Day 343 (On Our Way To Wisconsin,,, Finally)

Yesterday, we (Randy and I) arrived at the customer to load (in Smithfield, VA) at 1046 (ET). Though our appointment to load wasn't until 2200, I had hoped they would load us early... they didn't. As many other truck drivers know, meat packing facilities, whether it be beef or pork (this one being the latter), are not what one could consider a "pinnacle of efficiency", and we are, basically, at their mercy. By the time we had finally gotten the trailer loaded - and waited for our paperwork to get processed/printed - it was nearly 0230 (ET) before we went to bed. Needless to say, my plan to get to Wisconsin sometime tonight and get a re-start on our logbook has officially been aborted (i.e. it's not going to happen).

We left out this morning at about 0730 (CT), and Randy got some experience driving through some of the backroads of Virginia, West Virginia, and a little of Maryland. As we travel along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I figure we will be shutting down on the Ohio Turnpike somewhere... probably near the Cleveland area. We will be stopping tomorrow outside of Toledo to top off the fuel and get a shower... perhaps even stop at a Meijer in Indiana. All in all, it was still a pleasant Sabbath... all things considered.

There is a picture a snapped along Virginia S.R. 10 this morning, of a town that I don't think is a preferred vacation spot for many of us in the Jewish faith:

Day 342 (Uneventful, Unproductive Day - Thank You Smithfield)

This morning Randy and I unloaded at the customer in Sandston, VA. When we arrived there last night, I discovered that not only do they not allow for overnight parking, (they had their gates locked) but once you go in, you're committed to parking on the (measly excuse for a) shoulder as there is no place to turn around... I guess that's what you expect from a facility that is government run. Once we were empty, I tried calling the broker concerning this Wisconsin load, but they hadn't come into their offices yet (They are based in Utah). Once they did, the lady told me that an appointment hadn't been set up yet (just for the record, the brokerage, England Logistics, is a subsidiary of the trucking company, C. R. England), but she would call me as soon as it was lined out.

Normally I wouldn't give my cell number to a broker, as is our company policy when dealing with brokers, but it was early... I hadn't had coffee yet... and I forget to set my iPhone to block the caller i.d. (as I said, I hadn't had coffee yet). As it turned out, the young lady called back a little later and told me the appointment was set for 2200 tonight. I went ahead and drove down there (Smithfield, VA) in the hopes of getting loaded early. I arrived at 1046 (ET) and have yet to get put in a door - it is now 1746 (ET). Whenever we do get loaded (which will be late), I think I'll just have us park here,and leave in the morning (so much for getting a re-start in Wisconsin).

That's ok... I won't be doing any driving... it's the Sabbath.

Day 341 (The Final Stretch To Virginia)

Randy and I only made it as far as Leavenworth, IN last night, which is short of where I wanted to be. The delay having been caused by having (what started out as) simple work done on the truck. As we make our way through West Virginia, I'm looking at the distance still yet to be covered and, by the way it's looking, I will have to take over the driving before too long to ensure we make it to the customer tonight. I'll probably have him pull off in the service plaza at Beckley and switch over... not to mention make a sandwich (I have some really good pastrami just waiting to be eaten), and grab some Starbucks (I foresee a grande triple Marble Mocha Machiatto in the near future).

I spoke with the broker of my next load which will be going up to Wisconsin for Monday. We both enjoyed a little chuckle when she lamented that she's waiting on another driver to call, who is picking up a load for them today, and here I am calling about a load I'm picking up tomorrow. I guess that's what helps me to stand out from other drivers: the fact that I plan ahead and take care of the details early on. It also helps to be driven by excellence.

Coffee anyone?

Day 340 (A Slight Delay, But Still On Track... So Far)

Randy and I left Olathe, KS this morning at 0800 and began this trip heading to Sandston, VA. On the way, one of the turn signal lights stopped working, so we went to the terminal in Madison, IL (just outside St. Louis) to have it taken care of. We had planned on stopping there anyway, first to top off the fuel at the Pilot just south of the terminal, and also to get a shower. After the shower, Randy and I - along with another driver in the company - made a run to Starbucks (as if that's at all surprising). Dan (the other driver) works in the flatbed division, whom I haven't seen in a few weeks, is always a character to hang out with. We chatted about whatever came to mind on the trip. He, like myself, is prior military (though he was in the Army, but I won't hold that against him), but he is someone I can look up to... literally... he comes in at 6' 8".

