Day 289 (Is It Too Soon To Miss Home?)

I left out this afternoon and made my way here to Jonesboro, AR where I hope to begin loading soon. I was beginning to miss home as soon as I got up this morning. I left later than I had planned to, mainly because I was procrastinating the inevitable. During the time of meandering at home I spent some extra time with my wife (Tikvah) and my youngest son (Nathan - he didn't have school today), drank coffee, and converted a couple of my albums onto iTunes.

Once I get loaded here, I have to make my way to my first drop in Indianapolis (tomorrow at noon). It's not too bad, though it's always hard on the day I leave out. Our oldest son sent us a gift card for our anniversary, so next month we will cash it in at Outback in Little Rock, and let her do some looking around (possibly buying) for her birthday... she will be turning 45 on November 18th (and our youngest turns 17 on that same day).

Oy! We are getting old!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 288 (Lazy Today, Work Tomorrow)

It's been a pretty nice day today. After we came home from service, Tikvah and I made our dinner: she made a really incredible potato salad (with turkey sausage) while I made a Matzoh Ball soup. Afterwards we took a little nap, which felt really good. Tikvah and I have enjoyed each other's company - and coffee.  I was able to catch up on a few shows that were on the DVR (my awesome wife and cool son recorded them for me) such as NCIS, Ghost Adventures, The Walking Dead (which my youngest son, Nathan, now has me hooked on), and now I'm hooked on another new show - which I thank (or blame) my wife for getting me tuned on to - Pan Am (even though I can't get either of them hooked onto Leverage nor White Collar.

So tomorrow I head back out on the road. I'll pick up in Jonesboro, AR and make two drops: Indianapolis, IN and Manchester, PA. Where the road takes me... well, you'll just have to tune in and find out.

Day 287 (A Belated Anniversary Dinner)

It has been a very peaceful Sabbath, as well as a beautiful day for Sukkot. Since I was on the road this past Monday, which was my 19 year anniversary, my wife (Tikvah) and I went out for dinner tonight to celebrate it. We don't go out for dinner very often, so when we do, we tend to splurge. We went to Colton's (a steakhouse chain, of which there is one in our town) and had steak; she ordered a sirloin and I went with the smoked prime rib... which was funny, since we both were originally going to just have a Caesar Salad. She went to the restroom, so I quickly sought out our waitress (Becka) and told her that we were there for our 19th Anniversary, and was there anything special that they could do... Becka obliged. At the end of our meal, when they started loudly ringing the cowbell, I noticed that Tikvah had started smiling - she had schemed to cause the same embarrassment upon me as I had planned upon her. It still turned out quite pleasant and joyous!

We know each other... very well!

Day 286 (There's No Place Like Home - But I Don't Live In Kansas)

This has been kind of a lazy day... I slept in until 0930 (though I didn't get to bed until nearly 0500; updated my iTunes & iPhone to iOS5).  I watched a little bit of House, Law & Order: SVU, and I'm presently watching NCIS. I also got my hair cut, which was actually a bit overdue. So, If you will excuse me, I must enjoy my coffee and watch this episode (even though I have it DVD). I hope you will (if you are observant of such) have a good Sabbath, and a joyous Sukkot!

Day 285 (Home At Last)

James and I unloaded this morning in Pine Bluff, AR after which we headed back up to the terminal in North Little Rock. The trailer I had needed to go through the shop for some upgrade to the current tracking system. I dropped James off at the training center, where he began his final evaluation... from what I gather (at that particular time) he was doing well. By tomorrow he should be meeting with Monica (whom will be his interim Fleet Manager) and getting assigned his own truck.

After all that was needed to be done on the trailer (and I had gotten some Starbucks), I made my way home. I did, however, find out where I will be going when I leave out next week: pick up in Jonesboro, AR, make a drop in Indianapolis, IN, then finish off in Manchester, PA sometime on Wednesday. I'm sitting at home and getting ready to enjoy one of the gifts my wife, Tikvah, got for me for our anniversary... Depeche Mode Black Celebration - on VINYL! She also had a t-shirt made for me that says, "Too weird to live, too strange to die. - Hunter S. Thompson." The only trouble with it is that the silk screening shop misspelled "weird" (they spelled it "wierd")... and they used a computer?! I'll take it back to them tomorrow and have them fix it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get the vinyl spinning...

Day 284 (Onward To Pine Bluff)

James and I left from our company's terminal in Madison, IL this afternoon, and are making our way to Pine Bluff, AR for a delivery tomorrow morning. By tomorrow afternoon James should be going through the process of his final evaluation and getting his own truck. When he first started with me - just a little over three weeks ago - he was pretty shaky (and quite nervous) with his backing skills. Now, though he may still be a little nervous, he is a bit more confident and his skills have improved. Over time he will overcome that nervousness, but hopefully not to the point where he begins to get complacent... which could (and most likely would) lead to an accident.

The purpose of being a driver trainer (which should be applied into ALL careers) is to show others the tools we have available, and how to utilize them... in other words, how to be successful in what we do, and to ALWAYS strive for excellence. We can never be PERFECT (if you claim to be perfect, I challenge you to walk on water), and many of us cannot be the BEST... but we - simply by applying ourselves, and using the proper "tools" for our chosen career paths - can be EXCELLENT. Hard work and perseverance is what it takes to become excellent and successful. If they were around today, people like Milton Hershey (Hershey chocolates), Walt Disney (the Disney empire), and - as of recently - Steve Jobs (Apple and Pixar) would agree... not to mention the additional factors of Vision and Passion that are also mixed into the fray.

Vision & Passion mixed with hard work and perseverance... a concept that appears to be lost to the clowns at OWS.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 283 (Outside St. Louis)

Arrived yesterday in our terminal in Madison, IL, which is just outside the St. Louis area. Today we swapped with another driver, so he's taking our load on to Dayton, NJ and we deliver Thursday in Pine Bluff, AR. It works out well, because we didn't have very hours left on our logbooks. Bt the time we leave out in the morning, we will have a full 70 hours to run on... even though I'll be going home this weekend, and I'll start fresh again on Monday.

These last few weeks started off shaky, then picked up - it all balanced out, though I wouldn't mind running a couple trips back-to-back between the northwest and Tulsa (I can dream, right?).

I have just a little over 2 1/2 months left of my 1 year challenge. At times it gets challenging, just trying to have interesting content, but I may have found the niche for which I am more suited. Not so much the day-to-day drivel, but more of the addressing of current issues. Sure, there may be tons of other blogs out there that do just that, but they are usually laced (even filled, sometimes) with the talking points of their political leanings. I have tried to express views of a neutral standpoint... something that has been lost, even forgotten. My political support has shifted over the years: I was a Democrat... until Clinton, then I became a Republican; I remained a Republican until G. W. Bush's 2nd term, then I became fed up with the entire system, and remain so now. It has gotten to the point where the American people are used as political leverage to push certain programs or policies. Case in point: when the majority of American people were against the Health Care Reform bill, how did it get passed? If you recall, the deciding vote that "tipped the scales" and passed the bill was cast by Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas), but as of the last mid-term election, she no longer has a job... coincidence?


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 282 (OWS = Socialist Inaction)

For a couple weeks now we have seen this Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement playing out in the media... kind of. For the most part, what has been publicized about this "protest" is the police brutality. What is talked about were these cases of brutality, mainly from videos posted on YouTube, but how much credence can we really put into such videos? With current events being what they are, even YouTube videos that "document" social unrest have to be taken with a grain of salt. Keeping that in mind, U2's Bono was way ahead of his time when he wrote, "when fact is fiction, and TV a reality" (from the song "Seconds" on the 1983 album War).

Though the OWS movement doesn't have anything "official", they do, however, have certain "proposed" list of demands that some would like to see met. An acquaintance of mine, whom I know through Twitter (now no longer an active account), Facebook, and the posts on her website, Jillian gave her view on yesterday's post, which, unlike most of those actually taking part in the OWS "protest" in NYC, was thought out... well thought out.

However, what makes me shudder is how OWS - should they succeed in whatever it is they want - will affect the Dagny Taggarts, Francisco d'Anconias, and Hank Reardons of today... even more chilling is how the work of Ayn Rand has become almost like an outline or a blueprint for this "new and improved" society which they have envisioned... only for them to (once they get what they want) propel it to one that's an Orwellian perversion. Though we have a plethora of media sources (not just network news) to refer to, we must still scrutinize most of what we see. For example, yesterday there was an article in the U.K.'s Daily Mail which tells of how OWS has created such an increase in the accumulated waste on the streets (it was Sunday, so sanitation workers and garbage trucks will not be running), even showing images... to include a picture of a "protestor defecating on a police car." Is this a legitimate story? Are the pictures authentic, or have they been "doctored"? Too many people take what is in the print media, or on the evening news as fact... If you don't believe me, try arguing the existence of UFO's with someone who gets their news from the magazines found in the check-out isle at Walmart. What has become fact is that a large portion of the news that is "fed" to us has some sort of slant or bias already "pre-loaded" (at this point, you may have those words of Bono's echoing through your head). When we lost the likes of Walter Cronkite and Edward Murrow, we also lost true, unbiased reporting. I could still take issue with this, but I'm going to leave this picture at face-value:













- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 281 (A Few More Days, Then Home)

As you had by now noticed, I was absent yesterday in observance of Yom Kippur. First, I would like to extend a special "Thank You" to Julie Mollins of the blog Telling Tales (you can also follow her on Twitter: @tellingtales).

