Jackpot.....

During the last several years, I have become friends with quite a few of the customers I deliver to on a weekly basis.

They bring me food in the mornings, work late to accommodate my needs and occasionally offer a vehicle to me to allow me to site see while in town (kind of hard to get around in the Big Rig). And several of them how even offered to take me out on the town after work...


Over the course of the past few years, I have also accumulated quite a collection of company logo'd T-shirts....


I have asked the current employer for extra shirts, so I could pass them out to the customers in the NE... They would not oblige me.... I also asked the Alum Co the same request, but they only sell them twice a year, and are usually out before I get home...


This week, while taking care of new employer business, I stumble upon a side walk sale at the Alum Co... Of course, they had no T-shirts (duh) but they did have Igloo Coolers with the company logo. On sale for $1. YEP a whole BUCK...


I was told not to purchase one (slang for The Alum Co is going to GIVE me one).. So instead, I purchased 12 of them.... For $10.00.





Why would I purchase the last remaining case, you might ask....





So I can give them to all the wonderful customers in the NE who have been so kind to me throughout the years.!! I am sooooo excited to be able to do this, I only wish they had more.



As, I was leaving, several of the Alum Co employees asked why i had purchased an entire case. Thinking nothing of it, I answered the question and was on my way.



Word gets around fast.... I returned to the Alum Co an hour later to begin the clean-out process of my truck. (only one more week!!) And before I left, the new boss called me in his office... He told me how proud that everyone was of me to think of those customers up north. To purchase with my own money, gifts for their clients.. Hey , No problem, those guys are very good to me!



So he reimbursed my $10.00 and magically found another case of coolers. He donated those to my cause and said that this gesture would be on the New Employer. He also told me how glad he was to have someone like me on his staff.



Homer never acknowledged I even could drive a truck...



I think I am gonna like my new boss!

Before and After....

Note to self: Never look down at the camera, thus producing millions of neck wrinkles...
You will notice in the first photo, the horrendous 6 inch long dark roots... There is absolutely no excuse for this except laziness.... I chased my stylist to 3 different locations in 2 years and the last time I went to her, she cut my hair wrong and colored it, but I still had dark roots showing. Therefore I parted ways with her...

I recently met Lea and she is my new best friend... She fixed me good. I love her!! She got the cut exactly how I wanted it... Straightened show the longer layers, while curly, the layers really accentuate the curls.... The color is awesome... I will never go blonde again, until the next time!! But for now, I love the darker shades!!

The flash makes the color look lighter than it is....And no, it is not two-toned on the side!! Ha ha.

So, what do you think....

Georgia Aquaruim

Last weekend, my Brother brought his family to Georgia to visit me.. One of the activities we participated in was a delightful trip to the Georgia Aquarium.

I was absolutely fascinated with all the sites to behold and could have sat and watched the tanks for hours... Being with family, however, my time was limited. And the masses themselves would have hindered the solitude I would have needed to truly enjoy this spectacle...But as with anything involving nature, I was mystified by the beauty of it.

I don't think I have ever mentioned it, but when I was little, one of my dream jobs was to be the person who goes on safari and films documentaries on wildlife.... I still want to go on Safari!!

So , for your viewing pleasure, I present to you the Georgia Aquarium..


Here we have a Whale Shark.. There are 4 currently residing in the ATL.. 2 had recently passed away. These beauties were 12-16 feet in length... A mature whale shark does not mating until about 25- 30 ft... So , these are relatively young. The largest ever recorded was an astounding 60 feet in length. We have 2 male and 2 female. Also I believe it was said that the Mother delivers up to 30 young at one time and they are left to fend for themselves immediately after delivery.
This is a Humphead something or other... Hump Head!!! I thought he was very interesting looking and reminded me of Finding Nemo.... Just thought I would throw him in the mix!!
Next is the Boy Wonder posing with some Jellyfish.. Flashes were not allowed, but I thought the silhouette looked great!
The object in the center (light blue) is a variety of SeaHorse...Very beautiful to look upon, but looked like floating seaweed!!

