Feb 27, 2007

25 Questions

In response to my SIL....

1. What is your occupation? Little Trucker
2. What color are your socks right now? They are white and dirty gray. That is why they are not on my feet.. Trudging around in the left over slosh all day. Shoes were soaked through!!
3. What are you listening to right now? 30 Seconds to Mars
4. What was the last thing you ate? Daddy Crackers (saltines) and Dr Pepper
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I do in the Truck, daily... As for cars, I was unable to do so for years even though I learned to drive using a five speed... My current car is also a five speed.
6. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes
7. How old are you today? 34 going on 25
8. What is your favorite drink? Which category??? Dr Pepper, Long Island Iced Tea, Coffee
9. Have you ever dyed your hair? YES
10. What is your favorite sport to watch? NASCAR, yep I am a redneck!!
11. What was the last movie you watched? Running With Scissors
12. What's your favorite Day of the Year? Christmas
13. Whats your least favorite day of the year? Gynecologists appointment day
14. Hugs or kisses? I would settle for either... I am definitely a hugger, but I love a good kiss!!
15. What did you do last night? Watched the snow falling out on Long island.
16. What's your favorite smell? Fresh Baked Cinnamon rolls, coffee, and a good smelling fellow!!
17. What inspires you? The opportunity to overcoming some of my genetic inheritance!!
18. What are you afraid of? I don't truly fear anything, but physical pain. Large strange crowds do make me anxious.
19. Plain, cheese or spicy burgers? Cheese always!! Spicy when I am in the mood...
20. Your favorite car? Corvette Stingray
21. Number of keys on your keyring? 4
22. Favorite day of the week? Friday
23. Favorite Holiday? Christmas
24. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? Yes, Yes, and Yes... Motorcycle, front-end loader, bob-cat, Big Rig, forklift, etc...
25. Pets? *sniff sniff* not at the moment!!

Free At Last.... Free At Last

OMG!! What a difference.. This week is actually going exceptionally well for me. I feel like I am back in the game... The last few weeks were really beginning to take a toll on my attitude and I hate that!!!

I was a little concerned about the weather when I was heading out, but my Father was feeding me up to the minute reports and although the NE was suppose to sustain another heavy blow from Old Man Winter.... It actually warmed up enough that I made the trek without any problems...

The loaner Truck rides like a freakin Cadillac!! However, it is an automatic... Yikes. This was another issue I was initially concerned with. how it would handle in the ice, but no ice to be seen!! It would seem that the automatic transmission would make things easier, but after driving a standard 10 speed (13, 15, 18 speed) for my entire Trucking career, it is a bit difficult to get used to... You have no control of the gears and the computer does not recognize icy roads.... Oh and did I mention... AIR RIDE TRAILER..... Wooooo hoooo!!!

So a few minor delays, but nothing to the point of aggravating me this week... I feel sooooo much better. I will just about catch up to my normal routine and I am very happy about that...

Side Note:The automatic transmission does not like to be put into reverse, which is mandatory for unloading.. If you do not maintain at least 5mph, it will fall back into neutral. So my backing skills are suffering quite a bit this week.. I thought about just flooring the pedal and whatever happens, happens.. Like Mike said.... One down, 64.3578 to go!!

Feb 24, 2007

Buster Brown

I thought I should try to throw in a little humor with this weeks posts, so I have decided to fill you in on the harassment that the UPS man in Queens was forced to endure..

He was such a sweet heart and we cross paths on a weekly basis...

This week I was feeling a little froggy and decided to cut up with him a bit.. When he opened the back of his truck, I was standing there, box cutter in hand with a sneaky little grin on my face....

"You ever get curious as to what is in those boxes"
Naturally he replied with that good employee attitude, explaining how if you let the curiosity get to you it will lead in theft inevitably. He just blocks it out!

" Well, can I look? I just love presents and you got a lot of boxes... Hmmmm Hmmmm. Can I Can I..." We traded banter for a few moments and he was on his way.

The next morning, we meet again. Of course, I have Box cutter in hand along with the stash of boxes to be shipped that day. He looks at me and smiles. I tell him that there is nothing good in these boxes, can I look in yours?? Hmmmm Can I, Can I??

No such luck!! But I have come up with a plan... I intend to ship myself a package of some useless item, so he can deliver it to me... In Queens...

TGIF !!!!!!!!!!!!!

With a smile on my face and a song on my lips, I awoke with the sunshine and headed for Nashville TN. (Our large Body Shop is where I am heading to swap out the Big Truck)

Within 30 minutes of my departure, I manage to strike up a conversation with a fellow heading in the same direction.. This is such an added bonus, because time just seems to fly by and a short 9 hours later I am pulling into the shop.. I had dreaded swapping trucks, because I literally have to transfer all of my belongings from one to the other... Once again a time consuming feat with alot of climbing up and down... I make the swap and proceed to the office to alert them that I have left my truck for them to repair....

Here is where I LOST IT!!!

Upon entering the establishment, naturally I was greeted with bewildered smiles...

After going through several conversations about the accident and the damage and everything else during the past few days, NO ONE had notified them!!

"Why are you leaving it with us??"
"Because I was in an accident and told to leave it with you"

The smiles quickly vanished and furious scowls replaced them.

Next we spent thru the whole checklist of what should have been done according to procedure... I had done it all!!!! The Boss had not followed through, once again, leaving it up to me to straighten out... The Service Manage then lost his cool (at me, about me, to me) and went off on some rant about "you truck drivers are always tearing up your trucks, why don't you pay attention to what you are doing, its an every week thing, are you just that careless or just plain lazy??"

I started to quiver and shake in my boots. I am sure my face turned bright red and tears of anger began to well up in my eyes, " EXCUSE me!! Would you even like to know what happened?" He just looked at me like I was totally stupid and taking up space... I proceeded to explain the circumstances surrounding the accident and could tell he was totally disinterested. That is until I said, " The officer charged the driver of the car!" " I AM NOT AT FAULT!!!"

His demeanor did a 180 and he said, " Now that is a totally different situation, if you were not at fault."

No Jackass, it isn't... I am still standing here reeling from the verbal punch to the gut I had just received and he has once again become pleasant!! My truck still needs to be repaired!. In his original maniacal tirade he informed me that they would get to it WHENEVER!! Now all of the sudden, they were going to jump on it and get it repaired ASAP...

Can you believe this guy..And we are employed by the same corporation.

Monday, I intend to inform someone?? of the way I was treated... It was just not right!!

So there you have it!! They say these things come in threes. Lets hope so! That was my third consecutive week of bad trailers, bad loads, and all around bad circumstances.

Time to go scout out the guacamole dip.. HINT HINT

Thursday

This seems to be dragging on a bit doesn't it??

The customer who closed at 1PM the previous day, fortunately opens up at 4AM... So I did manage to get an early start... The next customer opens at 8AM, but when I arrived at 6:30 I was greeted with a smile and immediately unloaded.. WOW!! They normally are not a very pleasant customer to deal with, but I grateful for the large favor!!

On to Massachusetts and my final three stops. The folks in Mass are always a pleasure to deal with and will start early or stay late, whatever is needed!! Not to mention, the young "hottie" in Franklin who flirts with me like crazy!! So, I had lunch with him, finished out my trip and was headed home. (Only a short 20 hour drive)

One thing that irked me a little bit on Thursday is that my employer had lied to the customer about why I was two days late. The customer was told that I had umpteen dozen stops that week, but no mention of the difficulties I had faced with the accident, customer closures on Monday, delayed openings and early closings... It really hit me wrong!! In fact , my employer makes it a habit of telling half truths and whole lies... Sheesh, what s up with that?? He does it to take the pressure off of himself. The driver usually gets to reap the effects of his lies...

But hey, I am finished....Ain't nothing gonna break my stride, ain't nothing gonna slow me down Oh No, I got to keep on movin'

I made it back to PA and curled up for the night. After fielding several phone calls from various folks (the Fisherman is really pushin my buttons) I manage to catch some zzzzzs..

One final stop tomorrow to swap out my truck for a loaner and I will be home for some much needed RnR... Although I am done, my nerves are now starting to show the stress I had encountered.... Okay so I am no longer Susy Sunshine at this point!!

Hump Day

Okay, so where was I??

Oh yeah... Wednesday!!

