after 0200!

I got rolling, and about 100 miles from my destination, I pulled off to grab a nap. I really wanted to get to the customer before I did that, but my body began to protest. So now, in order for my logbook to remain in a legal status, I have to wait until about 1900 to head home.

At least I'll be home.

Perhaps until Tuesday.

Oh, and by the way... the Detroit Red Wings are OUT of the Stanley Cup Playoffs... and today is Friday the 13th?!

How much worse could it get?

Don't answer that!

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Day 131 (Soon, I Will Be Home)

Unloaded this morning and waited a few hours for my next load (while I sat parked behind a Home Depot). When it did come, the facility where I'm loading was, quite literally, around the block. Though it only goes to Pontoon Beach, IL (about 280 miles, and right outside St. Louis), I've been told by Monica to go home once I get unloaded... to which I replied, "you don't have to tell me twice."

I'm very much looking forward to going home, not only for the obvious reasons (I always enjoy being with my family), but because my brother & step-mother are coming out from Vegas AND this Sunday, in Little Rock, will be the annual Jewish Food Festival, which I - along with my wife and youngest son - will be attending. I would invite you to meet me there, but for me to say "just look for the Jewish guy" would hardly be helpful, since it's a Jewish Food Festival... Jewish guys will be in abundance, but not as plentiful as, say... New York City, so there's a good chance we may bump into each other.

It's been a long 2 1/2 weeks. I'd like to relax when I get home, but I hardly think that's going to happen, since I will be making some Challah bread and Matzo Ball Soup, making a "relocation" trip to Tennessee and back, and the afore mentioned festival.

No rest for the weary!


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Day 130 (At Least My Laundry Is Done)

This morning I called the broker of this load to see about getting it unloaded today, but to no avail. I, therefore, have to wait until tomorrow to unload, which means the pre-plan I had for today went to another driver. I, then, will have to wait until tomorrow to find out about my next load, which will get me home.

This week has been a bit sketchy, with having to deal with brokers (which I don't like doing), and trying to get home. As I sit here at our terminal in Gary, IN (where I stopped to grab a shower and do my laundry - and I try to get all my laundry done before going home so my wife doesn't have to deal with it), I'm getting ready to head into the Chicago area (now that the traffic will have died down) and, hopefully, be able to park overnight at the customer, so I don't have to deal with morning traffic... and in Chicago, it can be horrendous.

I can just hope for the best.


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Day 129 (Monday Must Want An Encore)

This morning, as requested, I called the broker concerning the load I was to pick up in McCoole, MD. At first, he said there was some miscommunication with the pick-up number, but called back a little later to say that the load wasn't going to pick up until tomorrow. I sent a message to Monica (my fleet manager), to which my company changed the load (apparently, the load cancelled). I am now sitting in McKees Rocks, PA getting loaded, after which time I will run as far as possible before my hours run out. The delivery isn't scheduled until Thursday, in Cicero, IL (another Chicago suburb), but I want to get rid of it tomorrow.

There are two reasons for this: A) I want to get my next load, unload it, then go home; and, B) my next load is scheduled to pick up tomorrow, in Monee, IL.

So now you can see the type of day that I've had so far.

I. Need. Starbucks!


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Day 128 (I REALLY Don't Like Mondays In The Eastern U.S.)

I arrived in Frederick, MD yesterday afternoon, unloaded this morning... then sat for most of the day. You see, this company I drive for has been around for over 25 years, but a year ago (this month) they expanded to include a Temperature Control Division (of which I'm in), to keeping that into account would explain why it's hard to get freight when in the east... mainly because they are gradually building up a customer base. Not to mention that most of the freight in the east mainly within the east, and since I'm due to go home this week (NOT in the east), would explain the afore mentioned difficulty in the available freight.

However, I did get a load this afternoon, but it doesn't load until tomorrow morning, of which I "strategically" placed myself within a reasonable distance from the customer. The load will be going from McCoole, MD (out in the middle of nowhere) to Sauk Village, IL (on the outskirts of somewhere... that is to say, Chicago) for Wednesday. From there, I am told, I have a pre-plan on a load going to Osceola, AR - from which I will be going home once that load is delivered.

What's worse... NO COFFEE!!!


