A Time To Reflect

Well, here it is the dusky hours of 2007...

I was just sitting here reflecting on my past year, and the changes that have been made. Where was I one year ago, today.. How has my life been altered?

It hasn't.....

I am in the same position with work that I have been in for several years. Okay, I make a few more pennies. But my point is that I am no closer to being at home every night. No closer to getting off the road... No husband in sight. No pets to snuggle with.

My love life, well, it is in the same dire position that it was a year ago.. No ships sailing in the horizon.

Financially, I may have paid down a few balances, but still do not have the down payment for a house.

It just seems to me that this year yielded no fruit... I am no better off than I was at the end of 2006, with the exception of being more physically fit. And even that needs to be worked on still.

I am not going to post a bunch of resolutions that will go unaccomplished or forgotten by the end of January.... Rather simply, I will acknowledge there are a few things that I need to put more perspective into... Actually work towards some goals and not just state that I am going to do it.

Moving to Alabama in 2008 seems very daunting to me at this moment. The current position I hold right now is the single most consistent thing in my life, and I would be lying if I said it didn't scare the crap out of me to think of giving it up. But I also know this, If I do not give it up and move home, I will be in the exact same situation on New Years Eve of 08...And that my friends, is not acceptable.

I want a home to call my own. I want to sleep in my bed every night of the week. I want to be able to have a pet. I want a yard to plant flowers in. And the only way to obtain all of that is to say goodbye to my beloved NorthEast Route...... I absolutely love that route and all the people I see each and every week.. But I know in my heart, I would love the above mentioned desires even that much more.

Don't look for me to walk away from it in the next month or two, but this is definitely the year it is going to happen.

Game Called On Account Of PAIN

I Have been doing wonderful on my latest attempt at gearing up for the big run. Yeah, I know, it is 5 months away (no, reason that I should not be ready). Sometimes I get a little rushed and don't stretch as well as I should. Sometimes I don't cool down as long as I should. So, this go round, I decided to do it the proper way and actually get the results I am striving for...

I have streeeeeeetched, and I have cooled down . I alternate running and walking so as not to over do it.

I get to Bama this weekend to spend just a little extra time with the Bro and his Family. We break out the new Wii to play a little friendly game of bowling.. See, last weekend, while playing against Asti Spumanti, I finally developed a technique that guaranteed a strike every frame... I wanted to show off my new form....Instead, on the first roll of the first frame...

I pulled my hamstring!!!!

Seriously pulled it... The Bri-Baby has to help me in and out of my shoes and I have learned to hobble with grace and finesse in the past few hours.... The muscle is screaming from the butt all the way down through the back of my knee, but what is feels like is someone played a good round of frogger on me arse.

I even brought all my running gear so I could continue my efforts while out of town, but I think I am going to have to pass for now....

Back To The Grind

I am pleased to announce that I was able to get another 5 miles in today.... The first 2 were quite the struggle, as I just could not seem to clear my mind and my muscles were screaming to stop. The next mile was the inevitable decline of my will power. I ended up walking / jogging this one. And just to finish it off, I did the last 2 miles in at barely more than a fast walk.

But it still counts, right? Of course it does. Consistency is the most important thing at this point. I have 5 months to be totally prepared to run an amazing race in the RedWoods.... Yeah, I should totally be ready by then.

Sucker Punched.....Yikes

It has been so nice being off from work these past ten days. The time spent with friends and family was definitely delightful. But honestly, I am ready to get back to work.



Now, If I had a mini-vacation planned then I would appreciate the fact that the Boss Man just called and told me that I would be off an additional eight more days. I know originally, I posted that I would be off two weeks, with no pay, but that original game plan had been changed. We had the option to work the 3 days after Christmas.... The potential for income on those three days was not enough to merit coming home early from my Bama excursion. So, I opted for two days holiday pay, and 3 days partial unemployment. We had also been told that it would be back to business starting with deliveries on Jan 2nd.



So, I fully expected to climb into my Truck on New Year's Day and get to it.



Kapow.... oh this hurts.....



I just received a text, asking if I wanted to be off next week as well. WOT?! Feeling confused, I called the Boss Man and jokingly remarked, "I did not know next week was optional, ha ha ha?!"



Turns out it is. You see, all the larger runs were taken by those who have more seniority, That leaves a Chattanooga and three Atlanta runs, which would be merely okay if I could run all four of them. But I am only able to choose ONE. And just so you know, none of those deliveries would earn even $100.



Oh Dear, I was definitely not prepared to be off for eighteen days. Looks like I better go stock up on the saltines and bologna...



I know it sounds like a lot, but I would have only worked eight of those days had it not been a holiday. And out of those eight days, I am actually receiving three days of holiday pay, and am also eligible for 7 seven days of unemployment....

But why look a gift horse in the mouth. Hey, now I can get caught up on everything on my To Do list.....Any body need any chores done??

Georgia Drought 2007

With the New Year approaching rapidly, it is time to dust off those resolutions. Get back on track, so to speak.

So, this week I began running/walking again. Five miles running alternating with one hour of walking every day that I am home, and out on the road with weather cooperating. I managed to get my five miles in yesterday which really helped to quiet the holiday blues that I have been experiencing since I let go of Superman. Today, I opted for one hour of walking (don't want to overwork those little muscles).



I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce you to my pleasant little jogging path. I really wish that I had taken a picture of it back before the drought, so you could see how different it looks. But at least you can get an idea.

The track is approximately a half mile course around what use to be a delightful little pond. It was home to all sorts of wildlife including deer, red fox, mallards, and the occasional Canadian Geese. Oh, and there was that Blue Heron that made an appearance last spring. But as you can see, the watering hole has dwindled drastically in size. Yes, there is water present in these photos, but that is due to a substantial amount of rain over the past few weeks. Not nearly enough to break the drought. In fact, if you click the link provided above, you will see that the predictions for 2008 are much worse.

This photo is a bit more revealing. In all actuality, one third of this shot should be nothing but water.

In fact, this is the most water I have seen in the pond in over 5 months. *sigh* and I have to yet to see any wildlife since June. It still offers a nice place to get away from it all and stretch my legs, but I hope it not destined to remain this way for much longer.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.







Mine was just as wonderful as always. I got to spend four days in Huntsville with the brother's family and his in-laws. That is always a treat.







On Saturday night, we went out for an evening without the children in tow. It was a delightful experience, as I got to dress up a bit more than normal.







Sunday we ventured down the road a bit to spend the afternoon with the Mother in Law's family. That was also a treat. I did not have intentions of attending this function, but when I found the Bri-Baby whimpering in a corner, I changed my mind. She told me that she was sad that she had to spend the afternoon away from me. So, I changed my plans and tagged along. It turned out to be quite an experience. My brother and I ended up out in the yard playing tag with about 15 kids.







