Fairy Godmother

...put them together and what have you got... Today was "graduation" from the training class. During the course of events I discovered that everyday on the training trucks I had been on previously was wrong, plus other violations. When a majority of your learning is from what you were shown and taught, it creates a new mindset to create the correct environment for proper training.

When we finished we were supposed to be ready to leave with our new student. My new truck is not ready and probably will not be ready before Friday. My student luckily is not ready since they had placed him on hold. Hopefully they keep him on hold until Friday. One advantage to them not having everything ready is I may get a 34 hour restart sitting here on the Dallas yard. Of course having just received a paycheck for $7.92 on Monday and then to get my latest paycheck of $-468.12, I do not believe I will be leaving here and eating a large steak dinner. I spoke with another student with 5 years of experience. This is how they conduct business. Can we all say INSANE together?

Can't hear the music

Spent several hours in class this morning, will spend several more tomorrow. Had one instructor that put the whole room to shame very quickly. He was a very powerful speaker and had a great presentation; however, you knew you were dumb. What was embarrassing is it was about the ThermoKing units on our trailer. No one in the room could hold a candle to this man. He was very impressive.

We were up on the hill on the backing yard from 5:30 to 9:45. We had one student in our little area that was very impressive, drove truck for the military. Then in the same group was a student who had zero confidence and almost zero skill. He wanted someone to hold his hand and walk him through the whole experience. It just doesn't work.

Where my truck is sitting, I can see into the bays on the back side of the main shop. One of the night mechanics was on break for a while and he is just dancing the night away. I can't hear the music. I just enjoy the dance show.

I agreed to what!

Arrived at the training room at 7:45, class was at 8AM. Then it was outside for 2 hours, back in time for lunch, then outside from 1 to 5:30. I am used to working many hours per day. I am used to having others determine my bathroom breaks. I just am not used to standing for 6 plus hours in 95 plus temperatures on concrete. I was thankful I had not had a haircut yet, so it is only my face that is sunburnt. Tomorrow's schedule is class from 8AM to 5PM with a lunch break and a visit to the MD for BP and urine testing. Then after dinner, it is up on the hill until about 10PM assisting with new driver training. Tuesday if we passed the MD, we can avoid that hassle; however, it is still 8AM to 10PM. Let us all jump for joy. Right!

Apparently I will not receive a new truck until Wednesday or Thursday. So anytime I am away from my truck, the shop can take it and move it, so I will have the joy of discovery after a 14 hour day. It can be anywhere in the row. The row is 3/4 of a mile long. I will be taking a shower shortly to cool my body down and maybe in the morning also. Stevens has reduced the size of its training staff significantly. There were approximately 30 students in the trainees class this morning. When I went through in July of last year there were 96. With the economy tightening, drivers are not willing to leave what they have to venture into the unknown as quickly.

A gift

I was stuck at a TA since Wednesday waiting for an imaginary load. The fee to park there is supposed to be $13 per day. When I drove away today they only charged me $13. I teased the woman at the gate that my wife would send her a Christmas card.

This morning at around 3:30AM I was awakened to the sound of someone wrapping on my truck. I am thinking great someone has hit my truck/trailer and they are telling me about it. I had the curtain up on my truck so the fact I was dressed in my usual sleeping attire (Adam before the fall), I looked out the window. No it was a "professional" woman attempting to offer her wares. Go away!!! When you have to pay for parking, it is supposed to prevent such encounters.

I hate "surprises." This is not the first trainers class they have conducted at Stevens; however, they do not send out any information ahead of time so one knows what to expect. Tomorrow is on the hill, which means driving for 10 hours. Can we say yeah.

The fun of Dallas

Still waiting outside the gates of the Dallas yard. If I do not receive something today, I will roll to the yard tomorrow. Saw this episode of the new Jay Leno show and thought the "ad" was very funny. Of course I am thankful it wasn't around when I was a child else I would be in Malaysia. It pops up stating something about not playing; however, give it a few moments it will play.