Next.. Beluga Whales.... Again we have four of these. They are cold water mammals!! One male and 3 females.. This bunch was very playful. The male had his ladies all worked up. Okay, at least one of them any way.. And it was said that the oldest female, whom is the mother of the object of His affection, would exit the main viewing tank when he would commence flirting with the daughter... How Funny.... But very playful and responsive to the guides instructions.
Awwww.. The Bri-Baby... Aint' she a doll.... But just look at the fish and corals... Breathtaking!!
These Crabs were awesome as well.. They just seemed to glow! In person, they were huge! I bet if you stretched them out, from tip to tip they would have measure at least 3 feet. They stood a foot tall as is!!
Another great shot of the Jellies!!
And finally, a Swordfish... I have never seen one of these and was amazed how much their nose does resemble the business end of an electric power saw!! They even had these whiskers surrounding the entire length of the nose that resembled saw blades... NEAT!!

They were a few other nice mention ables.. For Instance , the Penguins.... These guys were of the warm water variety and behaved just like children... When someone would approach the tank, the would gather a the glass and beg for attention.... Very quick, so no photos of the cuties!!

As I said before, Absolutely mesmerizing.... Now. I must go check out the TN Aquarium... I hear it has better viewing capabilities..... Yippee!!

Drastic Changes

For as long as I can remember (with the exception of 2 bad haircuts) , my hair has always been long. Kind of like the 80's rocker who is scared to cut off his luscious locks, I have NEVER had short hair... In fact, I have never sported a hair STYLE..

Thursday at 4:30 PM, all that will change....

I am placing my hair into the hands of a very competent stylist... My instructions to her will simply be ....."FIX ME!"

I do know that I want to go dark, as opposed to the blonde streaks I have now sported for years! Really Dark!!

But as for the cut.... well, I have no idea what I want... So, it is up to Lea to make me beautiful...

After all, it is just hair. It will grow back ... RIGHT???

OMG, what am I thinking.......

MUST. NOT. CHICKEN. OUT. !!!!

Dirty Bastages

It is time I fill you in on the latest happenings with the current employer.

There is only 10 days left until the contract changes hands and YES!!, I am very excited about this. This present employer and Co. is acting very vindictive and um.... childish.. This includes HOMER!!

Rumor has it that they are currently seeking any excuse to FIRE all remaining drivers who are transferring to the new company. With only 10 days left, you might be wondering WHY??

The contract ends on August 4th.. If an employee works one day of the new month, he/she has to be covered on the insurance plan for the entire month.. Hence, if we are all fired, said Employer will not be responsible for covering us that month and therefore save a tiny bundle of money..

We have been warned by the New Employer as well as by the Aluminum Co, to be on our best behavior! To NOT give the departing bosses any reasonable excuse to dismiss us.
However (the new employer) did reassure us that if we were fired, they would find us work for that week.

BTW.. If I get fired before August 2, I will be responsible for repaying all of the paid vacation time I have redeemed this year.. That's 5 days, at $168.50 per day...So, you can see why this might have me a bit concerned....

And as for Homer....

Sunday we had a scheduled driver's meeting with the New Employer... In order to attend this meeting, I would subsequently be late for my first delivery on Monday morning...I called Homer to have him notify the Alum Co of this delayed delivery...

After explaining the situation the phone line goes quiet.... Homer then states, " I don't give a damn about your meeting! As far as I am concerned, you need to be on Long Island Monday morning!! If you cannot do this, I will give the load to another driver and you can just take the week off.. Furthermore, If you are late, then consider yourself terminated!!"

Um, okay.... I guess you know where I was Monday morning...

The ironic part is that when Homer had a scheduled drivers meeting, he would tell us it was mandatory and threaten to fire us for NOT showing up.. The meeting would always end up being based on useless information that we, the drivers, were already aware of...Therefore causing me to be late for no good reason, making my week a bit more difficult...

On a side note.... I am planning to get a picture of him.. Just to show you how similar to the real Homer he is.. And yes, I do have his permission....

Freaking Out!!

I had such a wonderful weekend and will post all the goings on, when I return home and download the pics. My Bro and his family came to visit and that was quite a treat for me..

I will admit, I missed having Bachelor # 1 around... He had out-of-town business and was MIA Thursday thru Sunday... BUT..... On my way up to Long Island, I did get the opportunity to meet up with him in Charlotte, NC on Sunday.