Monday (Christmas Eve) , I picked my mother up for some last minute shopping (not my fault someone else had already purchased the exact same item) and lunch... There is always a moment or two spent with her and some heart felt topic of conversation... I wish I could do something to put a big smile on her face! Alas, it was par for the course. Monday evening (back at the ranch) after happy hour and a lovely pork tenderloin dinner, we commenced to opening presents. woo hoooo. We finished out the evening playing with the new Wii gaming console.





Christmas Day...... We commenced to playing the Wii again, had breakfast and passed out stockings, to which I have my own hanging on the mantel in Huntsville ( BIG SMILE). G even cross stitched a little reindeer on it for me last year. And then we were off.....





I headed to Russellville, Alabama to visit my oldest brother and his family. There we spent hours bowling and golfing..... (on the Wii) and it was so much fun.. Family time is awesome, and I do not get enough of it. Soon though, very soon!





The next morning (today) I was up at the crack of dawn to head home.





I will actually head back that way Saturday to spend another night in Huntsville before heading to Tuscumbia to have Christmas Dinner at my Father's house.





You know, I felt very loved this week. And it felt really good. So here is my display of the gifts I received this year..

Look !! Two new reindeer for my collection, Thanks Sammie!!

Wii Would Like To Introduce ...

Over the Christmas Holidays, it seems the big must have item is the Wii game console.



After spending a little time with playing with the Bri-Baby and Wonder Boy on their new game console, I ventured over to the oldest Brother's home and spent several hours competing with Asti Spumante and family. This is the most awesome interactive gaming console I have ever played with and now I want one too.



But the purpose of this post, my friends is to introduce you to my oldest nephew and my oldest brother. You see, you are able to create your own characters to use on the Wii system, and these two characters could not have been more realistic in appearance.



Check it out, Rick.... I can not stop laughing!! OMG.... it looks just like Bobby Jeff......

Pee Wee's Next Big Adventure

OMG... I am totally going to do this !

I just got through exchanging a few emails with the darling and delightful Mischka. She is going to begin training for a half-marathon race to be held May 4th, 2008. I myself had just gotten home from running for an hour and felt completely exhilarated.

Now, a half marathon seems unfathomable to myself at this time, but I was thinking I could fly out for a visit and cheer her on, maybe help her celebrate this accomplishment. She simply mentions that there is a 10K and sends me the link. After browsing the site for a mere 30 seconds, I declared my urgent lust to experience this course for myself....

So, stay tuned boys and girls.....Here in about 5 months, this little girl will be leaving on a jet plane to take a run through the Redwoods! Ahhhh, I am so excited!!!

A Moment Of Truth

I am very blue right now....

I am so tired of waiting for the next boyfriend to come along. I would just like to meet the One. Whereas I never have any problem finding a boyfriend, they just never seem to be the One.

I guess this is just the Holiday Blues setting in, and I am having my own personal pity party. But really, I am 35. No children, no pets, and my family lives miles away... I am planning on making the move closer to home which will help with these feelings, but is it too much to ask that I have someone to share my life with, someone to make life long memories with....

I just feel like having a good cry...but will that solve anything.. NO, oh well... Maybe next year.

Top Ten Reasons NOT To Date a SuperHero

10. Wearing your pajamas in public is not acceptable!

9. Repeating your "life stories" umpteen dozen times to hear your own voice is annoying.

8. Complaining about every little detail of your job, even when good things happen to you, is depressing. If your only solution is to skip work that day, then your lack of responsibility is showing. Especially if you do it often...

7. What a difference a month makes. What happened to the articulate guy I was talking to. That first impression did not last long did it. I am so sorry, but I cannot stand to engage in another conversation which consists of more curse words than it does actual words in the dictionary. I am so sorry that F*#K is your favorite word.....Once again, not impressive. In fact, it makes me cringe.

6. When I tell you about my weeks journey and some of the pitfalls I have encountered, I am curious as to how you would have handled it. Your replies as amazing! The fact that you would do everything in your power to be a jerk and infuriate the customer leaves me gasping for air. No wonder my customers love me so. I handle things with grace and tact, throwing in a little charm and a lot of patience. You, on the other hand, would dump the freight in their parking lot, thus damaging it and tell them to go eff themselves... You would then be fired! Ummm, I think my way works soooo much better.

5. OMG..... You have never paid child support?! Way to go , Superman!! Yeah, that is cool that they are garnishing your wages for unpaid support. Once again, your lack of responsibility is shining!!

4. I did not need to know that you had already met the perfect woman and had two children with her. That after seven years, she still remains the perfect woman although she left you. Well, actually, I do appreciate this information because I will never be perfect and you are in so much denial if you continue to say you are over her.

3. I cannot believe we spent an entire weekend getting you made over. Grooming and new suit, WOW, you looked nice! But to tell me that you did it all for your 3 year old daughter is bullshit. I happen to know that 3 year old could care less what their parents are wearing... Hmmm, could it be perhaps that the three year old's mother is the perfect woman? I believe you mentioned that already. So tell me again just who it is that you are trying to impress?

here is where it really blows my mind





2. I cannot believe the greatest story you have to tell, is the time you were on JERRY SPRINGER.... as a guest on stage.





and the number one reason to not date a superhero





Because the story on Jerry Springer WAS based on actual events.





When Superman and I started dating, it looked very promising... He was articulate, and mannered. Very thoughtful and funny. After a month, he confided in me that there were probably some things about him that I would not like. He then proceeded to enlighten me as to several of the items on the above list... I sat there with my jaw hanging open and stated that some of the things he had mentioned would have been nice to know up front. He remarked, "But then you would not have went out with me."



You got that right!! But not to be judgemental, I decided to let things simmer for a week before I made my final decision. I did not want to judge him for his past, if he was trying to rise above it!



The next week he unloaded the rest of the story. His vocabulary went to shit.. Literally.... Every third word was an expletive. His general reaction to everything took on a twisted and harsh outlook. I just couldn't take it anymore... See Ya!!



I am not sure if he started acting this way and revealing those appalling secrets because it was just part of who he is, or if it had anything to do with the fact that the perfect woman had just moved back into the state. Either way, I have gladly decided to move forward without him in my life....

Oh yeah, this ended several weeks ago... Well, the last time we saw each other was in November, when he cleaned out the closet....... figuratively speaking, of course.

Christmas Meme

I was tagged for this post by Shell. A pleasant little Christmas meme... I really do enjoy doing these so you can get to know me better, but it takes me forever to get around to them.... I am sure there are several I have skipped along the way...