I arrive at my 6th location, thinking this is the day!! Well, they did not open until 9AM.... And then had to hand unload, which takes quite a bit of time.... DONE

Now back to Jimmys and this time his freight is totally accessible. Yippee. Within just a few moments, he had 4 out 5 bundles unloaded.... The fifth one sat on the trailer for quite some time... and with reason... You see, the quicker I get unloaded, the quicker I haul arse. But Jimmy and Rich wanted to chat a bit more, and honestly I did not mind a bit... Yes, the week was progressing slowly, but I will always take time out to get in a little friend time. The UPS man showed up again and after a bit more harassing him, I was on my way...2.2 miles to the Bronx.

The Bronx unload turned into quite a big headache.. Remember my little excursion on Sunday? While the trailer itself was unscathed, the load had shifted just a tad... Opening the trailer was quite a chore. Once opened, we discovered that the material (for the Bronx) was loaded on both sides of the trailer. The problem is that this is one of those stops where I am double parked in the street blocking traffic. So after the first two bundles are removed, I have to strap everything back down and close the curtain. Find a place to make a U-turn. Open the curtain and remove the straps... Very time consuming!! I know what your thinking, yes, I did kill about 30 extra minutes just up the road for grins and giggles, but I needed that!

On to the 9th stop... Once again, the curtain was difficult to open... There was one very large and heavy bundle that was slowly coming apart and would keep sliding into the frame of the curtain... So with help, it was opened and I was off loaded.

The 10th drop went very smoothly!! And the 11th closed at 1PM, so there was really no need to hurry at this point.

I am not intending to complain about my Wednesday, just building up to the grande finale.. Actually, Hump Day went very smoothly despite the added labor... Feeling much better, I head for the motel... Looks like I should get it all wrapped up tomorrow and be on my way home!!

Tuesday's Gone With The Wind.........

Okay, lets try this again...

Tuesday morning I am awaiting my 2nd destination to open.....

DONE.

I head out for my next location (17 in all, 2 down 15 to go)....It is only 22 miles away... But that road construction in the middle of winter seems to be delaying my progress a bit... 3 hours to travel 22 miles. Okay DONE.

No problem getting out to Hauppage, Long Island, except for that 1 hour delay on the George Washington Bridge... HMMMMMMM.... I arrived 15 minutes before receiving hours ended, but DONE just the same.

Next, back to Brooklyn. A NEW LOCATION.... It turned out to be within blocks of several other customers I have delivered to , so finding it was a breeze... 5 down, 12 to go... I seem to be picking up momentum here...

I had attempted to make contact with my 5th customer, but to no avail... My dispatcher had made contact and assured me that they would receive up until 6PM... HUH?? Sounds fishy to me.. So after that last stop, I try again ad was told that under no circumstance would they unload anything after 4PM.. It is now 2:45 and I am only 6 miles away.... Too good to be true... ? But remember I am in Brooklyn...

I do make it Astoria Blvd in Queens by 3:45 and after another phone call, I have been told not to bother with trying to proceed... They had 5k of freight on the trailer to be hand unloaded and would not attempt it until the morning. So I head over to the 6th customer... Not to be unloaded, just to find a SAFE place to park...After all, donuts don't really hurt if they hit you... When I got there, Jimmy said he would do whatever it took to make things better for me, but his merchandise was buried under the 5K and told him not to worry with it...

This was a nice break for me... I love Jimmy and Rich and spent the next little bit socializing with them... My day was done anyway!! The previous week, Rich had agreed to be my valentine. I stood him up!! But being the nice guy, that he is, he presented me with some chocolates anyway... Okay, so they were not intended for me, but I showed up at the right place at the right time looking little pathetic....YUMMY!!

So after harassing the UPS man for a bit, the guys had to close up shop and was left to entertain myself...

No problem, with the mounting stress, I was able to kick back and enjoy a movie, and sleep came quickly.......

This is the point where I will remind you that on a normal week, I am unloaded and headed home by Tuesday Evening.... This week I have only managed to get five stops completed....

I am still maintaining my pleasant demeanor!!

Just Another Manic Monday.... ohhhhh whoooaaaa

And so the Saga continues....

After a peaceful night in the motel room, I awoke Monday with a tiny sense of dread...Last time I had
to get a replacement TRUCK, it ended up being a day cab. No place to take naps and the suspension is even worse!!

I contacted the corporate office and my dispatcher..... WAITING (Time is a wastin)... Finally, I agree to drive my damaged Truck to make my deliveries... It is now 9AM and with my limited driving capacity (daylight hours only) I am off in a rush... The roadways are now dry again, so no problem there, but I am 3 hours away from my first destination... I arrive at lunch time and naturally have to wait it out.... That being done, I begin to make calls to find out the delivery hours of my next few stops...

Lo and Behold!! My next three customers are all closed due to the observance of Presidents Day!! After much deliberation, I decide there is nothing left to do but shut her down... I would have attempted the fourth delivery, but there was too much other freight in the way and they have to hand unload every single piece .

So by 2pm on Monday I am officially done for the day... While this week is not progressing how I intended it too, I am still in good spirits... Motel 6, here I come....

Okay, so I am a little agitated at this point, but not taking it out on anyone.. My theory is that if the Main Office had told me of the customer closures, I would not have started my journey when i did.. I would not have been at milemarker 314 in Virginia when the Toyota slid across the road, and I would not have crunched my Truck...

The bad part is that I asked..... I have been traveling to the NE region for several years now and am aware that some of the customers will use anything as an excuse to be off for the day. I ASKED!!!!! I was reassured that EVERYONE would be open.....

Oh well, Tomorrow is another day!!!!

Sunday Bloody Sunday

No , not really!!


After all the fussing, I had been doing I made up my mind to just let it be. It was taking up way to much energy and I thrive on being a very silly girl!! Hard to do if your attitude sucks.


Sunday was a typical day to start with. Head out on the road to begin my weekly adventure... Last weeks weather predicaments had mostly melted away and it was smooth sailing...


I made a Birthday call to my Bubba, did my weekly therapy phone session with another and remained in high spirits.. I could supplement my income if only I charged per hour...


For the first 650 miles, roads were dry and traffic was really moving very well. Then at 651 miles, things started to change... I knew flurries were in the forecast, so I was not surprised... As I headed into Northern Virginia on I-81, the snow began to fall... Here is where the story gets interesting, I suppose...


I was in the left lane, making a pass and was alerted to an ambulance closing in behind me. Naturally I make the move to the right lane to let him pass, but traffic has slowed quite a bit... I squeeze in behind a Toyota 4Runner and slow to 35 mph... The little Toyota seemed a bit nervous , so as soon as the emergency vehicles had passed I glided back into the left lane....Traffic is still slow, I am probably up to 40mph at this point... When all of the sudden.... WTF!!! The driver of the Toyota comes to an abrupt halt.. I swear he appeared to come to a complete stop just before darting into the left lane, 30 feet in front of me... Not sliding on ice, just swerving!! But then it happens. Just as he finds the left lane, he loses traction... I did not panic, I did not overreact. I gently apply the brakes and ease towards the center median being careful to not slip off into the 2ft snow bank. He over corrects and slips back to the right... So far so good, until he over corrects AGAIN and heads back towards me.... YIKES. This time, I do ease into the snow bank and am off for a hell of a ride... I might mention here that after applying my brakes a second time, I began to slide as well, thus opting for the snowbank to try and avoid a collision !!


It all happened so fast. I don't remember every detail, but I do remember this..... Just as I was exiting the asphalt, we made contact!! Oh SHIT!! (I really should edit, but it was that quite an ordeal.. First time in all my Truckin years that I smacked a car!!) I completely lost site of him at this point!! I was holding on for the ride and then I saw something that scared the *#@& out of me!! I looked in my mirror and saw my trailer, heavily laden with metal, start to come around me on my left at a very (uuuuhhhhhhh) awkward angle. Very focused at this point, I steered back towards the asphalt and broke thru the snow bank yet again.... I came to a stop with the little Toyota just a few feet in front of me...I don't know how he managed that, but I am sure I gave him a good shove upon the initial contact.


I must mention this again.. I never panicked!!!


