We were able to find a church with enough parking for the truck in Los Banos, Ca. With the time difference we were in services at 1:00 p.m. There was a special feature dedicated to the men and women of the armed forces. In the display was a quote that really struck home: All gave some; some gave all! This was transposed over a picture of Arlington Cemetary. Very effective! Be sure to thank a service person or veteran today.
We are spending this holiday weekend in San Jose, California. The weather has been beautiful sunshine but very windy. Today is also quite cool, enough to wear a jacket. Across the street from the truckstop is a Danish restaurant--Pea Soup Andersen's. The building is a huge chalet with a large windmill that truly works. They boast the fact that they use the most peas in their soup than any other restaurant in the country. It's made vegetarian with cups of bacon bits, chopped ham, green onions, shredded cheese and croutons served on the side. You can order by the cup, bowl or have it served in a fresh bread bowl. The bread removed from the bowl is toasted and served with the soup to be used for dipping. I must say that is was absolutely delicious, bowl and all! They also have a bakery, banquet room, lounge, coffee shop and gift shop. Ron found a book about the origin of hymns so we are going back later for another meal and to get the book. What a neat discovery in an area that is pretty barren!
Yesterday after church we went to Walmart and then for dinner at a Carl's Jr. fast food place. We had seen them but never been to one. The food was really good for a quick stop. They offer the usual as well as some unique items. The one I had was a low-carb combo meal. It was a burger with the works served wrapped in large lettuce leaves instead of a bun. It came with a side salad of considerable size and a drink(I had unsweet iced tea). Ron had a guacamole bacon burger meal with fries and a drink. It's a good thing we walked from Walmart because we were so full that we had to work off some of it. :)
We have been enjoying the different cuisines whenever we get the chance and have found success with most places. We get a load in South San Francisco tomorrow and deliver in Albuquerque, NM on Wednesday afternoon. Perhaps we will find some interesting places there. Until next time . . . . . . .
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Blind Leading the Blind
Greetings from Akron, Ohio
We arrived here this noon in readiness for a class tomorrow morning at the FedEx Custom Critical office in Green, Ohio. We have been trying to get here for over a month but was never able to get planning to get a load here. We finally got a load to Cleveland Monday and decided to take today off so we could make the class.
We spent the night at a truckstop between Cleveland and here, got up, showered and after breakfast headed out for the Walmart that we usually stay at while conducting business here. First off, you should know that we haven't been here in more than six months. Plus we were coming in from a direction we never have before. Ron had programmed "Tom, the GPS guy" for the office. I programmed the truck GPS for Walmart. (We have a Walmart atlas that lists all Walmart addresses.) We got there and discovered it was the wrong store. So I set in a different Walmart--the only other one in Canton. Guess what! Still the wrong one. Back to the atlas. I found one in North Canton and programmed that in. No dice again! 3 Walmarts and nothing looked familiar. We ended up driving to the office and going from there. Once we got to the office it took only 5 minutes to drive to correct Walmart. Who knew that the address for this one is Akron? The office is in Green, 1 Walmart in Akron, 1 in North Canton, and 2 in Canton. All 5 locations are in a 10 mile radius. Why would we be confused or lost? We should have been here no later than 10:30! Maybe it's a good thing we took the day off. We don't need this much help getting lost! :)
Life is sooo entertaining when you live in a 96" sleeper truck 24-7 with your spouse. We agree that it's a good thing we like each other because life is sure interesting and getting better all the time. Until next time . . . . . . .
We arrived here this noon in readiness for a class tomorrow morning at the FedEx Custom Critical office in Green, Ohio. We have been trying to get here for over a month but was never able to get planning to get a load here. We finally got a load to Cleveland Monday and decided to take today off so we could make the class.
We spent the night at a truckstop between Cleveland and here, got up, showered and after breakfast headed out for the Walmart that we usually stay at while conducting business here. First off, you should know that we haven't been here in more than six months. Plus we were coming in from a direction we never have before. Ron had programmed "Tom, the GPS guy" for the office. I programmed the truck GPS for Walmart. (We have a Walmart atlas that lists all Walmart addresses.) We got there and discovered it was the wrong store. So I set in a different Walmart--the only other one in Canton. Guess what! Still the wrong one. Back to the atlas. I found one in North Canton and programmed that in. No dice again! 3 Walmarts and nothing looked familiar. We ended up driving to the office and going from there. Once we got to the office it took only 5 minutes to drive to correct Walmart. Who knew that the address for this one is Akron? The office is in Green, 1 Walmart in Akron, 1 in North Canton, and 2 in Canton. All 5 locations are in a 10 mile radius. Why would we be confused or lost? We should have been here no later than 10:30! Maybe it's a good thing we took the day off. We don't need this much help getting lost! :)
Life is sooo entertaining when you live in a 96" sleeper truck 24-7 with your spouse. We agree that it's a good thing we like each other because life is sure interesting and getting better all the time. Until next time . . . . . . .
