In Desparate Need of Coffee!!!

Wednesday morning, September 24, at 7:30 am EDT we left the Baymont Inn of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The coffee served with continental breakfast was hot brown water. Tasteless, no aroma, and an acidic tang in the back of my throat. Not taking any of that with me. I'll get some at a Flying J somewhere.

We are going to Ruble Truck Sales in Monroeville, Indiana for two trucks Joe will drive. These truck are going to Kearney, Nebraska. Normally we would take I-69 north then pick up I-80 and go west to Kearney. Not today. My trucks are way up north in Saginaw, Michigan.

After we had Joe's daycabs hooked up in Monroeville we took I-69 north in Indiana then into Michigan going further north toward Lansing and I-75 where we continued on further north.

Joe stopped at a Flying J in Michigan on I-69 for fuel and I went in with my cup for some good French Roast coffee. None. Nada. Won't be any either. Three Flying J's and no French Roast. All they have is Maxwell House crap. Bitter and pure acid, that stuff is pure nasty crap.

No coffee all day long. I'm getting cranky and really upset that a major truckstop nationwide forces us to take what they give us.

Weiland International in Saginaw, Michigan, where my trucks are, will close at 6 pm EDT and we anticipated being there at about 4:30. We did arrive at 4:30 our time (CDT) but it was 5:30 EDT. I got the trucks checked out and we hooked up in the lot. I had to leave my papers with the shop manager. There is just enough fuel to get me across the highway to the Flying J. It is getting dark and Joe is pretty tired. Time to pack it in for the day, we'll set out tomorrow.

About five miles away we checked into the Best Western for the night. Besides a couple hotdogs for Joe and a bratwurst for me, we hadn't eaten since about 10 am. We were hungry and tired. Our choices were Burger King, a restaurant that closed just as we walked up to the door, Taco Bell, and a steak and onion joint. We chose the steak and onion joint for dinner since it was on the same side of the street as the hotel.

Thursday morning, September 25, I went to the breakfast room for coffee. Much to my disappointment they had Maxwell House. Another day without coffee. Maybe when I get fuel at the Flying J this one will have French Roast. Nope. Now I'm really hot. Loudly I proclaim "We need to find a Pilot where I can get some coffee and not this Maxwell House crap!". Joe offered "or Starbucks on the toll road" I had forgotten that and I brightened.

It was about 3:30 in the afternoon before we found a Pilot. We didn't take the toll road after all. I-75 south to Lansing and I-69 south to I-94 into Indiana. This time I-94/I-80 was open. The water was no longer on the road as it had been last week. Going through Chicago today was a breeze. I-80 west through Chicago and across Illinois into Iowa went well. A favorite stop of ours will be at Iowa 80 Truckstop and dinner before going on to Des Moines, Iowa and the Travelodge.

Friday morning, September 26, we need to get more fuel and coffee. About one block away is a QuikTrip Truckstop where a strong, rich, aromatic brew is waiting for me. Joe gets to the traffic light ahead of me and tells me on our little radios "This may have been a huge mistake". Ahead of Joe is a jam of trucks all waiting for the fuel pumps. If I follow Joe in I will be hanging out in the street blocking traffic. My anticipation for a good cup of coffee vanishes as I see the jam ahead. I tell Joe the next place is the Flying J in Clive, Iowa about 20 miles away. If he can get turned around we can get out of the mess. Joe gets turned around and off we go to the Flying J. I am ever hopeful of getting French Roast coffee yet. Again, no such luck. By this time I am fired up to send a blasting letter to the Flying J headquarters and telling them what I think of them.

Back on I-80 westward Joe offers to stop in Stuart, Iowa and McDonlads for a tolerable cup of coffee. So I am appeased for a while.

We are getting closer to Fremont, Nebraska where my trucks get dropped before we head on to Kearney, Nebraska to deliver Joe's.

12:30 pm CDT we arrive in Fremont and pull into the Sapp Brothers Truckstop where we will unhook my trucks then Joe and I will each take a bobtail on to the delivery site on a county road. We will get a ride back to Sapp Brothers by the owner of D&T Truck Transporters whom we work as contractors.

Since we are going to Springfield, Missouri for D&T and are in a bit of a time crunch the owner made arrangements with the Sahling Kenworth of Kearney to leave Joe's trucks at their sister dealership in York, Nebraska. This will cut off 100 miles and save us two hours.

Off we go to York and get Joe's trucks delivered at 5 pm CDT then into Percival, Iowa and America's Best Value Inn for the night at 8 pm.

Saturday morning, September 27, I got my coffee fix at Sapp Brothers and we got on our way to Springfield, Missouri for the four trucks going to Houston, TX.

Two good cups of coffee in four days, no wonder I'm crabby.