Hybrid...

As long as I have been driving up to New England, I have often claimed that the area felt like my second home. It is by far my favorite route to run. After begging AA for weeks, I finally manage to grab this little jewel. Being a southern girl and loving New England, I am a hybrid!!

My first delivery was to be in Bloomfield, Connecticut. I arrived on Sunday night and set up camp only to oversleep the next morning. No worries, however, as I have big plans for my return trip "home". Leaving Connecticut, I take the scenic route up to North Adams, Massachusetts. Have I ever mentioned how much I love driving the two lanes. Well, the two lanes in Mass are my absolute favorite.

After delivering in N Adams, I make the executive decision to take my absolute favorite scenic route back towards Boston. Knowing full well it will cost me additional time, the journey is so worth it. The Mohawk Indian Trail !! Absolutely love this route...

At this point, I am halfway thru my journey with only 2 stops left. But, as I have mentioned before, I have big plans. So I slowly amble towards the Cape thinking I may get finished on Monday. After calling the customer, it was decided that my stay in New England was to be extended. Oh Joy!!

No seriously... Oh Joy!! I now have more time to appreciate my beloved New England. So I change my course and head up to New Hampshire. This customer only takes deliveries after 4pm. After sitting in the dock for several hours, my plan is finally set into motion. Quick text to a friend and I am on my way.

The Big Plans... Meeting up with Trucker ATK. You see, we have a little task at hand to be completed. A certain Scorching Habanero Doritos Challenge... "The Deadly Doritos Snackdown"

After a lovely visit, I make tracks south to set up camp for my final delivery in Hanson, Ma. Another treat in itself because this is possibly my favorite delivery. The owner of the company has been so good to me and Andy throughout the years, and it is always a pleasure to make an appearance here.

Trailer is empty and it dawns upon me that I am also driving past another delivery point where I have made a friend. Sooooooo, why not? I pull into Taunton, park the truck, and race inside to yell Surprise. I actually ended up spending the entire morning with my friend Pat, catching up on all the gossip. We ended the visit with a nice lunch at a local Italian restaurant, complete with a view of the lake!

Not wanting to leave just yet, I contact ATK again and schedule another visit. My pickup is set for 5am the next morning in Hartford, CT. I have plenty of time! Lucky for me, so does ATK. So he swings in to pick me up and takes me on a more scenic tour of Massachusetts. ATK is a local car hauler and a good friend of mine, so it was a pleasure to see him again before heading out.

The next day it was business as usual. Up at 5am to load a meager 280 pounds and begin the long trek home... sigh!!

What an absolutely splendid week. It was almost as if I did not work at all and that, my friends, is how it should be. Next week, the excitement continues as I head to SOUTH DAKOTA. I know, right! I have not been west of I-35 in years.. Hoping to see a few more friends next week!!

Did I ever mention how much I love my job? Yeah, I thought so...

Happy Birthday Bedbugger

After a very long 5 weeks, my aching heart has been given a reprieve. The most handsome bedbugger I know was set to arrive in Georgia just in time for his birthday.

Although the weekend was much too short, in my opinion, we were able to celebrate with several trucking friends. Here is a short video that was put together for this special occasion.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEDBUGGER !!! I love you.

Oh Happy Day !!

It is about time, but I think my truckin luck has finally turned around.

After spending a fabulous Friday getting pampered, I made a quick visit to see my nephew and help celebrate his birthday.

Did I mention that I also swapped out my mattress? In conjunction with getting the alternate seat in the truck, I seem to have eliminated ALL sources of pain. No more back, leg, knee, sciatic, swelling, numbness. All of it gone without so much as a trace.

On Saturday, I decided to leave out early to meet up with a friend. When I got to the yard, I inspected Frankentruck and noticed that he had a new set of shocks all the way around! But I also noticed that there were new airlines running from the valves to the bags !! I made my way through a very ferocious storm in South Carolina, and it did not take me long to realize that the truck was no longer slipping and sliding around. I went through several storms that day and never broke traction one single time. I am happy that I have the new shocks, but honestly I don't think they were the answer. I had mentioned checking the lines for debris, and waaalaaaaa, I got new lines. I think that is what solved the problem, whether it was debris or just crimped, I am not concerned. It is finally repaired.

So, I left out Saturday to meet up with a friend, as I said before. Someone I do not often get to see, so that was a nice distraction.

As for today, I am running a different route, so I do not have the hectic pace of the New England run bearing down on me. I was finished with deliveries at 12:30 and will not resume them until 8:00am tomorrow. With only 200 miles between stops, I have managed to enjoy a quiet afternoon reflecting on the wonderful weekend, the wonderful repairs and the wonderful lack of tension I feel in my shoulders.