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Weather Changes
We have just arrived in Ann Arbor. We will be getting our load in Michigan on Monday afternoon and delivering in Ohio Monday evening. We left El Paso last Monday evening, Texarkana Wednesday, Delaware Thursday, New York, Friday. We are looking forward to some necessary catch-up rest. We need to be in Ohio for a class on Wednesday so we're taking Tuesday off. Hopefully this is the last class for a while. I think that from then on it's just renewal sessions.
The stretch of country let us view a myriad of changes in the weather. Southern Texas is in the middle of a drought of enormous size while the Mississippi river continues to rise and flood. We encountered perfect weather in the eastern part of the country. However today has presented a total day of clouds and rain. In the past week we have gone from 110 degrees in El Paso to a chilling, damp, windy, wet 50 here in Ann Arbor. We can't change it, so why complain? It is what it is.
My dad and my brother are driving home from my sister's in Arkansas today. I hope they don't have much trouble with the rain. Last Saturday I-40 was under water. Thank goodness it has opened up now. I'll be glad to see Dad again. He's been in Texas for the winter and gone for the last 6 months. Ron and I are hoping to make it home for Father's Day. I'd even settle for being home for just the day.
Well, I've pretty much run down now. Ron is finishing the laundry while I get this posted. We will probably watch a little tv and hit the sack for a decent night's sleep. We hope to find a close church in the morning since the truckstop doesn't have a ministry here. Then do a little shopping and relax. Sounds like a definite plan!!! Until next time . . . . . . . .
The stretch of country let us view a myriad of changes in the weather. Southern Texas is in the middle of a drought of enormous size while the Mississippi river continues to rise and flood. We encountered perfect weather in the eastern part of the country. However today has presented a total day of clouds and rain. In the past week we have gone from 110 degrees in El Paso to a chilling, damp, windy, wet 50 here in Ann Arbor. We can't change it, so why complain? It is what it is.
My dad and my brother are driving home from my sister's in Arkansas today. I hope they don't have much trouble with the rain. Last Saturday I-40 was under water. Thank goodness it has opened up now. I'll be glad to see Dad again. He's been in Texas for the winter and gone for the last 6 months. Ron and I are hoping to make it home for Father's Day. I'd even settle for being home for just the day.
Well, I've pretty much run down now. Ron is finishing the laundry while I get this posted. We will probably watch a little tv and hit the sack for a decent night's sleep. We hope to find a close church in the morning since the truckstop doesn't have a ministry here. Then do a little shopping and relax. Sounds like a definite plan!!! Until next time . . . . . . . .
Monday, May 9, 2011
Belated Mother's Day
Here I am, a day late and a dollar short! :) Happy belated Mother's Day to all mothers out there. I spent mine in El Paso, Texas first sitting at the Kenworth dealer getting some work done on the truck and then at the Petro truck stop for good dinner, complete with live music. All the ladies got a carnation corsage, 2 chocolate-covered strawberries and a gift card for 20% off our next visit. I also got a call from my daughter in the morning, from my father in the afternoon and from my grandson in the evening. What a way to stretch out a great day!
We've been in El Paso since Friday morning. Talk about hot--our truck thermometer said 110 degrees on Saturday afternoon. On the way in to the delivery point in the wee hours of the morning, I was driving when I saw digital signs that said: EXTREME WILDFIRE DANGER. It just about freaked me out. We haven't seen anything but the conditions are there. It is so dry here that the palm trees are withering. A sad sight to see!
While we wait for another load opportunity I must share one more restroom story that happened this morning at the Petro. After breakfast I walked into the "loo" only to see a man washing his glasses and brushing his teeth in the WOMEN's restroom. I turned around and told one of the employees. She walked in to set him straight but said he wasn't there. I walked back in to see his boots under a stall door. Out I went again and found the same employee. After telling her what I'd seen she contacted the manager and together they went in. In the meantime another woman went in--she's the only one the manager found in there. The mysterious man must have exited while I was getting help! As we were leaving the building I told Ron that they must think I'm really the strange one! Aaahhhh well, such is life on the road!
Such are the ramblings for today. Until later . . . . . .
We've been in El Paso since Friday morning. Talk about hot--our truck thermometer said 110 degrees on Saturday afternoon. On the way in to the delivery point in the wee hours of the morning, I was driving when I saw digital signs that said: EXTREME WILDFIRE DANGER. It just about freaked me out. We haven't seen anything but the conditions are there. It is so dry here that the palm trees are withering. A sad sight to see!