So, without further delay



" When people say 'Christmas', you immediately think.... " I think of a trip back home to deliver presents to all those whom I love. I think of snow and lights, soft cheery music and egg nog!!



"Favorite Christmas Memory"..... Playing Santa to my nephews. Not really... I just literally delivered a sack load of goodies to them from all over the country.. I don't have one particular memory. But just knowing that my brothers will always include me in their at home family celebrations makes me all warm and fuzzy.



" Favorite Christmas Song/Carol...." Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.. (No big surprise there)



" Favorite Christmas character..." I guess that would have to be Rudolph, seeing as how I love all things Reindeer!!



"Favorite Christmas Movie..." Well, I course it is It's A Wonderful Life... I just love Clarence!!



"Favorite Christmas Ornament/Object..." Hmmmm, once again I will have to go with all things reindeer.. I do have quite a collection. I have spent so many years as a single person, that I don't have objects that hold dear memories of time spent with a partner.. I will have to work on that!



" Plans for this Christmas..." As a tradition, I spend Christmas with my brothers family.... I will enjoy several days off from work with much needed Bri-baby time.. A little fussing with the Wonder Boy, and socializing with my SIL and her mother... A day will be spent with my mother, another at my Fathers home, and a few days at home alone to catch up on all that I procrastinated on this year.



"Is Christmas your favorite Holiday?..." Sure, I love the entire winter season and everything that goes along with it

I am not going to tag anyone, but if you need an idea for a post, have at it.

Into Everyone's Life a Little Snow Must Fall

With every one calling me this week, I was a tad bit concerned about the impending NorEaster that was blowing through my route this week. And blowing through is right.... The only real effects I felt from this weather marvel was the gale force winds. For two days, I was beaten and battered with winds raging at 50 mph. To watch the flow of traffic, you would have thought that everyone was drunk, especially the truck drivers. Maintaining lane position was extremely difficult.

Although I never got into the falling snow and ice, I did stumble across the remains of the storm, and was quite pleased with what I found.

It took me two days to find the snow. But on Tuesday Morning, I found it. While there was very little evidence in New Jersey and New York, Connecticut was still displaying it's first snow of the season. This was taken five days after it fell in Stratford, Connecticut.

Although the roads and parking lots had been cleaned very proficiently, there still remained issues with my deliveries. Such as this one, the snow plows pushed the snow in front of this storage container. This container houses the forklift used to unload my flatbed. No hopes of getting it out, so we had to hand unload 1000 pounds of metal in 20 degree weather. Thankfully it was only a half ton. Some of my customers receive up to 10 tons per week.

Just a word of advice

Don't Eat the Yellow Snow!!

Moving on to Glastonbury, CT. This picture gives you an idea of just how much actually fell during the storm. The mound is from the the activity of the snow plow, but the snow beside the pick-up remains untouched.

Here I am in Taunton, Massachusetts. Once again, the area I am sitting on is normally the same level as the parking lot itself. I could just play in this stuff for hours, but no one would play with me! What a waste, could have been an excellent snowball fight!

I did realize that I must have extremely thick blood, because I do not seem to fell the cold. I was very comfortable in just my little red sweatshirt, but the employees here were bundled up and still complaining about the frigid temps.

Next stop, Providence, Rhode Island. I threw this photo in just for kicks.

Look familiar? It does to me. Two nights before, I had a dream involving this scenario, and yes, there was a gaping hole in the ground just in front of the track hoe. No!! I did not climb down into this one!! Although the workers were cute and could have used the coffee, I had to refrain.

Ahhhh, Salem Massachusetts. The far right edge of this mound towered at over 10'.

A better view of Salem.

It is somewhat difficult to snap photos while driving, but this house had capture my attention some years ago. I was finally able to get a pretty good shot, after several attempts in the past year.

Is it just me, or did anyone else not know that The Addams Family was from Salem, Massachusetts? Okay, maybe not! But this house always reminds of the television series!

What Dreams May Come

Have you ever noticed that when you dream, usually only the bad dreams stay with you upon awakening.

Okay, maybe not for everyone, but that is the case for me.

When I have a really great dream, I usually wake up with a sense of it, and the mood sticks with me. Whereas the details of the dream itself are elusive. But when I have a bad dream, not only do I awaken with the feeling of impending doom, but I can usually recall the specifics fairly easily.

Such is the case with this dream......


Me and a friend (Mischka) are in a house with some people who are dealing drugs. These people are acting like idiots and very irritating, so we decide to tell the police about what they are doing. We sneak out and inform the cops. Very soon the neighborhood is ablaze with red and blue lights as the losers are being escorted away. Feeling very good about what we have just done and the fact that they can no longer irritate us, we decide to treat ourselves to some coffee. We enter a neighborhood convenience store and instead of purchasing two cups of java, we leave with two dozen.....?! As, we are walking back through the neighborhood, we come upon a construction zone and proceed to disperse the coffee amongst the workers. I was walking towards one of the workers who was in the process of filling in a large hole in the ground. When I say large, I mean 10' across and another 10' deep. Within the hole, there are mounds and footholds along the wall. ... Hmmmm, more like a bowl , I guess, because I was not concerned with falling into it. So, the only way to get to the worker was to actually step down into the rim of the crater and come back up the other side. The guy was actually in a Track Hoe that was perched along the edge. As I proceeded to climb back out, the mounds and footholds started to give way. I could see fissures forming and breaking away from the wall. After several failed attempts to resurface, I noticed the dirt wall was about to give way and cave in on me... At this point the crater suddenly became a very narrow but deep hole. The strange part is that I did not panic... I bowed my arms out to each side and held my breath as the dirt cascaded down upon me. I figured if I held my arms out a little, it would leave room for me to move the dirt around after the avalanche was over. So, I started to try and move the dirt away from my face and tried to dig out an air hole. I was very calm during all of this, until I heard the workers above me talking about the two girls that had just left.... They had no clue I was beneath them and that is when I panicked! I started to scream just as my alarm went off.


So, do any of you know how to analyze dreams?

Words Of Wisdom

I spoke with my niece this morning, and we were having a lovely conversation about winter weather and how much snow I could possibly see this week.

I almost mentioned that some places have already received over 8'..... Well, okay, I actually said that the snow would reach my ceiling from the floor.

She commented that she would like to see that much snow, but then grew a bit concerned.

" What would you do if you got lost in that much snow?"

I told her I would wait until the big thaw and hope somebody would find me.

Then she asked, " But what would you do for food and water?"

I then hesitated, thinking she might be legitimately concerned about my winter safety. As I stumbled for an answer........ she pipes up with.....

drum roll please

"You could eat snow cones!!"