After a brief visit, we parted ways.

"I will call you and let you know when I get home." he says.

He is in no way obligated to do this, but what a nice gesture.. So, that evening.... after a sufficient amount of time, I tried to reach him.

I tried for TWO days !! I finally left a panicked message on his voice mail, almost in tears begging him to call me.

Why would I do something so stupid? Well, he was traveling on a stretch of road that is notorious for having very serious traffic accidents. There just happened to be one that day. I thought something might have happened to him...

NOPE. He just forgot to call.

EDIT: Many weeks later, I was told that he reconnected with a long lost friend that day, and they fell in love instantaneously. We broke up shortly after this weekend, mutually. But not only did he forgot I was alive, he also neglected some very dear friends of his and they are still wondering what happened to him. Turns out he has a son, that he never knew existed, so his life changed that day... I personally think she showed up for monetary support (He claims to run a Bus Company transporting the elite crowds in tour busses. Think Rock Stars! ) I have no idea what she will think when she finds out he recently moved back in with his mother, and his parents are paying his personal bills because he is broke. Who Knows, maybe it is true love!!

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Well, for starters, he couldn't because he is missing a leg... But if he could, it would be to get away from the Chicken Lady..

Wha....??

CHICKEN LEG.....

Last week, when I had myself all tucked into bed, I noticed a lump in my pillow.

I began to squeeze the pillow and felt what seemed to be a chunk of wood. Curious as I am, I decided to open the pillow and find out what kind of hidden surprise was in store for me. I had a feeling that I was not going to be happy with my hidden treasure, but DAMN IT! My curiosity got the best of me..

This is a soft fluffy down pillow.. I love soft fluffy down!!

I got out the scissors and a trash bag (don't want the feathers to go everywhere) and commenced to cutting open the pillow.....

BIG MISTAKE!!

What I found was a nice 4" long petrified Chicken Leg.... A for real chicken leg with a gnarly foot. Okay, maybe it was goose, but for the sake of the story, I am calling it a chicken leg!!

Still Disgusting, no matter what type of poultry it was.

Here is this leg..... This DEAD petrified leg of a mite infested bird.. This leg that has been within 2 inches of my face for the past 6 months... OMG, do you realize how gross that is... I mean, I could have gotten sick, right?? It is dead flesh!!

I have since removed both pillows, mattress pad and comforter from my bed... It is all down/feathers. I know this might be a bit drastic, but YOU were not sleeping with a chicken foot in your face... The products came from different vendors, but at this point, I don't care!!!

It took me 3 attempts to disinfect my hand along with 2 showers in the middle of the night, to once again feel clean!!

and next

THE CHICKEN LADY....

About 3 weeks ago, I was staying in my usual motel in Connecticut.. I was on the phone with Bachelor # 1, so he witnessed the entire event. I had left the room, to get supplies out of the truck, and as I mentioned....was on the phone.

I hear this very loud, brash voice coming from behind me and turn to look.... When I did, she did not say anything else, so I assumed she was not speaking to me.. I continued towards my truck, when she screamed again.. WTF?? This time, I turn and ask if she is addressing me, and she gives me one of those " What, are you an idiot?" looks...

She approaches me and says something to the effect that she was not a lot lizard and was not going to eat me, so "Why the hell are you being so rude??"

I explained that I was on the phone and asked what she needed. She gives me this sob story of how her Big Truck was in the shop and she had no money..." I have 50 pounds of chicken in my trailer that I need to sell.. Do you have any friends?"

What the hell does my friends have to do with her chicken??

I make my escape and me and B#1 have a good laugh... Seriously folks, I am not one to judge people at a glance....but I do think she would have eaten me if she had been hungry... And I don't think she had taken a shower in quite some time... To be polite, I will say this... I don't think she had one iota of concern for her own personal health and/ any detectable grooming skills.... NASTY!!

This week, I check in at the same motel and lo' and behold, as I am climbing out of the truck what should I hear....

" HEY GIRLFRIEND"

Shit, shit, oh shit!! There she is in all her glory... Really , Pigpen (Peanuts) had no comparable dust cloud swarming him..