The shop at the terminal fixed the light, but also updated the program in the engine's computer. The delay occurred when they were running the updates and/or diagnostics, when the final one failed to do what it was supposed to do... whatever that is. The mechanic tried closing the system and starting over, but to no avail. He finally called the nearby Freightliner shop and eventually had to reboot the system, then that last item did whatever it was supposed to do... whatever that is. We are now underway finishing our day, and trying to cover as many miles as we can before our 14 hour clock expires for the day.

At least I had Starbucks - twice... one which I got from one of their locations, and the other which I made this morning in my percolator with the ground coffee I purchased from a Starbucks (in Wisconsin, to be exact).

Day 339 (Almost to Kansas, Then To Virginia)

Yesterday was less than enjoyable, at least as far as work goes. After I finished unloading in Searcy, AR, I met up with Randy at our North Little Rock. We got together, I ran him to Walmart (a place I despise) to get a few groceries, then to Starbucks (of course). We chatted a bit then made our way to Pine Bluff, AR to get our load from Tyson. Things went pretty smoothly until I scaled it out at the truck stop, about 2 miles away. The bills were showing that I was hauling just under 42,000 lbs, yet when I weighed it, I was over my legal gross weight limits (80,000).

I explained to the loader that there had to be more weight than what the bills were showing, and told him I have hauled a load that was just under 46,000 lbs - with a full tank of fuel - and was still NOT over gross. Either way, they removed a pallet, got me under the gross weight limits, and I was gone. However, due to running short on hours on my logbook, I shut down in Conway, AR... since that was the last place where I could have found a place to park.

After we fueled in Collins, MO, I had Randy take over the driving, so he can get his skills improved. The weather is getting cooler (about 25° in Collins), which is just what I've been waiting for. We've already been pre-planned to pick up our next load in Olathe, KS (the same Tyson facility this load is going to) and delivering on Friday in Sanderson, VA... wherever that is.

Day 338 (New Student, Another Adventure)

I left out this morning at about 1030 and made my way to Searcy, AR (about 40 miles north of Little Rock) for my delivery. After yesterday, I was beginning to think Arkansas has become a rainforest state with all the rain (it even continued quite a bit today, as well). With a cup of home brewed coffee in hand, I was ready to face the day. After I'm done unloading here, I'll head to our terminal in North Little Rock to meet up with my next student, Randy. I also plan on taking care of my laundry. From what I gather so far, Randy is a retired police officer from the West Memphis, AR area. With that in mind, he's probably in his early 50's... but I'll give you more details about him later.

Our first load together will pick up in Pine Bluff, AR and take us to Olathe, KS. I'll be going on vacation at the end of the month, so - as I understand it - Randy, too, will be on a vacation, of sorts. He will be on my truck for two weeks, then at home while I'm on vacation, then we will re-join up in January and finish his training... and depending on how he does these next two weeks will determine whether he needs just one more week, or two. Being as I have never had a student more than 3 1/2 weeks (one was 4 weeks, but that was beyond either of our control), I don't foresee a problem (I can be a bit of a taskmaster when I need to be).

It was difficult to leave home (as it usually is), but the time I spent there was nothing short of very enjoyable. By the way, the Pico de Gallo I made last night... yeah, I brought it with me:

Day 337 (Another Lazy Day)

Weather-wise, this has been a pretty bleak day. Considering I have spent the entire day with my family, that in itself has made the whole day brighter. After service, Tikvah made an incredible baked chicken breasts for our midday dinner... along with some of her incredible potato salad. I played some Battlefield 3 on Nathan's X-Box. Tikvah and I took a little nap (which is almost a ritual for Sundays).

