Ho Hum....

I don't usually do posts with no intended topic, but I am in a funk.

I am not sad.

I am not depressed.

I am not motivated.

I am just sort of in a blah mood, and this is only my first official weekend of not having anything planned with Bachelor Number One.

The excitement wore off and he showed his true colors, as I am sure I did myself. But after removing the rose colored glasses, I realized that unless I want to spend all my time just partying and blowing money, that it was not beneficial to have him in my life. Besides, his true colors were not anything to write home about. He became someone totally different.

My family knows me.. They know if I fell in "Love" that I would not move home. So, I am just going to focus on getting thru my predetermined amount of time until that is possible.

So, tonight, I am relaxing at home with a pizza and a movie.. This would be a good time to finish How To Be Lost, by Amanda Eyre Ward. My friend Mischka sent this to me. Seems to be a pretty quick read. Maybe a good soak in the tub would snap me out of this *mood*.

Tomorrow morning, I have a 4hour meeting at work. One of the drivers from another facility called to let me know that 3.5 hours of this meeting is watching a video on how our company got started.. Seriously 3.5 hours!! Oh BOY!!



Oh yeah, next week I have to return to my diet and exercise program... I had lost a total of 29 pounds, but have since gained 8 of it back.... Yeah, I know.... Pizza for supper!! Oh and did I mention the yummy cinnaswirls that came with it.....

Maybe I will hit the zoo after the meeting.... Hmmm, now that is an idea.

Oh I did get to see my oldest Brother this week. He has taken a teaching position in Birmingham, which is 2 hours from me. So, yesterday, I made the 4 hour round trip just to have dinner with him and check out some lovely little markets in town. I only got to spend a few hours with him because I had to get up at 4:30 this morning to avoid the commute thru ATL..

I hate working Fridays.... Maybe that is my problem....

Yes, I am finished rambling now!! Toodles

What Is Wrong With People ??

Sometimes people simply amaze me, and not necessarily in a good way.

Upon arriving back at the plant this evening, I was a bit dismayed to find out that one of my favorite security guards was in the hospital.

He had to be rushed into surgery, I believe to have have 3 disks removed? from his back. Still not sure of all the details, but I do know he will be in rehab for a long time. He was in horrible pain, had an MRI performed and went straight into surgery.

Thankfully, Sam was working tonight and filled me in on what he knew. Then we called the hospital and I spoke with Albert. He told me that once he has recovered from the surgery, he will have to retrain himself to be able to walk.

Albert is probably in his mid sixties and one of the sweetest black men you will ever meet. I have known Albert for over five years and enjoy chatting with him over a cup of coffee each week.

What upsets me about this situation, is that Albert was rushed to the hospital 10 DAYS AGO... I had asked Sam where Albert had been hiding, thinking he might be on vacation. That is when Sam filled me in...

10 DAYS AGO.. Why has no one mentioned this to me.... No other guards have said a word about this.... no drivers..... no alum co. employees!!! NO ONE...

So, tomorrow morning I will be in search of a nice little Get Well gift and on my way to the hospital to see Albert.... He will then be transferred to a rehabilitation center in Warm Springs Georgia...

I will definitely have to clear my calendar to make the trip to Warm Springs on several occasions in the next few weeks/months... About an hour away... But I just love him!!

I am sooooo upset that I was not told....... Ughhhhhh ! People Suck

C.S.I New Jersey

Normally, I leave out every Sunday morning for my weekly excursion to points unknown...

Well, okay, so I do go to the same places every week. Normally, I have no safety concerns with most of my delivery destinations. There are a few places I know better than to camp out at night, but most of them are better than moderately safe.


For example, Elizabeth, New Jersey.. In five years, I have never had any reason to fear sleeping in the parking lot of our customer located in Elizabeth...

This week, I came rolling into Elizabeth around midnight and noticed a "BobTail" Truck parked in my camping spot. I assumed his trailer must be locked in the warehouse and he was just camping out himself. So, I decided to park on the other end of the warehouse, so as not to disturb him, at least until 7AM.

I arose at 6:30 and the Truck was still there. No sign of the driver having awakened himself. I give him another 15 minutes, but then need to get my trailer prepared for unloading.. At 6:45 I drive over to the location. I intend to knock on his door and request he move so I can get ready.