Yom Kippur was very pleasant, though it was a bit of a struggle (trying going without food or drink for over 24 hours), but at the end - before I ended the fast - I felt quite exhilarated, energetic.

James and I are having to play a little bit of "catch up" with this load. Normally, it would get loaded in Lewiston, ID around lunchtime on Thursday, then delivered in Tulsa the following Monday, but since the customer didn't have enough of an order to build a full load, we didn't get it put on until Friday... but it still delivers on Monday. Fortunately, it's not due until 1230 Monday (instead of first thing in the morning), so we have a little extra time. We have been able to make up for lost time, as we are traveling through Kansas right now. I was impressed with James yesterday. Being as he's never driven a truck before, his focus & determination was outstanding. We started from Rocker, MT (on the west side of Butte), and we switched over (I had a couple hours more than he available to drive) in Casper, WY - just over 500 miles away, which he drove nonstop. I drove us from Casper in to Cheyenne. About 40 miles north of there, we noticed signs of a recent snowfall... shortly thereafter driving into a snowfall ourselves. It was very pretty, but this was no light flurry, as you can tell from this pic taken this morning as we were leaving Cheyenne:






From Cheyenne, we have 780 miles left to cover by lunchtime tomorrow. If we can't cover all of that tonight, we will at least be close.

I did get some Starbucks today, which is always a nice little treat after a fast. Speaking of coffee, my friend, Lauri Rottmayer (whom also has a blog and is on Twitter) had recently returned from her birthday trip to Spain... and brought me back some Spanish coffee! When she mentioned (via Twitter) that she was there I jokingly commented to bring me some back... and she did! I am humbled, grateful, and a bit embarrassed that she brought it back (not to worry, Lauri... I will savor & appreciate EVERY drop).

I guess that is why I have chosen a motto for myself: Carpe Java (Seize The Coffee)!

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 280 (Julie Mollins, Guest Blogger)

During my absence (in honor of Yom Kippur), I am very grateful for Julie Mollins filling in for me (especially since I asked her at the last moment). Julie, aside from being a London-based journalist working at Reuters (AlertNet) with an interest in the arts, also has a couple blogs of her own: her self-titled Julie Mollins, and one she calls Telling Tales. Clearly, she's a very busy woman, which makes me even more honored that she agreed to cover for me... so without further ado, here's Julie...




Battling borders

I’ve often thought about how much more difficult setting up a new life in London would have been without social media.

Through Twitter, since moving to London from Toronto in 2008, I’ve been able to make new friends in England and keep in touch with old friends in Canada.

When I was a child, my mother -- who is English and emigrated to Canada with my Canadian father in the 1960s -- relied on snail-mail letters from family and friends to stay in touch.

I’m lucky because I have a Canadian and a British passport, which means I can travel freely to Canada, Britain, the United States and the 27 countries of the European Union without needing a visa.

Last weekend I went to Berlin, where invisible and visible borders destroyed so many lives in the 20th century.

Nazi rule in Germany after 1933 destroyed Berlin’s roughly 200,000-strong Jewish community by enforcing exile to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp or to death camps.

After the Second World War, Berlin was divided first into four sectors among Russia, France, Britain and the U.S. and later, in 1961, split into communist East Berlin and capitalist West Berlin.

The Berlin Wall, constructed to prevent an exodus from east to west during the Cold War, separated families and friends again until it was smashed in 1989.

Now the city commemorates the Holocaust with the dramatic Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, designed by Patrick Eisenman, and engineer Buro Happold, made up of concrete slabs, and via tributes in the decade-old Jewish Museum, designed partly by architect Daniel Libeskind.

The divisive wall is also commemorated throughout the city with markings on the ground, pieces of wall and a museum at Checkpoint Charlie, which marks the border crossing between the old East and West Berlin.

Estimates vary, but between 100 and 200 people were killed trying to escape from east to west.

To a tourist, reconstruction, reconciliation and remembrance characterise modern-day Berlin.

Old scars remain.



- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 279 (A Family Visit In Idaho, And Yom Kippur)

Today James and I picked up a load in Lewiston, ID (the same place I've been to the previous 2 times I've been up here). Once the trailer was loaded, I took us to the south end of town, parked at an old Walmart building, and met up with my niece and her husband & son at IHOP:



It was a nice visit, seeing as I haven't seen her in many years. She tried getting in touch with her mom (my sister-in-law) to join us, but had no luck... perhaps next time. It was a very enjoyable gathering, and one that was long overdue.

Tomorrow is the Sabbath, as well as Yom Kippur (Day Of Atonement, the highest of the Jewish holy days). With many things going on in my life at present (which I may fill you in at a later time), I didn't plan accordingly, so I may have to do a post on Sunday to cover the weekend (as I will be "unplugging" tomorrow). I hope you will forgive the absence of a post tomorrow, then again I doubt if it will be missed. At times, my post can be rather droll and mundane, but I try to make it interesting... and many times I fall short. As my friend Terri Nakamura once said, "it takes a lot of dedication to blog every day." That it does... as well as an equal amount of discipline (to keep a deadline) and creativity (i.e. interesting content). Will I take this blog in a different direction? Will I end it after this year? The answer to both of the questions is: I don't know... yet.

I don't get very much feedback, even though I have had over 3,000 page views to date, so there's no telling what will happen.

I must close... have a blessed Sabbath and a successful - and repentant - fast this Yom Kippur.

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 278 (The Passing Of A True Icon)

It's no longer "breaking news" now, everybody knows of the passing of Apple's co-founder/former CEO/Chairman, Steve Jobs. I won't go into any type of analysis, nor diatribe, of Mr. Jobs' life and/or legacy. I will, however, just direct you to a couple posts of note I came upon while perusing the webosphere (yes, on my iPhone). A few articles that caught my interest were The Daily Dose blog, and the article 10 Things To Thank Steve Jobs For, both of which are from the Entrepreneur.com website, and a very incredible story (not to mention the re-designed homepage in tribute to Mr. jobs) on Wired.com.


"The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."
— President Barack Obama


Sadly, though, there is another side to this sad story... one that only fills me with contempt and disgust - but not for Mr. Jobs. It has been reported on the Inquisitr.com website that those (whom we Jews can only describe as meshuga) folks from Westboro Baptist Church have decided to protest Steve Jobs' funeral. Protest? Really?! Here's the funny - and hypocritical - part: Megan Phelps (daugter of the "church's" pastor) tweeted these plans from her iPhone!! Need I say anything more about how misguided these folks are? Yeshua (Jesus, in Hebrew) taught about love... the only thing WBC ever seems to speak is hate.

I'd better go get a coffee (no nearby Starbucks) before I really go on a tangent.

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 277 (Burnaby, BC: Done... Plus A Visit To The Hot Spot)

This morning James and I got up around 0530 (0730 CT), walked down to Starbucks for the morning fuel, then made our way up to Blaine, WA (right across the border from British Columbia). I dropped him off at the truck stop then went into Canada. I've been to the customer a couple times before, so finding my way around is no longer a problem. What became the problem was getting through Customs on the way back into the U.S. Not any major problem, just a long line of trucks doing the same thing I was. In all, the wait was about 1 hour, 45 minutes (that's not counting the 10-15 minutes I spent in the Duty Free store, to get a couple bags of wafer cookies for my Tikvah).







Once I made it back into the U.S., I hooked back up with James. I told him about a wing joint just walking distance away that has a wing challenge: 3 wings/dollars/minutes. The owner, Mike, has a sauce - which he called "Stupd" (not a typo) - and consists of Jalepeño, Seranno, & Habenero peppers, onions, garlic, and Frank's Hot Sauce. However, there is one other ingredient involved: pepper extract. The extract Mike currently uses for his sauce/challenge is 6,000,000 Scoville Units. To give you and idea of how hot this can be (and you can compare it to this handy, dandy chart), the average Jalepeño ranks 3,500-4,500 Scoville Units; the Habenaro: 200,000-300,000. If you happen to stop in and take the challenge, Mike does require you to sign a waiver. They can be found at:

The Hot Spot
1733 H St. #260
Blaine, WA
(360) 656-5489

... or you can "like" them on Facebook, as well. By the way, I didn't take the challenge... I went with the Chipotle/Garlic wings.



- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 276 (In Washington State)

James and I left around 0730 (CT) from Jerome, ID and began our trek up to Woodinville, WA. Traffic hasn't been too bad, and the weather has been just a little cool. Along the way I've been able to get some good shots:


(Baker City, OR)



(La Grande, OR - using the Instagram app)



(Kamela, OR - just before the final decent down the west side of "Cabbage", a.k.a. Deadman Pass)

We made it safely to the bottom, which, as any truck driver who has ever driven knows, is not always an easy task, especially a 6% grade winding around for about 6 miles... not really the type of task you would want to undertake if you've never driven a truck in mountains before... just ask James:




the good thing is we both had coffee (to calm our nerves) beforehand... imagine if we had not.

Today we are going to try to get to Woodinville before we shut down for the night. Tomorrow, after we unload the first drop there, I'll drive us up to the border and drop James off at the truck stop there, then deliver the rest of this product in Burnaby, BC, head back across the border, and, hopefully, start heading to pick up our next load. Chances are, we may be heading out to Lewiston, ID (as I had done the previous two trips out here). If so, I'd like to get out there tomorrow night and pay a visit to my sister-in-law and niece.

We shall see.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 275 (Getting My Re-Start In Idaho)

James and I are parked at the Flying J truck stop in Jerome, ID, just north of Twin Falls. Since we are getting a re-start on our logbooks - and have all day to wait - I figured I would take a walk into Twin Falls and head to Starbucks... which is where I am at as I post this. Needless to say, I will be sleeping well tonight. It's times like this I really wish I had a Specialized Camber Elite mountain bike (I may have to look into some possible sponsorship). I did however get some really good shots (from an iPhone... not quite as good as a Canon Rebel, but it'll work) of the Snake River as I crossed the bridge going into Twin Falls:





(Taken from the north side of Perrine Bridge, facing west)





(Taken from the north end of Perrine Bridge, facing east)





(Taken from the south side of Perrine Bridge - at the Buzz Langdon Visitor Center)

For those of you who may remember (as I do), the second photo is a view of the Snake River, facing east, which, just 2 miles from that spot, was where stuntman Evel Knievel made his famed - and failed - jump in 1974.

Fortunately the weather is rather mild, and a nice breeze blowing. It's only about 85°, but the headwind on the walk down here did make for more of a workout than just a casual stroll. By the time I get back to the truck, I will have walked just under 12 miles. It may be quite a stretch, but I look at as an experience, a stretch, of what I am capable of doing. As some of you already know, I'm not like most truck drivers because, a) I am a Starbucks aficionado, where most truck drivers are satisfied with the swill that is often trying to be passed off as "coffee", and, b) I'm willing to walk (though I'd rather cycle - hint, hint) several miles, not just for Starbucks, but to explore the areas I'm in, where most truck drivers consider it an inconvenience to walk all the way across the truck stop parking lot, because they couldn't find a parking spot closer (and they wonder why they can't lose weight).

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 274 (What A Long And Productive Day)

James started driving this morning from Limon, CO (about 60-70 miles east of Denver), where we shut down last night. Driving up around the north eastern side if the Denver area, up to Cheyenne, WY (making a pitstop in Laramie), then west to Evanston for another quick break. Evanston, WY is just a few short miles from the Wyoming/Utah state line. When we left there I took over the driving duties, since I had just under 4 1/2 hours to drive, while james had 2 hours less than that.

I just finished fueling and parked about an hour ago (2105, to be exact) here in Jerome, ID, just about 4 miles north of Twin Falls. When we pulled in here I had only 4 minutes left. So you can see that we covered quite a bit of ground today; a grand total of 794. Which leaves only 635 to cover by 0900 (1100 CT) Wednesday morning. We are shutting down here to get our 34 hour re-start, then leave out Tuesday morning to finish this trip. Before I start heading back east too far, I'll have to stop in a grocery store to pick up some more Mocha Mix creamer (which is the absolute bomb - if you've had it before, you know exactly what I mean). The bad news is the truck cannot move for that full 34 hours... and the nearest Starbucks is 4 miles away (guess who may be going on a "walking tour" tomorrow).

At least this blog won't be posted late tomorrow... I hope.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 273 (On The Way To Woodinville)

We left this morning from Tulsa, OK to make this trip up to Washington state, then up to British Columbia to finish off. By the time we arrived in Tulsa and did what needed to be done, there were only 37 minutes left on our logbooks... which would not have gotten us out of the Tulsa area and into some sort of a parking spot, so we just parked at the customer's facility for the night.

James has been doing pretty good these last (almost) 2 weeks. Once we get this delivered, he will be taking care of everything needed; checking in at customers, route planning, fuel stops, etc. while I just observe (and offer advice where needed). The bad thing about this trip up to the northwest is, due to the inadequate efficiency of the employees when we loaded in Davenport, IA, we will be unable to get a restart on our logbooks. At least I (hopefully) will be able to wander around Woodinville for a little while on Tuesday.

It was nice waking up to 47° weather this morning. Another beautiful Sabbath as we make our way the the mountain regions, which, of course, will provide for some good training for James. Once we get up to La Grande, OR if he doesn't feel confident enough to drive over Emmigrant Hill (a.k.a. Deadman Pass, a.k.a. Cabbage), I won't force him to. After all, I don't mind driving it, since I have done so on several occasions, and in different types of weather. I do plan on making a few stops along the way for my coffee drink (grandé triple Marble Mocha Machiatto) from Starbucks.

I still want to get a Specialized Camber Elite mountain bike.

I'm accepting donations...

... anyone?

... anyone?

... Beuller?


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 272 (What A Day)

James and I left from Dexter, MO this morning about 0745-ish. We had gotten loaded last night, but due to being out of hours, we couldn't leave until this morning. We made our way through Missouri, into Arkansas, delivering in Berryville. On our way, we passed through Branson, MO (which, in my opinion, amounts to nothing more than a hillbilly version of Vegas - but that's just me), then along U.S. 62 west which took us to our final destination.

Once we left Berryville, I drove down S.R. 21 south to U.S. 412 west and made a stop in Springdale, AR - which is where Tyson's Corporate Offices are. I stopped there to tend to some business with my bank, then back-tracked about 2 blocks to a truck shop to pick up some tire chains (we are required to have them on us when going through Colorado this time of year). Oh yeah, I didn't tell you the cool news... I'm on my way to Tulsa, OK to get a load going to Woodinville, WA/Burnaby, BC.

Needless to say, I haven't had any decent coffee in the past couple days, and I absolutely refuse to abuse my body by consuming that dredge that Pilot truck stops pass off as "coffee." You can probably guess (and you would be right) that my lack of good coffee only slightly affects my temperament:



As the sun in preparing to set, and some of my friends are preparing for the Sabbath, I will bring this post to a close. I hope the Sabbath finds you all filled with joy and peace. I may have a busy weekend ahead, but I will still bless and thank HaShem, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for what He has given me, and that I can enjoy the beauty of His creation as I travel up to the northwest region.

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 271 (Done With The Baloney, Now I'm Being Given The Bird)

This morning James and I left from Pevely, MO (a town about 15 miles south of St. Louis) and made our delivery in Memphis, TN, arriving just a little over an hour before our re-scheduled appointment. Fortunately, there was no lumper charges for unloading, as it was pre-paid by Kraft. We are now on our way to pick up the next load... Tyson chicken. It's a short run, due tomorrow afternoon at 1500, but knowing the facility we are picking up at, it may not be ready until about 0630 tomorrow morning. It's going to Berryville, AR (a "podunk" town), which would get me closer to Tulsa, but probably not close enough to be sent out there for a load bound for Woodinville, WA/Burnaby, BC.

I'm really trying to keep a positive outlook on things, but it's pretty difficult after this past 1 1/2 weeks. This being Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year), I'm trying to not get frustrated and let HaShem do what He does best (which is, basically... EVERYTHING).

On another note, my wife, Tikvah, mentioned the other day how I haven't been reporting on the baseball scores... especially the Red Sox. Well, my angel, here you go: the Red Sox are OUT of the post-season playoffs, and the Yankees are IN (after clinching the division title a few weeks ago). As far as I'm concerned, the baseball season is now over. If it turns out to be a Yankees vs. Phillies World Series, I'll quietly support Philadelphia - JUST to see New York lose!

Now I need to go get some coffee.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 270 (What A Load Of Baloney)

Well, at the time of this writing, James and I are still in Davenport, IA. We actually had gotten loaded last night, but due to being out of hours, we couldn't do any driving, or even scale it out (since the nearest CAT Scale was 10 miles away). As it is right now, We left this morning to scale this load, and as of 1300 (CT) I have returned to this customer for a second time to get re-loaded... and yes it is a load of baloney - literally! This load is sliced bologna being shipped (eventually) to Kroger in Memphis, TN.

I think the most frustrating thing I've had to deal with is the woman in the shipping office insinuating that I don't know what I'm talking about. She says the product was loaded according to the load plan - with 2 single pallets in the nose of the trailer - and I'm trying to explain to her (and keep my cool & composure at the same time) that there are no single pallets in the nose (something I have confirmed with my own eyes!)... but I don't know what I'm talking about. Because of this mess I'm dealing with, James and I have yet to get underway, and now the load is re-scheduled from 1000 to 1300 tomorrow.

