The Corpe "Nuts"

Families are wonderful, especially when the extended family gets together.  For the Corpe family this happens once every two years in Lafayette at my aunt & uncle's home.  These are not just potluck get-togethers but all out 2-day extravaganzas complete with themes, costumes, games, talent shows and prizes.  There have been Hawaiian luaus, Mexican fiestas, wild west days, around-the-world festivals all with coordinating costumes and theme food.

This year the theme was "circus".  We had a couple of clowns, a lion tamer and lion, a knife thrower, gypsy fortune teller, tightrope walker, mime, ice cream cone and a cotton-candy vendor that got caught in her machine and had "cotton candy" all over her (me) and what circus is complete without a lot of color?  Every fingernail on each hand had a different color of polish.  The weather was perfect although just a tad warm.

We played carnival games: ring toss, bean bags in the hole, toss the balls to knock cans over and even a hole in one mini golf game.  We won tickets and had prize drawings.  Kids and adults had their shares of trying to see how many tickets could be won.  Pictures were taken and food was eaten.  This family is known for its great cooks and no one was disappointed.  We had hamburgers, hot dogs, smoked turkey (because this tradition started out as Thanksgiving-in-July), salads, popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, lemonade, circus cider (root beer) cookies, treats, even sawdust pudding because what circus doesn't have sawdust?  In case you're wondering--sawdust pudding is one of my mother's creations: graham cracker crumbs layered with butterscotch pudding and bananas.  Absolutely delicious and a family favorite.  Amid all the fun was a ton of laughter and giddiness.  And all this was Saturday, the first day.  34 people had a fantastic time!

Sunday was just a basic lazy day of conversation, eating leftovers and catching up on two year's worth of family news, reminiscing about people that have gone Home, silly things from our pasts, what plans we have for our futures.  We are so blessed to have such a family!  I can hardly wait for the next one.  The theme has already been selected:  Mardi Gras.

We got home Sunday evening, packed the truck and left again on Monday morning early.  Such is the working person's life!   Sooo, until next time . . . . . . . . . .

Unexpected on the Highways

A lot has taken place since my last post.  We were on our way to a delivery in Allentown, Pa. going down I-476 at 60 miles an hour when we were rear-ended by a flatbed semi.  Ron was driving and I was reading when we had this huge jolt.  It seems that the semi was following too closely, decided we were too slow and proceeded to swing out to go around us.  He was too close and the flatbed trailer hit the left rear corner of our truck.  By the grace of God no one was hurt!  But the damage to our new truck was such that we couldn't open the left back door.  Our load was small so we could get it off and the next load we already were given was also not a large one so, luckily, we didn't lose it either.  As a result we turned the truck in to the company that built the box part to get repairs in Columbus, Ohio, rented a car and went home for an unscheduled visit.  That gave us a chance to be home for the 4th of July.  So we spent a very busy week painting the front deck, getting landscaping done, some routine bloodwork done, and the car in for its first oil change.  We were able to spend a relaxing 4th afternoon with friends for a cookout before heading out again on the 5th.  We picked up the truck on Friday afternoon but it was not ready for the road again until Monday late afternoon.  So we had a late start to this week.  After getting a load we could accept we went to sleep in preparation to leave at 4 a.m. only to be awakened at 1:30 a.m. by our dispatcher in a panic.  A truck with a temp-assured load from eastern Pennsylvania had mechanical problems with their temp-control unit.  They were only 50 miles from us and desperate to keep the cargo within temperature range.  So we made a mad dash over to Youngstown, Ohio, exchanged cargo and headed for a mad dash to Denver, Co.  The weather here is sunny and HOT.  99 today.  And the waiting game begins again with half a dozen other trucks for a load out of here.  I guess the old saying is true:  Always expect the unexpected, even on the highway!  Until next time . . . . . . .

Three Wonderful Years

Yesterday was our 3rd anniversary.  Time certainly has a way of flying.  We celebrated in Denver with dinner at an authentic German restaurant enjoying weiner schnitzel, sauerbraten, spaetzle, red cabbage, potato soup, finishing it all off with German cheesecake and  Apple Streusel cheesecake.  Fabulous food and  atmosphere.  After dinner we stopped at Walmart (our social club) to restock the truck and walk off all that good food.  To make the evening wonderful my romantic husband booked a motel room for us to give us an evening OFF the truck for a while.  We've been out for a month and are not planning to be home until the second week of August.  Needless to say, he scored all A's in my book!

In my last post I mentioned I got a new laptop and a kindleFire for my birthday.  The laptop came with Windows 8 and I'm beginning to get the hang of it.  Things are so different with this one.  To top it all off, AT&T has revamped their email this week.  I think it may be a good change but I'm not too fond of change. I am having fun with the kindle.  So far I'm only playing games and checking my email on it.  I still have about a dozen more books to read before I need to start downloading them.  Last week Ron upgraded his phone to his first smartphone (I don't have one of those--yet!) and our data usage has gone through the roof.  So now we have had to change our Verizon plan to accommodate all the technology.  I think we've planned far enough into the future because before summer is over my phone is eligible for an upgrade.

