Living in a Semi with My Husband: The Truck Stop Shower

Great post on truck stop showers and pics of the inside of a semi:
Living in a Semi with My Husband: The Truck Stop Shower: Last week one of the first things I appreciated about being home was the shower. While I am now able to shower in the truck, it is still no...

Living in a Semi with My Husband: Could you live with your spouse in this semi truck...

If you have ever wondered what the inside of custom semi looks like check out this post:
Living in a Semi with My Husband: Could you live with your spouse in this semi truck...: As the excitement of returning to the road next week builds for me, I was thinking about how different things will be this year with the ...

This Week - Shots Fired in Peoria, Beautiful Sunsets and a Chunk of Tread Missing from a Steer Tire.

Peoria River Walk - Beautiful Fall Colors

It was an interesting week for us as you might have gathered from the title.  When we arrived in Peoria we unhooked from our current trailer and moved over in front of the three trailers Vince would be shuttling back and forth in the morning.  As we settled down to sleep I heard what I believed to be three gun shots.  I did this thing I always do when I hear a strange noise which is half sitting up in the bed, this time it was with my back to Vince.  This is my nonverbal signal to Vince that I want to know what the sound is. He stated it was just fireworks and just as he said it, there was a series of shots or fireworks that followed.  Still not completely convinced I continued to sit up for about another minute then moved back into my resting position.  After that we heard a series of sirens which I thought could be in response to fireworks as well as gun shots.  I must admit I did have thoughts of bullets piercing the sleeper, but then thought what could we really do about the situation, and moving might actually draw attention to us.

The next morning Vince did his shuttling while I did my yoga and got dressed.  After he had moved the third trailer into place he joined me in the sleeper and announced he had found out what was going on last night.  He went on to tell me that someone, apparently upset with City Hall had in fact fired off several rounds into the City Hall building.  Now you would think at the moment I would have freaked out that just a half a block to a block away from us someone had actually been firing a gun.  But no, my first thought was how proud I was of myself that I actually did know the difference between gun fire and fireworks.  I also thought about how great it was that Vince told me about it.  He had to know he was risking having to hear the ever famous I told you so line or worse yet have to listen me freak out, but he weighed all of it and told me the truth anyway.  I so admire and love him for his honesty.  I really didn’t say much about it after that which I hope confirmed for him that telling me the truth really is a good thing.

An Iowa Sunset

I also wanted to share this beautiful sunset I snapped as we traveled across I-80 in Iowa.  The previous night as the sun set in Illinois I had been reminded of how much I love sunrises and sunsets on the road. So when we were lucky enough to have a second beautiful one, I just had to snap it.  Sunrises especially on mornings when we have been up all night are so exhilarating since the night can seem so long. As the sun comes up I get to watch everything come to life.  I sometime have the same feeling at home but it isn’t quite the same as on the road, probably because I am inside in a more enclosed area and honestly I don’t take the time like I can on the road to really appreciate them.  Also on the road I’m either in a wide open parking lot or traveling down a highway so the horizon is much more spacious. 

Sunsets on the other hand bring me such calm.   That evening in Illinois I found myself experiencing this overwhelming feeling of peace as I watched the sun slowly move beneath the horizon so much so that Vince even asked me what I was thinking.  I answered honestly “absolutely nothing, I am just watching this beautiful sunset”.  I hope everyone who reads this will try just once in the next few months to truly experience a sunrise and a sunset and like me, find energy and calmness from them.

So as we continued across I-80 to Sacramento, yes that’s right we headed back across this great country, we spent a morning at the world’s largest truck stop, Iowa 80 doing laundry and getting an oil change. That evening we stopped in at a truck stop in Nebraska for the night.  In the morning after doing my yoga I l went to the front of the truck  to look for Vince, since during yoga I had heard him get in, then back out of the truck.  As I looked out I could see in Vince’s side mirrors that he was unhooking us from our trailer.  His doing that told me that we must have some type of mechanical problem, because there would be no other reason for him to do so.  As he got back into the truck I asked him what was wrong with the truck.  Trust me I was holding my breath because there is no such thing as a cheap repair when it comes to semis. 