I think I just need to make a stop to Starbucks.

On a lighter, and MUCH more pleasant note... this evening is Rosh HaShanah, also known as the Jewish New Year. If you celebrate it, may you have a blessed and joyous Shana Tova! Next week (on October 7th, to be exact) is Yom Kippur, or the Day Of Atonement, a time when we seek forgiveness and repentance. I'll close by saying if any of you, my readers, have been offended by anything I have posted on this blog... I sincerely apologize, and ask your forgiveness. My goal is not only to enlighten you with the many sights I see on the road, but in the hopes of opening your spiritual eyes, with my ongoing observations of the things I see going on, not only here in America, but also around the world - and especially in Israel. These are the times when we need to not only watch, but also support Israel (and her people) in every way that we can. Remember, The Lord is watching!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 269 (Here In Eastern Iowa, Done For The Night)

James and I were up at 0430 again this morning, but we made our delivery in Cedar Falls. After we got unloaded, we went over to Walcott, IA and topped off the fuel, showered, then came over here to Davenport to load. Though when the trailer gets loaded, we will just have to park for the night, since we don't have any more hours left on our logbook for driving.

The good thing is this load isn't due to deliver until 1000 Thursday morning, so we still have some time. It's a cool night here in Davenport... probably cool enough to sleep with not even the APU running, though I may not try it. I figured since the weather was pretty cool, it was a good time to make some chili for dinner - which turned out splendidly, of course. I'm hoping to get something Thursday that will send us in the direction of Tulsa, perhaps I will be able to get the load that goes up to Woodinville, WA, then up to Burnaby, BC. At least I can hope, right. James has been doing pretty good, his backing skills are still a little shaky, but I see the improvement.

I would like to apologize for getting this post up past my deadline. I hope you can see your way to forgive me.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 268 (On Our Way To Iowa)

James and I made it to our appointment on time at Walmart this morning, but since they took longer than they should have (plus the fact that Tyson fiddled about with the loading process for this load), our delivery to Cedar Falls, IA will be later than the original 0500 appointment. Things like this happen on occasion, so I just take the bad with the good. I managed to get some coffee from Denny's earlier, so that makes good out of the bad.

We have already been pre-planned on our next load. Once we get this delivered, we will head to Davenport, IA (which is on the east end of the state, just across the Mississippi River from Illinois) and pick up a load bound for Memphis, TN. That's not a bad run, at least it will get me about 2,000 miles for the week.

Being a truck driver is an easy job, but not an easy lifestyle if you are married. Being away from home for weeks - sometimes months - at a time can take its toll on a marriage. I have been fortunate (and blessed) to have an incredible woman as my wife. Though there are time when I question her mental stability... after all, she has put up with me for over 20 years (married for almost 19) - so she must be crazy, right? In all seriousness, I truly am blessed, especially since I have seen many marriages fail, both here in the trucking industry and in the military. It takes a special kind of man in both professions to hold their own and keep focused upon the mission at hand (as well as keeping their libido in check). It also takes a special woman whom is married to a man in either profession. I can honestly say that I am TRULY blessed, because Tikvah has been with me, through thick and thin, in BOTH professions.

Yeah... she's THAT special!




- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 267 (Just Waiting It Out)

We are still parked here in Bentonville, AR just waiting it out until we make our delivery at 0500 tomorrow, which, as some of you already know, I really don't care for those early morning deliveries - especially when I can't park closer to the customer than what I am now.

Last night, while hanging out here at Starbucks, I was fortunate enough to engage in some real conversation - intellectually stimulating. The gentleman whom I conversed with (mostly) was named Sherman, from Palm Beach, FL (not very far from my birthplace & "stomping grounds" of Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale). Our dialogue ran the gamut, spanning about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, when we parted ways 1 1/2 hours after Starbucks closed. We did share the same view concerning the recent Palestinian Authority bid for statehood, in that the whole media coverage of it is a farce. First of all, it's interesting how there are so many that seem to "forget" that the breakdown in the peace talks between the PA and Israel was not due to PM Benyamin Netanyahu refusing to negotiate, but PM Mahmoud Abbas! For one thing, Abbas is now talking about calling for a renegotiation of - which could very well bring an end to - the Oslo Accords.

Second, it's interesting that there is such a push for Israel to revert back to the pre-1967 borders. During that war Israel was outnumbered, yet were still victorious. Therefore, the message that is being sent by the Arab world is, "it doesn't matter that we lost the war we initiated, as well as the land (*note* also referred to as the spoils of war), if we cry "injustice" long enough and loud enough, the rest of the world will pressure the victors to give it back to us." Palestine doesn't exist as a country, but that's the "title" given to them ever since the British Mandate in 1920. Also interesting, that one of the terrorist organizations within the PA is Hammas. If you do a little biblical research, you'll find that G-d called Noah to build an ark, because "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." (Genesis 6:11)... but when you look at it in the Hebrew text (this excerpt is taken from the Hebrew Today website):

וַתִמָלֵּא הָאָרֶץ חָמַס (בראשית, ו, יב)

“. . and the earth was filled with violence” ( Genesis 5,11 )

The word “חָמַס “ ( chamas ) is translated into English as “violence”. The Hebrew word for “ violence” is “ אלימות “ ( alimut ). So what is the difference between the two? חָמַס is a much more severe type of violence. Violence which contains injustice. It does not have to necessarily contain physical violence. Theft , embezzlement and fraud are all considered “חמס “.

Both the Hebrew word AND the terrorist group name are pronounced the same! Just some food for thought.


What are your thoughts?


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 266 (This Trip Is Finished... Kinda)

James and I finally made it to Bentonville, AR. We are parked at a truck stop about 6 miles from the Walmart where we are delivering on Monday. The unfortunate thing about it is, with all the property Walmart has on any of their distribution centers, they don't accommodate, nor even consider, any truck parking. Granted, there are a lot of truck drivers that are trashy (thus giving those of us that try to project a positive image) and give the rest of us a bad name... but with all the inbound freight Walmart has on a daily basis (and few D.C.'s with even a nearby truck stop) you would think they would take us into consideration. Wait... what was I thinking... we are meaningless to them.

Also, this truck stop - which is the closest - charges a $10 fee... which is rather ridiculous considering they only have enough room for 4 trucks. There is a Lowe's behind said truck stop, but I would have to leave by sunrise, which would ruin any chance of getting a 34 hour re-start on our logbooks. A good side to all this is James and I were pre-planned yesterday, so when we are done at Walmart, we head over to Tyson in Rogers, AR, do a drop & hook (considering the load is ready) and head up to Cedar Falls, IA for Tuesday morning... so at least this week is shaping up to be better than last week.

Well, I'm done ranting, I'll close this out... and enjoy my trademark coffee drink here at Starbucks.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 265 (Soon To Be On The Way To Bentonville)

This afternoon James and I are picking up a load here in Chicago (a load of Tootsie Rolls) delivering in Bentonville, AR for Monday morning. It may not be much, but perhaps it will put is in a location that will produce better miles next week.

This week there have been several world leaders speaking at the United Nations, with the primary purpose being the possible creation of a Palestinian state. Today (being the final day) featured Mahmoud Abbas delivering his petition for statehood. The problem I see with his point of "Israel has occupied Palestinians for 63 years" is that in 1948, when Israel was given their land back by the UN... well, you can read the brief history for yourself. Palestinians are NOT a nation. To the Arab world, all they are is political leverage... something that can be used to further their own agenda. I'll put it in perspective this way: after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast region, all of a sudden Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were "concerned" for the safety and well-being of the people of New Orleans... but once the media hype died down, Sharpton and Jackson were nowhere in sight. They exploited the situations AND the people for their own means & agenda. That's the same way that Palestinians are treated by their Arab "brothers." Most "Palestinians" are Muslim, so the key discrepancy I see is why should they have their own "state" with Jerusalem as its Capitol. The cities that Muslims revere as sacred are Mecca and Medina... Jerusalem is meaningless to them.

The only bearing that Jerusalem would have in the Muslim world is they would use it for furthering their cause of eradicating the Jewish people, something that Mahmoud Ahmadinajah fully supports... even making that claim in the UN!

I'm, as yet, unsure of the progress of these hearings, but all I can say is please continue to hold Israel in prayer - this is the time where they really need it. May you all be safe, and may the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless you! May your Sabbath be blessed as well!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 264 (This Week Is Shot)

We arrived here in Alsip, IL last night, and can't deliver this for another 47 minutes, because the broker scheduled it for 1600 today. All the years I have driven a truck, and all the different brokers I have had to deal with, this brokerage (Transplace) has to be the worst one yet. I say this because if you recall from Day 262, the load I was supposed to pick up wasn't there. This could not be chalked up to "a minor error", that was outright incompetence. I've lost 2 days worth of driving (in the line of work we are not paid by the hour, but by the mile - if the wheels aren't turning, you're not making any money) dealing with them and this load, only to find myself in the right place, but at the wrong time... my next load (thankfully not a broker) picks up tomorrow, but doesn't deliver until Monday in Bentonville, AR.

