Laundry Day

Well, since my last entry we have made progress - steady by jerks.

Wednesday, October 1st, we got loaded in Laredo, Texas and fueled. Heading down the road on I-35 to connect with US 83 and off to Del Rio, Texas and the La Quinta where we spent the night. In our Corporate Lodging book there is a "Yes" under the heading of "Truck Parking". The truck parking is at the curb, where ever you can find it, around the hotel. We had to "Firetruck", Joe's expression, the trucks around the building. This entails Joe driving the truck while I am in the back truck and turning the steering wheel to keep the back truck next to the curb. There was not enough room around the driveway to do this any other way. The open mouthed stares I get while I'm in the back truck at the steering wheel while he is driving is unnerving at best. Oh well, we get the job done and the trucks parked safely, and heading in the correct direction to get out of this tiny space. Bobtail trucks or dump trucks would have no problem in this parking lot.

Leaving the La Quinta Thursday morning we got on US 90 out of Del Rio and headed for Van Horn, Texas where we connected with I-10. Taking I-10 the rest of the way across Texas and into New Mexico where we had to buy a permit at the Weigh Station for New Mexico and continue on I-10 into Arizona where we did not have to buy Arizona permits this time since we had Transporter Plates for Arizona.

We got a call from our dispatch office asking if we could pick up trucks on Saturday. We called Vehicare in Phoenix to see if we could, in fact, pick up on Saturday. No. Plans will have to be adjusted. So much for a good long weekend for rest and laundry.

Thursday night we stayed at the Days Inn in Willcox, Arizona. Adjacent to the hotel is a Safeway grocery store. We stocked up on Tylenol Sinus and more Dial bath soap, along with other items we needed - like batteries for the little two way radios we use. The temperature changes and climate changes wreck havoc with our sinuses and we have to keep the Tylenol Sinus on hand at all times.

Friday moring, October 3rd, we got on the road and headed to Phoenix. Once in Tucson we called Vehicare in Phoenix to see if the trucks were ready to be picked up and if we could get them later in the day. Yes, and yes.

We arrived in Phoenix, 130 miles out of route by the time everything is done, and left the Calexico trucks in the Vehicare lot while we checked out the four going to Tacoma, Washington. Texas Red has a "Taxi" service specific for our industry. His fares are only truck drivers doing what we do. Thank God he was still in business. It has been about three years since we last dealt with him. We shuttled two trucks at a time about 5 miles away and Texas Red toted us back to the Vehicare lot for the last two and then back to Vehicare to get our Calexico trucks. One and a half hours later we were ready to finish our trip to Calexico, California.

We arrived in Calexico just before dark to get our trucks delivered. We did finish in the dark. This is not something I encourage because so many things can be left behind because you can't see what you are doing. Hopefully we got everything.

We traveled back to Yuma, Arizona and the Ramada Inn where we spent the night. Now, Saturday morning, I am doing laundry. Last load is going to be out of the washer and put in the dryer.