Warm weather please!

Well, here we are in Indianapolis. We arrived at the shipper around 11 am this morning to pick up at noon only to find out we were booked a day early! LOL Confusion apparently abounds in cold weather! Anyway, dispatched gave us the option of terminating that load and getting another or accepting some cash and waiting until tomorrow. UMMMM...what to choose? Cash and STILL get to go to Texas or hope for another good load. BINGO! Cash and Texas it is!!

We also found out today that we had stalkers. A couple in a Little Debbie van followed us for a few miles hoping to ask some questions about our company. They were really nice and we invited them into the truck to check it out and tried to answer their questions. It was kinda fun! They also gave us some good info on where to find WalMart, a movie theater, and restaurants.

We had lunch and a cold beverage at O'Charley's (they make THE BEST potato soup) and then checked out movie times. However, while I was talking to Bonnie (Hi!), Dana fell asleep and after hanging up, I decided to take a nap too! I did, however, get a couple of photos between lunch and naptime, so here they are:

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing

Honestly, sometimes I wonder what's going on in dispatch!! LOL We arrived at the base at 06:50 for 07:30 pickup and ended up playing ring around the guard shack because we couldn't get the correct load number from dispatch! We went through the gate 3 times. We finally got loaded about 1:15 and began our 2+ hour drive. Enroute we got a message that the receiving base would only unload until 4! If we didn't get unloaded we would have to stay on the base in secure hold overnight. Normally I don't mind a porta-potty if that's all there is but it sure is going to be cold tonight!

Anyway, we got there in the nick of time, left the base and headed out for a hot meal. Speaking of hot meals, that reminds me of Dana's thought from last night. While sitting at WalMart, we wanted something hot for dinner and didn't want to microwave, so we called Pizza Hut to get some wings delivered. They said they couldn't deliver to the truck for safety reasons but could deliver to the front of the store. Dana went in to pick up celery and ranch and while waiting for the delivery guy he sent me this text: "If you are standing in front of the WalMart waiting for your bucket of hotwings to be delivered, you may be a redneck!!!" I laughed my butt off!!

Sorry, I digress.....back to tonight. On the way to dinner, we received 2 load offers within seconds. One was to Ontario and one was to Killeen, TX. HMMMMM Tough choice...where to go? Texas, of course! So tomorrow we pick up in Indianapolis and head to Texas.

Here are a few more pics from yesterday:

Stay tuned for more adventures!!!

Waiting Around

We arrived here last night amid freezing rain and around 1 am it started to snow. By 6 (our planned departure time) we had about 5 inches of snow. We called dispatch to tell them we were leaving but asked to please confirm that someone would be there. About 1/2 mile down the road, we got a message to wait until about 9 am. So we returned to WalMart and went back to sleep. About 9 we received a message that all shipments were being rescheduled for Thursday.

So I thought I would share a bit of our day. Here are our footsteps to the restroom this morning:

This is snow piled on the hood. Notice the windshield wiper:

I sat at my "desk" surfing the net, working on my cross-stitch, and watching the snow plows in the parking lot.

Here's how the guys spent the day: watching TV and sleeping! LOL

Icecicles on the outside visor in front of the windshield.

Sleet, snow and ice

So, it's Tuesday night so let me catch you up. You know the weather you've been watching move across the midwest? Well, we've been driving in it! Monday we picked up in Newark, delivered in Columbus, picked up in Columbus, delivered in New Vienna, left for Richmond, KY. We hit freezing rain around Cincinnati, outran it for awhile and parked for some sleep around 1 am. By 2 am we had about an inch of ice on the truck, and by the time we got up at 6 to leave, we had over 2 inches of ice on the truck and on the ground.

Moving north to Eaton, Ohio, we endured more sleet and then snow. While enroute we got a load for Wednesday picking up in Crane, IN. We headed west, hoping to get out of the mess but found we were just driving through the middle of it. We stopped a few times just to get the ice off the windshield wipers and couldn't get any washer fluid on the windshield. Geez!! Told you every day wasn't great!!! LOL

My digital media friends will be happy to know I fashioned a rain protector for my camera from a WalMart bag so I could go out into the freezing rain for a few photos.

Time Heals all Wounds

Well, Dana is feeling much better so we are heading out again. We have a load scheduled for Monday morning. We've relaxed and enjoyed our time at home, but are ready to move out again! Even the dogs want to go. Yesterday I took them for a short ride to the post office with me and they loved it.

We had a wonderful evening with our friends Dave and Bev last night. Hi guys!! It's always nice to see them when we make it home.