As he turned to look at me, his facial expression was very serious. So serious that when our eyes met I was scared that this was going to be a really big problem and as he spoke his voice didn’t put me at ease either. He stated “First off let me say I would never intentionally put you in any danger”.  To which I replied that I knew he never would. He then told me that we had a huge chunk of tread missing from our steer tire on the driver’s side that could have blown while we were driving. FYI - Steer tires are the tires on the front of the truck. He shared that he had only experienced a blow out with one of them in his 25 years of driving and it was not a fun ride. He was very thankful it had not blown on us because it would have been very scary especially for me.  It was touching how concerned he was for me and I told him it was okay, that he did not need to apology since he had not intentionally put me in danger. I knew it had to have happened the previous evening because Vince always looks around the truck and we both agreed the mechanic in Walcott definitely would have caught the problem had it been there at the time of our oil change.  So went over to the shop and Vince had both steer tires replaced since the other one had some cupping there was no sense putting it off. 

Great Salt Lake - my first chance to see it in the daytime

After the four figure repair bill, see I told you there is no such thing as a cheap repair in trucking; we were off to Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada.  In Nevada my lucky butt husband sat down at only one slot machine in a West Wendover Casino. He dropped $20 in it and was able to win two-thirds of the repair bill in a matter of minutes.  He can be so lucky sometimes.  He then cashed out, gave me some play money from it, which I was able to use to win $100 and then we high tailed it out of there. As we left the casino we walked right into 40 mile an hour wind gusts and a light rain shower.  I quickly learned as we fought the wind to walk across two parking lots to get back to the truck that rain can actually hurt when it hits your face.

 

Yesterday we unloaded early in the morning at a theatre in Sacramento then headed down to Ripon for a few days.  We had been moving every day for the last 15 so it’s great to have a few days of rest.  The truck stop is located next to an almond grove, a grocery store and a very quiet neighborhood.  It is nice because we can safely walk on sidewalks around the grove and neighborhood rather than dodging trucks in the truck stop.  There are also many restaurants around the area to choose from and last night we had our usually pizza date night that we always enjoy here, since there is a Little Caesars in the strip mall with the grocery.  The temperature today is in the mid 70s so we are soaking up the sun and warmth before it is time to head back east next week to cooler fall temperatures.

Truck Stops are Really Just Neighborhoods!

While riding through Missouri on Sunday on our way to Peoria I was thinking about the walk we had just taken in the parking lot of the Petro truck stop in Joplin, Missouri.  As I thought about all I have seen on our walks around truck stops, I realized that truck stops are actually just like neighborhoods.  Here is a comparison so you can see how I came to that conclusion:

Neighborhoods Have those who park on the lawn, near the driveway openings and out from the curb Have those who never cut their lawn, leave their trash cans out too long or better yet leave their trash on the lawn  Have those who think their music is so good it should be heard by everyone Have those who keep their lawns and cars immaculate, cutting the lawn regularly and waxing their vehicles every weekend  Have those who would lend a helping hand, offering tools and helping with repairs Have those who walk their dogs that stop and chat with each other along the way Have those who will share a kind word or give a wave as you pass by their porch

Truck Stops Have those who park on the line, over the line, along the curb, or anywhere else that doesn't have a line but is close to the building Have those who think the parking lot is for throwing their chicken bones, cigarette butts, their trash and bottles filled with urine (God forbid we stop at a rest area or truck stop and if not at least put it in the numerous trash cans found all around) Have those who think their music is so good it should be heard by everyone Have those who keep their trucks immaculate by washing and waxing them (even the tanks and steps) every chance they get Have those who will offer assistance, tools, hoses, screws, etc to someone broke down or needing to make a repair Have those who walk their dogs that stop and chat with each other along the way Have those who share a kind word or give a wave from their truck as you pass by

As you can see truck stops are just like neighborhoods, but it shouldn’t be surprising since a truck is a drivers’ homes away from home. The big difference is truckers move to a new neighborhood every day and are always adjusting to their new neighbors.  Thankfully, like most neighborhoods the good neighbors always out number the bad, but better yet, unlike a home owner, a driver can move his or her house away from their annoying neighbor!