I'm not sure how long we'll be in Denver.  We first arrived on Tuesday night with a load to deliver Wednesday afternoon.  Now it's Thursday night and we have had only 1 load offer that we did not get.  There happens to be about 4 other trucks like ours waiting in Denver for loads out.  Hopefully we have been here the longest and can have priority in getting a load.  I think it will be a while before we come back to Denver.  It just takes way too long to get something out of here.  As beautiful as it is here it gets a little old in this truck.  We are not close to the wildfire but last night we did have smoke, haze and fire smells in the air.  I don't want to be any closer!

That's about it for this time so---until next time . . . . . . . . . .

I'm Baaacccckkkkkk! Finally!

Hello faithful friends.  It has been too long since I last posted and I am ashamed of myself for it.  My only excuse is that we have been on the go with mostly all-night runs while working.  At home it's been hectic trying to get everything done that needed to get done before heading out on the road.

We were home the first part of March for about 10 days.  We had to get fingerprinted in order to renew our hazard materials endorsements on our drivers licenses.  The security checks done now are sometimes a pain.   This check can take up to 30 days and my license expired on May 19.  So back to driving for the next 6 weeks.  We had planned to be home the 2nd week of May but we had load that delivered near Chicago on April 29 so we came home a couple weeks early.  I got my license, complete with haz-mat and tank endorsements; Ron got his license renewed early; had his DOT physical; and we were able to spend Mother's Day with Robyn and Caleb. YAY!

We got back on the road May 13 and have been all over the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific since then.  We got to spend my birthday in Tampa with Ron's sister and a couple of her friends.  Had some really hot days of summer there.  Then went to California a week later.  From California we headed to Colorado. Had 2 days of lazy days in Denver.  After Denver we went to pick up a load Tuesday in Logan, Utah (between Salt Lake City and the Idaho state line).  This load was delivered this past Friday in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Talk about a long run.  We are spending this weekend in Willington, Connecticut.  We have a load to pick up in New Jersey Monday morning to deliver Wednesday afternoon in Aurora, Colorado.

I took these pictures from my phone while we were driving to our locations.  The top picture is of Vail, Colorado and was taken on May 31, 2013 in the morning.  They had new snowfall after Memorial Day.  Totally amazing!  The 2nd picture is of Bear Lake, Utah taken on June 4, 2013 in the afternoon.  This lake is very large and runs from Utah into Idaho.  There is a very nice resort around this lake and there are mountain cabins looking over all of it.  Such beautiful scenery created for us!  How blessed we are to be able travel around America and be among all this beauty.  Now that the fair weather has arrived we are taking advantage of as much of the countryside as possible.  It's just too gorgeous to ignore.

I got a new laptop for my birthday as well as a Kindle Fire HD and am feeling a little overwhelmed by all the new technology.  But loving all of it.  That will be the subject of my next blog.  Until next time . . . . . . . .

The Winter Upon Us

We have arrived at an impasse!  We HATE winter and there is nothing we can do about it.

 Ron and I spent over 2 weeks in the deep south, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi.  We were able to spend an evening having dinner with my sister and brother-in-law and some of their friends.  Our favorite place is Larry's Pizza.  If you're there on a specific night and time you get to have the Pizza Parade Buffet.  When you walk in you pay and get your drink and then find a table.  The servers then bring pizzas of every kind imaginable to your table and ask if you'd like to try a slice.  Some of the kinds are:  Loaded baked potato, hot wing, Canadian bacon, cheese Alfredo, chicken Alfredo, dill pickle & ranch (I'm not brave enough for that one), chicken-bacon ranch, Larry's deluxe, as well as the typical traditional kinds.  They also have a line of dessert pizzas that are huge hits:  Bavarian cream, chocolate chip, peanut butter-chocolate chip, banana cream, cheesecake, cherry-Bavarian cream.  I have tested all of these.  Absolutely delicious!!!  I sure wish Larry would open a branch in the Michiana area.  It would be an instant hit.

After dinner that night we headed to southern Louisiana for our next load.  That delivery was in Minnesota.  We arrived around noon Thursday to a dusting on the roads.  We were behind Nemo.  The weather wasn't too bad but the load opportunities were non-existant!  We never got a new load until Friday afternoon and that load doesn't pick up until Monday afternoon.  We are heading to New Jersey for Tuesday morning.  Sure hope the roads are all clear by then.  I also hope we are heading OUT of the snow that's now falling up here.  WE  WANT  OUT  OF  HERE !!!!!

Maybe we'll be back in the south when I get a chance to post again.  Until next time . . . . . . . . . .