Well, stay tuned and please feel free to comment!!! LOL

Home Sweet Home

Well, since Dana was still unable to get out of bed, I drove us home yesterday. On the way down the bumpy highway he sneezed and something popped back into place. By the time we got home, he was able to get up and walk into the house. Sooo, a little self medication and some rest will get him back to normal (well, our definition of normal!).

Since the laundry was already caught up and the truck clean (inside anyway..the outside has a coat of road salt), I decided to run some errands and visit some friends in Newark.

Thank you all for the warm welcome!! I had lunch with my favorite LE guy and finally saw the inside of the new building. I really enjoyed the few minutes I spent with each of you!!

For those that are new to the blog, tune in everyday or occasionally and hopefully I can share a bit of road life with you. Sometimes things out here are just downright hilarious!

Stay tuned...keep in touch!

Sunny Sunday

It's a sunny Sunday afternoon in NC and I'm glad we aren't rushing off anywhere just yet. Dana apparently hurt his back and hasn't been able to get out of bed all day. Poor guy...he's at my mercy in this small area and can't escape! HEE HEE I know I'm really going to pay for some of the things I've said today to him, but it's such fun to tease him!!

There are woods next to this WalMart so I've taken the dogs for a couple of good walks. Zeke came back from the last one, took a long drink of water and climbed into his cave (the space under the bed where it's much cooler than the rest of the truck).

Stay tuned...thanks for reading!!

What a week

Well we thought Michigan was bad...then we went on to Ontario Canada. It was about 30 degrees below zero not even counting the windchill! As soon as we delivered our load in Woodstock, Ontario we headed to the truck stop, got some sleep and then a really good steak and egg breakfast/lunch.



Soon we got a load headed to Mt. Vernon! Whoo hoo! A paid trip home on Friday. We hadn't been home in 11 days and needed to do laundry. We left the shipper at 8:30 pm and sat at the border from 11 pm until 4 am waiting for our load to be cleared. Not fun!! Finally we cleared and headed to Mt. Vernon, delivering our load about 10:30 am.



We made a quick stop to see two sweet young ladies who didn't have school and then headed for Dresden. Two miles from the house we were called to pick up a load in Dover, headed for North Carolina. We negotiated the pick up time so we could pick up the mail and check on the cats and then we headed back out.



So, it's Saturday and we are near Hickory, NC. We found a laundry mat and I did seven loads! But at least all the blankets and sheets are clean too. I just hit Wal Mart and we have food and dog bones again, so I think we are ready to go again!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Hi everybody, Zeke here. Since it's Mom's birthday I thought I'd give her a break! Unfortunately they sent her and Dad to Michigan! So Dad drove all day yesterday until his time was up, just about midnight and Mom's birthday began with driving just south of Missouri. About 3 am it started snowing and by 4 she stopped at a rest area to send a message to dispatch that the delivery would probably be delayed due to white out conditions.


Mom drove until about 11:30 am when her time ran out; we were still only in Indiana and Dad took over to finish the trip. Here's a picture when we were sitting still in traffic on Interstate 80:

There were crashes everywhere and cars and trucks in ditches. Anyway, everything got delivered safely and the people were REALLY happy to get their plastic pellets. I can't understand why they'd want that stuff, but hey, they don't understand why I lick my butt either!

So now Mom and Dad are heading for Woodstock, Ontario. We haven't been to Canada in about a month! I'm sure Mom will be back tomorrow. If she can ever get some sleep!!

Sosa says hi and he hates the snow!! Love you all!

It's a Small World After All

We parked near Texarkana yesterday and spent today here. It was sunny and in the high 60s. We cleaned the truck and played with the dogs. They loved it! While in the restaurant, we saw a guy with a Buckeyes hat so I stopped to say hi. Turns out they live in Frazeysburg...about 10 miles from us!! They know our neighbor. What a small world!

Later this afternoon we visited the local watering hole for a cold beverage and some HILARIOUS conversation with the locals. What stories!! LOL

Thought I'd share the beautiful view from this evening. Hope you enjoy

It's worth the drive...

On the way to our delivery Friday night we found a fantastic steakhouse. If you are ever in St. Louis, it's worth the drive to eat at Matt's Steakhouse in Rolla on I44. We had the best steaks of our lives. Seriously. And we met Matt. :)


After delivering early Saturday morning, we parked at a nearby truckstop and got some much needed sleep. By about 7 pm, we decided we probably weren't going out until Monday so we went across the street to a pool hall for a cold beverage and something to eat. We met a really nice truck driver who stops there often and has also eaten at Matt's! Not long after we got there we got a call to pick up a small load in Tulsa to take to American Airlines at the Dallas airport. So off we went! Four small boxes totalling 16 pounds of hazardous material. We didn't even dock the truck to load and unload!