That is when I notice that 5 of his tires are flat

The bumper is missing

The grill smashed in

The airlines yanked out of the back of the cab

The passenger side window is busted out

and so on and so forth

By this time, the warehouse is open and the supervisor comes out to inspect the abandoned truck. The doors where unlocked, so he climbs aboard. He rapidly exited the truck and made a quick phone call to the local authorities....

Let's just say something VERY BAD happened inside that truck, and I doubt the driver lived to tell about it. The supervisor thought it might have been a drug deal gone bad, because he saw paraphernalia in the truck.... Who Knows...

I do know that whatever did happen... it did not happen in that parking lot.... There was no glass on the ground around that site....

But rest assured, I will no longer be sleeping in Elizabeth, New Jersey....

And YES, Rick, I did leave out other assorted details so you would not have to envision them if you happen to read this post!!

It Has Been Nice Knowing Ya!!....

I was so excited when Maggie came home last week. You see, I got her 5 weeks ago. Drove her one week and then she went into the maintenance shop for three. Before that, we had the whole Trucking Company transition which placed me into a rental truck until Maggie arrived. Long story short, I have had to move my gear in and out of 4 different Trucks, 6 different times in a matter of 7 weeks....

This is getting old.

My dining area and the trunk of my car have been being used as a storage area for all of my Truckin' Supplies. I am tired of looking at this stuff. I would love to be able to just load up a Truck and be done with it! Clean out my dining room and trunk, and get on to truckin.

BUT NOOOOOOO

The entire three week period that Maggie was in the shop was useless.. She was returned to me in no better shape than I sent her away in.... I honestly believe they just topped off her fluids and said she was repaired.

I had to add at least a gallon of water to the radiator every day this week... There is a nice little sensor in her that lets me know when the coolant level is low.... The Truck will actually shut itself off with very little warning when the level is too low.... That makes for a wonderful adventure.. Imagine cruising down the road at 67mph (her governed speed) when out of the blue, the engine shuts off resulting in a loss of power steering... Do you even remember vehicles with no power steering? Well, let me tell you, it takes a lot of muscle to steer a Big Truck with no power steering. And then there is the added bonus of not having a place to pull safely out of the way.. Such as a two-lane highway with no shoulder, or in the middle of an intersection while making a hard left turn... Ughhhhhhh.... Another issue that completely baffles me is that Maggie's coolant reservoir is mounted at a slight angle... There is absolutely no way to top her off to the the required level without sitting on a sloping surface... And it has to be slopping down to the left. Otherwise the fluid will not fill the left side of the tank... Which is where the $#*&ing sensor is located!!

Also her rear chunk is still slinging "dope"... The entire belly of the trailer was once again coated in a greasy smear, along with everything behind the rear axle!

So, do you want the good news or the bad news??

Okay, the bad news is that Maggie will have to find a new home!

The Good? news is that two of our other drivers are transferring to a different facility... Neither of their trucks has had a single occurrence of the negative mechanical kind... I will be taking up residence in one of those trucks at the end of the week.

BONUS news... I have to work Friday, which means I get to swap Trucks tomorrow, but not into my new one. I don't get that one until Saturday.... So that makes it 6 TRUCKS, 8 TIMES, in 7 WEEKS....

This is really getting old!!!

The Much Anticipated Arrival Of Autumn

With all the soaring temperatures and stifling humidity, I can say that I am truly Thankful that Autumn has arrived.

My hair is not quite so fluffy.. Hmmmm, maybe we switched back to our old water reservoir? I do know that our water ban has been cancelled!! wooo hoooo.. It was a rough couple of weeks, trying to manage my mane!

However, the temps are still a tad bit warm here in Georgia. Average still in the 80's, which makes it nice for running!



This week, as usual, I pack my gear for the trip. Short sleeve shirts and no need for a jacket yet?
WRONG!!

On the way thru Virginia, the temps begin to dip into the 50's.. I turn off my air conditioner as it is getting a bit chilly in the truck. Upon arriving in Pennsylvania, it is down right cold! I readjust the thermostat to allow for some heat.... This should only take a minute, because the motor is already warmed up... After several miles, there is still no heat....and I am cold!!

I get to my first destination, it is now in the high 40's. NO HEAT!!