Besides having to deal with the incompetence at the brokers, I'm also grouchy because I haven't had any coffee today.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 263 (Almost To Chicago)

James and I finally got the trailer loaded and leaving out of Pine Bluff, AR around 2000 yesterday. We made it to Matthews, MO and shut down there. Since this load (as I found out from the broker earlier today) doesn't deliver until 1600 tomorrow, so there is no major rush... but I do intend to get to the customer tonight. I'm doing that so in case they don't unload us until 1600, then we won't have to even log on... also, I really don't want to deal with the Chicago area traffic frost thing in the morning.

I had James pull off here in Effingham, IL (about 90 miles east of St. Louis) so we could switch over (I'm gradually increasing his daily miles), and so I could walk over to Starbucks to get my coffee fix. The weather is definitely showing signs of the fall season we are in; cooler temperatures, and the fading/falling of the leaves. I'm really hoping our next load sends us in the direction of Tulsa, so I can get another load bound for Woodinville, WA/Burnaby, BC - I bet the temperatures have dropped a little more up in that region. If I do get one of those loads, I may have to either purchase some tire chains on the road (which the company will cover the expenses for), or get some from another driver that will not need them.

I'm really jonesin' to head back up to the northwest again, can you tell?


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 262 (Finally Leaving Pine Bluff)

We arrived here in Pine Bluff, AR last night, only to find out that the load we were supposed to pick up (going to Twinsburg, OH) didn't exist. After waiting all day, the broker finally got things sorted out... now James and I will be heading to Alsip, IL (which is a suburb on the southwest side of Chicago). This is one of the reasons I don't like about brokers... most of them need to visit a proctologist several times a times a day in order to do their job.

James and I are getting along quite famously. It's nice to finally have someone with which I can hold an intellectual conversation for more than 2-3 minutes. After just the first 24 hours, I can honestly tell that the teaching industry will, some day, suffer a great loss. From our conversations, I've come to the conclusion that because of the government's involvement in the educational system, there will be many more teachers that will either leave their chosen careers of their own free will, or due to the politics that are being imposed - many good teachers, I might add. Those of you who are parents, or just observe the young adults graduating as products of the current system, can see the system as we know it now is just endorsing a practice of the indoctrination of ignorance. That very practice goes on to being further endorsed at the college/university level, where political ideology is being passed off as "education." Gone are the days of encouraging logical debates through free-thinking individuals.

Wake the hell up and smell the coffee!!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 261 (On The Road, Missing Home)

I left out this morning and headed to the North Little Rock terminal and picked up James, my new student. James is 56, he's from a small town in Texas, and used to be a teacher. Him and I have been talking about a plethora of subjects, from his previous job to politics to food.

We got a load which picks up in Pine Bluff (through a broker), but when we got here, we found out the load wasn't on the schedule. When I inquired with one of the forklift drivers, he told me that the load was only partially ready, and that they would not be running any of the product until tomorrow. Therefore we will be staying here tonight and getting with Monica (my Fleet Manager), as well as the broker, and try to sort this out. On the upside, not only did I leave home with a cup of coffee, but I also made my pilgrimage to Starbucks.

At least this is one way to show James some of the down sides to this industry, but hopefully this will means there will be more "smooth sailing" loads in the very NEAR future.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 260 (Back To Work Tomorrow)

It was nice being home, but all good things must come to an end. Today, we had a very nice late lunch/early dinner: I made some more matzoh ball soup, and Tikvah made some butter/herb chicken. After we enjoyed a good siesta, we rented a couple movies. We watched Paul the other night, so we returned that, and , after the movie Tikvah want originally wanted to see (Bride's Maids) had not been released yet, we rented Red and You Again - both of which were superb (and both of which I watched while enjoying our last  glass of wine... until we get some more in a couple weeks).

Tomorrow I head back out to work, and pick up a new student. his name is James and he lives in Texas. As the next few weeks move along, I'll fill you in on his progress. Until then - Ciao!

Day 259 (My Wife Is Hilarious)

It's been a lovely Sabbath, even more so because I'm spending it at home. Yesterday my wife, Tikvah, and I went to Walmart (even though I avoid shopping there whenever possible) where she saw a pair of boots that she liked. I encouraged her to get them, since they were pretty reasonable - and were in her size - but she declined, saying she really didn't need them. She is fairly frugal, so she always looking for a good deal, but she doesn't always buy said deals. Well, we went to Walmart today to pick up a few things (like the ingredients for her spicy spaghetti, which I'll make on the truck), and look around a bit. She spotted some curtains in a "1/2 off" bin. She saw a sage green set of curtains, considered them for a moment (she said they would go in the kitchen), and put them back. I told her since they were 1/2 off, she's not losing any money - especially since all she wanted was the valance. We walked away from the bin, mainly because the other people there were quite rude (actually behaving more like savages).

We split up because I went to get some olives. When we got back together, she had the boot she was looking at yesterday. I'm glad she finally decided to get them, but when I asked what changed her mind, she said, "well, I could get the curtains, which are the same price, but the boots I can actually wear... the curtains would just hang there."

That's one of the reasons I love her - she really cracks me up!

Day 258 (A Nice Lazy Day)

A quiet day, very laid back... my kind of day. When we live in such a fast-paced, hectic world, it's always good to pull back and slow down. Chilled out this morning drinking coffee while I played a few records (Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair, for one), this afternoon I got my new Banana Republic photojournalist vest back from the cleaners. The last one I had to throw away, as I found out (the hard way) when you wash one of those - in a washing machine - the material can break down fairly quickly. This one will only get dry cleaned, though this one didn't go to the cleaners for cleaning, but to get coated with scotch guard (about 7 coats, or so the cleaners' clerk told me). It would be a lot easier to replace the vest if Banana Republic still made them.

As we close in on the Sabbath (which I'm a little late in getting this up), I have some dough in the oven rising for the challah bread, and some matzoh ball soup on the stove... as well as a glass of wine sitting here before me. May you all have a blessed evening! Drop me a line, tell me what you like the most (or the least) about this blog, as I'm considering taking it in a different direction... one that's more a personal perspective on current events: from local news (where ever I happen to be at the time), up to the national  - or even world - level. As I mentioned before, I post all comments. Take care and be blessed! 

Day 257 (It's So Nice To Be Home)

I got home late last night, and it feels so nice! As some of you may have noticed, I did a little tweaking on the  blog site. I've added a few little things, and I may possibly be adding a few more... hopefully it will begin to enhance your experience while visiting here. I'm still looking at some other add-ons, so this will be a work-in-progress.

Today, Tikvah and I took our youngest son to the eye doctor, so he could get a new prescription for his glasses, though his new prescription isn't much different, but his glasses were also getting a little small for his head - so it was time.

Tonight's agenda: chill out, drink coffee, play some records, and possibly watch Paul.

Day 256 (Home, Sweet Home)

Chuck and I made it to the North Little Rock terminal at half past midnight this morning. Yesterday afternoon one of the instructors in the training center called me and reserved a room for Chuck in the "on campus" lodging. This morning Chuck took his final evaluation. I haven't heard anything, but from my conversation with Ed (the same instructor that took care of Chuck's room), he told me that Chuck was doing well. By now he's probably getting things organized in his truck, and he may be getting home tonight or tomorrow.

Speaking of getting home... I took the load the rest of the way to Ft. Smith and delivered it this afternoon. After I had that taken care of, I went to our Ft. Smith terminal to kick back a bit (and get some Starbucks). Monica (my fleet manager) called me and asked if I would drop my trailer at a customer in Russellville, AR, then pick up a different trailer (from another customer), to which once that was done, to go home. So, by tonight I will be at home for the next few days. Come Monday, I'll pick up my next student from the North Little Rock terminal and carry on from there. Until then, I may have to surf the web and rant about what I come across - just so I can have some decent content to offer you the next few days.

I may not be Snickers, but I will, at least, try to satisfy.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 255 (Finally Getting Out Of Atlanta)

Yesterday Chuck and I had gotten a load out of Atlanta, which was going to New Albany, MS. This morning, that load was changed. Now we are picking up in a different part of Atlanta, going to Ft. Smith, AR... and to release Chuck once we get to the terminal in North Little Rock, so he can get his final evaluation and get his own truck.