A Semi: The Epitome of “You can tell the men from the boys by the size and cost of their toys”

New Fenders known as double hump fenders

Our trip across the country was thankfully uneventful, except for a couple of stops.  One of those stops was in Talladega, Alabama at the Talladega County Fiberglass Unlimited shop to have new fenders installed on the truck.  These types of fenders are known as “double hump” and are great for keeping rocks from kicking up and hitting other cars and our own sleeper.  As far back as our first Louisville truck show in 2004, I can remember Vince talking about getting some type of fenders for the truck.  So as you might imagine it was an exciting day for him to get shiny new fenders for the truck.  I was never big on that saying about the men from boys and their toys until I came out on the road and discovered all the gadgets and shiny objects available for trucks.  Another example would be that I had commented to Nancy, my sister-in-law and Vince’s sister that Vince shouldn’t be left alone in chrome shops, just before I came out this time. Then what do I find on the dash of the truck my first morning in the truck: seven new shiny objects.

Along I-10 in Arizona

A good piece of news that we received on this trip was that we didn’t have to be in Los Angeles until Wednesday instead of Monday.  This great news allowed us to do one of my favorite things on the road – visit family.  We were able to spend Monday in Phoenix with Corey, Nancy and their five dogs. As I have shared many times visiting family and friends is so much fun and their assistance like letting us use their washer and dryer along with taking us to the grocery are always a great help. 

Bear aka Doug trying to get me to play catch

I had to feature their dog Bear in this post because he is so darn funny.  As you can probably see from the picture Bear likes for you to throw a ball for him.  The picture came about because as I was relaxing by the pool while talking with Elizabeth on Monday morning Bear decided to be like a kid when you get on the phone and kept trying to drop a tennis ball in my lap.  The more I kept telling him to stop, the louder Elizabeth laughed. 

He is affectionately nicknamed Doug (the dog from the movie “Up”) because of the way he acts.  He will bring you the ball, you throw it, and he retrieves it, then will either stay out in the grass thus not bringing it back or won’t drop it for you to throw it again.  When you go back inside he follows you in and keeps dropping the ball for you to throw it only to repeat the same trick again.  Another great Bear moment was when he dropped the ball in the pool, but instead of it floating, it sank.  He just kept leaning over the pool with his ears up looking at the ball for a very long time.  We don’t know if he was waiting for it to come back up or was trying to figure out how to get it, but either way it was hilarious.

Dust storm on I-10 Tuesday Afternoon in AZ

Coachella, CA this am before the rain

 During the rest of our trip to Los Angeles we experienced dust storms, heavy traffic and rain.  As you can see from the picture of the dust storms, coming across I-10 in Arizona and California can be tricky.  This morning it took us four hours to go 136 miles from Coachella to downtown LA, you got to love LA traffic.  I also love how California is all about making the truck manufacturers produce clean air engines and regulating the crap out of semis but trust me it wasn’t semis clogging up the freeways today.  But I digress, the day ended with this beautiful rainbow about 40 miles outside Barstow, California.

A beautiful rainbow after a long day of rain

Tomorrow we are off to Las Vegas then to Evansville Indiana with a stop off in Peoria to load in “Wicked” advance trailers.  It will soon be time for me to put my shorts away for good. But hopefully our trek back east will provide me opportunities to share the fall colors of a few states.