Once this blog gets posted, I will then go in the kitchen and make some Pico de Gallo, which will be a nice condiment for our tortilla chips while we watch a little "tellie" (on tonight's schedule: Pan Am - since it wasn't on the past 2 weeks, it BETTER be on), and later on have more coffee with the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, that Tikvah made earlier.

Yeah, it's going to be that kind of a chillaxin' evening!

Day 336 (Home Until Monday)

Today turned out to be a good day. I left from Hayti, MO this morning and made it home a little after 1400. Since I don't deliver until Monday afternoon, I figured it's better to spend the time at home than in the truck. When I made it home, my wife and I went to Kroger and picked up a few things (I will be making some Pico De Gallo tomorrow) for our coffee and for dinner. I made my (as my family puts it) "famous" hamburgers, and Tikvah made her potato salad.

While we were making our respective food items, we also listened to some tunes "on wax" - i.e., Duran Duran Rio and Depeche Mode Black Celebration. As you can see, it's been a peaceful and relaxing end to the Sabbath.

Day 335 (A Stop At Home On My Way To Searcy, AR)

I unloaded just around lunch time in Richwood, KY. Once I finished there, I made my way to Cincinnati to pick up my next load - Morton Salt. I was pre-planned on that load, and - to be quite honest - the process took longer than it should have, due to the fact that the broker didn't have everything lined out as they should have. It all worked out pretty well, though. On my way back through Kentucky, I made a stop in Florence, not only for some Starbucks, but also to have a bowl of Matzoh Ball Soup at Izzy's (if you recall, I dedicated an entire post to them several months back... I would post the link here, but unfortunately 3G is being very slow today).

It was good to see John at Izzy's again. The last (albeit, the first) time I saw him, was when he made my Izzy's 110 Reuben - which, by the way, was enough to feed myself and 4 other people, by the time it was completely consumed.

This load isn't due for delivery until 1330 Monday, so I think I will be taking a detour and spending a little bit of time at home. As for my next student (Randy), him and I will be getting together next week. He has some business that he need to tend to on Monday, and, even though I don't like doing this, we will be together for two weeks, then I go on vacation (and he'll go home), then we will resume his training in January. More to come on that later. As Sabbath approaches, I bid you all a good evening... may you all be blessed!

Day 334 (Going To Kentucky; A New Student)

I made the delivery in Hanover Park, IL this morning, then ended up waiting... but not for long. I did, however, get hit with a couple glitches. Originally I was to pick up in Milwaukee, WI and take that product to St. Louis, MO for tomorrow, but when I stopped for fuel (about 25-30 miles from the customer) I received a message to stay there - the load had cancelled. I waited a little while longer, then was dispatched on another load (from the same broker) which picks up in Burlington, WI (about 30 south of where I was) and delivers tomorrow in Richwood, KY... just south of Cincinnati, OH.

Yesterday I was informed that I am scheduled to pick up a new student (Randy from Marion, AR, which, as you may remember from the other day's post, is just north of West Memphis, AR). Delivering tomorrow in Richwood, KY could put a bit of a pinch on Randy's training, as it will delay my picking him up. I'll not worry about it too much, I know that HaShem has it all under control. I am hoping, though, if I do pick up Randy, that I get another load heading up to the northwest. He will then get some good mountain training... and possibly some snow training, as well.

Day 333 (Tonight, Chicago Area; Tomorrow, Who Knows)

I left this morning from a small truck stop just north of Marion, AR. I made a couple quick stops along the way, then topped off the fuel in Effingham, IL - where I also made a trip to Starbucks.

In just a little over 30 days, I've realized, I will have fulfilled my challenge of blogging every day for a year. At this point, I'm really not sure where I will go next. Whether I continue blogging every day, or move on to something else, remains to be seen. Hopefully I can get a little input. I'm sure that I've had a few posts that were less than interesting, but (at this particular point) I don't know what I would do if I do end the blog... I have rather come to enjoy posting each day - even when I go on my occasional rant. I should come up with a firm decision within the next 32 days.