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Day 127 (A Long Way From My Wife On Mother's Day)

I have arrived at my destination in Frederick, MD to deliver in the morning, and today is Mother's Day. Not to confuse anybody - I am not a woman, but my wife is (though there have been occasions where I have been called a "mother," but those times have usually been quickly followed by a more unpleasant adjective). She did get some lovely gifts from our sons: the 2 that live on their own in California sent her an L.A. Dodgers shirt and a box of Bordeaux Chocolates from See's Candy; our youngest (he's 16) gave her some money for her to get what she wants (which I suspect will be used to purchase a cd by Ofra Haza), and our 18 year old... well, he's 18 (need I say more).

Though I am not at home lavishing her with love, affection, and gifts, she already knows what gift she is to get: a full length mirror/jewelry armoire (to be clear - NOT already filled with jewelry, as she will fill it with what she already has, which, by the way, is sufficient enough to require the ownership of said armoire).

In closing, I leave you with this little thought that a dear friend sent me, via text:

The word for Momma in Hebrew is Eema when broken down letter by letter and defined it means "the one who controls the chaos of the house and produces what is necessary to bring forth good results for life". Thank you all for being a TRUE Eema to your children for Yeshua (Jesus)! ~ be Blessed today! (courtesy of Rabbi Hezekiah Ross)





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The Road Scholar - Day 126 (Still Maryland Bound)

As I write this, I'm sitting in Greenfield, IN, a small town just east of Indianapolis, having just stopped to get some fuel, some buffalo wings, and get this blog posted. A very nice day (about mid 60's) to be wandering about, but, alas, there is still work to be done. Once I get moving again (which will be very shortly), my plans will be to probably shut down in eastern Ohio for the night, which will give me less than 350 miles to finish tomorrow.
From the west it appears as if there will be more rain on the way, the skies in that direction looming about as a cat studiously lurking in a bush, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce upon the seemingly unsuspecting bluejay, as it searches the ground for worms.

The day has been quite peaceful, as most Sabbaths are for us of the Jewish faith. As many Christian friends and acquaintances are beginning to discover, our walk is a very difficult spiritual journey - one that is neither "cool" nor "trendy" - that must not only embrace our roots & history, but also must persevere in our faith of the one true living (and loving) G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Throughout scripture, it can be seen that He has many names: Adonai, Elohim, I Am... and a numerous many others (allah NOT being one - but I will save that diatribe for another time). Though, as you may (or may not) have noticed, "God" is NOT a name, but His title - hence, as one of His commandments: "you shall have no other gods before me."

I could elaborate further, bit I wanted to throw just enough out there to whet the appetite of any whose curiosity just may lead them to either search it out for themselves, or (possibly) begin a correspondence with me (which I do welcome, by the way).

So... (and to quote a line from the movie My Big, Fat Greek Wedding) there you go!


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The Road Scholar - Day 125 (Soon To Be Eastbound)

I unloaded this morning in Ochelata, OK, then made my way back down to Tulsa, topped off my fuel, then made it to the customer to load. The weather here in Tulsa is very nice: moderate temperature with a nice wind blowing. The load I'm picking up has some good miles on it, delivering in Frederick, MD on Monday morning.

There was another one of our trucks here loading as well, in fact, a fellow trainer in my division, but his load is taking him to Brampton, Ontario, Canada (which I hope to be able to start hauling... as soon as I get my passport, that is). Him and I talked shop for a while, then of course, moved on to more important issues - like music. As I get ready to hit the road, I'll make my way through St. Louis, thus avoiding some of the weather affected roads (since I-40 is closed about 55 miles east of Little Rock, AR, and I'm glad I don't have to take the alternate route of U.S. 64 - which will now be insane).

I must get to work.

Sadly, without Starbucks - at least for now.


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The Road Scholar - Day 124 (So Much For Plans)

Well, whatever I had on the agenda for today has been completely blown out of the water. My plan was to make it to our terminal last night and take care of this passport business. The company sent a message yesterday afternoon saying that a stretch of I-40 would be closed in Arkansas, due to flooding. So I took the detour, as prescribed, but about 2 miles before the exit, traffic came to a standstill for nearly 45 minutes. Once it started moving again, it rolled pretty smooth... for a while. After we got on U.S. 49 going north, we came up to another backup - this one lasted for about 2 hours. Apparently, on this two-lane highway, a truck broke down, during which time I ran out of hours - and no place to park!