Well, this time, she has a little dog with her and has him doing tricks....(Which were quite amazing!!, REALLY!) She continues on with her sob story (unbelievable) and tells me how she has been cleaning trucks to pay for her motel bill. She wants to share dinner with me, because she can not afford her own. She also wants to sit in my truck and use my CB Radio to solicit her truck cleaning skillz... I give her some cash to purchase her own meal and make my exit....

After a bit, my phone (motel room) begins to ring. No one knows I am here, so I don't answer. Then the knocking at the door.... Finally, after awhile, I venture back out to my truck when she approaches and asks if I would give her a ride out in the morning...

I explain all the reasons why I am unable to assist her and creep back into my room...

No more disturbances that evening!!

I halfway expected her to be standing by my truck in the morning when I pulled out, but I told her I was leaving at 6am... I left at 4:30!! HAhahahahhaaa... After checking to make sure no tires were cut and trailers unhooked.... Confident in my departure, I escaped the madness....

I will not be staying in Milford Connecticut again.!!

Oh, and BTW.. The little dog had a worse skin condition than she did, with warts and bumps all over him....And it irritated her that I would not pet him.... " Hey Lady, there ain't enough Clorox in the world !!! And NO you ain't getting in my truck!!"

M. I. A.

Just wanted to swing by and say hey to all.

I know I have been a bit scarce lately, but there is more going on than just Bachelor #1..

I have also volunteered to help someone out with a project and it will be coming to a close pretty soon..

I have had several posts, in mind.. But let's face it, if I don't get them published within 2 days, well, I tend to forget about them.....


I promise to catch up very soon!!!!!

BTW, a few of you have sent emails and I returned responses.... Hmmmm, but no one replies to them... I know last week I sent an email to a girlfriend and she never got it.... SO, for those of you awaiting replies.... I did send one... Did ya get it????

Hugs and Kisses to all.... Damn, I am in such an excellent mood!!!

Back Again......

Did I mention that someone else took my load this week.... Um, yeah, I think I did..



Well.. Monday, the Fisherman (aggghhhhhhhh !!!) called me AGAIN... He said that he had spoke with JH and was told that HE would be taking the NE load from now on....





Just another way for the Fisherman to try and provoke me... I don't know that JH will be taking this load on a regular basis.. Normally, he does not do New York.... But the Fisherman just wanted to try and get things stirred up..... He does not even work with us anymore and is still trying to provoke several of us..... So, if JH does take the load.....well, nothing I can do about it..



I think it is amazing that a grown man feels so much desire to create havoc in others lives, that he has to create scenarios in order to get reactions

It's The End Of The World As We Know It......

And I feeeeeeeeel fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnneeeeee.


Every Friday morning, at 8am, I receive a phone call from Homer confirming my delivery route for the week.

For years, it was always questionable as to which route I would be hauling. More often than not, it was my beloved trip to the NE. Then, when the Fisherman abandoned ship, the money load undeniably became my baby!

So, the Friday morning call became more or less just a courtesy...


This morning, at 8:02 am, the phone rings..."We are down to you." says Homer...

"huh??"

"It is your turn!" he replies.

"Wha??"

"Your trip is taken!! You need to pick something else!..."

"Who.... what........Huh??"

"JH took your trip! "

"Holy Happy Cows!! This guy does not do New York! What is up with that?" I respond in disbelief.

I am still reeling from the shock, but life goes on... Every good thing must come to an end eventually, right?? Let's hope not! JH has taken the load before, but usually he will brave the concrete jungle once and then steer clear for many moons... So, I am hoping that will be the case this time as well.

But!!, on the other hand....maybe it is time for me to stick a little closer to the house...I mean, you know, now that there is someone lurking about.

The change will not affect my income, which is a good thing! I will deliver a quick Alabama run on Monday and then proceed to New Jersey later in the week... I will be pulling a Crane Trailer, which actually pays more due to the fact that the driver has to operate a crane to unload it... Yes, I am multi-talented!

I will post pictures next week of the Crane Trailer, as I am sure you have never seen one before. I had never seen one until I began hauling for the Aluminum C0.. It is actually pretty neat... You would be surprised as to what all is traveling down the interstates if you could see inside the trailers!!

Oh, did I mention.... My first delivery this week will be in Bachelor Number One's hometown...