That night was not too bad.. I did wake up feeling a bit chilly, and the cool morning air could have been pleasant under other circumstances...

The daytime temps were in the high 60's.

My second overnight stay in the truck was much worse!! I only had one blanket with me! No long sleeve apparel of any kind and no HEAT.

When I woke up Tuesday morning, it was all I could do to get out of the bed.. There was no warmth to be found anywhere except for the tiny bit I had accumulated under the covers. I had noticed the leaves were changing on the drive into Massachusetts, but I took for granted how far north I actually was. Which means the overnight temps dip a whole lot lower at night!!

34 degrees.... to be exact... As a matter of fact, once I got stirring around, I decided to eat my breakfast before unloading.. But Alas, my milk was almost frozen.... Seriously, it had the consistency of soft homemade ice cream with out the yummy flavor!

I don't normally complain about the winter temperatures.. I find the extreme cold to be completely invigorating, but when you are not prepared for it..... Well, it comes as quite a shock to wake up in a 34 degree bed, with no way to warm yourself......

I did manage to warm up after a few hours of sunshine.

On the way home, I stopped in Mt Jackson, Virginia for my final overnight stay in the truck. At 9pm, it was still a balmy 72 degrees, so I had no fear s of freezing overnight. In fact,I had to crank up the truck and turn the AC on to get it cool enough to be able to sleep.

Around 4am, I once again wake up shivering... Shut off the AC and look at the thermometer...

42 degrees!!

This time it took me 5 hours and 300 miles to find warmth...

I guess that means Autumn is here!!! Time to put a jacket in the truck...

Oh, yeah!! Did I mention, Maggie is back with her sweet little heater that works Oh So Well....

Bachelor Number Two

Things have been slowing dramatically down with Bachelor Number One and after weighing all the evidence, I decided to look around some more.... He IS a great guy and while I love hanging out with him, there is such much lacking and quite a lot of confusion.....And while I don't need to be looking for love right now ( I AM moving back to BAMA next year!!), I would like to be able to find some one to go out and have a good time with...

So, I reposted my profile on THAT site and this is what I got......

I deleted the first message, It was a basic "hey Check out my profile"

I did.....NOT INTERESTED...deleted email....moving on

But then he sends this...

seems u r all over the inet.????

To this I did respond... "HUH?"
I googled any information that he could have possibly found on my profile .... Nope, nothing!! It seems I am NOT all over the inet!!!

Okay, so I sent the "HUH" and he replies with this..

THANKX FOR THE RESPONCE, YOU CAN GET ME AT (insert email address here)

This time I did not respond....WTF??

moving on......

An hour later, I get this

EMALE ME AT **********@HOTMAIL.COM....LETS CHAT????

To which I did not respond!!

And in another 30 minutes.....there is this


IF I CAN'T MEET THE ONE HERE, I AM OUTTA THIS GOD FORSAKEN PLACE. I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 2 YEARS,, AND IT IS JUST TOOOOOOO BLACK FOR ME...I LOVE ALASKA, COLORADO, AWAY FROM IT. I AM ON THE LEFT IN THE PHOTO

By this time, I am thinking what a freak!! Surely he does not think I am interested...What girl would be at this point... I only sent the one reply "HUH"? How could that be construed as legitimate interest....

Ummmmm, okay?!

So, I go to work and upon arriving at home, this is in my inbox...

Hello, Well I am actually located in Clayton County, But my mailing address is in Cowetta county. I am not opposed to stay in Georgia, if the right circumstances arise. I moved here almost 2 yrs ago, from Indiana. I worked on the coast, when Katrina hit, for abou a year. So here I am!! Still , if your not interested, I understand. Have a good day, P.S. I am not hunting, but seeing what the Lord puts in my path

Obviously he does not understand... He suckered me into responding with that "you are all over the Internet"... I have not replied again....

Bachelor Number Two? I think not!!

The Good, The Bad, and The Psycho

THE GOOD
It seems that things might be turning around for me... Yes, I am still in the loaner truck, but I did convince the mechanic to replace the fuel filters before I left.. Wooooo hooooo... I am back in business...... Able to climb small mountains with only moderate loss of speed.