While we wait for another load opportunity I must share one more restroom story that happened this morning at the Petro. After breakfast I walked into the "loo" only to see a man washing his glasses and brushing his teeth in the WOMEN's restroom. I turned around and told one of the employees. She walked in to set him straight but said he wasn't there. I walked back in to see his boots under a stall door. Out I went again and found the same employee. After telling her what I'd seen she contacted the manager and together they went in. In the meantime another woman went in--she's the only one the manager found in there. The mysterious man must have exited while I was getting help! As we were leaving the building I told Ron that they must think I'm really the strange one! Aaahhhh well, such is life on the road!
Such are the ramblings for today. Until later . . . . . .
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Arkansas Waters
We're sitting in West Memphis, Arkansas as I write this. We had a load from Rock Island, Illinois that we had to deliver in Pine Bluff, Arkansas this morning at 8:30. We picked up at 2 p.m. yesterday and had to drive straight through. We were worried because we were going to have several hours to sit before delivery. And I mean 5 or 6 hrs. with someone always awake and on watch. We knew Arkansas had had lots of rain and storms but we had NO idea of how much.
We started out just fine. I drove my shift so Ron could get some sleep for his shift. After a very late dinner in the truck I took the sleeper berth for my turn at slumber. About 4 hrs. later I was rudely awakened by Tom, the GPS guy, saying we were on ALABAMA, AR 115. In my sleep- induced state all I heard was Alabama-115! I don't think I ever got up to the front so fast in my life. I thought Ron took a wrong turn and was 3 states out of the way! We were off course but only because US-67 was flooded.
I know how detours are posted in Indiana and a few other states but this was my first encounter with them in Arkansas. Ron told me that US-67/US-62 had a huge barricade erected with a sign for the detour and an arrow. He made the turn and that was the last sign he ever saw about that detour. HUH??? Where do we go from there? He was trying to find his way when Tom spoke with those awful words. Who knew that part of Arkansas had a street named Alabama? As we kept trying to locate a decent road we kept getting routed back to 67. After a few miles it would be flooded again and another detour. Tom programmed us on a route that ended with a dead end ahead and only a dirt lane with low branches on the right. Another turn-around for us. We found a station, pulled in and grabbed the atlas. Finally figuring how to get to Pine Bluff we started out again. Guess what---another flood out on 67. This time a police officer pulled up just as we turned around and told us how to get around it all. Finally, a cop when you need one!
All of this detouring took about 3 hours and I can only thank God for those extra hours. We only had to sit for about an hour and a half. After delivery we were sent here to W. Memphis. The amount of water all over Arkansas is staggering. Exits were closed and water was up to the edges of the roads. We had intended to stay at the TA truck stop but their gas pumps and tanks were underwater as well as most of their parking lots. Needless to say we moved on. The sun was out most of the day and I'm praying that it made a significant advance toward receding the water. This was definitely one for the memory book!
After this we head for St. Louis and then on to El Paso. No grass growing under our wheels!
Until next time . . . . .
We started out just fine. I drove my shift so Ron could get some sleep for his shift. After a very late dinner in the truck I took the sleeper berth for my turn at slumber. About 4 hrs. later I was rudely awakened by Tom, the GPS guy, saying we were on ALABAMA, AR 115. In my sleep- induced state all I heard was Alabama-115! I don't think I ever got up to the front so fast in my life. I thought Ron took a wrong turn and was 3 states out of the way! We were off course but only because US-67 was flooded.
I know how detours are posted in Indiana and a few other states but this was my first encounter with them in Arkansas. Ron told me that US-67/US-62 had a huge barricade erected with a sign for the detour and an arrow. He made the turn and that was the last sign he ever saw about that detour. HUH??? Where do we go from there? He was trying to find his way when Tom spoke with those awful words. Who knew that part of Arkansas had a street named Alabama? As we kept trying to locate a decent road we kept getting routed back to 67. After a few miles it would be flooded again and another detour. Tom programmed us on a route that ended with a dead end ahead and only a dirt lane with low branches on the right. Another turn-around for us. We found a station, pulled in and grabbed the atlas. Finally figuring how to get to Pine Bluff we started out again. Guess what---another flood out on 67. This time a police officer pulled up just as we turned around and told us how to get around it all. Finally, a cop when you need one!
All of this detouring took about 3 hours and I can only thank God for those extra hours. We only had to sit for about an hour and a half. After delivery we were sent here to W. Memphis. The amount of water all over Arkansas is staggering. Exits were closed and water was up to the edges of the roads. We had intended to stay at the TA truck stop but their gas pumps and tanks were underwater as well as most of their parking lots. Needless to say we moved on. The sun was out most of the day and I'm praying that it made a significant advance toward receding the water. This was definitely one for the memory book!
After this we head for St. Louis and then on to El Paso. No grass growing under our wheels!
Until next time . . . . .
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