Watch Out. I am on the verge of once again becoming irritatingly happy!!

Busty Wonder

Rusty

2004-2009

Rest In Peace

I loved this little guy. Meet Rusty. Rusty was my brothers dog. One day, several years back, he came strolling through the neighborhood (a victim of abandonment) and decided that he was going to make himself at home. It did not take long at all to claim him as a member of the family.

Rusty was well cared for, and absolutely cherished. He was one of the best tempered dogs I have ever been exposed to. We all loved him. But last Sunday, Rusty was savagely attacked by some neighboring canines. Rusty has always been confined to his yard and was never allowed to roam freely about the neighborhood. One of the neighbors had a female who was in heat and they decided it was a good idea to let her roam about freely at night. Of course, you can imagine the havoc caused by this. Not only was Rusty attacked in his own yard, but another family pet who lived two houses away was also injured in another battle. I am not sure if the other innocent dog survived, but Rusty died from extensive injuries 5 days later. The offenders were owned by a man who lived a few houses away and he refused to keep his dogs in the fence. In fact, his dogs are now somewhat running with a pack of strays.

I am very sad! And I could rant and rave about this for quite awhile.

What we have here is just another prime example of people being stupid and irresponsible. This did not have to happen! Rusty did not have to be killed this way. He was still young but because one person thought it was okay to let a bitch dog in heat run wild at night, and another thought his not so friendly beasts were also not required to be confined, and then there are all of those people who want a puppy and after a few months, they drop them off in a field or down a deserted road because they no longer want the responsibility. I am angry!! so very angry!!

but mostly

I am very sad.... I love you Busty Wonder!!

Blue Skies

"Blue skies, smiling on me.....nothing but blue skies forever I see...."

or something like that....

Hey Kids... I am really excited to report that I will be playing Over The Road trucker next week. Well, okay, maybe not anymore than I normally do already. I am however, venturing out into uncharted territory. Um...yeah, okay so it is not so remote, not even to me. The girl who thrives in the North Eastern United States, and yes, I have ventured west of the Mississippi River a few times here of late.

This week, I have chosen a route that will take me back "home". I am making deliveries in Alabama, Memphis, Louisiana, and Texas!! The way it is set up, will actually take me longer to deliver than I am normally accustomed too. I have usually completed my deliveries by lunchtime on Tuesday, but I foresee myself to be lingering in Texas well into Thursday.

You know, I am beginning to feel a little restless, but have no fear, I tend to get this way every so often. I think a nice vacation would do the trick. Maybe a beach trip!  

But alas, I am feeling better about things, although I do have some excessive energy I need to burn off. Mentally and physically, perhaps due to the restlessness. But things are looking up emotionally..You cant fight this stuff forever!

Time To Go Back To Work

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, it has finally happened. After 2 very long months, I am finally going back to the City that I love so dearly.

I have had a delightful time on my "vacation" driving entirely in the Southern States, with the exception of that one route that took me into Illinois. But truthfully, my weekly excursions down to Miami have been a bit of a minor struggle for me. I personally find the Florida Turnpike to be inexcusably mundane and often causes me to struggle throughout the journey. I have to set goals for myself, to even complete the 400+ mile trip through Florida.  Mini goals include stopping at Fort Pierce for my first coffee, then again west of Orlando for Popeye's Chicken, next I hit the Pilot north of Ocala for another shot of java. Silly, I know, but these mini goals are the only way I can make it out of the Sunshine State without stopping for a nap. I begin to feel slumber calling my name only an hour or two into the  northbound journey, and that is after I have just started my day a few hours before. I do not know why Florida does this to me, but I can assure you, one of my dearest friends is probably just about sick of me calling to have them keep me awake to the state line..It is that bad.

So, this Saturday, I will once again mount my trusty steed and gallop towards the magnificent entity that is New York City!

side note: my New England customers have been calling me every week, wondering when I would make my return....This will be a sort of homecoming. I cannot wait to see them!!

Thanks For The Memories

Where do I even start...

So, did I mention that I went WEST this week. GA, AL, MS, TN, AR, OK, KS, MO......Not my usual run, but I have travelled these roads so many times in the past  that it was like returning home.

The memories actually start only 17 miles from the plant, but the flashbacks did not begin until I reached Memphis. You see, in Carrollton, Georgia there is this certain barn where I impacted my arches while jumping down from a gate after a crazy cow charged me! And that is where it all begins, if you look at it according to geography.  