The Best Ski Season in Years

Yes, boys and girls, I do believe that we are in for one very snowy winter season this year. And truthfully, it is long overdue. The past few years, the northeast has not experienced a normal winter season. For example, Virginia (yeah, I know, not considered to be in the northeast; but, it is still on my route) only received a total of 4 inches of snow last year.. The average snowfall for Virginia during the winter months is 24 inches. Also, the NYC to Boston portion of my route did not experience any winter weather until late in January last winter.

Well, New Hampshire is predicting the best ski season in years and with well over 8' of snow having already fallen in the mountainous regions, I would have to believe they are correct.

So I talk to my Father today and he asks about next week's trip.....

Yes, I am going on my regular run.

No, I have not checked the weather.

After running some errands today, I come home and turn on the Weather Channel..

Holy Cows.... Boston got over ten inches of snow yesterday.... woooooo hoooo!!

And there is more to come over the weekend... I am sooooo freaking excited.. Remember, as long as it is not ice, I have no problem with it... Well, unless of course, there is so much snow that they have to close the interstate down, but New England is excellent at keeping their roads drivable.

I believe my Dad mentioned another NorEaster..... The info I have received so far indicates that I will not hit any wintry mix until Tuesday....

We shall see when we get there......

Duh .....

Okay, okay.....

If at first you don't succeed........TRY AGAIN

In case you have no idea where this is going.......

I am almost too embarrassed to tell you.......

I went back to THAT atm again..... The same day that my original error was corrected. and YES, it took my money again...

But hey, at least I kept the receipt this time.

Would somebody please volunteer to call my bank and tell them that I am tarded....

I can just hear you guys now...... and NO, I will never use that ATM ever ever ever again....

Bring on Christmas..... woo hooo!!

Finally a moment to sit down and blog something.. I have had two hundred posts slip through my fingers, but just couldn't find the time to publish them.

What have I been up to? Well, there has been traveling back and forth to visit with Superman...... And a few trips to Birmingham for various purposes... A weekend visit from my Mother who lives 4 hours away, and basic work obligations.. Needless to say, I have barely had time to sit back and relax.

But this weekend is all mine.....

I have plans to do very little. I have not been in this best of Holiday Moods with several things going on in my life right now.... For example, 2 weeks without work and only 4 of those days merit holiday pay. So, I have been a little stressed over financial matters. Normally, I try to purchase gifts for EVERYONE....and I knew that I would not be able to do so this year, so that made me a little sad....I mean, Christmas is my time.....

When my oldest nephews were little, I would literally bring them a large trash bag full of gifts from all over the country.. Back then, I was delivering in 48 states, and while some of the gifts could have been purchased just down the street, there was something exciting about knowing the gifts came from Montana or Connecticut.... At least they thought so!

Well, my holiday spirit finally kicked in when I saw a must have present for the Bri-Baby..... Instantly it was on.... I decided not to worry about the finances and proceed with Christmas as usual.....

Until..........

I mentioned that last weekend my mother came for a visit. Surprisingly , it was a very pleasant visit. We went to Warm Springs, Georgia and did some holiday shopping. I stopped to hit an ATM. After what seemed to be an eternity, it spit out a receipt stating that the transaction had failed... I then moved on to another machine and grabbed my cash..... But the balance showed that the first transaction HAD PROCESSED...... So, my balance was $200 short.

I called the bank and reported my claim. Then I found out that the ATM had actually reported the error and for some reason, the Bank withdrew an additional $200, instead of reimbursing me. Now, I am missing $400......

They quickly found the second error, and replaced the second $200. But did nothing about the original error..... I called back to check on why nothing was being done...I was told I needed to file a claim and they would check into.

What about the error report the original transaction had generated? Oh, yeah. They forgot about that when they corrected their own mistake. But now they wanted a copy of the receipt showing the failed transaction.... I did not keep it, because no money was dispensed....

At this point, the attitude I was receiving almost felt like they thought I was trying to run a scam on them and get some free cash. I just want my money back.... I still have gifts to purchase, and that particular amount was needed....

Well, it took an entire week, but just about 5 minutes ago, I got a call stating the money had been reimbursed.

So, today.... I am going to finish up my shopping and then tomorrow I will bake goodies all day to put into little holiday gift bags and distribute them to my NorthEast customers..

Oh how I love the Holiday Season....

Oh.... and I love my Bossman too! He gave me permission to drive 50 miles out of route to deliver some goodies to one of my favorite customers that did not make the delivery schedule this week....

Forecasts.......

Every week before I leave out on my journey I always check the weather in a few major cities along my route... (Okay, not every week, but every week during the winter, and Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, winter is here!) I have been snowed on three times already.

So.. This week when I checked, the forecast called for lots of freezing rain and ice pellets on Sunday. Yeehaw! Now, as much as I claim to love the snow and frigid temperatures, I am very cautious when the word ICE is present.

Lucky for me, I never made it to the ice, but after torrential downpours much of the day and 50 mph gusts of wind, I did discover that my truck leaks. Not your garden variety leaks like I have have been complaining about since receiving this little jewel of a machine, but rather........ a continuous steady stream of rain water pouring into my floorboard...coming off of my clutch pedal.

Monday was uneventful weather wise as well, but I did get more reports of potential snowfall, and it did snow for a moment last night while snoozing in Queens.. But no accumulation whatsoever. The forecast for the remainder of my week calls for something like 18 inches of snow... YAY!!

Remember snow is good....ICE is bad.... but for now, I am only here to share a beautiful sunrise with you, so enjoy!

This is my morning in the Bronx!!

Let It Snow......ETC

Lets just pretend for a moment that it is Sunday, November 18th 2007.

Not too far of a stretch, unless you take into consideration that it is snowing like crazy in Pennsylvania.... Huge white flakes coming down hard and fast. Luckily for me, it only lasted for a hundred miles, as I am not prepared for winters early arrival just yet. And neither are the other motorists. For some strange reason, it seems to take people a few good snow storms to readjust to driving in those conditions. So for tonight, we are traveling at speeds of 45 mph on the interstate.....because we (and I mean the people in cars) are scared.

I have said it before and I will say it again.. I absolutely love frigid weather. It invigorates me to no end. But it seems like Old Man Winter just left a short time ago... Okay, so maybe it has been seven months since the big NorEaster blew through New England, but last winter the snow did not start falling until January or February.. An extremely dry winter along my route. It just seems too soon.

On Monday, we got a light dusting in Hanson, Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, we were hammered with pillowy white precipitation in Waterbury Connecticut.

So, that is three snowfalls in three days in three states.....

Looks like winter is here Boys and Girls.... And I think it is going to be a harsh one, but that is just my opinion.

