Another Great Start .....

With much fear and trepidation, I am getting ready to head out for my local deliveries.

First stop is a mere 850 miles away. Total trip is 2500 miles.

Normally, I have nothing to fear, but this week I was informed that one of my wheel seals is leaking...

Oh BOY!!

They never told me which one and how bad it is leaking... I asked three times, sent an email and also a text.....

If only I knew, and let's hope I don't figure it out in an obvious way, like with flames shooting out of my axle, like the last time.

If it has just started leaking, I will have no problem running my route... If it has been leaking for awhile, then who knows when it might catch on fire. And that scares the crap out of my. Not because of my genuine concern for the safety of other motorists, but because I do not want to be the one to decide how much stuff I can chunk out of the truck before she goes up in flames (worse case scenario). And I have seen Big Trucks burn to the ground because of a leaking wheel seal. Because I am sooooo paranoid about break-downs, I am sure I will notice the fire long before it becomes a major issue.

I am sure you are probably wondering why they don't just fix it. Right?

Our mechanics are not allowed to do any repairs on these trucks simply for the fact that our company bought 45 Big Lemons. Therefore, Volvo will fix everything under warranty. Yes, there is a Volvo Service shop here in the Atl, but once again, we are not allowed to use them either. WHY? Because they will start on a repair and then delay finishing it for up to a month. Therefore, I am required to find a service shop en route. No problem, if the damn thing doesn't catch on fire before then... There are several en route... There is one in Edison, NJ (hey, maybe I could stop and see Lioux) and also another in Avon, MA.

So, with much fear and trepidation, I will begin my journey towards New England. Wish me luck.

Public Service Announcement

Here is a great little site I found.. Just thought I would share it with those of you are interested in finding the cheapest gas in town..

Being out on the road most of the time, I simply save money by only needing to fill up once a month, but I do have to use the High Octane for my Little Pony, otherwise she spits and sputters.... But it is a great site !!

Just enter your zip code and waaa laaaa, cheapest prices in town....

Go check it out! Click HERE

Just a little Mis-Communication !!

I am so freaking pissed right now! And I do not even know who to be pissed at. Myself, most likely, and I will get over that soon enough. But I am also angry with the new Dental Insurance Company......and the Assistant Site Manager (where I work). and just freaking insurance issues in general....

They rejected my dental claim.....

I spent precious time on the phone trying to rectify the situation because the Representative told me if I had prior coverage, my 6 month waiting period would be waived.

I received the letter of coverage from prior dental group.....

Wrong DATES..

Received new letter with correct dates, faxed it in, waited, waited ....

Upon arriving home, I called up the Ins. Company to see if my wait period was waived and I could resubmit my dental claim for payment....

YES, we received the letter.... NO, your claim will not be paid.....

???

Turns out the prior coverage had to be with the current employer's previous dental insurance carrier, and it was not. Even though the Customer Service Professional told me otherwise... I had specifically asked if the coverage was limited to AAA's carrier... She had told me any coverage would allow me to waive the wait period, as long as I had had the coverage for over 6 months.. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Originally, we were told that we did indeed have a 6 month wait period on any service other than a routine cleaning... I was going to wait until the 6 months had passed, but here is where the story gets stupid......

The reason I went ahead and scheduled my dentist appointment is because our assistant site manager claimed she had some fillings done and they were covered. We had this conversation twice. So, I made my appointment and had some fillings put in. That is when I got denied...

Went through all that other crap.. Had the conversation with her again. She claimed that YES, her fillings were covered.

Got denied again. Back to our conversation again. This time she claims that she was discussing our dental policy from 5 years ago, and no, she has not had any work done recently..

WTF ????

I did not imagine those other conversations... I am not stupid.... I would not have scheduled the freaking appointment except she told me it would be covered....And now she says I misunderstood her... Why the hell would I be discussing some old policy when I want current treatment.....

ALAS, I am responsible for the payment..... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..

My Bossman just called me to find out what the verdict was on the situation. I went through the whole ordeal with him, just as I have now, here... and he smells something fishy... He remembers those conversations as well, and thinks he smells a rat. So, tomorrow he is going to do a little digging and find out what is going on....

I personally think that her claim was mistakenly paid and she thinks that they will force her to reimburse the claim, if I dig around too deeply wanting answers. Therefore she changed her answer... For the life of me, I did not imagine the first 4 conversations....and neither did my Bossman........

There Goes The Neighborhood

I really do sincerely hope that I am just being paranoid, but I still think I made the right decision.