So, I did NOT make it to Little Rock... hence, I did not (and will not have the time) stop to submit my paperwork for my passport.

Not starting out to be a good day... but I have to calm down and realize that my G-d must have a purpose in mind. We may not know right away what these purposes are, but He makes them known IN DUE TIME. When they are made known to us - and we recognize it - we (at least I do) are held in awe & amazement that He had it under control all along.


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The Road Scholar - Day 123 (Soon To Be On My Way To Oklahoma)

I got to a small fuel stop early this morning to shut down with 28 miles to go to load and 30 minutes left on my logbook. I didn't go all the way because I knew that I would have run out of hours before I got to the shipper, as the route was taking me through town, hence stoplights, resulting in slower travel time. I arrived here in Lebanon, TN at 1245, for a 1700 appointment, though they did put me in a door early - at 1600. It turns out the load will only be about 25,000 lbs, so I won't have to scale this one out.

I plan on getting to our terminal tonight and shutting down, then tomorrow going in to get my application for a passport submitted and processed (that, and a trip to Starbucks), then to finish the trip to Ochelata, OK. There's not much to Ochelata, a small town about 30 miles north of Tulsa. There is a small truck stop just south of the Walmart Distribution Center.

Oh... I almost forgot... that visit I had with my friend Chris on Sunday, here's a pic from that day:





He's put on a few pounds (but so have I - 20 years tends to do that to you), and grown a beard (again, so have I), but he still looks the same... though he does point out that I've got the grey hair.

That may be true, Chris, but I'm still all different flavors of awesome!

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The Road Scholar - Day 122 (I Made It To London... The One In Kentucky)

I was loaded and scaled at around 2200 last night, and made it as far as Whiteland, IN (just south of Indianapolis) before I shut down for the night - which was around 0200 this morning. I left a little after noon and travelled the remaining 240+ miles, only making one stop along the way to get my Grande Triple Marble Mocha Machiatto at Starbucks (which, by the way, has been nearly a week since I've had one... needless to say, I was seriously jonesin' for one).

I've already been pre-planned on my next load: picking up in Lebanon, TN (just outside Nashville) and going to another Walmart, this time in Ochelata, OK, which is not far from Bartlesville, current home of fellow former Marine, fellow blogger, and friend Lauri Rottmayer (whom, by the way, filled in for me on Day 110 - and did an absolutely splendid blog).

Where I go from there is still unknown at the moment. One thing that is known, is that less than a week later I will be home (just in time for Mother's Day), and entertaining my brother and stepmom as they visit from Vegas, AND my wife and I will be going to Little Rock on Sunday to take part in the Jewish Food Festival (I can almost taste the blintzes, knishes, and the lox & bagels now).


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The Road Scholar - Day 121 (Goodbye Chicago, Again)

My appointment time to unload was 0530, but the process didn't actually start until 1425, not because they were that busy, but because the product was not up to par with this customer's standards. Which, of course, let to some headbutting between the customer, the broker, and the shipping facility. Once the customer sorted out the issue with the broker (which resulted in a 10¢/lb discount), the the unloading process was rather quick. I'm now in Wilmington, IL (which may not be in the middle of nowhere, but it's certainly not very far off) picking up a load going to a Walmart Distribution Center in London, KY.

I so enjoy delivering to Walmart (note the emphatic sarcasm), because they are so friendly & efficient (more sarcasm). In my years as a truck driver, I have seen many things about Walmart that only strengthen my resolve to detest them more and more.

By now, the news of the "death" of Osama bin Laden has probably pervaded the airwaves, hence, everybody's life... though I have my personal skepticism on the whole affair. For one thing, bin Laden was killed in a raid, yet according to Israel National News, the U.S. government "honored" the Muslim custom of burying his body within 14 days. We are also soon to be beginning the campaign cycle for the 2012 Presidential Election, AND yesterday also just happened to be HaShoah ("The Remembrance" in Hebrew, or more commonly referred to as "Holocaust Remembrance Day"). I chose to site the Israel National News website on the story because, I've found it does tend to be more accurate than our own media (and in a few cases, they've given more of the news, more of the facts, even when CNN, "the alphabet networks", or even FOX diluted the stories.).

Though it may be "just a movie," I refer you to Wag The Dog from 1997.

It's just too convenient.


