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 . . . . . .
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
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 . . . . . . .
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 . . . . . . .
Saturday, November 3, 2012
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 . . . . . . .
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 . . . . . . .
Friday, July 6, 2012
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 . . . . . . . .
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 . . . . . . . .
Thursday, June 21, 2012
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 . . . . . . . . . . .
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 . . . . . . . . . . .
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
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 . . . . . . .
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 . . . . . . .
Sunday, April 8, 2012
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 . . . . . .
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 . . . . . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)