Do the hustle

The trailer crossed the Mexican border; however, the paper work took another hour. By the time everything was done, my 14 hour clock would expire before I made it to McKinney,TX. So park for an 8 hour break, then start driving again. Take a two hour break at the receivers then off to the next point. Swap trailers at the TA in Dallas since the load was continuing on to AL. And then... the silence of the QC was deafening. I am now stuck at the TA in Dallas. It cost $13 a day to park here. Good thing I am made of money! Also this is Dallas so I am not supposed to idle the truck either.

Received phone call from Melody. She was doing well, reading a book and very proud of herself for having read to page 54 all by herself. Unfortunately Charlie will not stop calling her. She does not take the collect call, but still. He has been asked so many times to stop. I do not know what the future holds for Charlie. But he certainly leads the parade in tugging at my heart. Jesse of course plays the horn.

Learn'n

Arrived on the Dallas yard on Friday afternoon. Completed everything except a class on Friday and therefore was completed before noon on Saturday. They had not begun to work on my truck by late evening on Saturday, so I slept in the drivers lounge area. They have a remote control but it only turns off of the controller for the cable, not the TV. I must of gotten a good 4 plus hours of sleep.

Today they have finished the vitals on the truck and I was given a load off the yard to Laredo. Unfortunately the trailer needs worked on so I am waiting for them to fix the trailer. The load is due at 8 AM in Laredo.

I thought one of the purposes of going to the yard was to trade trucks. WRONG! I have to bribe the person in charge so she will decide to have mercy on the soul of a worm, loathsome enough to crawl out of the muck and speak to someone of such high merit. Being nice to people is usually easy. Going to the extreme vacuum stage of relationships is not my cup of tea.

Negative

What is (.85 * 1150)-900? Can we say not pretty?

Arrived to the yard from Austin,TX with a short pick up in Waco on the way back up the freeway. Yes it is more money since I was not an empty trailer the whole distance; however, it was far short of what I had hoped would happen. I am stuck here until Saturday afternoon or Monday afternoon. I won't know until tomorrow.

http://livingwaters.com/ is an interesting website. Origin of the Species is public domain so a minister published it with a 50 page insert regarding the view of a creator. He is handing out 50,000 copies of the book across college campuses . Intro video by Kirk Cameron.

The birds are assuming their various nesting locations for the night. I will enjoy going to the large oak trees on the back of the building and listening to the grackles early in the morning. I thought I was supposed to be trading trucks; however, when I arrived the list was short and nothing about trading in my truck with 430762 miles. I guess drive it until the wheels fall off.

Rockmart,GA

Picked up a load in Rockmart,GA heading for Austin,TX. Whoever planned this load really messed up. They thought that merely agreeing to pick up the items was the same as actually scheduling an appointment. I arrive and no one in any of the three shipping offices knows anything about my load. Several hours later they determine the problem and state they will load me when they have time. Load was supposed to pick up at 3 PM; I was loaded at 20 minutes after midnight. WASTED day for money. Truck not rolling means no money. It originally was supposed to be in Austin at 10AM on 17. They changed the date/time to 18th at 5AM. I am in Troy,TX about 57 miles away. Requested a preplan so I would travel to Laredo then Dallas on Sunday or Monday. "yeah John were working on something" If they send me straight to the yard tomorrow from Austin, I will not be very encouraged. It will be a paycheck that starts with a negative number.

I bought American cheese at WalMart while waiting in Rockmart,GA. I was looking forward to hotdogs this afternoon; however, I forgot this Love's does not have hotdogs. Charlie called just a few minutes ago: send money, I am in debt. Yes; however, I am in TX and preparing to declare bankruptcy. I do not have ability to send much money. Are we all having fun yet?