My load was very light and I was able to get unloaded quickly.. And yes, I am back home on a Wednesday AFTERNOON....Not bad, if you ask me... I left out Sunday morning, delivered 1 Jersey, 3 Long Island, Queens, Bronx, and 3 Massachusetts and am back at the crib in less than 76 hours...

My BossMan called me on Monday to tell me that he was on his way to pick up Maggie and bring her home.... He wanted to make sure I had no other complaints... Are you kidding me...He took the time to venture into Atlanta and bring Maggie home.. OMG, I love you !!!! Now I don't have to arrange for someone to take me to get her!! Woooo Hooooo!!

THE BAD
Nothing to report here...

and .....

THE PSYCHO

What an adventure.. On my way out of Connecticut, I ran across another trucker who was empty and heading my way.. We began to chat it up and he was very respectful and funny (I always appreciate the respect, as so many truckers are not respectful to me!!)

We cruised past all the other truckers (who were loaded heavy) and were making pretty good time.

Then it happens.....

On the downhill roll (loaded trucks gain alot of momentum going downhill), one particular trucker is making a mad dash towards the bottom when he slams on his brakes. He was right beside me and weaving all over the interstate. The people who were following him had to scatter to avoid a collision.. UH NOT COOL.... DUMBASS!! He nearly took out the guard rail trying to get a look at me... After a few other truckers make comments over the CB Radio, dumbass decides to roll on.... Of course, on the next ascent, me and my traveling buddy pass him again... Still all over the road, his lane, in my lane , on the shoulder, in the grass!!!! DUDE.....NOT COOL!!!!

After several miles he manages to catch us again.... This time we let him pass in a hurry, but once he was in front of us he began to weave from one lane to the other, literally driving down the center dotted line...At 45MPH..... We ( the respectful trucker I was chatting with ) decide to exit the interstate and let him disappear into the sunset, hopefully avoiding any further confrontations.... After getting a cup of coffee, we decide it might be safe enough to continue on..

Well, coffee runs right thru me, so in just a little bit I need to use the rest area bathroom, and Nice Trucker follows me into the rest area... just to be safe. There is only one parking spot available, so he parks on the exit ramp and waits on me..

When I come out of the bathroom, guess who is parked RIGHT BESIDE ME.... In the middle of the driveway.. blocking the road.... You should have seen this guy.. Well, I noticed the truck as soon as I left the building, so I made my way to my truck via a detour around several other vehicles and sneaked back into my cab.. But he noticed me... Thank God, I was safely in my cab at this point..

He had that CRAZY look in his eyes... I bet he only had three teeth, and looked like he was drooling!

I did manage to pull out and Nice Trucker followed me... Of Course, Psycho Trucker was right on our tail.. Every time he tried to catch me, Nice Trucker would jump in the left lane and cut him off.... This went on until we reached the big hills... We eventually were able to outrun him...

HOLY COW!! What an experience.. We got quite a laugh out of the whole ordeal, once it was over...

I am Thankful that I meet Nice Trucker that day... Cuz, I really had to pee and would not have been able to stop with that Psycho following me. And although it was just a loaner truck, I really did not want to pee on myself!!!

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

It is amazing to me how a quick trip to Bama can erase all of my frustrations and completely change my mood.

It DID!! for now...

Friday, I got to pick up the kiddies (Bri-Baby and the Boy Wonder) from school. After snacks and hanging out for a bit we headed over to pick up Grandma and Grandpa for an excursion to the local middle school Carnival.

Bri-Baby was the first to jump on a ride.

Then a quick trip to the top of the world!

Boy Wonder had still not warmed up, but Bri was having a blast.

So pretty, I wanted to do it too!!

Another view from the top.

Hey there he is, not real sure about going skyhigh...

Boy Wonder did convince me to ride something the devil invented..... It hurt BAD!! Good thing I choose the outside seat or I would have squished him. I believe at one point he was on top of my head!! We also rode something called the Tip Top Be Bop.... Lots and lots of spinning.. I am getting too old for this as it made me queasy. But then I was never good at spinning! All in all it was a good time...

Saturday we literally spent the entire morning playing a simplified version of HangMan/ Wheel of Fortune.. I am proud to say that I won, followed by a three way tie.

Finally, I was allowed to drive the Turnip Truck.. Thought about borrowing it for next weeks trip to the NE, but at least I can get 45 out of the loaner truck, plus it hauls more freight...