Delivery in Dallas, a stop for a nap and we were off to Texarkana. They asked us to move there as there weren't any trucks and there were too many in Dallas. It was a beautiful sunny day and the drive was actually relaxing. There's not a lot of traffic on Sunday mornings. So...here we are waiting for a load to who knows where! It was so nice out today...sunny and about 50. We took the dogs out for a long walk and let them sniff each and every pile of doggy doo they found!

The TV lounge in the truckstop is full of guys watching the NFL playoffs. I've never seen one so full. We stayed in the truck and watched Monty Python's The Life of Brian, an old silent film, and are now watching an old Alfred Hitchcock. Seems we're too far out of any major cities to pick up any good TV. So, that's our day!

Everybody sing, "Oklahoma!"

Hi everybody! We’re headed to Oklahoma City tonight. Today we're delivering over two tons of ketchup packets. LOL You just never know. Yesterday we delivered 100 cartons of soon-to-be-released DVD’s to a major electronic corporation.

Anyway, we’ve managed to dodge the latest winter storm heading toward Ohio. : )

My niece has been absent from messenger all week when I’ve been able to log on. Emily, where are you??? Not much else to tell you. Unless you want to hear about us negotiating with dispatch while in the shower!!! LOL Too funny. She said she actually talks to a lot of drivers in the shower!! Nature of the business.

Stay tuned….

On the road again.

Ok, we're all back to ourselves again. We were dispatched to PA, near Scranton to pick up a load heading to Terre Haute, IN. I knew what the route would be without even opening the atlas! This is more like it! LOL

Apparently we missed the worst of the ice storm driving Tuesday night...it was further north. Here's a couple of shots while driving north to PA.

Dana's driving now..I'm going to catch a nap with Zeke and Sosa when I'm done here so I can take over in the wee hours of the morning. Catch you all later!!

Liza has NO idea!

Let's just say yesterday sucked. First the dispatcher set our status WRONG and we lost a load. When I called and complained they gave us a load to Jamaica NY. Turns out Jamaica is in QUEENS. They really pushed us to take this load knowing normally a cargo van runs it. We worked on finding a truck route..company sent four sets of directions and all had truck restricted routes..got stuck in Queens and had to turn around in the middle of a street. That was not fun! Finally they sent a message...the load cancelled & they would pay the standard fee..$50. HA! We spent that much in tolls and more on fuel on top of that.

So...lesson learned...trucking isn't good every single day. Lesson #2..refuse all loads to NYC unless they provide me with an approved truck route. I'd rather go back to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!!!!

We're now sitting at a truck stop in New Jersey (where you have to pay no less) waiting for a load out. But I did finally get to sleep last night after being up for 24 hours. I fell asleep by 8 and slept til 7:30 this morning. Now for a shower..........Dana is still asleep. He's gonna have to wake up. I'm hungry! LOL

Stay tuned. I really don't have any pictures today...nothing but a lot full of trucks surrounded by a fence. :)

Thanks for the memories....

The new year started with some old memories. We picked up a load at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Richmond, KY yesterday afternoon and drove through the night to Ft. Dix, NJ. Rain, and snow, and ice..OH MY!! Mom - you'd have been scared to death in the mountains!!! Besides all the precip, it was foggier than all-get-out!!

Anyway, we not only arrived safely, but also 45 minutes early. LOL

Being on the military installation brings back lots of memories for both of us. Some good...some not so good. Actually, the only other time I was at Ft. Dix, Erica was almost 5 and Alex was only 7 1/2 months old and we were outprocessing from the military. Dana says that training areas look exactly the same on every base!!

So, we've been here for 2 hours now, processing onto the base and waiting to be unloaded. I'm ready to sleep and Dana is sleeping now. We figure Murphy's law of trucking will come into play and we'll get dispatched right back out instead of having 10 or more hours of waiting (sleeping)!! LOL That's the nature of the expedited freight business!

Oh, did I mention that it is POURING rain here? Zeke is bored and wants to go play in the rain. I took him out once....he'll just have to wait awhile.

Later!!

Back to Business

Well, it's time to get back to business. Alex went back to Athens yesterday to begin winter quarter. The laundry is done and the clothes are packed. Mostly. The dogs got baths yesterday. We're just waiting for an assignment.


Hope all of your new year dreams come true!! Stay tuned.