Once at rest, I must admit that my emotions were leaning a bit more towards anger than anything else. I tend to believe that people who live in wintry climates would know how to drive in such conditions....NOT SO!! I jump out of the truck to check on the automobile driver and as I was nearing the vehicle I saw a tiny little head pop up in one of the windows... Then I freaked!! I darted the last few remaining feet and commenced to try and open the door.. The driver had the window down a few inches and I begin to plead with him to tell me how many children were in the vehicle.... ONE. and yes he was fine!!! THANK GOD!!!! My anger vanished when I saw the child.


All is well that ends well. There was a Virginia State Trooper present that had witnessed the whole scene and he commended me on my fine reaction skills.


The tow truck and wreckers drivers were looking for the truck driver, something I always find amusing...."Here I am"


The little boy was more excited than anything else and no tears were shed!!


The fault was placed on the automobile driver!! Lucky for me, but it is typically a given that the Big Truck WILL be blamed!!


The only ones who seemed to have attitude were the Drivers Parents who came to pick them up! I am sure they thought I was at fault, but I felt no need to try and persuade them otherwise.
I did ask the Toyota driver what happened and he responded...." I thought I saw ice and panicked!!" Yeah Buddy!! I always slam on my brakes when I see ice, makes for an adventure!!
So there you have it. Sundays progress was terminated immediately due to the lack of a headlight and darkness rapidly approaching. I managed to find a local motel and camp out for the evening....... But the Saga continues...... (meanwhile, after the initial reactions abated, I maintained my carefree "roll with the punches" attitude).



I am soooo Glad Thats Over!!

The two previous weeks, I had spent quite a bit of energy and time griping about my trailer and freight and whatever else that came along to irritate.. Not typically a major portion of my personality and it was getting old ....FAST. So this week, I set out to just go with the flow, no matter what came my way..I did pretty good too, considering....... Yes, I had another spring ride trailer ( I have a video to post , but I will get to those later!!) I am very pleased to announce that I maintained a cheerful demeanor most of the week, but inevitably, I lost it!!

So on with the recap!!!

Sunday- The day was off to a good start. Trailer woes, yes. But I let it slide... I had a pleasant conversation with my Brother (it was his birthday) and things went down hill after that. I had my first major Big Truck/Automobile collision....

Monday- Does no one in New Jersey work on Presidents Day? Sheesh, what a waste!!!

Tuesday- Major delay due to road construction.... And customers refusal to unload!!

Wednesday- Still in a good mood!!! Late deliveries and customers closing early.

Thursday- Long week indeed!! Finally finished up, heavy winds and constant phone calls!!

Friday- Irritation starting to show, but hey I am on my way home!! That's when I lost it!! I had a confrontation with a major jackass.


Okay, so I have offered very little info, but I just needed a quick vent.... Stay tuned for the detailed versions to be posted!!

Feb 17, 2007

What Color is Your Aura??

Your Aura is Red

You have a high level of emotion. This can mean passion, but it can also mean rage.
Usually, you don't take these emotions out on others. You just use them as motivation - and it works!

The purpose of your life: embracing all the wonders of the life, lots of travels, and tons of adventures

Famous reds include: Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Lopez

Careers for you to try: Dancer, Boxer, Surgeon

Yes, Its True!!

Star Wars Horoscope for Taurus

You are a dependable creature, but you do tend to be stubborn.
You like material possessions and love to win at games.
You hate being bossed around or losing.
You may succumb to your physical strength when upset.

Star wars character you are most like: Chewbacca

I have been TAGGED!! again

Thanks to Angel, I have been tagged yet again. But I am up for a challenge, so I will reveal 5 more things you may not know...

Hmmmmmmm

1. The more I read of Angel's Cloud, the more I am convinced I must be her alter ego.... We have a lot in common.. In fact, her first four answers describe me unequivocally!! The fifth answer applies only to my feet!! Yes, my feet are claustrophobic!! They must have room to breath. At night when I sleep, my feet must hang off the edge of the bed, which puts my head in the center of the mattress!

2.I would love to live closer to my Family (I am about 4 hours away). However, a particular circumstance poses the threat of way tooooooo much stress, therefore I must maintain my distance...

3.I never WASH my face!! Even wearing make-up, I refuse to wash.. Actually, it breaks me out!! I will apply some baby oil to remove eye make-up, I will use a peel-off Hydroxy Mask once a week, but I never, never wash.. Rinsing in the shower, YES, scrubbing with cleanser..NO. And I rarely ever have blemishes!!

4. When I was a teenager, I had the entire bottom half of my head shaved, and the rest of my hair was dyed jet black. Skater Chic!! and it was only a short lived phase.

5. I am soooo in love with Nature that when I was a child I wanted to go live with Grizzly Adams!!


So there you have it, five more things... I am suppose to tag five more, but lets face it, most of you have been tagged!! But here goes....... Obsession, The Bulky Girl, Midwest Girl At Heart,Stuck-On-Survive, and Bears in Exile...... You are all tagged!! For some of you, it will be your second time, but hey I did it twice!! So go on, reveal Five Things I may not know about you!!

To Everything Turn Turn Turn.......

I was recently asked a Truckin Question... (Thanks Sally, always fun to enlighten the masses!) So here I will begin the Q & A portion of my program..

In your response to your question, I can only offer my opinion...

UPS Semi Truck spinning wheels at the top of the exit ramp.... Hmmmmm. As disappointing as this may sound, the driver really had no options at this point except to call for someone to pull him forward out of his predicament.. Once a Big Rig loses traction, it is very hard to regain it without substantial help.. Some minor endeavors to alleviate the problem could have included #1. Snow shovels and salt.. Ultimately digging his way out of the slippery situation... #2. Rolling backwards in an effort to find more traction. This attempt seems to work occasionally, but only if there is no vehicles behind him... I feel pretty confident to say that He should not have attempted #2 on an exit ramp in traffic... I will also add that when rolling back and forth (to gain more traction) you have limited attempts to make it work, because the heat from the tires melts the snow and quickly refreezes into more ice... So typically, if traction does not present itself within 3 attempts, you will be forced to move on to plan B. Usually a tug from a tow truck!!

I myself have been in similar situations in the past.....

Last year, I was spinning wheels on an exit ramp in Virginia.. With every attempt to roll back and find more traction, I seemed to be sliding a little closer to the edge.. The edge was about a 4 foot downgrade, which would have surely resulted in an overturned Big Truck!! So after a few attempts, I gave up!! With microphone in hand, I began to plead for assistance over the CB radio.. Now, it was roughly 2-3am and traffic was very light at the time. Of course my fellow Truckers had put the word out that " There is a truck stuck on the Exit Ramp! Don't get off there!!" So they didn't.

After a long wait, one brave soul finally came to my rescue. He proceeded to pull past me on the ramp and found dry pavement at the top. Setting his brakes we then hooked chains to the front of my TRUCK... The first two attempts were futile... The chains snapped loose and my truck inched closer to the brink of disaster... Determined to help me, he wanted to try again... Third time was definitely the charm!!... He managed to get me to dry ground..

I thanked him profusely and was on my way!! But not before he told me that he had heard my pleas an hour earlier while heading north. After making his delivery and returning southbound, he had once again heard about the Truck stuck on the ramp...

Thank you!! MR TRUCK DRIVER!! You are my HERO!!!

A Bit Of A Challenge!!

I may have mentioned this before.......



During the course of last weeks big adventure, I ran into a slight delay.... February Fury. Not nearly as bad closer to the northeastern coast , I still ran into several delays... As a matter of fact, I was halted in my tracks in Milford Connecticut. Icy roads and slick conditions played a part, but the real reason I was forced to "wait it out" was due to the fact my customers were unable to offload my trailer... Being a flatbed, it is required for the forklift to offload the freight from the side of the trailer. Most of my NE customers do not have large warehouses to accommodate for a truck to be unloaded inside, so for the most part I am typically unloaded outside in the elements while double parked in the streets of The City...



Early Wednesday, I contacted my remaining customers to verify if I would be able to get unloaded... Both receptionists replied with a hesitant "Yes". I was a little bit leery at this point and after a few comments from drivers coming out of New York, I made up my mind not to take the chance... I contacted the customers once again and told them of my decision... They responded with sighs of relief, not really wanting to unload anyway... So I checked in to local motel and waited it out!!