It all started on my afternoon run, well, actually it finished there too. Anyways, I was about 2 miles into my run when I looked up and saw two people walking towards me. This is not an unusual occurrence. There are lots of friendly folks in the vicinity who use the walking path to get out and enjoy nature. And over the past year, I have become quite familiar with most of their faces.

There are young couples with small children, lots of dog lovers and even the neighborhood lush gets out and takes a wobbly stroll occasionally. You can smell her Martini' from a 100 ft away. Once she was even seen holding her martini glass as she stumbled along the nature trail.

But today, the easy going feeling disappeared. I looked up to make eye contact with the two men approaching me and they were both looking directly at me. But the taller one had this crazy look in his eye as he was all but slobbering on himself and grinning like a Cheshire cat. I also noticed he was carrying 2 towels, which might not appear to be so odd if he was considering taking a muddy swim, or needed to wipe the perspiration from himself as he exercised.... But these were larger than hand towels. I also noticed each of them had an overstuffed pocket, nothing hanging out of it, but definitely full. They were not dressed for a walk in the park. One of them had that look of cheap sophistication, while the other looked as if he hadn't shopped in years!

After I passed them I just kept heading to the pathway leading out, instead of making another lap. I did not like the way the tall fellow was ginning at me and I definitely did not want to meet him on the other side of the park. I continued my run through some neighboring streets and came upon a rise in the pavement where you could look down upon the pond and parts of the trail. I took a quick look to see if the shady characters were still down there. Yep, and just as I was looking, one of them waves. I quickly scan the area and there is no one else to be seen. Surely he did not see me 1/4 mile away.

I start towards home and just before making the final turn that leads home, I glance over again and now the other one is waving.

Crap, now it seems that my little nature trail has an insecure feel too it.... Maybe I should just change my time of day, or do you think I should avoid it altogether.... Could it have all been just coincidence? Am I being paranoid. I really do not want to have to load down my pockets with all kinds of security measures just to talk a stroll through the park.. Dammit.

Want To Help Lower Gas Prices?

It is really a simple idea, and one that could potentially work.

We have all heard the plans and may have even participated in the "Don't buy gas on a certain day" routine.

But how about this idea... Everyone stops buying gas from the top Oil Company....Exxon Mobil.

That way, you are free to continue purchasing the much needed gas that is required, but if we select one major company to stop purchasing from, will they not be forced to lower their prices?

I had received a suggestive email asking that everyone do this, stop buying Exxon Mobil until they reduce prices back to at least $2.00. I don't know if it would work, but considering you still have plenty of other options to chose from, why not boycott Exxon Mobil?

It Worked!!

I can't believe it, but it actually worked...... After six freaking years, they finally paid attention!!!



Did you see the pictures I posted of some of my bad loads?



Well, after turning them into the appropriate person, some changes were actually made. Not as far as using better judgement to load the trailer, but the one item that gives me the most problems is actually being packaged differently. And just in time too!



Last weeks load was yet another headache, but for the most part I had a very splendid week, with only a small amount of fretting. Our plant blew a transformer last week and shut down the production line for two days. So, instead of being able to leave on Saturday night, my load was not ready until lunchtime Sunday. This really sucked, because my first delivery was 16 hours away in Edison, New Jersey.



Not only was the load delayed, but when I was gearing up to leave, I noticed I had TWO flat tires on my trailer.... grrrrrrr... They are suppose to check this out before they load. AND, I was pulling a spring ride trailer once again....They have been very good about loading me on an air-ride the past few months, but the Supervisor was on vacation, so they forgot!!



I just knew it was going to be a difficult week. But much to my surprise, when I got to my final stop and opened the trailer, the newly altered packaging had held intact... The items were exactly as they had been loaded! So, all is well that ends well!!

On The Move

I was just sitting here drinking a cup of coffee and surfing the Internets, when I notice a moving van pull up outside. (I live in a Gated Apartment Community) So. I am thinking, "Wow, that was fast"

Last week, one of the tenants in my building had moved out. This week a different unit has become available, and next week my neighbor is leaving also..... That is 3 units in a single building in a 3 week period.

I can't say that I blame them for leaving.. It is a nice community, but they are increasing the cost of living here...No, they cannot randomly charge you more on your lease, (mine did go $25 last year), but they have found other ways to require you to pay mo' money. For example, our water, sewage and trash are all billed by an outside company, but paid directly to the Complex. You just include it in your rent payment each month. When I first moved in, my additional bill was only about $20 a month. It is a pay per usage, so I expected it to be low seeing as how I am only home 30% of the time. Then they decided to offer a new amenity..... Valet Trash Service...