Oh, and just because I feel I need to remind people that as long as there is water coming off of the tires....... the road is not frozen or icy. So, just because your windshield holds ice or snow, does not mean you have to fear black ice. Therefore there is no need to drive 40 mph down the interstate just because it is snowing....Over-reacting is sometimes much worse than not reacting at all... Remember this........

The driver of this car over reactted and WHAM, I smacked him.... Even the State Trooper asked this fellow why he slammed on his brakes.....

"um, i over- reacted!"

Rumors....... Confirmed

Last week, while delivering to a customer in Massachusetts, I was enlightened to what seems to have been privileged information.

The customer asked if I had any travel plans for the holidays. I thought he was referring to the Thanksgiving weekend. But instead he was questioning me about the Christmas and New Years time frame. Seeing as how our plant was to be closed for TWO WEEKS, he thought I may have scheduled a nice trip/ vacation. HUH???!!!!

Normally during the holidays, the plant remains open and ships aluminum with the exception of the actual holidays themselves. This year, they are closing the doors.... so to speak.

When I returned home, I questioned the Bossman. He looked at me with a startled expression. Not because my information was inaccurate, but rather because I had already found out through an outside source....

Yes, we will not be shipping any material out for two weeks. He did remark that there would be scrap loads to haul during this time, so we would not suffer too much. But lets do the math, shall we.

2 facilities provide scrap
6 scrap loads per day (combined total)
10 days (excluding the actual paid holidays)

Okay so we have 60 loads of scrap to haul... Doesn't sound too bad, so far.....

But there are 40 drivers...... and I am sure a few of those will elect to be off the entire time, so lets just cut that back to 30 drivers. But still, that leaves 2 loads per driver in a two week period.

One of the hauls pays a flat rate of 98 dollars, unless they send it to the Tennessee facility. Then it pays approx $268.... The second haul pays about $225.

Therefore, I have the potential to earn anywhere from $196 to $536 in a two week period. NOT GOOD..... Yeah, that should cover taxes and insurance and a few pennies in the 401K....

So, you can see, I am kind of in panic mode.... While I would not mind having a long delicious holiday season without work, well, financially, I cannot afford to. Especially because I have not purchased Christmas presents yet, and am planning the big move early next year...hmm, that might have to be delayed until late spring..... Okay, enough trying to figure things out....

Superman thinks I should try to get my loads in early, and then pack a two week bag. That is not a bad idea because I could get in some serious quality time with ALL members of my family, but are they willing to feed me for 2 weeks??

Nothing is set in stone just yet, and the details are very sketchy. Hopefully there is actually more work available, but we do not know just yet. So, I quite possibly could be overreacting. but secretly, I am excited about the possibility of having so much time off, even if I do starve for a few days....

Really, Is It Too Much To Ask For??

Knock Knock

Who's There

Some more freaking issues.......

Could I have a side order of issues to go with that?

You know, this past week when I was visiting my Bro, he made the comment that He and I needed to get some issues, you know, being a smartass because ,basically ,well, neither of us have any devastating issues to dwell on....Or maybe he said he was thankful that we did not have issues..I don't remember his exact words but it involved ISSUES.....

Everybody has them....I guess.....But I don't want your issues. So when I started dating again, one of my deal breakers was that if your issues were larger then life, go seek therapy somewhere else. I reserve the right to counsel only those who I am close to, and am not taking any new patients at this time THANKYOUVERYMUCH !!

Well Surprise surprise surprise....... Superman has a little bit of MAJOR baggage...And actually, I am okay with it, if it is handled properly......



So, for now, I will step back and watch.... I may be disappointed in the long run, but I have dealt with disappointments in the past and am able to move forward with very little ISSUES. No, I am not saying that there is trouble in Paradise.. Um, maybe just a little red flag to be cautious for the next little bit... But the positive side is that he chose to be honest with me instead of hiding this, so I guess that should count for something

Frankly, the purpose of this post was to vent a little.... Is it too much to ask that I meet someone who is in a good place in their life.....I play therapist to a variety of people in my life and don't understand why it is that people seek me out to help them....Yes, I am friendly. Yes, I listen very well. Yes, I can give some good perspective....But back a few years ago when I needed a "friend", where was everybody? Huh? So, I just had to toughen up and move forward. Maybe that is why I have such good perspective, because I had to figure it all out by myself... Who knows....and I really don't mind helping others out with their problems. I am just feeling concerned for the issue at hand which does not even belong to me, nor did I ask for it.....

PSYCHIATRIST

The Doctor Is In

5 cents

Forgotten Posts.. Revisited

Since I seem to be somewhat on a roll, I will now attempt to recapture a few of those moments I mentioned were postworthy.....

BLOW JOB.....and yes, I still think it is a clever title

In the past, I have found it is so much simpler to just do your pre-trip inspection of tire pressure as opposed to sitting on the side of the interstate, waiting for a tire man to change your blown tire. That option can take several hours and the worst case scenario that I have experienced was a 7 hour delay..... So, with trusty air pressure gauge in hand, I check 18 tires every week... Several of the other drivers never check a tire, so it is inevitable that I end up with low tires on a weekly basis... In a Big Rig, the tire pressure should range from 100 psi up to 110 psi... 95 is not bad, but anything below 90 could potentially result in a blown tire....especially with a heavy load....

Last week, I could only check 17 tires, as the valve stem was impossible to reach on that last one. Grrrrrrrr....

I make it all the way to Long Island with no problems, and it looked and felt like it had enough air until.......... KABOOM! The cars scattered, but no one was hit with debris....

GREAT.... a blown tire on Long Island and it has been my experience that any maintenance needed will require lots of time, especially when we don't have terminals in the northeast to begin with. BUT, I was wrong.... From the time I placed the distress call, until the job was completed was less than one hour. You will notice the mudflap hanger is bent in towards the trailer, that thing is made of very stout metal, and nearly impossible to bend... So yeah, that explosion packs a pretty powerful punch!!

Because my trailer in enclosed with a tarp kit, and I was not the one changing the tire, the amount of damage was not evident to me until I arrived at the next customer and opened up the trailer....

That is when I noticed the nice hole in the flooring of the trailer...Look through it and you can see the rim of the tire....

But even more surprising was just how far the wood splinters and pieces of rubber made it into the load... I was picking out pieces of debris for the next three stops....

So, just a s a reminder (so i don't have to get on to you for being one of those idiotic drivers) PLEASE do not tail gate a big truck..... Just look at the damage to my trailer, and imagine how easily it would have been to shatter a windshield of knock a fender loose...

I AM JUST SAYING........

Tagged Again....

Okay, Sally got me this time....

This is a cute Meme, so I will play along...