Thursday morning, I received a phone call from my Oh So Intelligent Boss we call him Homer(Simpson) and believe me, if there ever was a human version of the cartoon character, HE IS IT!! Including the appearance...



So Homer is a little concerned about my previous judgement call. In fact, he is a little perturbed that there are 6 of his drivers currently camping out in motel rooms... "Better safe than sorry" I tell him... His only concern at this point is that the Customers will be angry that we have not shown up.... I ask you this, dear friends, How will they be upset if most of them did not even show up for work themselves?? We did have one driver sit in a customers parking lot for 26 hours because they could not get the forklift out of the snowbank that it had slid into!! Sheesh.



Feeling a little more confident that I will be able to continue on with my travels (traffic is flying down the interstate) I make the previous 2 phone calls again... This time the response was a "We are soooo glad you cancelled yesterday and we would be happy to unload you today!!"



So off I go.. 60 miles back to the Bronx.. Only took 5 hours to get there... First was a major fatality accident... (3-1/2 hour delay) and then upon arriving in the Bronx I am met with yet another delay.... Are you ready for this ........ The City has decided to repair POT HOLES in the highway today.... Snow, ice, 15 degrees and yet there are guys slinging asphalt into the roadway. Of course all lanes are blocked with the exception of the breakdown lane.. My truck is too wide to squeeze by, so I am forced to be a witness to their progress for quite sometime.. I was only 1/2 mile from my exit when I stumbled upon this ludicrous activity... (1 hour delay)



Well, I finally do make it to my Bronx destination, but my feelings of confidence have subsided tremendously... Icy snowbanks!!! I am greeted with looks of dismay!! "Why are YOU here TODAY" "Because SHE said so!!"



No, the roads were not treacherous at this point (for me)! But the little forklift was definitely going to have some problems!!




After scrapping and shoveling a pathway (Sorry Guys!) I was offloaded. The rest of the day was quite eventful as well. A few more minor traffic delays (rush hour on the Jersey Turnpike)... Road Closures...(had to travel 1 hour out of my way to find an alternate route)... and no TruckStop parking for miles and miles (due to the road closures, the northbound trucks had nowhere to go, the truck stops were overflowing).
So, my eventful week is done. I made it home Friday afternoon and am looking forward to enjoying my 36 hours "off duty" until I climb back up in the Big Rig and head back to (You Guessed It) the northeast!!

Homage to A BIG WHITE DOG


Sorry Folks, I missed the boat on this one....



During the months of Winter, my schedule is just a bit more hectic, so therefore I was not prepared to pay tribute to AtHomeDaddy's furry friend by showing my own extensive collection of puppy love pictures..



Instead, I offer this to you.... More scenic pictures taken during my Long Haul Truckin Days..




Hope you enjoy!!





The first is I-5 running north out of Los Angeles... This particular stretch is known as "The GrapeVine"






Next , I present a similar looking range.. This one is known as Cabbage Mountain. It is part of the Blue Mountain Range in Oregon.. (Cabbage is the nickname given by Truck Drivers)



And just because I love the Mountains sooooo much, here is a token shot of Snow Caps on the Rocky Mountains, taken somewhere in Colorado..



Okay, so I did not document very well at the time!! I am not sure where these were taken, but it had to be somewhere out "West"...
And just so you know.... 95% of my Scenic Pictures are taken while driving down the road.. Not bad!! Imagine the shots I could have gotten sitting still...


Feb 14, 2007

Rumors

This week while staying in Connecticut, I was informed of some Useless Information I felt it was necessary to pass along.. I am sure most of you have already heard most of this... Oh, I am soooo out of the loop!!

Did you know that Elvis WAS alive and living in Kalamazoo Michigan (until recently) under the alias John Burrows. ( I think I have heard that before)

also

JFK is alive and well in the Swiss Alps...

and

My personal favorite....... Do you know why Anna Nicole Smith is dead??
Because her daughter's father, was really her son... So they both committed suicide!!

I actually learned quite a few things that morning, but I don't seem to be able to recall them at the moment...

I am sooooo out of the loop!!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like

it may take a while to get home......

This weeks deliveries started out with a bang, and no I don't mean my load falling off the trailer. Actually, considering how things have been going lately, it has been a pretty good week so far... Okay, so there is the issue with the Spring-Ride Trailer, but as long as I wear 2 very supportive Bras and apply a little bit of Velcro to my arse (to eliminate the potential of bouncing out of my seat) I am good to go..

Okay, just one (maybe two) more comparison, so you might grasp the reason I hate this type trailer so much... Ever drive down that road that makes your factory installed CD player skip a beat or two... Well my CD player does not work the entire time I have a spring ride trailer due to the constant bouncing!! Or better yet, cruising at top speed across the water in a boat while the water is white capping... ROUGH!! Hope this helps explain my hatred better.. 2800 miles of constant bouncing..

So like I was saying, my work week started off pretty good. Monday I did some alternate routing to allow myself a few added deliveries that day. My original first stop did not open until 10 am, so I just did a little back tracking. I managed to get 7 stops completed. No small feat, considering the area I was in. New Jersey , NYC and Long Island!! (I even made a delivery in Bay Shore) Tuesday was even more fruitful... Well lets just say I kicked arse!! By the end of the day, I had made all but 2 deliveries, out of my original 18.. I had even made a few pick/ups. The Boss called with 5 additional stops, total now at 23. However, I had begun to hear the faintest of rumors about the approaching Winter Storm... That is actually the reason I did so well, some of the customers stayed late to make sure I was empty and on my way before the winter weather hit...

Wednesday morning, I awoke with only 5 stops left. Snow had fallen overnight, but very lightly. Road Conditions- Decent... So I head out to Chester Connecticut. First stop complete... I decide to call the next customer and they cancelled the pick-up due to the inclement weather. Yippee for me!! 2 down, 3 to go!! I head south (Long Island, next stop) and decide to call them as well... Cancelled!! Wooo hooooo. I am on a roll here folks! With only 2 deliveries left I am feeling pretty good. Then it happens!! I find the roadways are becoming quite nasty... I make it back to Milford CT and decide to get fuel (always keep a full tank in nasty weather, you never know where you might get stranded)... I decide to check in with the folks in the Bronx and they assure me that they would be able to unload the 2 items I have for them.... After paying for the fuel , I also called Towaco, NJ.. They confirmed that they too would be able to unload the freight.. Not so fast...... To make a longer story, not so long...... I am still in Milford CT.... Hopefully I will be able to finish unloading in the morning, or at least sometime on Thursday...

Oh Well, I WAS on a roll....

But, I did finally get my SNOW!!


February Fury!!

That is what the weather channel is calling it.. Hey Folks, just wanted to check in and say Hey!! I am currently stuck in a motel room in Connecticut. Hopefully I will make some progress tomorrow. (I did manage to travel 30 miles today, to a new motel room). Just found out I had Internet access here so I couldn't resist a posting... I will bring a legitimate topic with me next time and maybe some pics!! Woooo hoooo.

Feb 11, 2007

Special Delivery

Determined as ever to make this a good week!! I awoke this morning with an idea. Not to be outdone by the retail and merchandising world, I decide to give an old friend a call.. I mean just because Georgia has no more gloves for sale, doesn't mean that there are no more gloves, RIGHT??


So I call up a friend in Virginia and explain my predicament... "No Problem!!" "See Ya Later"


WoooHoooooo.. I have struck mitten gold... 2 pairs.. In fact, the last two pair that Wal-Mart in Salem Virginia even had...


Aren't they pretty?? I think these are prettiest gloves I have ever seen. Or at least the warmest I have seen this week. But I am not trying to make a fashion statement here. Just trying to avoid frostbite. They should work wonderfully underneath my regular leather work gloves.. With that disaster diverted, we enjoyed a nice lunch together catching up on old gossip. Then back on the road!!


This week is definitely looking up!!


I

Oh Boy, Here We Go Again

Bet you can't guess what kind of trailer I got this week?

I have made it to Duncan South Carolina and at this point I have decided not to let it get me down. Yes, I got the spring-ride !! So, with no new gloves, a rough riding trailer and 2400 miles to go I am content once again to look for the humor in things! When I find, I will let you know.

Feb 10, 2007

Broken Promises

I know, I know....