Last night (as many already know) was the Tea Party debate on CNN. I didn't watch it, as I was stuck at the original place I was originally going to load at, but my initial assessment of the debates is, first of all, they are still politicians. Granted, they may be "endorsed" by the Tea Party movement, but they are still politicians. Another "red flag" (for me, at least) is the debates were hosted by CNN, which is NOT going to pose an unbiased view in their questions... then again, what network would give an unbiased view? It seems that the Democrat party is ceaseless in their attempt to vilify the Tea Party movement, while the Republican treats them as an extension of their own party. From what I have seen, the Tea Party movement was started by American citizens that are fed up with the "politics-as-usual" attitude emanating from D.C., and are looking for real change within the system, as well as TRUE accountability from those that WE have elected into office. When we have a government that has put into place an automatic annual pay raise for themselves while simultaneously trying to eliminate that same annual pay raise for the military, then there is something seriously wrong! In the time prior to (and even after) the attack on Pearl Harbor, most of the politicians that served in D.C. were military vets... now it seems that a military vet in politics is rare. What we need is for these politicians to realize they don't call the shots - WE do! If they (as most of them do) want to act as if they are "above us" or that they know "what's best for us," then it's time to put them in the unemployment line, and replace them with somebody who WILL keep the interest of America - and not their own - as their PRIMARY focus. If they won't be accountable for their own actions and decisions, then we don't need them!

I say the time for a good "house cleaning" is long overdue!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 254 (Rebuttal To A Comment From Yesterday)

Today Chuck and I delivered our load on the north end of the Atlanta area. Once we finished unloading, we headed to the nearest truck stop to wait for our next load. When it came in this afternoon, we headed to the customer, which is just a couple miles from where we unloaded, though, because of a mixup between the customer and the broker, this has quickly become quite the fiasco (one of the reasons I don't care to deal with brokers). The broker has said the load is scheduled to deliver in New Albany, MS tomorrow at 2130, yet, the customer (where I'm loading) is saying it doesn't load until 2000 tomorrow. I'm letting Monica (my Fleet Manager) - along with our CSR - try to get it hashed out with the broker.

On another note, the blog I posted yesterday garnered a response on the blog's "comment" section. I usually get comments on either Facebook or Twitter in regards to the posts, but every once in a while I get one on the blog itself. As I posted at the end of my post for Day 245, I will post all comments, unless it takes on the appearance of "spam," so this comment I treated as a regular comment. This particular comment rather amused me. As a general rule, "spam," by definition, is trying to sell or market some type of service or technological assistance. I'll first post the comment (unedited), then analyze its content:


brinkka2011 says: How is it that just anyone can publish a blog and get as popular as this? Its not like youve said anything incredibly impressive more like youve painted a quite picture through an issue that you know nothing about! I dont want to sound mean, right here. But do you genuinely think that you can get away with adding some quite pictures and not truly say something?


Here's my rebuttal to "brinkka2011" - A) This was in my inbox as a post from "anonymous"; why not identify yourself?, B) *ahem* "as popular as this" - really?! Even the most basic research wasn't done! Had this person even looked, they would see I have 10 subscribers through Blogger, and another 5, via Networked Blogs, and (I'll be nice and just cover 3 areas), C) "an issue you know nothing about" - that statement alone is laughable. 9/11 is an issue I know nothing about... now that's rich! "brinkka2011," when if you have a desire for a real debate, bring some facts - and some SOLID issues to discuss - and we can address this like intellectual adults... until then, go trolling on somebody else's blog!

I could go on a brutal tirade with "brinkka2011", but I'm in good spirits today: I got a funny comment on yesterday's post AND I got my trademark coffee (grande triple Marble Mocha Machiatto) from Starbucks... a pretty good Monday (even if I am waiting until tomorrow to load).


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 253 (Remembering 9/11/2001)

Ten years ago a terrible tragedy took place - the attack, and subsequent destruction - of the Twin Towers of New York City. Many of us have our own story to tell of what we were doing that day. I do as well, but here I will NOT share it! The reason being is this day shouldn't be remembered by memories of what we were doing, but by how it has affected our lives, communities, and most importantly, our nation. Ten years ago, I was living in Hemet, California. The night of 9/10/01 things were as I would expect them to be: people in a rush to go nowhere, and every once in a while, a motorist might show a little courtesy to either a fellow motorist or a pedestrian. 24 hours later brought a turn-around: people would yield their right of way at intersections, using their turn signals, even allowing somebody to cut in front of them during peak traffic hours... and miniature copies of Old Glory flying from just about every vehicle that drove down the street, Sadly enough, things reverted back only one month later.

As time has gone on (and after going back out on the road, I was able to see a broader spectrum of this complacency), the slogan, "Never Forget 9/11" always seems to pop up everywhere a week before the annual memorial. The truth of the matter is, we have many entities to blame for this tragedy happening. The Muslim world, for one. After all, seeing the footage of the celebrations and the dancing in the streets shortly after the towers fell... they certainly weren't having a block party! They call us "infidels" and despise our way of life... yet never give a second thought about about using Western technology (cell phones, computers, automobiles, etc.). They are truly cowards when they hide behind black hood, store their arms & ammunition in their own mosques, even attack and kill their own fellow Muslims, just so they can instill fear and control over them. I can almost bet that the "peaceful" Muslims would not be peaceful any longer if there were an actual Jihad called upon the Western world.

Another entity that we can put blame upon would be our own government. Before 9/11, the Twin Towers had already been attacked once before, just 8 years earlier. I remember this because I was in the Marine Corps, and all of Camp Pendleton was locked down when it happened. When you start looking a little closer at events and how they tie in with one another, you begin to see a pattern. The attack in 1993 didn't work, so the Muslim radicals began to explore other methods, also referred to as "trial and error." Since 9/11 there are other similar patterns. There was an attempted bombing several years ago in Oklahoma City. OK, during an OSU football game. It was an "attempt" because the security officers were diligent and refused to let a patron in because he refused to allow his backpack to be searched. The device went off in a field outside the stadium killing only the potential bomber. This was an event that wasn't reported on any of the mainstream media outlets. FOX didn't cover it because then it would have sent the message that Conservatives didn't want to get out: "we are not as safe as we led you to believe"; ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN didn't report it because it would have sent the message, "perhaps Muslims are not as peaceful as we want you to believe," and that would have contradicted their ideology as well.

Then there is the post 9/11 activities. Throughout the past 10 years we have succumbed to the "Politically Correct" ideology that has been force-fed to us, using the military as the test subjects. In 1993 was when the military began the "Stress Card" program - recruits were issued a "Stress Card" at boot camp. If any recruit felt he or she were getting too "stressed out," they held the card up, and the Drill Instructors could not do their job (i.e. build up discipline, create camaraderie/integrity, in short, an environment that a soldier or Marine must endure in a combat situation). That was probably just the stepping stone which allowed for the shooting in Ft. Hood, TX to take place. Because of the practice of being "politically correct," Maj. Hassan couldn't be disciplined despite the fact that he had made comments of his extremist views in a forum of his fellow Army officers. He is a Muslim, I get that, but if you make Jihadist remarks, then you should be disciplined! He wasn't even confronted by his superiors when he made anti-America comments... that is NOT the military I served in, but, apparently, it's the military that our elected morons have created. The Ft. Hood debacle is just another example of the radicals "testing the waters" to see what their next plan of action will be.

In closing, let's not honor the fallen just on 9/11, let's treat everyday as if it's 9/11. Muslims threaten Israel on a daily basis. They despise Israel AND America; both the Jewish AND the Christian. Israel is surrounded by Muslim countries, yet they still exist and survive. If Muslims succeed in "wiping Israel from the face of the Earth," then how much easier will it be for them to attack us again (after all, they live among us all over the country). Be alert, be diligent, and, most of all, be persistent. We can't afford to be "Politically Correct" any more!

Above all, PRAY! Pray for our protection, for our leaders, for our troops... and for Israel!

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 252 (A Lovely, Peaceful Sabbath)

This has been a very peaceful Sabbath (as they usually are). Chuck and I are still - and will be, until tomorrow - in Blacksburg, SC (which is along I-85, just 4 miles south of the NC/SC state lines). The weather isn't all that bad, but the peace of studying Torah makes any weather comfortable.

Chuck has been inside the truck stop for most of the day, watching football. Several games are on today, neither of which I'll be watching. I'm not a big sports fan, and I could never understand how some could be so content to sit for hours at a time doing so. I guess that's just me.

Tomorrow, as everybody knows, is the 10 year Memorial of 9/11 (I refuse to call it an "anniversary," since an anniversary is an event to celebrate). I'll post something tomorrow reflective of the event of the day, and my subsequent observations of the weeks that followed. Therefore, today will be a short post.

Go have coffee!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 251 (Heading To Atlanta)

We started out from North East, MD, a small town north of Baltimore, almost to the Maryland/Delaware state line, on I-95. Not too far from North East is a town called Port Deposit, where they have recently been evacuated because of the flooding. Once we topped off the fuel, I had us pull into the Maryland House service plaza (about 3 miles south on I-95) so I could get my grandé triple Marble Mocha Machiatto from Starbucks (you start a day off right without your coffee fix, right?). Once that was done, I had what was necessary for dealing with the traffic in Baltimore and the D.C. area. Fortunately we were under way early enough in the day where it can still be a madhouse (as it usually is), but not as bad as it is right about now. Anybody who has ever dealt with the traffic around D.C. on a Friday afternoon, would, like me, much prefer the L.A. area.