Starting in the East. There was .....Hauling carpet out of Dalton to San Diego....Running with Rattlesnake and Little Witch....My first HOOD (which is another term for having a truck with a big long  hood, rather than the more streamlined aerodynamic versions seen running down the roads.)  Later came my chip-hauling days, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...Papermill...Sawmill.....well you get the idea. But these are not the memories I relished in this week.

So many, just a s vivid as the moment in which they were created.

Running with the heavy haulers into Tunica. Borrowing $20.00 to play a few slots. Repaying the money, and then listening to a grown man whine for the next three states how the money I won was rightfully HIS, because it was his $20 to begin with!! Thankfully, we all went separate ways after reaching Oklahoma. I could not take it anymore, and I gave him half to get him to shut up! I heard about it for the next 2 years!

The West Memphis scales that pulled me around back 6 weeks in a row to check out my (er) logbook!!  While I was bobtailing from office to drop yard!! A 12 mile distance ...  I finally took an extremely out of date book in and tossed in on the desk. After six weeks of checking, I gave them an excuse......Told them I was hurt that they did not have lunch ready for me (they were all eating)....That was the last time they pulled me around back.

Loveless Farms and WW Livestock....NB, B, HW, SS,  EP......Man oh man. Did we have fun. Load up Thursday in Georgia, deliver in OK on Friday and come slinking back into town sometime on Sunday. There was Brinkley( eating frog legs with Squirrel), Wheatley, the Truck O Mat, watching ED's burn down twice!  The wash-out!!  Getting profiled by the Troopers just for pulling a certain type of trailer. The best part was playing in the barn! Chasing the girls, or convincing the last one to get out of the trailer.... There was Sallisaw, Tahlequah, Checotah......The Trooper who made me get out of the Truck , while he was laughin at me, because I was too little...He let me go with a warning... (speeding)  There was glass out of Sapulpa and Henrietta..Fort Collins, CO and Lakeland FL.... which leads me to.....

The one weekend I decided to leave late. That weekend!!! Had I left on- time, I would have been one of the vehicles sinking in the river, after the barge hit the bridge in Oklahoma....Had I left on time.....

There was that time on 75 heading into Tulsa, while sparing someone else's life, I almost lost my own!!

I know none of this means anything to you, a random bunch of jumbled words and hidden meanings. May be one day, I will share some of these stories with you. But for now, this is I all needed to relive the good ol days, lest I forget!  

There is a time and place for everything, and that time has past.  It all becomes a part of you, how you tick, what makes you who you are! I would not go back to any of those moments and relive them, but they served their purpose well, They made me who I am. I would also not trade a single one of them! Good, Bad or Ugly!!   I have lived so many experiences East of the Mississippi, far too many to post in a blog, and I am feeling extremely nostalgic, but New England is  my home away from home now, and I relish in that too!

Although I spent the majority of the week reminiscing while a huge smile on my face, I did notice on several occasions the complete lack of traffic. Something I am definitely not accustomed too as of late.

The trip was uneventful. I made it in and out of Tulsa the day before the tornadoes came through. I guess, other than my own personal delight, the only item of interest might be those extreme crosswinds I endured on my way home through Missouri.  So extreme that some of us did not make the entire journey without incident.

Yep, you guessed it..Blown over by the wind!!  Yikes!!

Myspace Strikes Again....

All the excitement about MySpace sure did fade quickly, especially since I added a little extra security to my Space...





But every once in a blue moon, I get a friend request that tends to add a little excitement to my day. This week was no exception.





I got another request from a girl belonging to my yesteryear..... Siouxsie....... (Seriously, Lioux, she went through a phase of using the spelling in her everyday day life). Anywho... It turns out she lives relatively close to me and we are going to plan a girlie weekend. To top it off, she lives on the coast....This girl was larger than life (personality wise) during a time that I was very shy, so it will be interesting to see what happens when she meets the new me!





I am very excited!!





and speaking of going to visit long lost friends.. I never mentioned the outcome of my November visit to Texas. Let's just say that I really enjoyed visiting BFF BK.

2008

1989

I was able to spend several days with him and his roommate. I just loved his roommate!! I am hoping to visit again soon, but as far as getting together with my BFF MK, well, she cancelled plans with me 2 nights in a row, and when we finally did get together, it was only for lunch on my way back to the airport. We did have a delightful chat reminiscing about the golden days, but I noticed that it took her quite some time to open up to me and realize that I meant no ill intentions. You see, we went through some life changing events together as teenagers, and a lot of blame was placed on me by her mother. I suppose I could have held her accountable for not being honest with her parents, but does it really matter now, twenty years later... Ummmm NO!! So, I was a little disappointed that she was so wary of me, but in the end I guess it was a good experience to have had. I did realize that she had become someone that I would not have seeked out to be a close friend with in this stage of my life, but it was fun to catch up.

