When Do You Know You Are Old?

I used to hear gray haired people say they didn't feel old. They looked old to me so I wondered what was the matter with them. Couldn't they tell by looking in the mirror?

When I look in the mirror I see my gray hairs, quite a few now, and the wrinkles around my eyes. The thing I notice most, only in the right light, are the hairs that grow under my jaw in a curly manner and straight out like I have pins stuck in my chin. Whiskers!!! When I finally see them they are about half an inch long. Horrible.

My glasses and the mirror make it difficult to use tweezers. Some of these pesky hairs don't succumb to Nair or any other cream dipilitary. They don't even come out with hot wax stuff.

I bought the "Tweezie" purely because a woman said it didn't hurt. She must have taken Vicodin before she used that thing.

I do a lot of exclaiming "Ouch" and hissing through my teeth while that buzzing whirly business rips the hair out and pinches me real hard. By the time I'm done with it I swear I'm going to just let the darn things grow. Well, at least until people look at my chin and get that startled look, then I'll get that monster out again.

Like the gray haired people, I don't feel old. I feel like I'm still 25, maybe 30 at most. So I'll say "I'm as old as I feel". If you need to know my age you'll have to give me a few minutes while I do the math.

Okay, it's time to go to the mirror with that face shredder. Please forgive me for the swear words you might hear.

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Mrs. Cranky Pants

I had a post for Saturday that I've been trying to get sent and won't go for some reason.

Saturday we left Florence, SC and headed for Monroeville, IN with a stop in Statesville, NC. These trucks don't have A/C, as long as we are moving the air flow isn't bad, while an ocassional bug blown in brings a yelp from the sting of it smacking my arm, it is tolerable.

Going north on I-77 we traveled through North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Part of I-77 in West Virginia is a Toll Road. A windy, twisty, uphill, downhill highway surrounded by stone cliffs and trees. At night it seems like a ride on some demented amusement park whirly gig. By the time we ended that section of I-77 in Charleston, WV I was in dire need of a barf bag or at least get off the damn ride.

Sunday we got off the interstate and traveled the state roads in West Virginia, Ohio, and into Indiana getting to the delivery site mid afternoon.

After delivering the trucks in Monroeville, IN we began the deadhead back to Louisville, KY, getting as far as a Super 8 in Indianapolis, IN where a tepid shower and a moderately firm bed was almost heaven.

Monday morning we called Dispatch to let them know we were less than 200 miles from Louisville. I got a call about 45 minutes later, both Joe and I are up for a Random Drug and Alcohol Test. We have to do it in Louisville that same day. I told Dispatch we would get mostly hooked up then go in the pickup for the tests, they were okay with that.

I was looking forward to getting back in these trucks. Air conditioning and having a truck with no trash to wade through. Such small things make a big difference.

Monday morning, late, we got to Louisville located our trucks and began the usual work of inspection and hook up.

Joe got my trucks just about done by the time I had the inspections done. The heat was about 98 with humidity way up there. Poor Joe, this heat and humidity was dragging him down. We left for our drug tests, spending two hours in a cool waiting room was so welcomed. Testing done and back to work.

We got back to the trucks with the intent of loading the pickup, finishing up and get on the road. Not today. A big pin was coming out of the trailer at a flex point. Joe and a shop person worked for an hour to get it fixed.

The heat of the last few days had taken their toll on both of us. We stopped the hook up and went to the Holiday Inn in Louisville for the night. Tomorrow is another day.

Tuesday morning we finished the hook up and left the dealership just in time. A rain storm got us before we were half a mile out.

I had a new experience. The left wiper blade would get hung up on the outer most part of the windshield. For the next five miles, or so, I traveled with the window open, my left hand out the door to unstick the wiper blade with each swipe it made.

Holy Crap, can this job get anymore fun? Just wait, it does. About 25 miles out the air conditioning gives out. We stop at a Flying J in Franklin, Kentucky for fuel and I ask Joe to put some R134a in the cooling system. The truck takes two cans quickly. While I'm in the shade I have cool air, once out in the sunlight the cool air vanished and super heated air blows out from the vents. The air is so hot it stings my fingers and legs. I get the vents pointed away from me and close the louvres, open the windows and do the rest of Tuesday's driving in a sweat box.

When we finally get to the Red Roof Inn at Stockbridge, Georgia (461 miles later) I am soaking wet from sweat and one crabby person.

This morning I didn't want to get back in that hot box but I had to get this over with. By the time we got to Albany, Georgia I was hot and mean mouthed. We finally got these brutes delivered and I finally got to ride in air conditioning.