Day 332 (Heading Up North - A Little)

Last night, by the time Tyson finished loading my trailer, I had only an hour left to drive. I decided to park at their facility for the night, mainly because I was unfamiliar with the first 75 miles of the route, and didn't know where I would have been able to park. It was also snowing, so I just sat there watching it fall. I made a stop on the way here to Russellville, AR (of course, at Starbucks), stretching my legs in Conway, AR.

I was given a pre-plan, which has me picking up at the same Tyson facility I'm delivering to. Fortunately, it had already been loaded, so I'm able to cover some ground tonight, then finish off tomorrow what's left. This load has me going to Hanover Park, IL - in the Chicago area - for Thursday morning. Probably by tomorrow afternoon I'll know where I will be going next. In just a few weeks, I'll take my first vacation with this company. We may not go anywhere, but at least I'll be home for the last few days of Chanukah.

Day 331 (Back On The Road Until Chanukah)

I left out this morning and was dispatched just before noon. The load I am hauling picks up here in Dexter, MO and delivers tomorrow in Russellville, AR (though I would much prefer to avoid these Tyson loads). It was a very nice weekend at home. Spent some good time with my wife and youngest son. It was just the 3 of us for Thanksgiving, as my 18 year old son was unable to make it down. My youngest, Nathan, is pretty happy that my drums are set up in his room... we even had a mini jam session a few nights ago. My wife, Tikvah, and I were discussing earlier today, and I may take my vacation later in December. I may not be home for all of Chanukah, but I will be home for most of it. Probably after the first of the year, I may begin doing some upgrades on the set (replacing heads, etc.) though it could take a while before it's all complete.

Since I was told it will be a few hours before they even start loading me, I think I will take a nap. However, if Tyson isn't on the ball (and this facility rarely is), then this load won't be getting to Russellville by 0800.

At least I have some coffee from home.

Day 330 (Relaxing Day, Caught Up On TWD)

This has been a very relaxing day. I thought it was rather cool that AMC had a marathon showing all the episodes (leading up to the season finale) of The Walking Dead. So today was spent getting caught up on those episodes (spoiler alert: they finally found Sophia). The bad thing is, now I have to wait until February for the next season.

On another note, for lunch today my awesome wife, Tikvah, made a most excellent pot pie, using the leftover turkey. Needless to say, there were NO leftovers. Tikvah had a craving a little later (and once she mentioned it, I then had the craving) for hot wings, so I ran over to Dollar General and grabbed a couple boxes. I cooked them up and had them ready by the time tonight's new "mid-season" finale came on. All in all, it was a good evening.

Oh yeah... there was also coffee today, too.

Day 329 (A Wet Day, A Peaceful Sabbath)

Today was fairly peaceful, fairly lazy. A quiet Sabbath, spent some time in Torah. It's rained a bit, off and on, throughout the day. For dinner we had some leftovers from our Thanksgiving meal... and it still tasted good (by the way, my wife makes some incredible Sweet Potato Casserole). Tomorrow will be my last day at home. It's been nice being able to get home a few extra days earlier, but it's always so difficult to head back out on the road come Monday.

All three of us are presently watching Hell On Wheels on AMC. I've heard of the show, but only just now get to watch it. Tomorrow, however, The Walking Dead and Leverage will be on... both of which I haven't been able to see for a while. My youngest son, Nathan, had recorded the past few weeks of The Walking Dead on the DVR, but it went on the fritz, and since we exchanged the receiver, we lost all that was recorded.

Bummer!

Day 328 (A Day In Little Rock)

Today, Tikvah and I took a trip to Little Rock, about an hour and a half from our home, just to hang out and do stuff (for the record, we did not subject ourselves to the Black Friday madness - though the crowds that were out for that purpose were unavoidable). We did, however, make a stop for coffee at Starbucks. Our meal consisted of using the Outback gift card our oldest son gave us for an anniversary gift, which (in my opinion) was slightly above mediocre at best. It was a long day, stopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Guitar Center, Old Navy, and Target... just to name a few of our stops.