So, I am supposed to come up with words to describe me that begin with the first letters of my middle name: RENEE

R ~ Resilient....My brother labelled me with this one... and YES, I am ! No matter what life throws my way, I always bounce back with a big ole smile on my face, ready to move forward!

E ~ Engaging....Okay, this is just another form of charming (my thesaurus told me so, if Sally can cheat, so can I). I have had several individuals who have made comments to me about being able to turn on the charm....and no one is safe, I will charm the pants off of anyone, just to put a smile on their face!!

N ~ Negative.... WHAT.. Surprise, I bet I caught you off guard with that one....I am somewhat of a pessimist. But only when it comes to a certain thing.... I spend 95% of my time full of optimism, but there is ONE topic that invokes a certain negativity in myself.... But it is all about growing, and I hope to see the silver lining in that aspect of my life soon as well....

E ~ Extreme......My moods, thoughts, ideas, perceptions.....all of which is felt in an extreme way. And I love being this way. No, I am not some deranged lunatic with massive mood swings. But I would rather feel everything with complete conviction as opposed to nothing ever really meaning anything. I think emotions are such a wonderful expressive thing. Normally, it is all about the good in life.. I am questioned often about why I am sooooo freaking happy...Well, I just am!

E ~ Effortless...... HUH? what?! Okay, maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but how many E words can you come up with.. Yes, I am energetic, too. But Shell already used that one. So, back to my explanation... No matter what I set out to do, or how difficult the challenge, I am always able to obtain it with very little effort. I just seem to pick things up naturally...

Okay, so now I am suppose to tag 5 people because there are five letters in my name....

Shell and Sally have already played, so Cece, Ginger, and Mama Bear.... Your IT!!

TAGGED

Okay Shell tagged me for this one, but I did not follow the rules too well. Instead, because these Memes often get unpublished, I figured I better do this one quick before I forget.

So here are seven random/weird facts about me in no particular order...

1. I use to have severe social anxiety/panic attacks. It seems however, that I have somewhat outgrown this. As a young adult I had very poor self-esteem and could not look anyone in the eye. Now, I am the sunshine that lights up the room. I have something to say to everyone I come in contact with and am no longer afraid to do things alone..... I honestly can't remember how I felt back in those days, I just remember that I was always scared....So glad that is over!

2. I never watch television programs.... Everything I view is on DVD, including TV shows.. I am never home to follow any program with regularity, so I just get the series on DVD and watch it at my leisure....Except of course, a few choice college football games.

3. When I started driving the Big Rigs, I had a 4x6 block of wood strapped to the gas and brake pedals... I am 4'11"... Over the years, Truck manufacturers have begun to accommodate the vertically challenged driver, so now..... I can reach the pedals, however, I am almost sitting under the dash...

4. I have a very low tolerance for ignorant drivers... Today, there was a fellow in front of me at a traffic light. The light was green, the cars in front of him had pulled away, and there he sat talking on the phone, fooling around with some object and obstructing traffic....I blew my horn at him... As he looked in his mirror at me, he threw up his hands as if to say " WHAT?" Resisting the urge to yell at him and provide animated gestures (driving in NYC will do that to you), I motioned to the traffic signal, as it was turning yellow. He then floors it and darts through the intersection under a red light.... Hey Buddy, guess you did not notice the Law Enforcement Officer parked in the median, did ya?.... So, what could have ended with me feeling a tad bit of frustration, turned into a delightful situation when the blue lights came on...... YES, I DID LAUGH AT HIM..... OUT LOUD!! Idiot...

5. I miss mowing the grass... Seriously.. I have been in apartments for nearly four years now and my green thumb is wilting... My idea of relaxation is to play in the dirt, make things grow and keep them trimmed.... And I love the smell of freshly mown turf.......

6. I have never been out of the country, but have travelled through 46 states.. Too bad it was mostly for work....

7. I am also a pack rat, but you would never know it.. All of my hidden treasures are tucked away in boxes in the closet.... I really need to throw that stuff out because it is not memorabilia of any kind, just items I thought I would use at a later date... Maybe when I move, I can eliminate the stockpile..... Hey iMike, ready to go a Junkin'....

Okay, so there you have it. Kind of an odd list, but hey random does not imply structure or theme....So Kids, go have fun and tag yourself if you wish.....And for those of you who have tagged me in the past, sorry if I did not participate.. i will try to do better......

Thank You Shell! xoxo

With so much to do, and so little time to do it, and so many thoughts, emotions, ideas, stories, etc.... to post.......I thought it would only be right to start with the most important post of all....

Life has been so hectic the past few weeks and I feel as if I am on the verge of exhaustion....I think I will go take a much needed nap....But with all that has been going on, it was so nice to come home from work this week and find out my Mischka was thinking of me!!

She sent me this lovely bouquet and bear..... Just Because!!

That is the best reason of all, don't you think... Just Because. I heart her so!! It is so delightful, full of fall coloring and the roses smell delicious!

Okay, so back to my nap...........zzzzzz zzzzzz zzz zzzzz

Forgotten Posts

I have been so stretched to beyond capacity lately... I just want a day off from everything....

I should be on cloud nine right now, for tomorrow morning I am heading to Dallas to visit some long lost school friends..... I am sure I will have a blast, but tonight..... I am stressed.

I have a buzillion unposted posts.... (Oh yeah, did I mention I feel a bit silly right now too).

I got home from work at 6pm.... I need to pack....... but I am too tired...

I have also neglected some very dear friends.... I need to contact them!! I miss you, Mischka. It feels like we have not talked in forever.

I just feel like I am so far behind on ????? everything....

So, this is a post to remind me of things to post....

Birmingham

Double Standards

Blow Job.... no, not what you are thinking but it was a catchy title.....

Perry Tech......

medications..

okay, that should do it for now.. I know this post makes no sense to the rest of you, but my brother puts hidden messages in his posts and if I hide my reminders , then what good would it do to post it....

I hope everyone is doing well.... Toodles

Auburn 35.... Tennessee Tech 3.....

Just thought I would put together a quick recap of last weeks Big Adventure...





I was delighted to be invited by my SIL to join her at the Auburn University Homecoming. She was to perform with the Alumni Marching Band and needed someone to help out with the Bri-Baby.... Now, everyone knows how much I love Bri-Baby, so instantly I accept. As an added Bonus, Superman also loves college football and mentioned he would love to make the trip to see the game.





After an extremely long work week, Saturday finally arrives and I meet up with Superman. We set out to find SIL and Bri.





Okay, instead of a long narrative, I will just show the pics ......


We find SIL practicing with the Alumni Band

The Bri-Baby was happy to have the company! And YES, the diet obviously has been working.. How many of you could hide behind a seven year old and virtually disappear. Except of course, my big 80's hair!! hee hee hee. The first 15 minutes of our visit was spent sticking twigs into my hair and turning me into a reindeer... Ahhhh, Christmas is just around the corner!!