Valet Trash Service ?! Sunday through Thursday, they come around and collect your garbage from a little container that they have provided for you to sit outside your doorway between 6 and 8 pm. Nice, no more putting those bags in the back of the Pony Car, except.... I am not home Sunday through Wednesday. I carry my trash out before I leave each week, so there is no garbage to be picked up when I return home on Thursday...Therefore making the Valet Trash Service completely useless to me. But it is a $25 dollar service that you are REQUIRED to pay for...... grrrrrrr....... no exceptions!

Then, a few months ago, they decided to change the billing company of our water, sewer and trash usage. The new company requires us to pay a flat rate for the service, along with a usage rate on top of that. Sure, it is only a few extra dollars a day, but there are 365 days in a year....

Add to that the ever increasing fuel costs, and it does not look like I am making any headway when it comes to my dream of purchasing a home when I move to Bama...... Maybe I should call Fannie Mae.

But back to my original thought of the morning..... While I am excited about moving, I completely dread the work that will be put into it packing all the stuff. I don't want to keep doing this every 2-3 years...And the guy who is moving out this morning.... He has only been here TWO MONTHS.....At least he has lots of friends to help........ okay, so I was not actually awake when the commotion began this morning, but there is nothing like a large group of testosterone filled males to get your morning started.. Seriously, each guy could carry one item and have the place cleaned out.

And one final thought.......

With all of those who have decided to move, the parking area will at least be more readily available to me (I have in the past few months had difficulty finding a parking spot in the wee hours of the morning) and it will also make it a whole helluva lot easier for that little Birdie Bastard to find my car!! Yes, folks, he is back at it again!!

I Have GREAT News.....

I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance...





Now, I know what you are thinking, but I really did. My renewal came in just a month ago, and I saved an additional $360 dollars a year... woooooo hooooooo!!





As a matter of fact , that now means I am saving a total of $720 per year since the original purchase of the Little Pony Car. Why so high?? you might ask.





Well, it just so happens I had a few restricted lane violations ( I would have had speeding tickets but I have had Amish Folk pass me on the left, so you know what that means... S L O W T R U C K) But over the course of the past few years (with no additional new violations) these penalties have been slowly disappearing from my MVR.

But then.......

dramatic pause

on Wednesday morning I awaken in Clinton, New Jersey and began my journey home. In Allentown, PA, there is a steep ascent with an entrance ramp to the Freeway about mid-way to the top. Now, I really do not want to get started in on Stupid Truckers, but let's just say that the ignorance levels are increasing rapidly.

There are two Big Riggers who have just entered the roadway at the extremely low rate of 30-35 mph. One of the drivers maintains the right lane, while the other merges into the center lane. Of course, there is one lane left available to motorists at this point... The Forbidden LEFT LANE.
I am, at this point, at cruising altitude (67mph) and instead of slamming on my brakes and becoming hostile, decide to opt for making the pass in the NO ZONE... As, I crest the incline, I notice Blue Lights. And, they are after me!! Dammit, I was not in that stinkin lane for more than 5 seconds!!!!

While the Officer takes my information and returns to his vehicle, I sit listening to Stupid Truckers give the play by play of what is going on with me.....They agree that He must be waking me up and fining me for sleeping on the Freeway Ramp.

Now, I have seen quite a few Big Trucks parked on the ramps, camping out for the night. But not me!! I have witnessed too many accidents involving a motorist ramming the back end of a sleeping Big Rigger, not knowing it is parked! In fact , the last incident involved a coroner and 30 foot flames.... Once again, not for me!! But as I have indicated before, ignorance is running rampant!!

Upon returning to my window, the Occifer states that he is going to 'cut me a break'. He has issued me a citation that does not carry any points and will not affect my auto insurance. (Right, the last guy told me that also, as my rates soared) The Fine itself was a mere $25.00, but after adding in all the fees, my total quickly became $108.00... Actually, not too bad for a Left Lane Violation.

So, I am curious to see whether my rates will increase the next go-round, but for now, I will happily pay my reduced premiums....

Enough Already

Do I look like the type of person who has nothing better to do than deal with freaking insurance companies all day in order to get claims processed that are eligible for payment, but have not been paid because some dumbass somewhere did not follow through on something that would subsequently throw my claim out the window and render me responsible to make payment on something that should have been paid by the insurance company who happily cashes in on my premium payments each and every month?

whew.......