With all I have "been through" the past few weeks (to tell you the truth, my life is quite charmed) I can take NO MORE!!

I headed out this afternoon to do my weekly errands before rushing off to my next big adventure and well, what do I behold... Road Construction!! Now first let me just say, in my little TOWN, there are only 2 main roads that will take you to Wally World.. Yes I said it... I am supposed to be boycotting Wal-Mart for their actions regarding the damages to my car.. But damn it, there are 2 items that I can only find at WM ad I have been doing without them for 3 months.

So the first roadway is entirely closed due to construction. No problem, I will just head up a few blocks and try the alternate route... It seems that everyone is on the alternate route!!! Which is also under construction... As I wait my turn, to eventually get to the alternate route, I decide to hell with it!!!!! So instead I tackle Target instead.... Cant find what I am looking for, but hey I do need some more gloves to keep my fingers all toasty while I am working... No such luck!! If I needed sandals and shorts or any other spring item I would be in luck... But there was not a single cold weather item available in the entire store....Except COLD medicine. This is only the second week that we have experienced any cold weather in my little town, so I hope everyone stocked up early.... Cuz its all gone...

What to do, what to do.. I get back out into traffic and decide I will try to finagle my way into Wal-mart and after a 25 minute delay (WM is only 1.7 miles away) I finally reach the parking lot and guess what... NO GLOVES!! and the other two items I previously mentioned- OUT OF STOCK. DAMN IT.

Last year, I bought one of those multipacks of gloves. I was set for the whole winter.. But this year I procrastinated and look what it got me..

So I will brave the 2 degree weather in Massachusetts and hope my little fingers don't fall off.

Can any one tell me why we are able to purchase swimsuits in February, but not in August. And gloves in August, but not in February??

Feb 9, 2007

I Promise!!!

It seems that I have done quite a bit of B**tching this week. So to all my blogger buddies, I make this solemn promise. I will not fuss anymore (until I have something else to fuss about)...

When HELL freezes Over!!

So, I will now attempt to "let go" of the last week at work.


Recently, I was told the renegotiation of our contract with The Aluminum CO. was not looking so good. There are several other Trucking Companies in on the bidding and it seems our appeal is less than appealing at this point. So with that in mind, my current job may be at stake. The drivers have been assured that WE have lived up to our expectations, but The Aluminum Co is less than satisfied with the Corporate division of our Trucking Co. ( I can't say I blame them, we drivers are all less than satisfied with Corporate also!!)


The outcome will be revealed in a few weeks!! So for now, I will continue to do my job with no worries. FOR NOW!!


Occasionally, some things come up that make my job a little more difficult than it has to be. Simple things like what type of trailer my freight is loaded on, and how it is loaded!! This week was majorly affected by these two simple things... I have pulled bad loads before... And I have pulled bad trailers before... But the combination of the two make for a stressful week.



BAD TRAILERS.... In my mind there are only two types of trailers (doesn't matter what kind, box, flat, reefer) Good trailers have Air Ride.. Bad Trailers have Spring Ride.. To effectively illustrate the difference, I offer you this demonstration.


Take an ordinary Cracker and drop it onto a hard surface. Do this again and again and again, for 2800 miles... What happens, the cracker will immediately begin to crack and crumbled and eventually be reduced to a pile of crumbs!! Okay, now take another cracker and drop it onto a fluffy pillow... AGAIN and again....... What happened? Probably nothing!!


That is the difference between air-ride and spring-ride. While the aluminum itself is not fragile to the point of crumbling, the structure of the load is.. If there are any gaps in the load itself, the freight will begin to shift and separate!! Normally this is not much of a problem Just tighten down the load straps and ride!!! However, if all of the straps are attached to the same side of the trailer, this can complicate the situation.. Once the load is shifted and you tighten the strap, it pulls the freight into the direction of the ratchet you are tightening... Therefore you need your straps to be alternately tightened from opposing sides.


Well my spring-ride trailer only had straps on one side of the trailer... DAMN IT!! I had not even travelled 100 miles before the load began to shift!! Therefore I had to purchase detachable ratchets and straps and climb inside the trailer to mount them and thus pull the load back to center... My load only weighed 43k.... I am 5' tall and weigh less than a a buck and a quarter!! Tractor Trailers have been known to overturn due to heavy off centered loads! While this served its purpose for say maybe another hour, the load structure continued to deteriorate rapidly!! Needless to say, by the time I got to my first delivery, the tarp assembly was unable to be opened!! Although, it slides easily in its tracks, add 43k of pressure and it tends to not want to move, no matter how hard you push on it!! Solution- hand unload!! Once several bundles of metal were off loaded, the trailer was able to open a few feet. Allowing access to off load with a fork lift!


I had 16 deliveries in all. Every customer had to go thru the same process with me in order to get their freight off the trailer... Did I mention that while it was sunny and beautiful, it was still below 20 degrees the entire journey. Brrrrrrrrr.


The final stop took the cake!! The Customer had waited on me and all of his employees had left for the evening. He is 50+ years old and no bigger than I am... It took us 2 hours just to get the trailer open, after hand unloading 1800 lbs of metal. We used everything we could think of, but the tarp just would not budge. At this point it was only 6 degrees with a nice brisk wind!!




When it was all said and done, he assured me that he would be making a call to the Aluminum Co. No MORE SPRING RIDE TRAILERS!!! The roads in NYC will bounce the freight right off the trailer, if it wasn't strapped down.


He bought me dinner at a neighborhood restaurant and sent me on my way.. I finally thawed out about 2 hours later. I had not even realized how cold it was due to my frustration with the load.


Although I voiced my complaints and concerns to the Aluminum Co, I was told it was appreciated that I worked so hard to deliver the freight... They would make notes to not send spring-ride trailers up north again... However, my Trucking Co told me to basically GET OVER IT....


To further illustrate my point about how rough a spring ride trailer rides... When it is empty and you hit a bump in the road, the entire back end of the trailer with elevate itself off the road surface....



Thanks for Stopping By!! I feel so much better now!! 18 Stops next week. Lets hope it is not on a spring ride trailer!!!!!



Can I Borrow a Stamp??

Tax Season is over for me!! Yippee..

Okay, I must admit. Tax Season is a no-brainer for me. My Dear Ol' Dad has always done my taxes for me. Thanks Daddy!!

So while I am anticipating the Big Return I will be receiving from the Feds, I was a bit dismayed to find out that I do indeed owe the State an additional amount.

$1.00

Isn't there some kind of stipulation that states if you owe less than a certain amount, you are not required to waste your time by sending in the check?? I mean really. It is going to cost me more in postage and paper goods than the actual amount I owe...

Another 15 Minutes of Fame

Those crazy Truck Drivers!! In recent posts, I have complained and laughed about the antics of the male Trucker!! This week was no exception.

Desperate for fuel, I headed for a Truck Stop. Normally, I try to sneak in and get what I need and then be on my way!! Hoping They will not see, I do not dare to make my presence known over the air waves!! Believe me folks, this would just be asking for trouble.

So here I am in Carlisle PA. One of the more Truck populated areas along I-81, with 6 different fuel stops to choose from. Always a hassle to get into, I maneuver into position at the local Petro. The entrance and exit lanes are side by side, so naturally someone has to see me. And then it starts... "Damn It, Girl" (This is one of the many "compliments" used to "hit on" the lady drivers. Sexy Huh??) Always alerted to a female presence, the confusion begins. "Where is she?" "What does she look like" "Where you at Little Lady"

The Truck Stops were all very crowded at this time of the day, so I patiently waited my turn!! Once again, I have turned off the CB while I wait. So after I get my fuel, I must go in and sign for it. The lines at the register are just as bad as the traffic. A good solid fifteen minute wait in line and finally I am out the door. Only the exit line is also backed up due to traffic, so I wait some more. This time, with the CB turned back on.

And naturally it starts up again.. "How 'bout that little lady in the fuel line, you got a copy?"
After several minutes of compliments, questions and general statements I was on my way.

What is funny to me about this is that all the fellows who were ratchet jawing as I left, were the same group who were standing in line inside the store. While I was in the store, everyone was very respectful and civilized!! Not a word was said to me. But let me get back in the Truck and and all respect and dignity flew out the window.. I don't mean I was being verbally harassed or insulted, but just how many times can these guys discuss the shape of my arse, or the girth of my chest??? Come on guys, do you think your wives would appreciate you behaving that way??