On my way home, I decided to take the scenic route to continue those peaceful easy feelings. Two lane all the way!! It was sooooo pleasant and I found a nice little covered bridge along the way.

So, there you have it, my weekend turned out very nice and I forgot all about everything that has been bugging me. Lets hope that feeling lasts!!

That Sally Sure Is A Sweet Ride......

Lately I have spent alot of time complaining about stuff, so today I thought I would take an alternative approach.

Instead of complaining, maybe I should list what I am thankful for, Right...?? Okay , I will give it a try.


I am Thankful that I found out today that there were several things that I have yet to be compensated for concerning work. Things totalling up to about $300.oo. My direct deposit was short the past few weeks, and rather than be upset about this.... I feel better knowing that they just have not found the time to take care of it, you know, rather than trying to short change me!
And on the same note, my pay rate is based on miles driven and stops delivered, however, my paystub reflects HOURLY wages...... I have to request each week, to be notified of what they are paying me for... Believe me, I have driven several miles that were never paid!! Got to keep an eye of those folks.

I am also Thankful that the sutures that have come untied on my thumb, are the ones close to the shallow end of the cut. Maybe it will be able to remain closed and heal properly.

I am also Thankful for JACKS restaurants.. We do not have them in Georgia, they seem to be local to Bama only. So whenever I head over for a visit, inevitably I have to stop at Jacks and get a Swiss Mushroom Burger... I am Thankful that they agreed to make it without onions... I am thankful that the cook acknowledged "NO ONIONS"... I am Thankful for the yummy milkshakes that they have. I drove 3.7 miles off the interstate just to get a burger and shake..

I am Thankful for the two pillowcases and few shop towels that were in my trunk. When I dumped the entire milkshake into my car, those rags came in handy!!

I am Thankful for Summer being over, otherwise with all that sugary goodness I dumped into Sally, I would have a shitload of ants by the time I got home next week.. I will have to keep my fingers crossed on that one.... Still a possibility.

I am Thankful for having $3.03 to purchase another milkshake!! This time I checked to make sure the lid was secure.

I am Thankful that I did not sit down in the parking lot and cry my eyes out, even though I REALLY wanted to.

I am Thankful that by the time I got around to opening my burger, I was no longer hungry... Because it had NO MUSHROOMS, but plenty of onions.


*sigh*

Out With The Old.. in with the old

No new truck again this week..

Maggie has even more problems and will be spending an additional amount of time in the repair shop.

She is freaking NEW... She should not need repairs...

I do not want to fuss too much about the loaner truck I have been driving, in case it has found this blog....and can read....

At one point this week, it would not travel at more then 40 MPH.. I thought I blew a turbo, but nooooo. It was just being temperamental. I had a light load and still could not climb the mountains.... 23MPH to the top!! And on the way home, it lost all of its coolant and the truck shut down and would not crank.... That happened while I was sleeping.. Imagine waking up to a truck that won't start, sitting in a rest area somewhere outside of Scranton, PA with no cell phone service!! Hmpppphhhh. Lucky for me, I had enough bottled water to pour in to it. That got it started and allowed me to get to a truck stop to purchase coolant.


Grrrrrrr.....

Oh yeah, some of my stitches are coming untied......

Here's Your Sign........

While standing in line at Wendy's, the man in front of me noticed that I was favoring my left hand, being extremely cautious and protective.

He continues to sneak glances at me and finally musters up the courage to ask, " Did you cut your thumb?"

ME: Yeah

MAN IN FRONT OF ME: How did you do it?

ME: Oh, the usual way. With a sharp object.

MAN BEHIND ME: Here's your sign.....

The entire line of patrons, along with the crew at the counter completely busted up laughing.

I did feel bad for the fellow who had asked, so I continued to engage him in conversation.

ME: Actually, Halloween is coming up and I wanted to get a start on my costume....I am going as Frankenstein's Monster....


At least he laughed that time....

After posting my 36 hour recap on Saturday evening, I had a few loose ends to tie up before going to bed for the night. While I was in the kitchen, with sharp object in hand, a large dog came crashing against my doorway... The loud bang and furious barking startled me. Yep, you guessed it.....



That was at 10:30 PM....