Chuck and I just left a short while ago (after making a brief stop) from Graham, NC (just south of Raleigh), where, in a moment of impulse (I, strangely, had a desire for ice cream), I picked up a pint of Ben & Jerry's Bonnaroo Buzz. It was pretty good, but my favorite flavors still remain as Mint Chocolate Cookie and Strawberry Cheesecake. I do hope that, perhaps someday, they resurrect the Vermonty Python flavor... and by now, I'm quite sure you've heard of the new flavor that they have introduced.

As we finish the last 70 miles here in North Carolina, I think we will shut down in South Carolina, just across the state line to be exact, and probably finish the trip out Sunday, so we can get a re-start on our logbooks, and I can enjoy another peaceful Sabbath.

By the way, this post has been published on the new Blogger iPhone app, but it was actually composed on the BlogPress app. So far, I'm not too impressed with the Blogger app, mainly for its lack of features (BlogPress is MUCH more versatile). Hopefully, in the coming weeks/months, they will expand its capabilities. We shall see.

On a random note... is it me, or does Brian Johnson, lead vocalist of AC/DC, sound like Gollum (Lord Of The Rings) when he sings?


- Posted on the new Blogger app

Day 250 (Heading Due South)

We started the day off early (0500 CT) from Carlisle, PA, just south of Harrisburg. Getting up at that hour has never been a favorite task of mine, but it had to be done. It had rained last night, as well as started drizzling this morning when Chuck and I set off. The rain progressively got worse, to the point that the Westbound side (we were traveling on the Eastbound side) of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was only moving in the left lane, as the waters were flooding onto the turnpike and into the right lane (and a little into that left travel lane). Once we made the transition from I-76 to I-276 toward New Jersey (on the north end of Philadelphia) was when we began to hit the heavy traffic... really heavy. Our appointment was set for 1000 (ET), we told the company last night that we estimated on being at the customer by 1100, but after hitting the traffic jam, we didn't get to the customer until 1200.

The good thing is our next load picks up here at the same customer and will be delivered on Monday morning in Atlanta. We should get in another re-start on our logbooks, since this load is only 800 or so miles. Once I find out exactly where the customer is then I'll be able to determine where we will park for the re-start... and Chuck just might be able to catch a couple football games. Though I may have to break the news to him that, as a truck driver, there will be a lot of football games he will be missing when he's on the road - though I think he does have some idea of that already. I, myself, am not a big sports fanatic, though there are my favorite teams that I keep tabs on, mainly through the interweb: Boston Red Sox (via MLB) and Detroit Red Wings & L.A. Kings (via NHL).

The even better news is there are several places (3 to be exact) between here and Baltimore where I can have him stop for Starbucks... and there's one at a truck stop in South Carolina, as well - but I wouldn't know anything about that, would I?


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 249 (Almost Done With This Trip)

We shut down in Brazil, IN last night, a town about 10 miles east of Terra Haute, on I-70. Chuck pulled in at a good time of the evening, since the Pilot truck stop was beginning to fill up. We got parked in a decent spot and shut it down for the night, even though it was around 2000 (2100 ET). When we got up this morning, we got our showering in, then he did the pre-trip, fueled, and we were on our way.

We did get our delivery appointment time set: tomorrow morning at 1000 ET. I'm pretty sure we can pull it off, though it may mean having to get up early tomorrow morning to make this final drop on time. Had some rain to drive through, some construction zones, traffic... basically, things that were not as frequent when we were out west. Sure we had some construction zones, but a lot less traffic to deal with, and not very much rain (once or twice up in Washington state) - and lots of mountains.









I received a message earlier, from the Operations Department, apparently we will start getting all "committed pre-plans," which (I surmise) means we will all begin getting pre-planned work assignments (a work assignment you get before you are finished with the load you are currently on). Though I'm not exactly sure how the message is intended, there could still be questions and doubts within the Operations personnel as to what is meant, as well as how to employ this new policy... only time will tell. One thing I can be sure about is that by this time next week, Chuck will be in his own truck, pulling loads, organizing paperwork, etc. without me looking over his shoulder. Until then, he's enduring the cramped spaces of being in a trainer truck with me, either when we are parked for the night, or as we drive down the road (as we are now... and we just crossed into West Virginia). We will have a pit-stop shortly, probably in Pennsylvania (with a second on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, co I can get my coffee fix curbed at Starbucks).

Very well... enough of my babbling!

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 248 (Done With Tulsa, Now On To New Jersey)

Chuck and I got the Tulsa drop delivered this morning, now we are on our way to Dayton, NJ... though the delivery appointment time has still yet to be determined. It was pretty nice (and good planning on my part) to get a re-start on our logbooks in Tulsa, though not as nice as Woodinville, WA, since there was much more accessibility to stores, shops, etc. in Woodinville. The weather this morning was a comfortable cool, which is a very nice change considering the temperatures that Tulsa has had the past couple months. It's nice to finally have the seasonal transition into Fall, which means Winter is just around the corner.

When I spoke to Monica (my Fleet Manager) this morning, I said that the earliest I could foresee arriving in Dayton, NJ was about mid-afternoon on Thursday, though I do hope the appointment gets scheduled for first thing Friday morning. Should that happen, I just may be able to get together with an old friend from my Marine Corps days. As we drive through Missouri, I look to the south and keep thinking, "just 1 1/2 more weeks to go!" That's how much time until I get home again. It's amazing how much ground I can cover when I get in the right position for certain loads. In just the past 10 days, I (along with Chuck) have gone from Rogers, AR to Tulsa, OK, then up to Woodinville, WA & Burnaby, BC. Then getting the next load in Lewiston, ID, back down to Tulsa, to where we are now - roughly around 4,200 miles.



That's quite a bit of coverage!

The nice thing is being able to stop at a few Starbucks locations along the way, though this morning I had Denny's... which is good enough (plus there were no Starbucks for a few miles). I look forward to my next trip up to the Northwest... I hope you'll join me!

- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 247 (Labor Day - I'm In The Mood To Rant)

I sit here in Tulsa, OK, at the Flying J where Chuck and I parked yesterday evening. Not much by way of activity here, and there's not much for amenities or shopping that are within walking distance. We deliver about 3 miles from here tomorrow morning, a place which does allow for truck parking, but I made the call to park here, as the Flying J does have a driver's lounge (a.k.a. a t.v. room). I did a little perusing of the internet earlier and found, to my disgust, that Jimmy Hoffa, Jr. made a bit of a scathing speech earlier in Detroit, more or less lashing out against the Tea Party:

“We gotta keep an eye on the battle we face: the war on workers. And you see it everywhere, it is the Tea Party. And you know, there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what? They got a war, and they got a war with us. There is only going to be one winner and it’s going to be us.”

It's so interesting how a grass roots movement - who calls both Democrats and Republicans into accountability - is such a "threat".

Interestingly enough, Zara Golden did a story on it at the Media-ite website. What's even more interesting is that on the CNN website, they spoke of The President's speech there, and gave Hoffa's remarks a whitewashed fleeting appearance in the article... which is more than what the ABC News website gave (which was not even coverage of the rally). This goes to show how slanted and biased our "media" has become. If those exact works were said at a rally hosted by the GOP or the Tea Party, you can GUARANTEE it would have been immediately splashed along the networks, and the parties responsible would have been accused of making "terroristic threats". It seems that whoever supports the current "regime" can do and say whatever they wish, but whoever speaks out against will be run through the mill and ostensibly scrutinized and discredited. If you do some research, you will find that these very tactics (of discrediting the opposition) were often employed - even through violent acts - by the National Socialist German Workers Party... most commonly referred to as the NAZI Party.

What I am seeing is a transformation of this country - and not in a positive way. Those of you who may see current events unfolding, and see how it is reflective of past history - even when consulting in Scriptural context (as I do) - can see that the only possible good that could come out of what transformations have been occurring, is for us to turn to prayer. By that, I don't mean in whatever religion you follow, but by seeking the One True Living G-d in prayer. Things around us won't change until we first change things within us.


"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
-George Santayana



- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 246 (Almost Done With This Leg)

Last night, Chuck and I shut down in Colby, KS, just 53 miles from the Kansas/Colorado state line, which left us with about 470 miles left to cover today. I actually dread this part of the trip, because we will be heading back into the more humid weather. The Weather Channel says that Tulsa is supposed to be in the 80's for the next few days.

Driving through the northern plains and venturing into the mountainous territory that the Northwest is known for always offers a sense of peace - that and the reduced amount of traffic - which always makes for a relaxing drive. When I first started driving a truck I recall being rather skittish, almost terrified, of driving through the mountains (which is understandable if you've limited experience doing so), but over the years I have gained a longing to drive those areas. There are areas in the East and Northeast which some consider as "mountainous", but the real mountain regions are only in the West and Northwest.