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The Road Scholar - Day 120 (Chicago Is... Still Here)

I just pulled into the Chicago area a little while ago... in fact, I'm parked next to the place I will be delivering to in the morning, a city known as Alsip, within the Chicago area.

[insert dinner length hiatus here]

I took a break from this post to grab a bite to eat, as my friend, Chris< had shown up on his motorcycle. We walked up the street about a block to one restaurant which, as it turned out, closed at 1500 (it was 1505 when we walked up), then north about a 1/2 block to a Mexican restaurant. There, Chris and I caught up on some old times and got each other up to speed on what we had been doing the last 15-20 years.

It's hard to believe it's been that long, but time sure does fly. He's on his way back home, about 31 miles north of here. Hopefully we'll get together again soon. We are both hoping it will be somewhere between June 1-3, since there will be another mutual friend in the area then... let's just see if the fickle finger of fate happens to point that way for us.


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The Road Scholar - Day 119 (I Am Chicago Bound)

I got to the customer to load this morning about 1000, and, as I hoped, they were quite efficient, having gotten loaded and on the road before my appointment time of 1200. It's a load of fresh chicken, so I'm glad I got the trailer washed out yesterday (especially since THAT load was palletized topsoil).

I pulled off the road and got a little nap just east of Springfield, MO (and of course, to get this blog out to you), to which I will soon be under way again. My plan for tonight is to try to get about 150 miles into Illinois covered, so there won't be much ground to cover tomorrow, thus giving me more time to hang out with Chris (whom I blogged about in yesterday's post). Nice weather, light traffic... all the makings of a good day - a good Sabbath.

May you ALL be blessed today!

Shabbat Shalom (Hebrew for "peace on the Sabbath")!


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The Road Scholar - Day 118 (Hoping For An Easy Weekend)

I started a little later than I wanted this morning, but still made it to Oklahoma City, OK with a little time to spare. Once I unloaded, I got the trailer washed out, fueled up (in Tulsa), then made it to the service plaza here in Vinita, OK (a small town about an hour east of Tulsa, right on the Will Rogers Turnpike, a.k.a. I-44). My next load picks up at noon tomorrow in South West City, MO (it's in the southwest part of the state, but by no means should it be referred to, nor confused as, a city), and that will be delivering to Chicago for Monday morning. I am really hoping they are very efficient in the loading process, so that I can cover some ground as soon as possible.

My hopeful plan is to cover as much ground tomorrow as I can, so I may have more time available to me on Sunday, as I hope to get together with an old Marine Corps friend who just happens to live in Chicago. I've been unable to get together with Chris for some time now, as I'm usually passing through while he's at work, or short on time, or late at night, or any combination of the three. The last time I saw him was when I was transferring to a different unit, back in... my gosh... has it been that long?! 1987 or '88?! When does the time go? Some things I do remember about Chris was, 1) He was an avid D&D player, and, 2) he was a computer GENIUS (and, mind you, this was a few years before the advent of the internet)! I remember once, our regimental Executive Officer (or "XO" for short), a LtCol, came to Chris with a new program he just received from Base Command (on a 5" floppy - THAT should tell you how long ago that was), and the XO wanted to know if Chris could figure it out. Chris popped it into his computer, looked at it a little, then told the XO to come back in 45 minutes. The XO exclaimed, "45 minutes?! I've just spent the last 1 1/2 hours trying to figure this thing out?" Chris just looked up at the XO and calmly said, "45 minutes, sir."

45 minutes later, the XO returned. Not only did Chris know how to operate the program, he also knew every "back door" that was hidden in there, as well!

As I said... computer GENIUS!

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The Road Scholar - Day 117 (Still Some Ground To Cover)

I didn't get very far last night, only to Perry, MI, about 20 miles north of Lansing. I got up and running this morning about 0815 with what I suppose can pass for a decent cup of coffee (at least it was better than the swill Pilot tries to peddle). I covered about 220 miles, and pulled off into this Travel Oasis and took a little break... and, of course, to refresh my coffee cup.

This weather is really on the fritz, yesterday it was in the 70's, with some wind and a little rain, then I wake up this morning inside a 44º truck (I won't complain, though - remember, I like the cooler temps). Well, let me close this post out so I can get on the road and try to beat some of the afternoon Chicago traffic. Even though I'm south of Chicago, the traffic still gets crazy. Plus, the St. Louis traffic will have died down by the time I get there. I'll see all you cats & kittens later!