Here is a nice shot of the EAGLE....( War Eagle) who makes his flight through the stands during the pre-game festivities.

And have I ever told you how much I loves me a Marching Band.

The stands were actually pretty full later in the day... Um, this was homecoming, so alot of people were there just for that purpose, and well, since you don't play a team that can beat you during Homecoming, well, the game was not as thrilling as say... The Iron Bowl will be! I have got to get tickets to that game..... Hopefully next year!!

After hours of sitting in the blazing out sunshine, the stands began to empty out and we were finally able to find some shade... That is when Bri came alive. (Usually she is typically shy when it comes to strangers, but it did not seem to take too long to warm up to Superman. ) She even asked about him, when she noticed he was missing. Of course, I told Superman that he must have Bri's approval if I were to continue dating him....

Here is SIL sitting with the Alumni Band... She was actually quite a good distance away, but Superman has this awesome camera and I was delighted when he sent me this photo... It seems he was able to capture a few of SIL and well, since it was her moment... he thought she should have some pictures to commemorate it... I did not even know he had done it.. Once again, being so thoughtful, he has earned even more brownie points.

Oh yeah, did I mention the part where I was suppose to make sure Bri got a snack.. And I totally forgot! But of course, Superman remembered, and surprised us with drinks and huge pretzels.

Yeah, I know, I seem to be totally smitten with him and this was suppose to be a post about the Auburn Weekend. Okay, so I am a little distracted right now.... Let's hope the distraction continues.!!

Hook Em Horns...

For some reason, when I think of Texas..... Hook Em Horns is the first thing that comes to mind, even though I never attended college in the state that is like a whole other country. I was raised there and do not ever remember saying that the entire length of my childhood.. Hmmm...

Any ways, why is Texas on my brain, you might ask... Well other than my recent visit with iMike (a.k.a. AtHomeDaddy) who currently resides in Austin..(he came to visit my bro a few weeks ago)(and damn if he don't look the same as he did years ago, except with a few more pounds..... his words~ not mine) My real excitement about the wild west is due to the fact that I just booked a flight to Fort Worth....

Who says MySpace sux?

I have had the extreme pleasure to reconnect with at least 15 of my high school buddies. And OMG, 2 of them have married and currently reside less than 2 miles from my current location. Holy Cow!! But moving on, I have a visit planned for November 15th through the 17th to visit one of my BFFs.... BK. We recently chatted on the phone for hours and it was like we never missed a beat... Who would imagine after all those years apart. I am so freaking excited!

So, I got the flights booked. Which is a major step for me, because I am the world's worst at putting things off until it is more convenient. I have been promising a visit for the past year and now it is finally gonna happen. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and have sent out emails to others.. Who knows how many old friends I might actually get to see that weekend....

I cannot wait!!

EDIT: OMG, I just got confirmation to have lunch with the girl who was my BFF during our entire childhood!!! This is Awesome!!

Superman's Legacy

Among other assorted super powers, Superman has a very keen sense of hearing...Or maybe I should be amazed by his incredible memory skills.



During one of our first conversations we were discussing a wide variety of topics including types of favorite movies. Also in this conversation were topics based on what weird things we have or have not done.....Get your mind out of the gutter!!



My list included never having seen the movie ET. Never.



How unAmerican is that? A classic like ET.. Also I have never seen an entire Rocky movie...And I don't normally eat Apple Pie either...But I digress.



After weeks of phone calls and emails, Superman decides it it time we get together and he plans out an entire day of treats for me. Now you must remember the ET conversation took place 3 weeks before the date was planned.



The Big Day arrives and our first adventure includes a trip to the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center. I had never been, and it was quite lovely. I am not one to stare at displays and read all the fine print, but there were several interactive displays that were alot of fun, including climbing a rock wall.....

Yes, I made it to the top...

No, Superman did not!!

and why is there a rock wall at the Space and Rock et Center, anyways? We also enjoyed riding into the sky on the Space Shot, which lead us to a fun filled fabulous trip to Six Flags last week. However, we both forgot to bring cameras...



Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious meal and headed to his place to catch a viewing of.......



You Guessed It....



ET.... The Extra Terrestrial



Superman had to search 4 stores to find this film as it is no longer in high demand. Talk about making an effort... Awwww......



Next, we returned to The Space and Rocket Center to visit the Tunnels of Terror... This was about the cheesiest haunted house I have ever been to, but we had loads of fun scaring the other patrons and socializing with the spooks. We were actually invited to return next year and become a part of the act.....



Finally, we did a little star gazing of our own.... It was a wonderfully thought out first date centered entirely around the theme of Space and Aliens.... I can not believe how thoughtful Superman is....Most guys would have forgotten I even mentioned ET, much less planned an entire day around it!!

It's Great To Be An AUBURN TIGER

Ughhhhh.....

This weekend, I am planning to meet SIL and the Bri-Baby at Auburn University to watch some college football... I believe they are playing Tennessee Tech. I am sooooo excited because this is only the second college game I have ever attended. The last one was also an Auburn game, we won!! But it has been years... and I live so close. Hmmm, what's up with that. SIL is participating in the Alumni Band so I will get plenty of Bri Time.

The frustrating part of this situation is that over the course of the past SEVERAL months, I have been off from work every Thursday and Friday without fail.

I did not think I would need to request off on Friday to have a girls weekend with SIL.

I was wrong.

I will still be able to make the game, but had to cancel my Friday plans...Why, because several weeks ago, it was decided that we had too many drivers and not enough freight. Two driver positions were eliminated, allowing the remaining drivers to acquire more miles during the week. It seems that the drivers who were doing all of the complaining about low miles have now decided that they would prefer the home time instead. Because my trip was cut short this week and I returned home on Tuesday night, I am now thrown back into the pool of local and daily trips to help finish out the week.

I hope next week, my load returns to normal..... I did learn from this lesson and have requested in advance to be off from work on the 15th and 16th.... I am going to Texas to visit an old high school friend. Yippee!!

Before I Forget.....

Happy Halloween.......

Shell sent me this one, and I thought it was hilarious..... Considering Superman calls me Pumkin...

Punk'd

Last Thursday, while visiting the Bro and his Family I received a text message.

"Come and Save Me"

It was Bama Boy... Or as I shall dub him...... Superman. (Yes, there is a story behind that, but it is not mine to tell)

So a few minutes later Superman calls and begs me to come out and play. You see, he is sitting at a local bar with some friends and a local barfly has attached herself to his side. Superman is a very sociable type and does not like to be mean. He has given subtle hints and not so subtle hints that she is NOT going home with him, no matter how much cleavage she is showing. She won't take the hint.