Oh yeah.... while visiting BK, he took me to have lunch with his parents... I loved his mother so much when I was a child, so it was great to see her also. She is opening a B & B soon, so maybe next time,I will stay at her place......

Hook Em Horns...

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

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

Who says MySpace sux?

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

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

I cannot wait!!

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

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

How Cool Is That?

I absolutely love the Internet. Especially because you are able to connect with people all over the world.. Why am I rambling about this you might ask.

Well, last week I received an email from a girl whom I attended high school with...

"Is That You??"

It was from my "Big Sister" back in the day. We played volleyball and basketball together. We attended the same school for several years together and her mother was one of my junior high teachers.

She actually lives only an hour away from my current location, which is ironic because we both grew up in Texas!

We exchanged a few emails, with girlish enthusiasm and I discovered she participates in her local community theatre... Sweeeeeet. The show finished up this weekend and I greedily snatched up a ticket to one of the final shows.

I made the hour drive and enjoyed watching a classic Broadway musical. A Fiddler On The Roof. She had a small part as Shaindel, the mother of Motel. And she did very well... Who knew she could sing?!

After the show finished, I met her backstage and spent some time catching up. It was soooooo much fun. She had told her cast mates I was coming, and they seemed just as excited as we were!!

During her break (I attended the matinee) we giggled and laughed.. She had brought old high school year books.... Those were the days of BIG HAIR and boy, did everybody have it!! We even discussed the whereabouts of several other friends we had made contact with thru the years. Including the resident long haired rock n' roll hoodlum who just absolutely loves his career in Law Enforcement.

Just before I left, the director came rushing in and announced that my Big Sister would be playing the lead role of Golde in the evening performance. How Exciting!! I wish I could have stayed to watch her shine in the spotlight, but that performance was sold out.

We plan to get together again very soon, when we have more time to kick back and chat. But I am just so tickled to have seen her again... "Break A Leg"

BTW: I am just crazy about community theatre and this once again stirred up my passion to perform.. Another reason to get out of the Truck soon. I want a normal life!!

Look JG, you made the blog!! hee hee

The Calm After the Storm...

Well, I must say... After signing up for the MySpace account, the deluge of "Friend Requests" was a tad bit overwhelming. 231 in a mere 36 hour period... Although at first I had a negative reaction, it seems that all is well in my little corner of CyberSpace. DENY, DENY, DENY... Sorry folks, if you don't know me-then you will not be misrepresented as one of my friends!!

On a more positive note, I was very pleased to find a few profiles of long lost friends.. One in particular sent a torrential outpouring of emotion through my very being... My First Love...

I sent out a few messages, and received some back... Reliving the glory days via email!! So, I have changed my initial impression... Not such a bad place to be after all...

By the way, I sent a message to the guy who first stole my heart all those years ago and I am waiting to see if I will get a response.... He better hurry up though... my heart is pounding and I haven't been able to breathe in two days!!

My Space

What a bunch of losers..... After following others lead, I decided to sign up for a MySpace account....What a joke... I am on there for less than one day and already have literally hundreds of emails... They are circling like vultures folks... Does anyone really take this stuff seriously?? What is wrong with the world today?? Does nobody have real friends anymore?? While I do appreciate the CyberFriend in some context of the word, I do think it amazing how much time people spend on line "hitting on complete strangers".. Most Chat Rooms are the same... An awful lot of cyber foreplay going on out there folks... Its Freakin Hilarious!! But hey, I do love to laugh!

The Truth Hurts

During the "Big Move", I stumbled upon some old photo albums. Boy, that brings back memories!! And recently connecting with an old friend really got me stirred up. I began to do a little research on a few people that I would love to contact. I found the name of my first true love listed on a web-site and attempted to contact him thru email. No replies !! I also contacted a childhood best friend. It seems that 18 years might be too big a distance to bridge after all.

I spent the week, reliving old memories and am feeling quite emotionally drained. I guess its time to put away the pictures for awhile, again... In fact I am having a bit of difficulty even writing about this.

Ever have one of those moments in time that changes your life forever?? I did, and it was not for the best. It seems, I might still have some anger issues concerning this event... So, needless to say this has not been one of my better weeks. THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT

Those Were The Days...

I recently received an email from someone who had disappeared into thin air years ago. Okay maybe, I was the one who vanished, but that is a long complicated story best left untold!!
Anyways, what a surprise!! A friend of mine from high school contacted me. WOW. Has it really been almost 20 years??

JG- He was the typical long-haired rock and roll rebel... We have done a little catching up and I was very pleased to hear he is doing so well. I think I might plan a little trip out west to say hello.