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The Road Scholar - Day 116 (Much Accomplished, Little Productivity)

I was up at 0400 (ET) for my appointment, assigned a door, and once I checked in the receiving office and the lumper service, I was told my product would take a while to unload (to which they got no argument from me, I just went back to sleep - early morning hours and I don't get along too well). Once I was unloaded, however, it was a while (several hours, in fact) before I got my next work assignment. I tried to make the best use of that time - made a payment on my credit card at a Bank Of America branch, picked up a few things from the grocery store (Meijer, NOT Walmart), and then picked up three 24 oz. 6 packs of Coca Cola from the Kroger down the street (they had it on sale. 3 for $9.00, as opposed to 3 for $12.00 at Meijer... and Walmart doesn't even carry the 24 oz. bottles).

I'm here waiting to get loaded in Sandusky, MI (way up in the "thumb" of Michigan, in the NE corner, about 55 miles east of Saginaw. This load will take me to Oklahoma City, OK on Friday, and right now, these guys are working as fast as they can to get us loaded, as their power went out earlier today (and since the product is outside, they're racing against the daylight). They are now starting on me, so I will be leaving before too long... though I won't be able to cover much ground, since I only have less than 3 hours of drive time left for the day. Thus is the life of a truck driver.

But at least I got some Starbucks today.




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The Road Scholar - Day 115 (Michigan Bound)

I picked this load up yesterday in Russellville, AR (a load of Butterball turkey) and shut down last night in Anna, IL, a small town at exit 30 off of I-57. It wasn't as far as I would have liked to get, but I schlepped around a little too long earlier in the day. I'm taking a quick break right now about 140 miles from my destination, which has a 0430 delivery time (I really don't like those early morning appointments), in order to get this post out before it get too late.

There was some pretty wicked weather last night, and apparently there is more going on right in at the yard in North Little Rock, though it's sunny with a bit of wind here where I'm at, just south of Fort Wayne. I may get some more storm weather, but, hopefully, by then I should be at my destination. One thing that can definitely lend itself to a guaranteed good night's rest is going to sleep to the sound of rain falling on the roof of the truck, while the blowing wind rocks the truck from side to side... and the truck is turned off, the therapeutic effect takes hold and won't let go - it's actually more relaxing the watching the snow fall. Then again, that's just my personal opinion, my observation.


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The Road Scholar - Day 114 (Holiday Over, Back To Work)

My absence the past few days has been due to my being at home celebrating Passover, and I GREATLY appreciate those bloggers that stepped in as my proxy. In case you missed any of them, here they are again:

• Day 110 featuring Lauri Rottmayer
• Day 111 featuring Lori Flood
• Day 112 featuring Chrisinda Lukens
• Day 113 featuring Sarah Storer

Now I would like, if I may, to share with you what photos I took of our meal, which we partook of last Thursday. First, my wife, Michelle, made a little centerpiece bouquet from what she found out in our yard that day:







A few days before I made it home, I picked up a boneless leg of lamb (a nearly 4 lb cut), which, by the way, I did a little digging around online as far as how to cook one, since I had never done so before. With what I had uncovered, I felt pretty confident. Wednesday night, I put the lamb in a bowl, pierced it a few times, and covered it with lemon juice and rubbed it with freshly chopped garlic, covered the bowl, and let it sit overnight. The next day, I got the grill going and put the lamb on there long enough to sear the outside of it (and just enough to give it a charred taste). Once that was done, I put it in a pan, surrounded it with fresh green beans and baby onions, sprinkled a little more lemon juice on it, then covered it with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary:




Once it was finished, we then began our Seder (and since there was only three of us, that made the preparations that much easier).

When you read in Scripture the story of the ten plagues of Egypt (which is first laid out in Exodus 6, starting in verse 2), the plague of the death of the firstborn is where you will see the first documented Seder. The reason I point all this out is because our Seder was done very similarly to the Scriptural documentation (except we didn't put the lamb's blood on our doorposts), therefore, our lamb was "roasted by fire" and none was left over until morning. What I found rather interesting about the finished product was that the onions took on the lemon flavor, and the green beans absorbed some of the rosemary flavor:




Needless to say, it was a very festive Seder, and a very filling meal (which also included Matzo Ball Soup, and an Apple Kugel for desert), and absolutely great company!