Now that all of my medical accounts have been fully processed and paid, the dental insurance company has decided to reject my claims.... WTF

Immediately, I called them up to get the scoop. They remarked that I had not fulfilled my pre-existing conditions time period and was not eligible for full coverage until April...

ME: huh, pre-existing time period, but I thought as long as I had prior coverage...

THEM: Yes, If you had had prior coverage, we would have waived the pre-existing time period, but because you did not, you have to.......

ME: Huh, I have had dental insurance for yeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrsss. Just go check out my Dentist's new boat.....

THEM: We have no record of that....

ME: Can I fax you a copy of my previous existing dental plan..... blah blah blah......


So, I called up my prior insurance carrier and they agreed to send me a copy of the dates that I was indeed covered by their plan...

Thankyouthankyouthankyou

But when I got home, the letter they had sent me had the wrong dates..... I was covered by them from May of '04 until August '07..... The dates of the letter showed I was only covered August '07 thru Nov '07.....Which of course does not satisfy the requirements to have the time frame waived.....


I was no longer employed by the company who had the policy on me, so how could I have been covered until November...?

Needless to say, I have in one hand a letter showing that I am indeed qualified to have this claim paid, and in the other..... an invoice for $800 dollars..... Due to past experience, I think I had better go get the check book out and make a payment.....

King Of The Jungle

What was it, last week when I commented on March Weather coming in like a lion. Well, you better believe it buddy! Normally I enjoy being able to sleep in on the weekends, not that I am getting a whole heckuva lot of sleep. ( I am a dedicated night owl. I do good to be in bed by midnight on workdays, and as late as 3am otherwise) So, to my dismay, Mother Nature had other plans for me. Sometime before the sun had risen, I was stirred from my sleep to the booming and crashing sounds of thunder and lightening. Bright flashes of light filled my bedroom, just before the winds began to howl. Next came the momentary burst of a hail storm. Poor Little Pony Car.


After several minutes, all was quiet and I was able to return to my peaceful slumber.



Upon arising later in the morning, I was disenchanted to find that the skies were still a bit gray. I began my ritualistic Saturday with hopes of squeezing in a few more miles before heading out for the week. But the skies never brightened up enough. On the local radio station, the announcer read off a list of county after county under watch and warning for tornadoes. My county was never mentioned, but half of Georgia was under some type of alert. The dark foreboding heavens confirmed this.




After lunch,I managed to head out and complete my mission of necessary errands before the skies opened and poured down yet another deluge. This time, however, the winds picked up and the rain sliced through the atmosphere in horizontals daggers. Seconds later, the hail began to fall.

Marble-size hail

Sunny Rain

Within minutes, it was over. The sky grew bright as the last droplets of rain ended their journey.




But the sirens had just begun. I live in a very close proximity to the interstate, and my little community is quite the active one, so who knows what all might have happened in that mere five minutes of Mother Nature's fury. It seems the sirens lasted at least 30 minutes. First the Fire Trucks ad Police Officers (yummy) and then the ambulances.






By 6pm, it was all over, and I was able to get in another 5 mile run, after clearing the path of numerous branches and debris. At least there were not whole trees toppled over this time, at least not in my little community.







But a minuscule 25 miles away, Atlanta did not fare quite so well. Below are some pictures of the results of the first ever recorded tornado to hit the Downtown Metro Atlanta area.

• • Two people are dead and Atlanta is under a state of emergency as the city picks up from the first downtown tornado in history.
  • Georgia nearly closed in on last year's record number of tornado reports, and 75 hail storms were reported Saturday. The NWS reported 10 tornadoes Saturday......
  • A broad-reaching tornado watch spanning the upper half of the state has been issued until early Sunday morning. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch that stretches from Rome to Columbus. The watch, designating conditions favorable for one or more tornadoes, will last until 1 a.m.
  • State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says the damage could be as high as $150 million, according to preliminary estimates.
  • Friday's twister touched down near the World Congress center, Philips Arena, the Equitable Building, and then across to Cabbagetown. The twister is the first to hit downtown Atlanta since such weather recording-keeping began in the 1880s, Griesinger said.
  • Friday night's tornado was declared a category EF2, with the strongest winds reaching 135 mph. Tornadoes can reach up to a category EF5 with 300 mph winds. The tornado was 200 yards wide at its widest. It left a path of damage six miles long, said meteorologist Mike Griesinger with the National Weather Service.