We also drove by the location where the Occupy Little Rock movement has set up their dwellings (a.k.a. tents). It was a pretty mild day, weather wise, and the traffic wasn't as insane as I would have expected. We are at home now, tomorrow is the Sabbath. I hope the evening finds you in good spirits, and recovering nicely from the self-imposed tryptophan-induced coma that many of us sentenced ourselves to yesterday. Actually, I may partake of the leftovers shortly.

Day 327 (Thanksgiving Day)

This morning My wife and I got up and went to one of the local congregations to help out with their Thanksgiving meal (i.e. serving the meals, delivering to elderly). I left there about noon to head home and begin making our turkey. When Tikvah came home (around 1400) she made the green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and baked apples & cinnamon. The turkey turned out pretty good; rubbed with olive oil and seasonings, and sprinkled with granulated garlic and lemon pepper, then I put it in the pan with a 1/2 bottle of liquid smoke. Once it was all done Tikvah, Nathan and myself ate... Tikvah and I washed it down with a glass of Pomegranate wine. Yes it was delicious!

Day 326 (What A Busy Day)

Well, today turned out to be a bit of a busy day. I did some running around with Tikvah, my wife, and was able to get the paperwork (from the load I delivered in Springfield, MO yesterday) faxed to my employer. Receipts were mailed off, Tikvah got her check, and I picked up my drums, which are now taking up residency in my youngest son, Nathan's, room:

After all that was accomplished, we even stopped by Sonic (I was craving the Chicago Dogs) for lunch. Went home, where Nathan helped me set the drums up... then we had a little jam session with one of the songs he wrote. Tikvah and I just got back a little while ago for the laundromat, since our washer decided to call it quits. Now we are getting ready to chill out to a movie (probably Heartbreak Ridge) and drink some coffee. Tomorrow will be a busy day; before we make our own dinner, we will be helping at one of the local congregations to prepare and serve meals to those who may be less fortunate. I think that's one thing I can be truly thankful for: that I can bring a little joy and happiness to others. In this time where there are many who are struggling financially just to make ends meet, to show them that there are others who are willing to serve them, to relieve them of their worries and burdens - if even for just a couple hours - that's more gratifying than the mere words that we speak to say what we are thankful for. 

Just food for thought (no pun intended).

Day 325 (Apologies For Posting Late)

I sincerely apologize to all my readers (however few they may be), but as I type this out, I am sitting at home. Doyle and I unloaded this afternoon in Springfield, MO, after which we were told to go home (of course, not before making a stop at Starbucks prior to heading home). In fact, one of the instructors from the training center (for the company to which whom I am employed) called me yesterday and told me to release Doyle to go home for the weekend. Come Monday, he will have to be at our North Little Rock terminal to take his final evaluation test, then get his own truck assigned to him.

I do not doubt that he will do well. When he took his "maiden voyage" through the snow in Wyoming 1 1/2 weeks ago, I noticed he may have been very nervous, but that meant he was also be very cautious - a positive sign. He did well driving through snow, and he successfully made it through the mountainous regions of Wyoming and Oregon. He's still young enough to where he will be driving for some time to come. May he be blessed!

Day 324 (A Very Weird Dream)

Some say that weird dreams come depending on what you had eaten before bed. I don't know how true that is this, but the elves did a number on me last night, if that's the case. In my dream, though I don't remember much of it, I recall being in a large open field, filled with people. It seemed as though it was either a gathering for a Presidential Address being broadcast on a giant Jumbotron television, or a live rally. I do recall Obama, in his speech, was saying to the American people that Muslims were nothing to be afraid of and they were truly peaceful people. I'm sure we actually heard this before, but then there was a twist in what was going on.

Suddenly I am hearing this very same thing coming from Christian pastors... even from the ones I know personally. Sure, this, too, is happening in real life (except for the part about when it's coming from pastors I know personally), but in the dream, I recall getting a deep feeling in my gut that there was something very wrong happening. People around me were buying what was being fed to us, but I had the feeling doom was getting ready to fall upon us... at any moment! Almost as if I could literally sense those trying to bring violent harm upon us were waiting in the wings, and will pounce upon us all any moment, while everyone around me were celebrating what will happen to them.

What say you?