Weather

This mornings local forecast called for clear skies with a high temp at 42 degrees. It is currently 36 and raining!! And I am COLD.. Which makes no sense to me. I am the one who braves the chilly 2 degree weather in Massachusetts for hours at a time (that is another post) with merely a coat and some gloves!! I tell everyone how the cold is so INVIGORATING!!! But today, I am freezing. Hope I am not getting sick!!

This Rocks!!

Yes my Friends, its that time of the week again!!


First just let me tell you that when I was a child, I had this unhealthy fascination with ROCKS. It started with a geode. So pretty on the inside!! My curiosity took hold and it was nothing for me to place a few rocks in my mouth for cleansing purposes, so that I might see the true beauty in their form. I believe my incredible immune system is a direct result of eating so much dirt as a child!!


Well to this day, nature and all she holds still fascinates me. Including ROCKS!! I see beauty in everything around me! So for my contribution this week, I give you some very rocky terrain.



The first shot was taken in Kentucky. I know, its just ROCK!!



Next we have a portion of the Painted Desert (New Mexico)



And on to Nevada



And finally, my favorite. This was taken near the Virgin River (Nevada, I believe). If you look closely, you can imagine a Castle (almost center) sitting there. Just another heap of Rocks!!



So, until next week.... I think I will pay a tribute to the Big White Dog and show you my babies!!

Feb 8, 2007

Billy Goats Gruff

Okay so there are NO Trolls under the bridges. Such fairy tales and folklore I am not sure about. BUT, I do believe in Median Monsters. Although I have not seen one as of yet, they must surely exist.

In my last post I did a little bit of a rant trying to convince people to Get Out Of the Middle Lane. I really don't know why people hang out in the middle lane, unless of course they are afraid of these Median Monsters. Ditch Dwellers that live along the sides of 6 lane Interstates!! Of course, if you get too close to the edge of the roadway , they will reach out and get you!! That must be it!!!!! I know I pointed my finger towards the automobile drivers, but believe me folks, there are Truckers who do it as well ( and they know we are not allowed in the left lane).

Last week, while heading home, one such Trucker was cruising down the center lane at a leisurely pace. I myself, along with a few others, wanted to get on down the road for various reasons.. In the right lane was a slow moving camper that was weaving back and forth. Another reason I wanted to get the H out of dodge. No need in hanging around for the accident, RIGHT.
And of course, the little white signs were present indicating I would pay a hefty price for using that left lane.

So after SEVERAL miles, I key up my CB radio and politely say," Hey Werner, you think you could step to the right and let some of us pass. We sure would appreciate it, hon." The camper was beside me and there was nothing to the right of the Werner Truck, so he had the option to scoot on over. Nothing was said in return.. Several more miles of this and gradually the camper driver notices that the center lane is packed full of Big Trucks, so he starts flashing his lights at the WERNER DRIVER ( a universal gesture to indicate the lane is clear to move into)
Several more miles and the camper driver begins to ease off the throttle, allowing those of us trapped in the center lane to move over. As I begin to pass, the driver of said obstacle glances over at me and smiles flirtatiously. I just glare at him. As I move on down the road, a few other truckers ask what the hold up is and I politely inform them that there was a big truck holding up traffic but we were about to break free... Almost instantly, the villain of my story, the Werner Driver grabs his microphone and commences to cursing at me and boy did he let me have it... I was a bit shocked, after all I had politely asked him to move over!!! Needless to say, I did not have to respond, several others chastised him for speaking to me in such a manner.

But even after all the commotion, he sat right there in the middle lane, not a care n the world. However, he did continue to cuss out anyone who dared pass him on the right. So, do you think he has seen one of those horrible Median Monsters?? Sometimes I wonder.

Signs Signs Everywhere There's Signs

...Blocking up the scenery, breaking up my mind. Do this! Don't do that! CAN'T YOU READ THE SIGNS????



I mean really folks!! The signs are every where. But yet it is amazing to me how few people actually read them. Or maybe just don't care to heed the message within...
Informational, directional, suggestional (not a word, but I thought it flowed nicely), or even the good old fashion "THIS IS A LAW" kind of sign.
Today I am here to educate the masses on a few things. (Bear with me Friends, I need to vent!!)
COLORS: If you will notice, these colors are NOT randomly picked to brighten your day. They are specifically chosen to alert drivers of the information contained in the sign.
GREEN signs are there for directional purposes, indicating roadways and highway numbers and the directions they run.
BLUE signs are there for informational purposes, indicating such things as services located at given exit ramp.
ORANGE signs are placed to warn the public of construction sites.... In other words, there are people present in this zone, Please slow down and don't run them over!!!
YELLOW signs are used to caution drivers of immediate changes in circumstances, such as "Right Lane is Exit Only" or the little yellow speed limit signs on exit ramps. When it states 35MPH on a yellow sign, this is merely a caution that the ramp should not be taken in excess of 35 mph. Bet you did not know that exit ramp speed limit signs were placed to alert TRUCK DRIVERS of the maximum safe speed to exit. Not automobiles!! To prevent the truck from tipping over.
And Finally (no, I did not cover them all!!)
WHITE signs.. These signs are, yes, you guessed it!! written LAW... Such as speed limits.
Funny though, the speed limit signs seem to be the only WHITE signs that people notice.. Well look again. On most 4 and 6 lane Interstates, there are several other white signs present. Let me just point out a few for you...
Ever notice the sign that states "Slower Traffic Keep Right" While there are several versions of this sign (depending on the State) , it all means the same thing... Get your Sunday Driving Ass Out Of The Left Lane!!!!!
And more importantly .... On 6 lane (and larger) Interstates there is one particular sign that almost always goes unnoticed Except to the eye of a Trucker. It clearly states. "Trucks Use Two Right Lanes" or "No Trucks In Left Lane" Why should we Big Riggers pay heed to this particular sign while other motorists do not. Because if we get caught out in that left lane, WE have to pay a hefty fine!! Florida, for example charges as much as $500 for cruising in the left lane in a Big Truck.
So next time you are cruising down the Interstate and Big Billy Big Rigger is breathing down your bumper, just think about how easy and inexpensive it would be if you simply moved to the left or right lanes and just let us pass by. We mean no harm, just doing our job. But I can assure you that there are many Truckers who will ride 2inches behind literally pushing you down the highway until you move out of the way!! Just the way it is!
Gosh, I believe my hostility is showing and this is not even the real issue that set me off!!

Astrology

I am such a sucker for this stuff!! So in an attempt to avoid 15 YEARS of bad luck, here is my reposting of the Sexy Zodiac.

TAURUS The Tramp

Aggressive. Freak in bed. Rare to find! Loves being in long
relationships. Likes to give a good fight for what they want.
Extremely outgoing. Sexy as ........ Loves to help people in times of need.
Outstanding kisser. Very funny. Awesome personality. Stubborn. Sexual
as ......... Most caring person you will ever meet! One of a kind. Not
one to F### with. Are the most sexiest people on earth! 15 years of bad luck
if you do not repost.


Actually, I do agree with just about all of this...

A Ghostly Tale

The following events transpired in the year of 2000.

It all started when I moved in to a little house in Sulphur Springs, Texas. There were 3 of us residing in the humble abode... Myself, a roommate, and a dog named SAM.

Upon studying the layout of the house, I chose a bedroom on the west side of the structure, immediately adjacent to the smaller of two bathrooms. I would have preferred the larger spare bedroom, but with 6 large windows facing the morning sun, I opted for a darker domain!

Later, I noticed that the vacant room mysteriously remained a noticeable 20 degrees cooler than the rest of the house. Even with 6 floor length windows staring into direct sunlight. I might also mention that the house was cooled by window units, but not one was mounted in this particular room.

After a few months, Sam started to act strange. Almost cautious at times, staring vacantly into the air. He would extend his nose as if to smell the air, but nothing was there. Now, the backdoor to the property was located off of the mysteriously cooled spare, vacant room. But, when Sam wanted to go outside, he absolutely refused to intrude on this territory to make his exit. He would stand at the threshold of the bedroom, sniffing , staring vacantly, and shaking!