The Beauty of Modern Technology

As I mentioned in my last posting there were a few glitches in the new truck, most of them involved electronics.  Now, I'm not totally illiterate in the field but I am in no way an expert either.  While we were able to get answers from the manufacturer concerning the major stuff, we were not able to get the TV nor the dvd player to work.  The dvd player kind of worked:  all movies were in black & white and there was NO volume.  We had to wait until we had a few days down time so be able to talk to someone and have them walk us through it.  I called the company that built the BlueRay/DVD player and the tech walked me through.  As it turned out, the installers used the wrong type of cable from the player to the TV and had it plugged in wrong.  We could use the wrong cable but to then watch the TV we would have to change cables from the player to the satellite and back again.  DUMB !!!  So we bought the correct cable and from that point we had DVD ability.  Yay!   After that I tried to pair our Directv box to our satellite.  I discovered the change I needed to make but could not get access.  By this time it was late and we decided to just watch a movie.

It's the next morning now.  After breakfast I called Directv and explained to the person what I needed help with.  She couldn't help but said she would transfer me to someone that could.  Ok.  The next voice I heard was the voice of the automated system.  Doesn't it just figure?  I had to go through the system and do her suggestions.  When she finally asked if this helped with my problem I said "NO" very emphatically.  I was immediately transferred to a real person.  This man was so polite and explained what I would need to do.  The screen was frozen and took about 10 minutes to clear.  We had a nice chat while he waited on the phone with me.  He promised not to hang up until I was completely happy with the results.  Amazing!  He explained that in order to pair the two things I had to put the first setting on something obscure, go to the second setting and set it according to directions for the satellite, and then go back to the first setting and reset it to the needed setting.  And now for the test ride!  Hallelujah, it all works!  We finally have TV & movies on January 18.  Now I am a happy camper!! 

We're heading for Colorado for delivery tomorrow and then Wednesday we head to Washington D.C.
I may not be able to blog for a few days but I will be back.  Until next time . . . . . . . .

And The New Year Begins

Let me start by telling you about our Christmas vacation.  We took our daughter, Robyn, and our grandson, Caleb, to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a very "down-home" country Christmas in a log cabin in the Smokies.  Ron's sister, Donna, joined us from Holiday, Florida.  We had a wonderful, joyous, wet time.  It rained every day and was damp and cold.  But we had the best time.  Donna is already planning for next Christmas.  We visited Dollywood on the only day that didn't rain.  It was very chilly but no wind or rain while we were there.  What a blessing to get away for a while to celebrate Christ's birth and spend a week with family.

Now, on to the new year.  We started by having Directv installed in our home so that we could have the satellite tv in our truck.  On January 3 we drove to Mansfield to pick up our brand new 2013 truck from the owner.  While we were in Ohio we took the truck to have the Quallcomm installed.  This is a computer that FedEx uses for our communications while on the road.  It also is our electronic log so we no longer have to fill out paper log books.  The next morning it had to be taken for installation of the Ameriscanner.  This is the recording device for our temperature-controlled loads (pharmaceuticals, art loads, etc.).  This took longer than anticipated and resulted in a later appointment for the branding.  After the installation was completed the truck had to be taken to Akron for branding-the FedEx lettering on the doors and box.  While Ron took the truck to Akron I took the car and headed back home.  Ron arrived @ 3:30 a.m. on Saturday the 5th.  We had a marathon packing time and headed back to Green, Ohio on Sunday afternoon.  Monday noon on January 7 we were at the FedEx main office lot for a 2 1/2 day testing of the reefer to make sure it is able to maintain different temperature settings.  After this was finished on Wednesday we had to do a dry run for at least 8 hrs.  We were finally finished with all the testing by 10 p.m. Wednesday and able to start running again on Thursday morning.  During this first week in the new truck we drove almost until we dropped.  We went from Ohio to New Jersey to Pennsylvania to California to Texas and back to Arizona.  At this point I was almost out of driveable hours and we had to spend a couple days outside of Phoenix.  During all this time we had no TV, no dvd's, just radio.  But I'm saving that story for my next blog.   So, until next time . . . . . . . . .

Life on the Road

I'm sorry that it has taken me more than two weeks to post this.  Ron and I have been driving our little heads off.  We have been all up and down the east coast from Massachusetts to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to West Virginia to California to Las Vegas, back to California and now we're sitting in Buffalo, New York.  There were several small runs in between some of these runs also.  But a vast majority of them were loads that we had to baby-sit and had just enough time to deliver.  On a lot of these back-to-back runs our poor truck never stopped except to fill up with more fuel--24/7.  This doesn't leave too much time for anything.  Including getting sick.

We have learned one thing in all of this---it's NO fun getting sick in 100 inches of space.  Ron got the flu one day and about 36 hrs. later I came down with it.  It took the wind out of all our sails and  required 4-5 days of recovery each.  I'd hate to think what would have happened if we hadn't had our flu shots!   Hopefully we're recovered but are trying to ward off colds and other seasonal bugs.