Adjusting to the Road and a Wonderful Act of Kindness by a Woman for Our Soldiers

 

I returned to the truck Thursday evening, but as we headed out I found myself having difficulty adjusting to being back in the truck.  All the way across Ohio and Indiana no matter what I did, I just couldn’t get comfortable in my seat.  I was like a three year old making the seat go up and down, trying to find the right amount of air in the seat.  I’m sure Vince was glad it was a short trip to the production company in Indiana and he could get me out of the seat.  Unfortunately, my transition to sleeping in the truck didn’t go much better, but fortunately I didn’t interrupt Vince’s sleep.  I don’t know if the three months away was the cause, but by Friday morning I found myself getting back in the swing of life on the road.

Next we were off to Branson which was uneventful and sadly not very colorful.  We were probably just a week to ten days to early for the changing leaves.  When we arrived at the industrial park in Branson we soon discovered there was no way to park without being on an incline.  So we had to move our bedding to the opposite end of the bed so our heads were at the top of the hill rather than at the bottom. Life in the truck is always about adjusting.

Since on previous trips I have found that I constantly gain 2-3 pounds on the road which I then have to take back off when I get home. I decided to purchase a DVD that has six of the shows from my Namaste Yoga on FitTV to workout with in the truck. Well it didn’t take long for me to get a real test of my abilities to hold a pose, because Saturday morning in Branson while doing my yoga Vince yelled back that he had to move to the dock area. I was in the middle of doing one of my warrior poses (for those not familiar with yoga this pose is like Molly Shannon doing her superstar move) and since moving meant sliding over one parking spot by pulling up then to the left, I told him to go ahead and I would adjust.  As he started pulling forward I must confess that my initial thoughts were why didn’t I stop and push the pause button. But I was able to hold the pose and even move to the next poses without too much difficulty. Now while I didn’t plant my face on the counter or fall on my behind, I definitely wouldn’t recommend doing yoga in a moving vehicle

After Branson we spent the weekend in East St. Louis because I needed TV to watch my football on Saturday and Sunday.  We ventured back across Illinois and Indiana to the production company in a horrible rain storm on Sunday evening where we saw one truck stuck in the mud in the median and ruts where another had been pulled out. I was very thankful to get stopped and I’m sure Vince was too after having to hear me say “Honey” every time the storm got worse or the traffic crazy. 

Last night we arrived in Myrtle Beach for a morning load in that resulted in us taking an Extra Lease trailer back to a location in Duncan, SC. On our way to Duncan we stopped in Bishopville for lunch at a Hess truck stop. At Wendy’s there were seven soldiers from the local Air Force base in line.  As we waited in line I noticed that the soldiers kept turning around and saying something to a woman in front of us in the line and she just kept replying “thank you for your service.  As we got closer to the counter I heard one of the workers say that a woman was paying for the soldiers orders.  As you might have already guessed, it was the lady in front of us.  She was so modest and obviously did not want any attention for her gesture.  People like that woman are an inspiration to us all. While I always try to pay it forward this was a great reminder.  Tomorrow we head to Birmingham then it’s off to LA which means we are truly going coast to coast trip. So stay tuned because who knows what we will see and do on such a long adventure! 

A relaxing vacation at home can be heavenly for a semi driver.

Huntington Park

While most of us find getting away for vacation a treat. For most semi drivers a vacation away from home probably most the time feels like work. Over the last several years we have usually traveled to Las Vegas for vacation because it gets both of us away from everything, but this year Vince was content to stay home.  Also since he had had not been home for more than a day or two since January home looked pretty good. Before he got home we agreed that it would be great to see some of the sights in our home town since it struck us that we have been to more sights in other major cities than our own.

Once home I told Vince our plans and the time line, but after a few days I realized he may not appreciate my planning his time off.  I thought, "could we be actually having a homicidal thought moment at home"?  So I asked him if he was okay with the plan.  It wasn't jam packed but still it was going to mean we were busy for a few days in a row.  Vince assured me he was not upset and even shared that he was glad I had planned some things because if he had his way he would just stay home and sleep. Having been out on the road I now understand his desire to do nothing and just wanting to sleep.  I also know that it is a desire shared among many drivers. Just think about how you have felt after a long road trip. Remember that wiped out feeling?  Now imagine months of road trips and well you get the idea. 
 