Tonight we are at a Comfort Inn at Commerce, GA. Tomorrow we will head for West Union, South Carolina for one truck then go to Florence, SC for more of these "Cream Puffs" for Monroeville, IN.

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A TARFU Day

Things got fouled up on us as soon as we got into Florence, South Carolina.

Our trucks were supposed to be at a FedEx Drop Lot. Two of them were. After trying for 20 minutes to get our dispatcher we found we had to go about six miles to Johnson Controls for the other two - which are dead. Not only dead but backed up to a fence dead.

We had to go back to the FedEx place, drive to Johnson Controls then back to FedEx for the second truck and back to Johnson Controls.

Once we had all four trucks in the same place and Joe put a chain on one of the dead trucks to pull it out and away from the fence we had a surprise. Two men from another company, Bennet Trucking, were there for the same trucks we had been assigned. One of the men was taking digital pictures of me and our placards in the front window.

Joe dealt with them while I called dispatch and had to leave a message. We kept on with our hook up and they finally left.

About three hours later we were all hooked up and heading for the Holiday Inn in Florence.

At the Holiday Inn we were met by a wonderful man, Earl, who is the Security Guard. He helped us get to our room and get lights on. Joe was having such trouble moving and going upstairs that Earl's help was really appreciated. Of all the times to have no cash. We have to do something really nice for his thoughtfulness.

We get blessed in a myriad of ways in this job.

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Glitch In Lifecast

I had something prepared for yesterday but it didn't go. I'm trying to see if this has worked itself out.

Having this phone and the Lifecast application has come in handy for me.

Glitch? Operator Head Space. The glitch is me.

I finally checked my connection settings and found I needed to "Test Connection" again.

Ahhh, the delights of technology in the hands of tech challenged users.

Yesterday we got our trucks delivered in Albany, GA. Off the Interstate on State Roads we went through a few little towns on our way. Open porches surrounding houses, roof eaves extending past the porch to keep inclement weather out. Pots of blooming flowers placed strategically to get sun and breezes, as well as show off their bright colors to passers by. The porches looked so inviting, I just wanted to sit in one of the chairs and watch the world go by.

We stopped at a place called "Salt Lick Sausage" in Cordele, GA to get something cold to drink. This little shop looked like a convenience store, when we walked in we were met by a grocery store with a meat market, produce section, and the aisles much like any other grocery store. Laundry soap, cereal, soda pop, whatever you needed they had. I have gotten so used to going into supermarkets this little store was amazing. Such a treat.

It is times such as these that I feel fortunate. I get to see things I would never know about. I know, "It doesn't take much to entertain an idiot".

Today we are headed to Florence, South Carolina. These trucks are, supposedly, at a FedEx drop lot. We will be taking them to Monroeville, IN.

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Steep Grades And Mega Traffic

The steep grade was yesterday. Heading east in I-24 toward Chattanooga, about milepost 135, is a four mile downhill run at a 5% grade with a sharp curve about one mile down. For truck traffic there is a place at the top where we have to stop and check our brakes. We are herded to a traffic light that lets one truck through at a time. There is enough road before the major downhill begins that we can shift up to 9th gear, for us, to be able to maintain 45 mph down the hill. Trucks that are fully loaded are restricted to 30 to 35 mph.

In late 2001, my first trip down this hill scared the jeezers out of me. There is a "run away truck" ramp and I was terrified I'd be the first to use it. The truck I had did not have an engine brake and I was in the highest gear (10th). At 55 mph I pushed the brake pedal hard till I slowed to 35 and let go, only to have to do it again a few minutes later. In my head was Joe's instruction " Don't ride the brakes down hill. You will lose them. Just stomp on the brakes and get slowed way down and get off of them. This will give the brakes time to cool for the next time".

So here I am, hurtling down the hill wild eyed and chanting "Don't ride the breaks" and adding an expletive or two. By the time I got to the bottom I begged to not go this way again. Fat chance.

Yesterday, it was raining when I got to this hill. At the truck inspection area I took a deep breath through my nose and said "I am" let the air out and said "ok". Got the green light and shifted my way to 9th gear, set the engine brake to high, and breathed and chanted "I am ok" all the way down the hill. The rain slick road, and wipers on medium for the heavy rain, scared me, if it had been dry I would not have been concerned.

Confidence comes from doing.

Today we are going through Atlanta, GA. This can be a nightmare of traffic and really strange exits that can be dangerous if you don't pay attention.

My first time through Atlanta was 30 minutes of shear terror and I changed "Oh s--t" the whole way through with my head swiveling left, right, and center checking my mirrors to make sure I'm in my lane and watching traffic ahead. I was a wreck by the time we got out of Atlanta.

Again, confidence comes by doing.


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