We want to take this time to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  It's Saturday evening as I write this and we are hoping to be home by Wednesday evening.  We will be going into a new (2013) truck the first of the year and must return this one to its owner on Thursday, which means cleaning out to the barest as soon as we get home.  Shopping for each other, packing, and stocking supplies for our trip come Friday & Saturday.  Robyn and Caleb will be spending the night Saturday night with us and 4:00a..m. Sunday we will be leaving for a week in the Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge.  We've rented a cabin for the week and Ron's sister is joining us from Florida.  We will be going to the United Methodist church nearby for Christmas Eve service @ 11p.m., having an old fashioned family Christmas day, and going to Dollywood the day after.  How's that for a down-home Smoky Mountain Christmas?  We are all so excited!  Poor Caleb thought time was moving too slow (he lost a week in his counting) and I think Donna (Ron's sister) has gone way overboard.  Probably because we are the only family she has left and it is our first Christmas all together.  I'm just looking forward to some much-needed rest and relaxation.  Then on Saturday, the 29th we pack everything up and head back to our respective homes.  We'll be back in our own place in time to usher in the New Year.  We may be leaving again on the 1st if we have to take the new truck to the FedEx main office in Ohio for testing that must be done before we can take it on the road.  At this moment the owner isn't sure if he is doing it or wants us to.  And I'm not going to worry about it until after Dec. 30!  

We wish you the best and may God shine His blessings on each one.   Until next time . . . . . . . .

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from the outskirts of Rochester, New York.  The weather is really great-sunshine but cool and a bit windy.  This is the third Thanksgiving day in a row that we have been on the road and unable to go home.  Fed Ex does a fine job of letting us celebrate in different parts of the country. 

The first year we were in LaVergne, Tennessee and fairly new to this business of over-the-road trucking, having only been doing it for about 3 months.  We used our GPS to see what kind of places were in the area.  We were fortunate enough to find a Cracker Barrel nearby.  It was a little difficult finding a place to park our truck because the lot was already full when we got there.  Luckily the restaurant is next to a warehouse type business that was closed for the holiday and we parked there along with some overflow customers.  The meal was wonderful!  Turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry relish, green beans, biscuits or cornbread, drink, and dessert for under $9.  And absolutely delicious. 

The second year we were in Elkton, Maryland and, again, found a close Cracker Barrel.  Complete with the same traditional meal and at the same great price.  Another terrific meal to complete our day.  On that Sunday we worshipped at the Elkton United Methodist Church and were told that the church does a community-wide Thanksgiving Day dinner each year.  If we had only known!

This year we're in Rochester and again dined at Cracker Barrel for our Thanksgiving dinner.  And can you believe it--the same traditional food we've enjoyed for 3 years now at the same price.  For the second year in a tow we had to bring our Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie home in containers because we were too full.  Two and a half hours and we're still too full.  I've heard from family all across the country today and learned they're all doing well.  A great thing to be thankful for!

We were able to visit with my niece and her family in Houston last weekend.  We had a wonderful time at McDonald's with them.  Jessica, age 8, and Joshua, age 4, have grown so much and are doing so well.  They are such fun to watch and play with.  I wish we could get to Texas to see them more often.  I wish we could get to all the places we have relatives but only time will tell how soon we can visit anyone.

Today I'm thankful for the freedom we have in this country, the blessings provided by our loving God, for my wonderful husband and great family and for more things than I have room for in this blog.  I hope every one of you has a time of reflection and relaxation this weekend and is not overwhelmed by Black Friday shopping.  Until next time . . . . . .

Soooo. . . Here We Sit

We were having a good run until Friday morning.  About 7a.m. the water pump on the truck went out stranding us in the Poconos of Pennsylvania.  We had to wait about 4 hours for a tow truck to come get us.  That's when the fun really started!  FedEx didn't want to transfer our freight for a number of reasons so the tow truck had to tow us 60 miles to our delivery, back us to the dock to unload, and then tow us to a TA truckstop in Bloomsbury, New Jersey for repairs.  During all this towing I rode in the sleeper on the bunk with a rather large black dog named Rocky.  I don't know what there is but most dogs love me.  Must be my animal magnetism, I guess!  Rocky proceeded to wrap himself bodily around me and go sound asleep for much of the ride.  The rest of the time he was letting me know just how much he loved me.  Finally we arrived at the TA.  Good-bye, Rocky.

Our owner had made repair arrangements for us and he was told that the part was here.  WRONG!!!
Ron checked us in and was told we would have to wait about 3 hours before they would be ready for us and they still had to check inventory to see if they had the water pump.  In the meantime we went in for some dinner.  The garage called us to say they would have to go out to get the pump and we had to wait until Saturday to get it since they were already closed.  Wonderful!  So we spent a night in a parking space with no TV- the satellite dome couldn't get a signal.  That's ok, we watched a DVD and called it an early night due to stress.  In the morning we checked with the garage again, someone was on the way with the part so we'd get a call when it came in.  Meanwhile Ron discovered an oil leak.  It seems that there is a hairline crack in the oil pan and when the engine warms up the oil runs out.  When it rains, it pours and this must be monsoon season!  The TA is able to fix the water pump but not the oil pan.  While repairing the pump it was determined that the thermostats also must be changed to avoid further complications, but they have to order them and can't get them until Monday.  In the interim, our truck is torn apart in the garage and this is where we're sleeping.  The garage is open for repairs 24 hrs. a day.  It doesn't bother me too much but Ron is a light sleeper. 
This just keeps getting better and better! 