One thing I teach my students is to have respect for the mountains: drive in a way that provides the safest passage for the weight you're hauling, in accordance with the grade percentage. For example, if you have a gross vehicle weight of 79,200 and going down a grade that's rated at 6% for the next 10 miles, the last thing you want to do is 65 MPH (or more). At that point, if your brakes start smoking, all you have left to look out for is a "truck runaway ramp"... if you haven't already passed it, not to mention the lives around you that your ignorance has put at risk. In all the years I've driven, I have never had a runaway truck, nor a wreck, nor have I rolled a truck over. As I have told Chuck (as well as Clint, Joseph, and Allen before him), go down the grade in the speed you feel safe & comfortable doing. If that happens to be 25 MPH, then so be it. Two important keys as a truck driver is to always arrive at your destinations safe and on time; if you can't fulfill both, then always choose safety over on-time.


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 245 (I Want Your Input On This Possibility)

Waking up to 42° in Casper, WY this morning, along with my visit to Starbucks, made for the start of a joyous and peaceful Sabbath. Chuck had a full day yesterday, covering about 620 miles before we shut down. Being up in the Northwestern region rather spoiled me with the cooler weather, especially since I live in an area where the temperatures often top 100° (I won't even begin to lament about the humidity.

As I mentioned in Day 240, there are a few things I'd like to get for the purpose of improving the content of this blog, though after seeing the Specialized bicycles at Woodinville Bicycle, I don't think I'm going to limit myself to just the Bianchi brand. What I would like some feedback on is should I put a PayPal link on the blog's main page for donations, or am I asking a bit much? Allow me to elaborate a bit: A) the bicycle (now possibly a Specialized Camber Elite) - for traveling into areas that are not "truck friendly", even venturing into more rugged terrain which would allow for more scenic photo opportunities, which lead to, B) the Canon Rebel DSLR camera - the camera on the iPhone (as well as the other camera/photo apps) are good, but still don't capture the beauty, nor the depth, of the things I see around me. Call me "old-fashioned", but I've always felt more of a sense of accomplishment when I can have more of a hands-on approach when capturing a picture (zoom, focus, filter use, etc.). With said camera, I would need, C) a MacBook Pro - after all, rather than waiting a couple weeks before I get home in order to upload those incredible shots (provided by B) that I was able to achieve from the vantage points (accessible due to A), I can upload them, upon returning to the truck, onto the MBP, then post onto the blog, either that day or the next.

Does that sound like a viable dream/request? I would really like some feedback on this. Thank you for reading and/or commenting (and I do post ALL comments, but if it looks like the work of a "spambot", then it probably is). I look forward to hearing from you.

May you all be blessed!




- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 244 (Most Of The Day In Montana)

It has been so nice being up here in the north west, especially waking up to cooler weather, as I did this again this morning (it was about 42°). The terrain starting off was a bit mountainous, but a bit later has leveled off to more of a "rolling hills" traveling. It's most definitely the high western plains region, as you can tell from this shot taken as Chuck drove us through Big Timbers, MT:



This area does offer a solitude unlike no other. Driving through the mountainous regions are quite stunning, but if you've never driven through mountains in a truck before (like Chuck), then you would be concentrating more on the road than taking in the scenery. This is one of those areas where, if I didn't have a student, I would drive through here, without music (or any other distractions), and just absorb the majestic views that could only have been created by The Lord. With this evening bringing in the Sabbath, that makes this trip even more joyous and peaceful.


I enjoy living in big cities (though my current residence in not in one), but - like I told my wife when we were discussing a possibility of living in Woodinville, WA - we could always take trips to Snoqualmie Pass if I ever wanted to play in the snow during Winter. I may have been born and raised in S. Florida, but I will always feel "at home" in the western areas. It's always nice to escape the mazes of the "rat race" every now and then and seek solace in wherever it is you choose to call your "getaway", to unplug and recharge for a few days. You would be surprised how well that really works.

On another note (and to amuse my wife, since she said I probably wouldn't do it), the last three night was another meeting between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Of the three games, Boston were only victorious in the second game. The Yankees (BLECH!) may have won 2 of those three games - but the Red Sox are still #1 in their division (stick THAT in your striped hats, Yankees!)!



- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 243 (Still Going East, But A Different Destination)

As with the last trip through here (with Clint), Chuck and I shut down in Ellensburg, WA, about 110 miles east of Seattle. The weather was so cool last night that I didn't even turn on the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit). When we woke up this morning the temperature was 50° - a very good morning for the beginning of September. After I tended to my morning ablutions, I walked over to Starbucks for my grandé triple Marble Mocha Machiatto, which should start any trip off right.


I was unable to stop in Clarkston, WA to pay a visit with my niece and/or sister-in-law, but at least now I have a general idea of where I can park a truck, so it will make a possible rendezvous the next time a bit more accessible. We arrived in Lewiston, ID about 1330 (CT), and were loaded almost right away, and rather quickly... the loader, Don, even gave me a visor-style ball cap:


I gave hime a baseball cap, with our company's name on it, in return. Once we were loaded, we were on our way.

To back up a bit, when I went in to sign for the bills, I noticed that our final destination is NOT going to be Halfmoon, NY, but instead it will be Dayton, NJ, which is just north east of Trenton. That drop will be due next Thursday, though no time has been set as of just yet. Once we get to Missoula, MT, I'm going to call it a full day. After all, Tulsa won't be delivered until Tuesday. It would have been Monday, but, as you already know, this is Labor Day weekend. It still works out pretty good, since we will probably pull into Tulsa on Sunday night, and not have to deal with the traffic that will ensue on Monday. For those of you who will be on the road Monday, I hope you drive safely, and the madness around you doesn't affect you. If it does, deal with it the way I do... stop at a Starbucks!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 242 (On Our Way East)

It was very nice to wake up to 52° weather this morning. We made our way to Blaine, WA - which is right up by the border - where Chuck disembarked and hung out at the truck stop, while I went across the border to Burnaby, BC, to deliver the rest of this load. It was an hour wait to get through customs on the way back into the U.S. Just about 45 minutes ago we got our next load, which picks up tomorrow in Lewiston, ID (just like the last time), only this one has two drops as well: Tulsa, OK, then finishing off in Halfmoon, NY. I was hoping to have been dispatched earlier than I was, this way I might have been able to visit with my niece and sister-in-law.

While I was in Blaine, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things for the roast I'll make in a couple days. I ended up also stopping into a place called The Hot Spot (wings are their specialty, in case you hadn't guessed) and got an order of Garlic Wings, then over to an "Asian Fusion" café called Tangerine Dream and picked up an order of Kim-Chee (the authentic stuff). At the moment it is taking an enormous amount of discipline and self-control to not eat any until I get this blog post finished first. Sure, I'm already late in posting this, but I'd rather get this out to you before I eat, since once I ate, I would become full, satisfied, then want a nap... then would prolong this post even longer than it already is (you get my point). Well, my self-control has held out as long as it could... now it's time to eat!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 241 (A Walking Tour Of Woodinville, WA)

Today was a very pleasant day. First of all, the customer of our first drop unloaded us early, which meant Chuck and I had the rest of the day to shift in to "chill" mode. Since I was a little familiar with the immediate area, I took him on a mini-walking tour of Woodinville.







We stopped at several places (yes, of course I made my pilgrimage to the local Starbucks), just looking around. He grabbed an ice cream cone from Baskin Robbins (though later on, after he went back to the truck, I came upon a Cold Stone Creamery), I had a bagel with lox at Bigfoot Bagels (something which grosses my wife out), and a little later, Chuck grabbed a sandwich from Panera Bread. After he got his sandwich, he headed back to the truck, but I wandered around a bit more (being Jewish, I guess wandering is in our blood).

During my little adventure, I made a stop into a local grocery store called Top Food & Drugs, which had a very nice view as you walked out:







Inside, the place seemed unlike any grocery store I've ever been in. Like most other grocery stores, they had a deli, meat department, and pasta/salad bar. What they had that I had never seen before was a mini pizzeria and a mini sushi bar, which had some of their products pre-packaged, but you could also order something that sushi chefs would prepare for you on the spot (for the record, I picked up a roast for the crock pot - which I'll cook in the next couple of days - and a 1/2 dozen sourdough rolls to go with it).

On the way back to the truck, I stopped in at a bicycle shop. There is a Play It Again Sports shop, but you can't really count that as a bicycle shop, but they do carry bicycles... and I stopped in there earlier in the day. The place right next to it is an actual bicycle shop called Woodinville Bicycle. I spoke with Darren (the manager) for probably about 20 minutes. At first, we spoke about bicycles, different brands, and the fact that, as with many other things, you get what you pay for. We spoke about several other things, as well. We found we share a common bond on a variety of different subjects. Darren is not only a very intelligent man, but also very knowledgable in his profession - plus, customer service/satisfaction is a priority for him - a BIG priority. So if you are in the Woodinville area - and are in the market for a quality bicycle - stop by Woodinville Bicycle and pay a visit to Darren... he'll treat you right! Just so you know: I don't get any "kickback" or bonus for referring people, but you will get the satisfaction of great customer service PLUS you will be supporting the small businessman!

- Another rant via BlogPress