Eventually, when he would zone out into oblivion, he got to wear after sniffing the air, he would slowly began to wag his tail.....After barking in a playful manner, he would dart off to the doorway of the vacant room. There he would halt in his tracks, back up and dash into the bathroom, the second portal of said room. Once again, he would stop.

One evening when Sam was carrying out his antics, I noticed a few more peculiarities....There was a dream catcher hanging on the wall. It would slowly start to sway, back and forth. Sam would stare intently , while playfully nipping at the air. I dismissed this, thinking the window unit was creating a breeze. But alas, the air conditioners were not running.

Now at this point, I hadn't really put a whole lot of thought into the fact that the vacant room was cooler, Sam would not enter it, and he seemed to have some sort of invisible playmate. After all, he was still a puppy, barely a year old. That is until......

On a dark and stormy night......

Okay, so it wasn't dark and stormy........One evening while sprawled out in the floor, playing with SAM, mayhem broke loose. In the middle of an intense wrestling match, Sam suddenly stops..... Looking over my shoulder, he thrusts his head forward and starts wagging his tail. I had assumed my roommate had returned home, but as I turned to look, no one was there. Then Sam's attention turned to the hanging dream catcher. I watched as it begin to move, ever so lightly. Gaining momentum, it eventually fell to the floor. Noticing once again, the window units were not running, I felt all the hair on my body stand up! I started to shiver as I noticed the room temperature has dropped. Sam began his custom of running from door to door, barking into the vacant room. I decided it was time to investigate.

The main entrance to the spare bedroom was located immediately off of the kitchen. As I wandered into the area, I immediately noticed that EVERY DRAWER and EVERY CABINET was standing open. Sam was literally raising hell at the doorway, and abruptly became silent and wandered back into the living room, where he commenced playing with a chew toy. After closing all the storage areas, I gazed into the vacant room for quite some time.. Sensing nothing, I returned to the living room myself. After 30 minutes had passed, Sam once again tears out and makes a mad dash through the kitchen. I jumped up to follow him, and there it was! ALL the drawers and cabinets OPEN again. By now, I am freaking out a little.

When my roommate returned to grab a few items before heading out on an overnight trip, I mentioned the strange happenings. She dismissed everything I said as a prank.

Over the course of the evening, the kitchen was inhabited several times. I finally went to bed leaving the everything open. I shut the door between the bathroom and the vacant room. This was something I did every night. I had noticed in the past that the door was always open in the morning. I had always assumed my roommate had opened it.

The next morning, I had a big surprise waiting for me. I entered the bathroom and not only did I see the second door standing ajar, but also the little prankster had been moving other things around. In the center of the floor, my step stool was turned upside down. On each of the four legs, one item belonging to me was precariously balanced.

Once again, my hair stood up as chills ran over my body. My roommate was out of town, and there was no way Sam could have done this...

Over the next few days, these strange occurrences would seem to happen with no rhyme or reason. The second time my stool was flipped over, I decided it was time for a confrontation. I nervously closed myself into the bathroom. I started talking to this spirit, asking it to show itself.. Nothing happened.....I made several attempts to communicate, but to no avail... Then I had the bright idea of using a form of code . I turned on the overhead light, and once again began to speak into the coolness of the room.... After asking several questions, the light flickered....

"One is for YES, two is for no.... Do you understand?" I cautiously murmured into the air. There it was again, a tiny flicker in the light. The spirit was communicating with me.

After what seemed like an eternity, with my hair standing on end the entire time, I was able to learn a little about my playful spirit. It was a friendly spirit, indeed, very playful. It meant no harm. It loved to play with Sam! and it had lived here in the flesh many years ago, and had died a peaceful death due to illness.

Over the course of the next few months, we played several more games with the cabinetry, and Sam eventually crossed the threshold of that room, only to claim it as his playroom. Whenever he would vanish from my sight, I would always find him yapping away, chasing invisible objects throughout the vacant room.

After living here for a year, I decided it was time to move on. I had one more bathroom session with the lights.... I told the spirit I was leaving. It answered with the flickering of lights, indicating sadness.... I asked it to come with me, I enjoyed its company as did Sam, but it once again I received a negative reply. It couldn't leave.

After making my departure, my roommate phoned to ask what had happened. She stated all the cabinet and drawers were open..."Were you in that big of a hurry to get out of here?" she asked.
Then she mentioned that several of the light bulbs throughout the house has shattered. It had never manifested itself in her presence, and never did!

Once I got settled into my new accommodations, I begin to miss my ghostly friend, and had hoped that somehow it could have made the journey. I tried the bathroom communication several times, hoping for a sign..... I never got one!

Feb 3, 2007

Brothers



This one is a Classic!!





I am very thankful for my Brothers and love them very much!! So I thought I would share a childhood memory!


This is one of my favorites.


When I was very young my brothers told me the story of how when they were born, they were also little girls!! This fascinated me, because I dreaded all of the things that womanhood would bring... Intrigued, I begged for more information. It seems that there was but one way to remedy my current situation. They told me if I kissed my elbow Yes, lips to elbow, no cheating!! that I too would transform myself into a boy. Excited about this prospect, I immediately began to attempt the impossible. I tried and tried, but could not reach the spot!! I am sure they must have been laughing at me, but I never noticed. Unaware to my surroundings, I continued in my endeavors.




This went on for a few days.. If I was awake, I was trying to kiss that elbow! Not to disappoint my mother, I would always do this away from prying eyes. It seems her little girl was a gift from God!! Especially since her other girls were now Boys!! After several days and numerous attempts I was still determined! Eventually my mother spotted me outside on the swing set crying my eyes out. She rushed to find out what was wrong. With trepidation, I told her of my desires and and the dilemma I was facing...


This is where the memory begins to fade, so I am not sure how long my devastation continued from this point. But I am vaguely aware that my precious brothers were punished in some way for their actions... They did get a good laugh out of it though..


What is even worse is that twentysomething years later, I began to tell this story to my nephews and niece. They also have laughed at me as well. Seems I am the only gullible one in the family...
Oh Well!! Yeah Brothers are great!! And I wouldn't trade mine for anything. Thanks guys, for the memories!!! I love You!!

Feb 2, 2007

And Speaking of Queens...

One of my favorite locations to deliver to is the Dave Sanders Co. The reason is the employees. Good bunch of people!! My favorite of course is the guy that unloads the truck. Jimmy. He is what I would consider a "typical" New Yorker. Load and Brash with those who attempt to run him down in the street (once again, unloading a flatbed double parked!!) But really a very sweet guy. Willing to skip lunch or stay late to get me unloaded and has on several occasions had lunch waiting on me when I would arrive.

Also, this is the only safe place to nap if coming into the City during the night. Definitely a bonus!! Which leads me to my story....

About a year ago, I headed to Astoria for a morning delivery. Arriving around 9 pm, I settled in for the night. Now directly across the street from Dave Sanders is a donut factory. Of course they have a shop to purchase a few of these glazed concoctions right around the corner.
So after watching some TV, I decide to call it a night and snuggle in. BAM, BAM SPLAT!!!
What the hell was that?? At this point I am rigid with fear. After a moment, I cautiously peek out of the curtains to see what all the commotion is about. I see nothing!! I look again, and behold the smears on my windows. Then there they are. A group of teenage boys walking the streets, eating donuts. They are well out of my range and continuing to dwindle into the night, so I feel confident the little escapade is over. Not confident enough to investigate further, but I was able to get back to sleep within the hour.
Next morning was a sight to behold. I jump out of the truck to survey the vandalism and what do I behold. Roughly two dozen doughnut holes scattered about my truck... I cleaned my windows (I was tempted to lick them clean, but chose Windex instead) and waited for Jimmy to show up. And waited. and waited some more... When he finally arrives (30 minutes late) he immediately notices the doughnuts and proceeds to question their very existence...

With a straight face, I tell him, " I had breakfast for you this morning, but since you were late I said to hell with it!" His reaction was priceless!! I later explained the scenario and we had a few laughs!!

The next time I made this delivery, Jimmy was waiting with a egg sandwich for me and dropped it on the floor just as I was reaching for it. "Paybacks are a B*@#h", he says. And a moment later, "Gotcha".. The sandwich was 2 days old and not fit to eat.....