When the thermostats arrive on Monday morning we should be able to get out of the garage by mid-afternoon.  TA is going to try to find a way to stall the oil flow because we will have to drive about 40 miles to a Freightliner dealer to get the oil pan replaced.  Who knows how long we'll have to wait before getting into the garage there.  Nor do we know how long it will take to fix it once we're in.  So Monday is pretty much a bust as well!  I think I wish we were still back home.  It's taking me some time to get acclimated to being back on the road without all of this ga-ga going on.   Oh, well, I suppose this, too, shall pass.  I'll keep you posted.   Until next time . . . . . . .

ON THE COLD ROAD AGAIN !!!

I'm baaccckkkk!   After having been off work for almost 4 months I have found my way back to blogging.  It has taken this week to get back in the swing of things and trying to remember what to do in all the paperwork.  UGH !!  I've had a taste of what retirement might be like and have decided that I'm not quite ready for that just yet.  Of course having eye problems didn't help the situation.  That is all taken care of now and life is almost back to normal.  YAY!  I read 6 books in the first 4 weeks after the second cataract surgery. 

We left home Wednesday noon, picked up a load that took us to New Jersey for Thursday morning.  Just where we wanted to go, especially after the storm.  We saw some of the damage, a lot of power outages and business closings.  The gas stations that were opened had lines miles long waiting for fuel.  You'd think they were giving the gas for free.

After that delivery we went to Pennsylvania for a load going to Central Ohio.  We had a conflict at the shipper and by the time we got it resolved they went to lunch.  Of all the nerve!  So, there we sit for over 2 hours, start to finish, before leaving.  When we finally arrived at our delivery we had another wait.  When Ron checked in they couldn't give us a time for unloading.  After a 2 hour nap we checked back.  I think they forgot we were sitting there because I noticed that a couple of trucks that came in after us were gone.  By the time we got the freight off we had been there 3 hours.  Time now is 1:55 a.m.   We have another load pick up in just 6 hours with a 2 hour driving time to get there.  So much for a good night's sleep!

We got to our Friday pick up, loaded and were on our way in less than an hour.  Hooray!  We left central Ohio for Niagara Falls, NY.  So far all the weather has been fair to chilly & damp.  On our way to the Falls we received a load for Monday picking up only 21 miles away and heading to Mississippi.  Halleluia, hopefully warmer weather.  A most welcome relief since I woke up to snow falling rather steadily this morning.  Thank goodness it didn't stick.  After a breakfast of hot oatmeal, toast and 3 cups of decaf I'm still trying to warm up.

We have a hearty chicken casserole/soup in the crock pot for tonight.  I hope it does the trick.  Until next time . . . . . . .

Independence Day Across the Country

We did it!  We drove straight through Independence Day as we traveled across this great land of ours.  It all began Wednesday, June 27 in Memphis, Tennessee.  From there we moved to Houston, Texas to Fairfield, Alabama to Atlanta, Georgia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to West Deptford, New Jersey to Cody, Wyoming; arriving there on July 4  (all in one week).  We delivered on the 5th.  The scenery was beautiful with breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.  I am always impressed with how awesomely generous God is to us.

After delivery the real fun began.  The "powers that be" in the FedEx dispatch office deemed it necessary for us to deadhead empty to Las Vegas, a mere 866 miles away, to layover while we wait for our next load.  It seems they had NO other trucks our size in the area and needed ours.  It was a 17 hour drive through some very pretty mountains.  Beautiful but not without drawbacks-road construction.  Lanes closed, roads torn up but not a soul was working anywhere in the several states we traveled.  I guess a Wednesday holiday allows for an entire week off.  We could use an employer like that.  Ours begs everyone to stay out for all holidays. 

We arrived in Vegas at 5:30 this morning eastern time.  After a few short hours of sleep Ron decided to have our truck inspected at the truckstop, since our inspection was due by the 12th.  While there the mechanics doing the DOT inspection checked the registration and asked where the license plate was located.  We've has some mounted in back and some mounted in front.  Ron told them it was in the back.  They couldn't find it so he went back to show them where:  IT  WAS  GONE!!  At one point in the mountains and construction we came across an incident where a truck had lost part of his load of inflated inner tubes, about a dozen in all.  There was no where else for a truck to go and traffic was building up behind me since it was rush hour so I straddled 2 of them and was able to maneuver around the rest.  We decided we had made it through safely and continued on our way.  A few miles down the road we heard a pop and decided we had been dragging one of them until it popped.  We figure that's when we lost our license plate. Our owner had to fax us a temporary plate good for 45 days until we can get back to Ohio and pick up the real thing.