"Come and Save ME"

After receiving directions, I head out. Superman calls again. This time he has a game he wants to play. He proceeds to explain the scenario.

" You come in and sit on the opposite side of the bar. Take your time and seduce me with your eyes, I will be drawn to you and surely she will get the idea, that I am not interested in her because apparently she can take no other hints, other than me walking away!"

Okay, I agree to play...... but not according to his terms.

Just before I enter the bar, I sent Superman a text saying that I have NEVER picked a man up in a bar, and that I was not going to start now. " Your on your own, Tiger" hee hee hee

I do as I was told. I sit opposite of his little entourage. I make eye contact with everyone. Everyone makes eye contact with me. A drink is sent over from a complete stranger and another takes a seat beside me. Just then Superman receives my text. He barely manages to stifle a laugh and looks at me with that very playful "oh, so you want play that way" look.

As, I am chatting up a few of the locals, I notice a slight commotion over at Supermans Group. A few laughs... An " I dare You" and so forth. Then he saunters over my way. As he sits down, he eyes are shining and he explains that he was just told that he did not stand a chance with me. His friends had noticed me instantly and made the comment. " She's Cute", as he chides in to agree, the drunk chic is getting a little upset because she is not the center of attention anymore. So with a touch of sarcasm, she makes the fatal bet. " Five Bucks says you can't get her number"

We continue to play strangers for the allotted amount of time stated in the bet. As time is counting down, he whispers "Kiss Me" when she calls time..... I did, he did...... There were shouts and clapping...... There was a visibly upset drunk chic leaving the bar.... and then there were introductions all around.

No one knew.... I mean NO ONE knew that I had already met Superman..... No one knew that we had been talking for a while.....No one knew that we were not complete strangers...

It took me a day or two to realize what exactly had just happened...

During one of conversations, I had mentioned that I would love to play a prank on a group of people, say for instance " The Diner Scene" from When A Man Loves a Woman, with Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia.

I had just about forgotten that I have ever mentioned it, when it dawned on me that....... Superman had just made that happen!!! He is very attentive to things I say, and I will clue you in on more activities......

Ughhhhh....... Time to make the donuts...........

BOY, Time Flies......

It is 5AM and I am sitting in the Bronx! This is where the WiFi is, so I thought I was long overdue for a post. or two....

My luck has changed dramatically... In the past few weeks, I have had no traffic delays whatsoever when it comes to running around NYC.. NONE. For example, the morning rush hour commute from Jersey onto Long Island at 8am. Normally this is a very slow going process.. In the past 3 weeks, I have been able to get from point A to point B in under 2 hours. Typically it takes 3.5.

An even better example took place about 15 minutes ago. As I understand it, the DOT in and around NYC love to do safety inspections and write up tickets! As I was crossing the TriBoro Bridge, I got flagged into an inspection site (this was a first for me in 5 years). They checked my license and paper work and sent me on my way. Had they took a closer look at the trailer, they would have noticed a few items that could have potentially merited a fine. For instance, I have a marker light that is not working, along with a turn signal.

When the officer asked where I was coming from (Queens) and where I was going to (Bronx) he giggled....It was 6 miles...... I mentioned that I sleep in Queens because it is so much safer. "Why do you say that?", he asked...

" It is just what I have been told."

He laughed again and stated that whoever told me that was correct and have a great day. NO, I did not do my normal Men In Blue flirting routine.

Anyways, my point is this.....LIFE is GREAT..

Dating Update....

After culling B#1, out of curiosity, I decided to check out the Bachelors over in Bama, after all, that is where I am going to set up house next year.

So, I entered my Brothers Zip Code and had a sneak peek.. Not too much going on over that but there were a few good looking men and I read their profiles....

Now when someone visits your profile, you are notified in any sort of way, but you do have the option to see who has been viewing you...

I have had 4 men from Bama email me last week.....

One in particular struck my fancy, so I emailed him back... We have exchanged several emails, and have moved forward to phone conversations...

Next week is the Bri-Baby's birthday and the following week iMike is coming to town, so I will be heading over to Bama to see the kin folk..... I have received an invitation to meet for dinner while I am in town.... He also extended the invitation to include any family or friends I cared to bring with me...

See, the whole on-line dating sites are just full of deceptive people and he admitted to being very disappointed in the past. He figured, if I was not who I say I am, at least I would have family with me so I could have a good time, if he decided to cut and run.... ha ha ha...

You gotta love the honesty.....

DO NOT DISTURB

HOLY COW..... What a day.... yesterday that is. After receiving the news of the flaming truck, I checked in with the BossMan to see what was up... Should I be concerned.... It seems that Volvo will have to do a little investigating because the fire was a result of internal issues.... That's right.. it started in the motor....

I love to overly check my equipment, but there is nothing to check concerning internal issues...So, I did spend the day sniffing for smoke and looking for flames...

I left the house around 9:30 to begin my quick trip to Tennessee. The trip should have been no longer than a 10 hour turn around. Should have been.

After waiting in the maintenance shop for trailer repairs, I had to go to the Truck Shop to let them check out my leaks.... Finally, after 4 hours, I was ready to get started.

No issues in getting my load, but there were three separate occasions where the interstate was completely shut down due to accidents... 3 locations in a 100 mile stretch..... That definitely put me way behind...

So, 9 hours into my workday, I finally make the Tennessee state line. Another 125 miles and I am able to swap trailers and head for home.... Did I mention, I only live 150 miles from said state line...... 9 hours ~ 150 miles........

I have only recrossed the state line heading south when the reports start coming in of trouble in Paradise!! It seems there was a bank robbery/ cop killing/ high speed chase on the west side of Atlanta, and the perimeter is shut down.. The closer I get , the more advisories I hear... No problem.. I will go through the middle of town...

But what is waiting for me there... A RoadWay Truck has lost his trailer which collided with 2 other vehicles..... I know this was a very bad situation for all of those involved, but DAMN.... I just want to get home.... All of the people involved seemed to be okay, but the vehicles were pretty smashed up.. The trailer.... well, it ended up laying on it's side up against a retaining wall.

Finally, I get south of town and there is one more accident to detour around before getting home.... What is wrong in Atlanta today?? Every single interstate had lane closures due to accidents today.. Some with multiple closures..... For those who don't know, we have 3 major interstates that intersect, along with the perimeter which connects all three in a bypass loop. Not to mention the other major roadways, of the limited access variety...

My scheduled 10 hour workday ended up taking 17 hours to complete...

Today.. FRIDAY, I spent the entire day at home...... Doing nothing!! Am I ashamed? NOPE!!

I hate working on my off days, there is just no good to come from it!!