I spent the next s.e.v.e.r.a.l. hours at the ER (my first visit). There was never really any pain, but the loss of blood was overwhelming.. I bet I lost at least a half pint.... SERIOUSLY!!

Okay, maybe there was a little pain, but not from the injury.... The only pain involved the DR ramming the needle into my poor little thumb, to numb it... I normally sing silly songs to distract myself from intense pain and/or anger. I was busy singing a Christmas Jingle and she laughed at me...

DR: Are you trying to distract yourself from the pain?

ME: Well, its either sing or punch you in the nose.

DR: ...... had a very shiny nose.....And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.

You know, the DR had a lovely singing voice!

I finally made it home and in the bed around 4AM.... I was suppose to leave for Philly at 8AM...Looks like another long week.



sigh

In Remembrance.......9/11

I will be in The City this week.... I will remember...... Just a reminder, Tuesday 9-11, we are all to drive with our headlights shining during the day to pay tribute.....I expect this to be another emotion filled day.... Oh yeah.....and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!

Yes, this is an early post...But I won't be online until after the fact, and I just wanted to pay my respects....

36 Hour Recap

Boy, did last week ever wear me out..

With only 36 hours to recover, I decided to have some much needed quiet time for myself. My darling friend sent me some books, so I spent part of the day curled up reading. I also managed to get some much needed shopping out of the way... I had a birthday gift to send out west and had such a wonderful time getting it ready. I love shopping for others, even if I don't get to see their reaction, it just makes me feel so warm inside, knowing I will put a smile on their face.

I also ran another 5 miles tonight, which was very relaxing and helped me to de-stress quite a bit. That simply amazes me. When I start my run, it is a very physical act, but about 2 miles into it, it turns into something completely different. I really get into it and stress simply melts away. I did not want to stop, but with the darkness approaching I had to call it a night. Besides, the spiders were getting tired of replacing their webs. My first 8 laps were in the daylight, but as dusk rapidly approached, the spiders got busy and I managed to run through at least ten webs. Hope I didn't bring any of these guys home with me...

Well, not much of a recap but anyhoo... Still working on my Karma...... But I feel really good about life right now. And I get to see the Bri-Baby next week... Maybe that is why I am soooo happy. Take Care .....

And Now DEEP THOUGHTS......

............by Jack Handey

Just a few things I would really like to say to a few people who I encounter on a daily basis...

I try not to let my RoadRage get the best of me, but go ahead, if you dare......

Take a peek..... HERE

So Much For A Long Weekend

I know many of you enjoyed having a long weekend last week due to Labor Day...

But I just got home.... FRIDAY AFTERNOON at 2PM....

I am accustomed to arriving home on Wednesday night and enjoying 3 1/2 days to myself.

I go back to work SUNDAY MORNING!!

Ughhhhh..... This sux!! And to top it off, I am exhausted. I just made a New Jersey turnaround in 48 hours!! Hopefully the next 36 hours will go by very s. l. o. w. l. y..........

And Maggie is still at the doc's... She is not coming home until next week. Don't even get me started on everything that is wrong with the loaner truck I am driving....

PEACE OUT!!!!!!

I Am Loved :)

CHANCHITOS

In the small village of Pomaire, Chile,

it is believed that the "chanchitos",

little pigs, bring good luck.

Three legged chanchitos are especially

fortunate and are traditionally given

to friends as a token of goodwill and

love.

I am feeling very loved at the moment!! Thanks Mischka!!

She's Going The Distance......

Well, folks, I am back on track.... It has been awhile since I have been running.. I would love to blame it on the humidity and heat... But let's face it, I just got sooooo excited when I started dating B#1, that I stopped running. I stopped focusing on me....

So today, I managed to get off me arse and run 5 miles... It was a very slow 5 miles, but I did not want to push it, since it had been awhile.... I think I might have averaged about a 13 minute mile, but my endurance was still intact.. I completed the distance without stopping.. It felt sooooooooooo good. I just fell into a rhythm and got lost in the music and scenery... Around the 4 mile mark, I was beginning to lose motivation... Hot and sweaty, I wanted to give in!! But Alas! it started to rain.... Oh, sooo refreshing. Not a hard downpour, just enough to make it breezy and cool... Enough to help me finish!

Just thought I would mention it.... Time to start looking for some more weekend races!!