Ah, the adventures of traveling the roads.  What an adventure!  Until next time . . . . . . . .

Back At It

Well, we're back on the road again after a week at home.  I feel like we never had any time off.  First, we cleaned out the tractor with Ron taking a tumble backward out the door; then Tuesday we took it back to Indianapolis; Wednesday we had a lazy day while Ron rested his back.  Thursday we got everything ready for the next straight truck; on Friday we drove to Columbus, Ohio to pick up the new truck; Saturday we got last minute stuff for the road and then took Dad out to Texas Roadhouse for his Father's Day dinner.  Sunday after church we spent the entire day packing the truck.  Monday we hit the road again.  We headed to Mt. Vernon, In. for a load going to Grove City, Ohio.

 We are enjoying the new truck, it rides much smoother than any other so far, but I must tell you about one of the hazards I've encountered.  The bed is dangerous! It is mounted on the side instead of the back as the others have been.  That part is pretty great and it's got a good mattress so sleeping is good, but it has a hidden spring that helps when it's time to put it away and bring up the table.  THE DUMB THING TRIED TO EAT ME!!!   Ron got up yesterday morning while I was still sleeping.  When he stood up the bed started folding up with me in it.  I couldn't move other than to put my hand on the wall so my face wouldn't get smashed and yell "HEY" at Ron.  It reminded me of those comedies on TV where the bed folds up in the tiny apartments.  We were laughing so hard he barely had the strength to pull the bed back down.  Now every time one of us mentions it we laugh all over again.  I suppose the giggle sessions will happen for a while yet but we did have a reprieve last night.  We had to bring the truck back to Columbus, Ohio for a repair that has taken some time so we spent last night at a motel.  Was nice to be there but not as exciting as the truck.  We're hoping to be on our way this evening with everything working the way they are supposed to.

 So, until next time . . . . . . . . . . .

Happy 2nd Anniversary

First off I want to say "Happy Anniversary" a day late to my wonderful husband.  We were in the car and on the road all day and had a great time.  So here is a belated wish to the most loving man in the world.  I love you, honey.

Sorry to all of you for the length of time since my last post.  Our lives have been on a roller coaster for the last month.  First of all we chose to drive for a different trucking firm.  Ron went back to driving a semi (I rode along) so that I could have some insurance coverage.  So we left FedEx, emptied the truck and took it back to the owner, drove Ron to Indianapolis for orientation, and then hit the road in an 18-wheeler.  Anyone that thinks downsizing is great needs to rethink.  We went from a 100 inch living space with refrigerator, microwave, sink, tv, cabinets, closet and double bed to 72 inches of space with nothing but a single bunk (an upper bunk we never used), one slide out desk slab, 3 small cabinets and a small closet that was only 25 inches tall.  Unbelievably small.  We had to bring our own electric cooler and we had some snacks but had to eat every meal out.  Try to find places you can park a semi that is not a truck stop.  Now we are transitioning back to FedEx.  After only 2 weeks we knew we'd had enough.  Fortunately we were gone only 20 days so we do NOT have to go through all the classes again.  They were able to simply reinstate us.  Thursday or Friday we will go to Ohio to pick up our new truck, bring it home to pack, celebrate Father's Day and be ready to hit the road again on Monday.  Super-sizing isn't always a bad thing!

The up-side of our diversion was that the truck was only stopped when Ron had to reset his driving hours.  We traveled to Seattle, Wa., Billings, Mt., Denver, Co., Green Bay, Wi., and most of the Midwest in only a very few short weeks.  I'm still amazed at what a beautiful country we live in.  So many places to see a second time and so little time.  Well, until next time . . . . . . .

Happy Easter

Another holiday away from home! We are spending this weekend in LaVergne, Tennessee, just south of Nashville. It's beautiful here and the weather has been great. This morning we went to church service at Brentwood United Methodist Church, a very large church near here. We parked in a business area and rode the shuttle to the church. The lobby has a huge central staircase leading to both sides of the balcony. (So antebellum!) The service we attended was a blend of traditional and contemporary with a huge pipe organ, 6 pastors, 100 in the combined youth choir, a 5-piece brass section, a baptism, traditional hymns and contemporary songs. The sanctuary was packed. The stained glass in the sanctuary was beautiful facing 3 walls and 3 time periods: Biblical, pilgrim and modern scenes and families. A wonderful Easter experience!!

After church we headed to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Normally we are able to park in the RV section but this particular spot had a dozen cars taking up the bus/RV slots. Fortunately we were able to park at the industrial plant right behind the restaurant. Our wait was less than 5 minutes, I think because there are only 2 of us. Most people were with family members. As always dinner was wonderful. Tonight we will probably eat at the truckstop restaurant. They are offering a ham dinner and Ron wants ham for Easter. (The ham with his breakfast at Cracker Barrel wasn't much more than a teaser.)

We will be heading to Delaware after we pick up our load tomorrow evening. Sure wish the routers could find a way to get us even remotely close to Indiana so we could stop by the house for a day or two. We had a new roof put on and sure would like to see it.