30 Days And Counting...

Only 30 more days and the new Trucking Co takes over... I am very excited about this, but it seems Homer is getting a tad bit more attitude..

Right now, the best part is the fact I will indeed have a new truck!! I don't think I can take much more of the one I am driving!! Not only is the ride bad, but a breakdown is imminent!! I have explained the situation to the mechanics, but it seems my current employers have no desire to put any money into the trucks at this time... They will be sold immediately after we clean them out in 4 weeks... I understand the concept of not spending the extra money, but if and when it finally gives out, it will incur additional towing and repair fees, so why not do it now!! Just keep your fingers crossed for me that I can make four more incident free deliveries.. The noises are getting noticeably worse with each passing week and honestly, I don't have much faith it will last the 30 days I need it to.

In other trucking news.... Holy Happy Cows, what a week!! I was anxious to get home because of my plans to spend more time with Bachelor Number One.. My load was planned in a very time efficient manner, therefore almost guaranteeing my early arrival home.

Monday morning, I delivered my first stop on Long Island at 5:15 AM....Which allowed me to completely beat rush hour traffic back into Queens. I arrived in Astoria at 6:30 and knew I would have to wait until 8am to deliver my next stop... But, hey , I beat rush hour traffic!! At 9am, I left Jimmy and co to work my way towards Bethlehem , PA... Approximately 80 miles, I felt confident I could be there by 11am....And then on to Philly for 2 more stops before they closed at 3:30pm....

It should have all worked out according to plan... It should have...But it didn't.

Anytime I am running local in the NJ/NY area, I always listen to the local AM station for traffic reports.. It is mandatory to know what is going on!! On my way in , I have heard the reports of a major fatality accident which closed down the Tappanzee Bridge for over 10 hours!! It was reopened at 5:30 am, which was great for commuters! But, I also heard reports of a tractor trailer colliding with ?? underneath the Apartments on I-95...This area is a high merge point for all traffic crossing the George Washington Bridge.. Of course, it was on the southbound side... Um, the direction I needed to travel! The accident occurred sometime around 6am and was a single truck accident.... Should be cleared up in no time, RIGHT?

WRONG. It seems he ripped his trailer open spilling garbage over the entire interstate and blocking all lanes of traffic.....He also completely disable his truck in the collision.. As far as I can tell, he hit the center concrete support wall...

So, I leave Jimmy at 9 am and at 12:17 pm, I reenter New Jersey... That's right folks.. It took me THREE HOURS AND SEVENTEEN minutes to travel NINE POINT TWO miles.

Oh but, it gets even better... See, at this point, with the power of persuasion, I might still be able to con my way into getting finished up on Monday...But then upon arriving in PA, I hear the delightful report of yet another trash truck laying on its side blocking the roadway.... The particular roadway I need to make my delivery... If I could have taken an alternate route I would have, but no.... It was the only one leading to my destination.....

Stupid Trash Haulers!! You know, come to think of it.... It is always the Trash Haulers who are flipping over and losing their loads in this neck of the woods....

Needless to say, I did not make it.... Nope, not even close! I think I ended up finishing my deliveries at approximately 10:30 am Tuesday.... Any who, all is well, that ends well...

And Bachelor Number One was happy to see me on Wednesday!!!

Bachelor Number One

This totally ROCKS!!



Bachelor Number One is awesome.. No nekkid pictures on his cell phone....(Well, I did not ask, but he didn't offer to show me anything either..)And he did not ask to see mine either!!



We have been out 3 times now and I have met several of his friends.. This is a freakin funny crowd!! And oh how I loves me some funny!!!!



So, we have done dinner twice along with drinks downtown.. We ventured out for the 4th of July festivities and watched the fireworks... We have also spent time with friends hanging out by the pool!!

I love it that he totally gets my sense of humor.... We were swapping war stories and as he began to tell one he starts out with...."And there was this one time....."

Naturally, I interrupt him with"...... in band camp....." He totally lost it!! After spewing beer through his nostrils, he looks at me and smiles.."Oh, my friends are going to love you!! You will fit right in."

So there you have it.... Just a little update!! Things are going swell and it looks like I will have a pretty good summer, after all!

EDIT: I dont know how many of you got the American Pie reference in this post, but he certainly did and thats what counts!!