No, Not Brooklyn..PLEASE

I must admit, while I am fearless in my journeys, I do have a few locations I don't particularly care for... The most Hated being Chicago... I have not been there in over 4 years and have no desire to every return in a Big Truck. Of the destinations I frequent, Brooklyn is the least desired.

The reasoning is as follows:
1. Road Construction. I don't think road construction in Brooklyn will ever be completed!! And the potholes are big enough to swallow cars whole!

2. Traffic. My loads are always arranged to where (If I were delivering in Brooklyn)I would be driving during the morning commute. What a nightmare!! and with all that construction...

3. Brooklyn Customer Locations. We have 2 that I know of (until now). The first is on Atlantic Avenue, which is a very busy major roadway. The freight has to be hand unloaded while double parked!! But the fun part is trying to make a U-turn in six lanes of congested traffic. I have done it twice in 4 years. The second stop is off of 3rd and 32nd. This area is a bunch of one way streets directly under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The only way to safely maneuver this delivery is to arrive before 5am and drive down a one way street, the wrong way!! Otherwise you cannot get to the loading dock. Nothing wrong with that, except that they don't open until 8:30. There is a bright side, you can see a pretty good view of the Statue of Liberty from Brooklyn.


So, this past week, I was informed I would be making a delivery in Brooklyn. An unknown location to top it off. I quickly pull out the lap top and type in the location. Thanks Bro. It looks easy enough on Microsoft Streets and Trips. Take the 39th St Exit off the BQE, make a U-turn , then a quick right and BOOM, there they are. My morning started out on the Island and therefore I had to deal with rush hour commuters. Distance 56 miles, travel time 2 hours. I made the call to the customer to let him know my ETA and of course he understood the traffic delays. All is well!! He would have someone meet me on the street, to let me know just where to deliver.. Talk about curb service. When I pulled up, there he was. Coffee in one hand and a fresh croissant in the other. Breakfast for me!! After a quick unload, and several minutes of friendly chatter I was on my way.

Next Stop, Queens.

We'll Leave The Light On For You.

So last week I told you about our little Reward Program to reduce idle time in the Big Rig.. And yes, 3 mph is still a major issue to me. So, after 8 days of not idling the truck, I managed to get my reward back. EIGHT FREAKIN DAYS. This has happened to me one other time, but then it only took 3 hours to correct the injustice.

Well, lets just say I raised a big fuss about it when I returned to the office last week. I was informed once again, that the program was not designed to reset in the middle of the week. And if it did, it should not affect my percentage. WELL IT DID!! After a lengthy discussion with several folks, I was informed that I would be allowed to rent a motel room each night and be reimbursed for up to $50 a stay. This does me no good out on Long Island, where any decent room runs well above $100.

We ARE Determined To Reduce Idle Time!! Aren't we??

So, this week I did just that. East Lyme CT. Motel 6. Truck Parking. Yippee for me!! I rather enjoyed myself, even thought its not the best motel chain, but hey it was under $50. So I grabbed up one of their handy little motel guides, complete with truck parking information. And I quickly discovered that there are several locations along my route that I can get into to with the Big Truck!!

$100 bucks to idle the Truck five nights, or a $250 dollar motel bill. Who am I to argue with their logic.

Get Your Kicks On Route 66

I recently posted about how some of the male truckers behave while travelling down the interstate. So now let me clue you in on how some of the male automobile drivers behave as well.

This week, while heading west on the Long Island Expressway I had the pleasure of getting a big laugh out of one particular fellow. Lets call him "Freddie" (that is what it said on his license plate anyway). Now Freddie was also heading west and after several miles I begin to notice that he was hovering beside me. Traffic moving in various speeds all around me, but Freddie was hanging in there. Immediately, I suspected what he was up to. (This has happened on several occasions!!) So, I casually glance to my left and there was Freddie in the throes of passion. Albeit, a solitary act of passion shall we say. Totally exposed from hips to knees, Freddie is getting busy!! He never noticed that I had looked his way. He also never noticed the Police Officer on his immediate left!!

Yes, the blue lights came on!!

I just wish I could have heard him try to explain his way out of that one!!

Finish What You Started!!

Okay, I figure it is about time to go and close up some loose ends...

1. Wally World- After many attempts to get a resolution, I finally decided just to let it go. My limited amount of home time is precious to me. I spent many Saturdays at Wal-Mart trying to get them to see things my way, but to no avail. I made many phone calls to speak with the appropriate Manager only to be dismissed. My last attempt was sometime in November, and the response I had received was to go get an estimate from a particular vendor (whom was over an hour away). I was instructed to bring the estimate back to the Tire and Lube Express for approval. Then the manager informed me, " I have to be honest with you here, There is no evidence of abuse on our video tapes. No visible proof that our technician damaged your wheels. And our claims department is more than likely going to deny the claim with no footage."
Now let me get this straight... The car was 4 months old, the tires had never been rotated or balanced, the technician had 3 days of untrained experience, and the wheels had to be rebalanced when he got finished. Not to mention that I would need a police report of the damage before a police officer could view the video tape (not me, I would not be allowed to view it without a court order!!) OH TO HELL WITH IT!!!
I know that my meager contribution to Wal-mart will in no way be missed, but I have not purchased anything at that store since then... Besides, Publix has fresher produce and fruit anyway!!!

2. Scratches- I have yet to pick up the little thing-a-ma-jiggers for my doors. I went by there, but the parts guy was at lunch and his replacement did not know how to look up inventory to find them... Other than that, I am just procrastinating.

3. Uniforms-Six weeks (or is it seven??) and still no replacements... I am not making this up. That's okay, the uniforms remind me of a clown suit anyway. By the way, we order our next set of free uniforms this month. I should have mine by Fall, at this rate.

4. Old Flames-Yes, I can breath again. It took two weeks (not bad if you ask me) but I got a response from Mr Wonderful. I was pleased to hear he was doing so well. He even remembered old passions and nicknames which really got me going!! I was hoping for a reunion, but did not mention it because he is to be married soon. So, I will let that slip back into my memories and wait for the next available individual of the male species whom has a pulse to come along..

5. New Home- Yes I still have some boxes that need to be unpacked. *hee hee* I told you I am the Queen of Procrastination.

Well, I guess that should about cover it!!

Five Things... you might not know about me!!

Recently my SIL did post revealing 5 little known facts about her. Her Mother has previously given it a shot. So I figured it must be my turn....

This should be fun!!

1. I have always wanted to be an actress.. (When I was a child I would reenact entire movies, with my stuffed animals as an audience. I can still recite the original Robin Hood cartoon movie to this day.)

2. If you tickle my feet, I will laugh for a moment. Then I will cry. Hyperventilation comes next. Most likely I will pee in my pants (this should be a good deterrent to prevent anyone from attempting the obvious) and then I will start to thrash wildly out of control until I hurt you.

3. I have amazing self-control...(I have only broken one nose while thrashing about wildly.)

4. I am clinically only 3-3/4 inches away from being categorized as a dwarf.

5. I have had strands of gray (or is it grey) hair since I was 8 years old!!

Washington State

Scenes From The Road



This week I am showing some older pictures I took while I was a long haul Trucker.


Not that NYC and Boston are not a long haul from Atlanta. In the past, I would travel days at a time to reach one destination... But now, I travel to many locations in a single day. I guess you could say that I am an out of town Local Delivery driver. To give you an even better idea I might mention that on Monday I delivered to Bristol, PA;Edison, NJ;and Central Islip, NY. Tuesday included stops in Bay Shore (Long Island), Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Stratford CT, and Glastonbury CT. And Wednesday was all about the surrounding areas of Boston. See what I mean about local?? Next week, 16 stops, same locations!!

So, on with the show!!


This first pic was taken in September of 1999 at a ski resort in near Deming, Washington. Needless to say, I fell in love with the area. I believe this is part of the Cascade Mountain Range. Only miles from Canada. And yes, the Big Truck made it up the mountain (the trailer stayed in town).




This next shot is at the same ski resort.. I met a mountain climber who had just finished scaling the peak in the background (center, above trees).


And for the Finale...... drum roll please.........





I captured this picture while driving down the side of the mountain at about 35 miles per hour. I was in such awe of the scenery that I just keep snapping pictures. Didn't realize the waterfall was there until after I took the shot...



So until next week............