Hope everyone enjoys this holiday and celebrates the life it brings. Until next time . . . . . .

A Great Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend in Jacksonville, Florida. We had a load that had to be in a secure location until delivery this morning. Ron and I were not allowed to stay with the truck (no facilities) and were put up in a motel for the time being. When we were certain of the details we contacted Ron's sister, Donna, who lives near Tampa. She drove up Saturday morning with her dog and spent time with us until Sunday afternoon. It was great seeing her. It's been 13 months since we last had a visit. We hadn't seen Ricky, the pup, in over 2 yrs. and he's not too friendly with strangers so I was a little apprehensive. Needlessly as it turned out. After giving Ron a huge welcome Ricky became my best buddy. So much so that he slept at my feet on our bed and totally ignored his "Mommy". What a surprise! After brunch Saturday morning we checked in at the motel and changed clothes. We decided to take the small trip to St. Augustine. I had never been there so we made the tourist thing and went to the Fountain of Youth. It's a beautiful park with interesting exhibits and performances. We got to see the firing of the cannon. And they are all pet-friendly. We tried to have dinner at the Santa Maria, a ship-restaurant that Donna had been to before but we couldn't get a place to park within 5 miles of the place. Not only was it St. Patrick's Day but also it was Bike Week. I have never seen so many motorcycles in one place in my life. But it still was a unique place. I would love to go back sometime when there are not so many people. After we delivered this morning we got a load out of St. Petersburg and are spending the night in Tampa. We called Donna and had dinner with her at Cracker Barrel. An unexpected delight for all of us, an extension of our weekend.

I just finished reading a great book. It took me all of about 20 hours to read from cover to cover. This book is titled "Heaven is for Real" and is the true story of a little boy who had an out-of-body experience while in the hospital. It's written by the boy's father, Todd Burpo, and is fascinating from start to finish. Colton was critically ill when he had surgery and miraculously survived. After months had passed he made a comment that had his parents thinking and asking questions. He described Jesus, God's throne, Heaven, the Holy Spirit and people who died decades before Colton was born. His statements were proven to be in Scripture and several things he talked about were things a 3-year-old could not possibly know. Very intriguing and I highly recommend it.

We will be leaving Florida tomorrow morning for a return to the Midwest. That may be a good thing because if we stayed here one more day I was going to go shopping for some summer clothes. Capris and heavy T-shirts are just too warm for 85 degree weather. Tough, isn't it? :)
Sorry, I had a moment of pity-party. I guess this is it for tonight so--Until next time . . . . . . . .

And Here We Sit

We have put in a lot of miles in the past week. First let me tell you that we had a relaxing time at home for 5 days, even though we had a lot of errands to get done. We left on Monday morning and our itinerary is as follows: Louisville, Ky; Pittsburgh, Pa; Cumberland, Md; Anniston, Al; Colorado Springs, Co. and ending up on layover in Denver. We have been here since Friday noon and waiting for a load out. We had one that would take us to Sunnyvale, California but was postponed until next week. So we wait some more. You would think that we would get something because we are the only truck (surprise) in Denver. But the dispatchers have been really quiet. Not a good thing! I guess time will tell where we head next.

I will say that it's hard to believe that it is only the second week of March. The weather here is so great. We had a bit of a chill and light rain Sunday morning but otherwise we have been in shirtsleeves and sunshine since we got here. From the weather channel we've watched the fantastic temps all over the country. Maybe spring has arrived early? One can dream.

Early in my blogging I reported our experiences with Rest Areas. Well, I must tell you about our latest. We stopped at a service plaza in West Virginia to get something to eat. Breakfast had been about 7 hours earlier. One of us had to babysit our load and truck and I needed to stretch my legs so I volunteered to make the journey to the building. These places never let trucks park anywhere near the buildings. As I made my way there I noticed some workmen at one of the entrances but didn't pay too much attention and continued past an antique shop that was closed and another door that was blocked by storage bins. As I rounded the corner I saw some people standing around the door. I asked if this was the entrance and was told it was locked. I then started to complain about having to walk around the entire structure (which must have been the size of an athletic arena) when the young people told me the whole building was locked down. Absolutely nothing was open except the fuel islands. Makes me wonder what all the cars were doing in the parking lot. Plus it's a good thing the only reason we stopped was for food because it was quite a while before we saw another rest area or food stop. I guess life is still full of challenges and unexpected circumstances. So---Until next time . . . . . . . . . .

Errands and More Errands

We finally made it home Tuesday night for the first time since New Year's. It feels so good to be here, now I just wish I could find time to just veg for a while. The past couple of days my brain seems to be pure mush. We had to make it home before today because we had fuel tax stickers and the registration for the truck in the mail and the old ones expired yesterday. We certainly didn't have much time to play with. But the good Lord was willing and we made it.