Braselton,GA

I delivered the products. It was listed as hazardous; however, not enough to actually be listed for federal purposes so I could carry the load more easily. It was a high value load from Rochester,NY to a small town outside of Atlanta,GA of Kodak. No digital cameras since they would not need temperature control per se.

I have one and 1/2 hours on the books for tomorrow so I have feeling I am stuck in Braselton. The area is lacking in parking for trucks. I am thankful I do not have a trailer currently!

Started the next keynote for Psalms 146; however, right now I am finishing a letter to Charlie and Melody. Hopefully that will be in Jean's email box so she can send off.

9-11

My day started in Carterer,NJ. I imagine 8 years ago that little quite community was far different on that fateful day. My older brother sent me a slide show of images from 9-11. I purchased a piece of cello music that I added to the show. It heightened the effects of the images.

Today I am picking up from a secret location and delivering to a secret location. I will share the info after I deliver.

Son #1 writes a heart felt letter from jail, while son #3 is counting the days until he turns 18 and the world becomes his oyster. I hope he finds the big pearl.

shh, I'm sleeping

Msg 19 on the QC is a Trip Plan. It is required before one leaves the shipper. I sent my msg 19 before I left Aurora. I am now in Effingham,IL. I had scheduled myself to only go to Troy. I am ahead on mileage and time. However, after I went into the truck stop and reentered my truck the phone rang. "Hi John, this is Jay. They have put you on the repower board." No Jay, I am fine, check my msg 19 I will make delivery. Why do we put things in writing if they are simply ignored?

I will be arising around 9PM to take a shower before refueling then on the road again about 10:45PM,then off to Love's Travel Stop,Hubbard,OH I go.

When one is fighting a spiritual war, why do our supposed fellow warriors, fight so hard to disarm us?

Rescuing worms

I off loaded at Safeway warehouse in Denver yesterday and I am stuck in Aurora,CO until 0500 tomorrow morning. So I took a walk before "enjoying" lunch at McDonald's. While walking around the commercial properties I observed live worms wiggling on the sidewalk. I scooted them back to the grass. Several others needed water and electric shock therapy to revive. Why would so many worms leave the lush lawn areas to crawl onto the concrete where they would die of dehydration? Sounds like people I know (maybe even the one in the mirror) who creep away from the bounty of God only to whither in the harsh reality of this world.

Took lots of pictures with my cell phone camera on my walk. I did not take pictures of any of the rescued worms. Need to spend money on a real camera again; however, these images will do for now.

Labor day

Last labor day weekend I was with John and we were waiting to pickup a load in KY. I have no load to pickup and regrettably I am not in Florence,KY. I still remember the friendly hospitality of a family in that small community.

Went online to find a church to attend tomorrow. Found one about 1.3 miles away. Actually it was 196 miles. Google kept moving a church in Rifle,CO to Rifle Road,Aurora,CO. So much for walking to that church. Found another one that looked promising until you read the fine print and discover that it is an off shoot of the Mormon church. There are two LDS churches within easy walking of my location. May have to settle for podcasts.

A friend, who at 80 was still running 5 miles per day, had a stroke. His dear wife has worked with him tirelessly. The physical therapist showed them this video. I thought it was wonderful so embedded to share.

Away from the fires

LA Basin was smokey, picking up produce in downtown LA was made even a greater joy by traveling during the evening "rush hour." It took 3.75 hours to travel 115 miles. Cars jumping in front of the truck as if I can stop on a dime. Luckily I was loaded light so I had some weight behind the brakes but not so much that it would keep pushing the truck forward. The smoke traveled with me today until I was past Kingman,AZ.

Charlie was offered a deal of 90 days in the county jail. 90 days verses 2 years in the state prison? Which one should he choose? duh. I pray he wakes up while there. Melody is very mad at him still and that is just the tip of the ice berg these two create.

Rodney Atkins sings Watching You. One of the lines is "Lord please help me help my stupid self." Does that not sum up my day?