We've been so busy since we got here. Wednesday started out with breakfast out because Mother Hubbard's cupboards were bare. From there we made the rounds to the eye clinic to pick up Ron's new glasses, to MedPoint because Ron has another respiratory infection, to Walmart to restock the food supply, to the post office to relieve them of a mountain of mail and finally home to put everything away. After a quick lunch I had to place myself at the kitchen table for the great task of getting things ready to have our taxes done. This took me the better part of the afternoon and evening to get done. I sent Ron out for gyros for supper so I could keep working. By the time I felt ready to call it quits my brain was truly rebelling. At that point it was time for bed.

Thursday morning--up and going all over again. This time we had a hearty breakfast at home, headed out to the accountant's for a 3 1/2 hour tax preparation session. Once we got this year's done we discovered that we had to amend last year's--all with good endings. Thank goodness. From there we went to lunch, the post office again and then to the BMV to get the registration for the new car. Today we arrived back home just before dark. Another day gone!!! The way I feel we are having soup and sandwiches tonight (we had buffet for lunch so I don't feel guilty)!

The rest of our time home is pretty much open. I'll do some baking and cooking/freezing for the truck, some good cooking for here at home, maybe go to dinner with some friends. Hopefully we'll get some time to sit and relax for a couple of hours before going back to the store to stock the truck again. We will be heading out Monday morning but don't have a destination yet. It would be nice to get home for Easter again this year but I'm not sure since we're here now. Time will tell. Until next time . . . . . . . . .

Beautiful Spacious Skies

And purple mountains' majesty! We travelled from Albuquerque, N.M. to Denver, Co. last weekend and I am constantly amazed at the beautiful scenery that is all around us. It boggles my mind how anyone can say there is no God when just outside their windows are the most glorious sights waiting for appreciation. The mountains were snow-capped this time of year and colored with blues, purples, pinks browns and greens. Add all that to the setting sun and white fluffy clouds and you have the most wonderful sight in the world!

We had great weather in Denver for the 2 days we were there and from there we made our way to Las Vegas with a load of broken slots. When we delivered them to the factory we were sent to Ontario, California to layover for our next run. Soooo, we've been in sunny California for 2 days now. Yesterday we had the brakes replaced on the truck that took the whole day. With the 3 hour time difference it seemed that way! But now we have great stopping power. We got a short run for tomorrow afternoon so it looks like we're going to be here for the weekend. As long as the sun shines I guess that's ok. But we need to get home sometime in February. Not only to get our taxes in order and to the accountant but also because we have some papers and stickers for the truck waiting at the house. One of the stickers MUST be on the truck by March 1. Plus we need to get the plates and registration for our new car. The paperwork from the dealer didn't reach us before we had to go back on the road.

We're hoping that the weather cooperates for everyone this winter. Last winter at this time we were in Dallas (Super Bowl weekend) with the worst ice storm in ages. I guess being in California will mean we won't be in Indianapolis for Super Bowl Sunday this year. If we were it's a snap we'd be home. :)

That's it for this time. I hope to be able to post on a more regular basis but it all depends on the runs we get. So---Until next time . . . . . . . . .

We have been in the east for about a week and a half running between Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and New Jersey. We were able to leave that area ahead of the white stuff. Yea, thank You, God !!! We are spending this weekend in Sevierville, Tennessee which happens to be the place we are planning to relocate to in the near future. This area is so beautiful with all the mountains and change of seasons without the harsh extremes.

We listen to Enlighten on Sirius/XM satellite radio. This is a total Southern Gospel station without any commercials or ads 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. It is a real blessing and help during the all-night runs we make. On this station we heard about a restaurant in the Sevierville area that was started by a Gospel singer and were looking forward to finding this place when we relocated. As luck, or a higher planner, would have it we drove right past it after our delivery in the area. The name of the restaurant is Tony Gore's Smoky Mountain BBQ & Grill. Last night we drove there for dinner. This place has absolutely the best ribs in the world. The best I've ever tasted! A half slab of baby back ribs covered 2/3 of the large platter. It was served with cole slaw and your choice of 1 other side. Ron had a baked potato and I had corn nuggets. The sauce is Tony's own recipe and is delicious. I could only eat 1/2 of mine and Ron ate all of his and the rest of mine. I think he could have easily eaten a whole rack. They make everything there including several desserts. We had a wonderful white chocolate cheesecake. We took the server's advice. She said the cakes and pies were served in large enough slices to feed 2 people but the cheesecake was smaller slices and she brought us each a slice. Let's just say that 1 would have been enough. We brought 1/2 of each slice home. Guess what we're having tonight for dessert!!!

The weather here is mild and at the moment dry. It was raining yesterday but not today. This has been a weekend of laziness and catching up on some much needed rest. We had a very busy week last week and travelled a lot of miles, day and night. As I blog this Ron is doing laundry and I have the TV on with all-day chick flicks on Hallmark. We don't have a load waiting for us yet so we may have several more hours of stillness ahead of us. Hopefully we will have another full week. Until next time . . . . . . . . . .