Clippers won in the bottom of the ninth on a bases loaded single! What fun!

So last week we went to Clippers game, attended the fair and visited the zoo.  We also have been hitting the movies regularly.  Many times while we are out on the road we see movies clips on TV of movies we would love to see, but don't end up near a movie theater.  Then when we get home it is always our luck that nothing we want to see is showing, but not this time we have seen one comedy after another.

State Fair Midway

Saturday Vince will head back out without me.  Since Mom has been very challenging this summer  I am staying behind for now. But it looks like I will be able to return to the truck hopefully by the end of September.  While I miss the road terribly having Vince home for the last few weeks has been wonderful because being on the road is really about being with him.

Finally I have attached a great article that appeared in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Star Tribune about drivers that I hope everyone will check out and help to change people's view of our knights of the road:

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/126619568.html
 

It was an official visit to the fair for me once I visited our talking Smokey the Bear! Remember only you can prevent forest fires!

10,342 miles in 25 days - How many miles do you put on your vehicle in a year?

Yes, that's right we traveled 10,342 miles in less than four weeks.  When I walked into our dining room upon returning home I realized how much time we  had spent in the truck, because the rooms in our home just seemed so big.  It made me realize that we had probably spent 21-22 hours in the truck most days throughout the trip. I remember having to make this spacial adjustment after returning from my very first trips in the truck, but it had passed until this trip.  After being in the small space of the truck for that long a period of time,  it really does take a few hours to adjust to being home.When I figured up the miles for this trip I was really blown away that we had traveled that many  miles because it was what I use to put on my car every year when I worked.  I guess when you zig zag across the country that is what happens.

Our trip from Stockton, CA to New Jersey reminded me of my platform on toll costs.  Our trip across I-80 through Illinois, Indiana Ohio and Pennsylvania cost Vince over $130 in tolls.  I hope all of you will remember this post the next time you pay $1 for a toll. Remember that a trucker pays around $9-$12 for your $1 and when you pay $12 on the Ohio Turnpike, truckers with a trailer pay up to $40.   Elizabeth learned not complain to me about tolls after she and Roman had paid tolls in West Virgina while on a trip to North Carolina.  When I told her what Vince pays, she immediately promised to never complain again.  I get that trucks put more pressure on roads due to the weight so they should pay more, but that much more, really?  Don't forget trucker also pay fuel taxes that are suppose to go for road repairs each time they fill up and since Vince gets an average of 160-180 gallons every time he fills up, they are contributing plenty toward road repairs all over the country.  But I have to wonder where that money is going, especially when we found bumpy and pot holed roads in most states on this trip. However,  I must give a shout out to the Ohio Turnpike because it was definitely the smoothest road we traveled over and the clean service plazas with free showers for truckers are such a nice touch too.

This week is my time to adjust to home.  After these month long trips it takes me about three days to adjust. I have mail, filing,  laundry,  a grocery list to figure out, and of course the adjustment to our home bed from the truck bed. It has been nice this time to have Vince home with me. Don't know why, but when I return home alone I am usually struck by an over powering feeling of loneliness. But for some reason when Vince is home with me, then leaves I'm not hit with that feeling. Vince heads out tomorrow for Appleton, WI but the good news is he may be back next week for a day or so since he is headed to Cleveland from Appleton.

After all those miles, I am looking forward to being home and catching up with friends. But hopefully I won't be home too long, because I would like to get more time in the truck in nice weather since it seems like I am always sharing stories about icy roads and cold temperatures. Finally, Happy Father's Day to all Dads who will be home or away this weekend!  Hope you all have a great day! 

A House in the Middle of a Mall

Stage I - base of the house





We had a great time at the Grove.  For those not familiar with the Grove, because Vince had no idea what it was.  It is an outdoor mall in Los Angeles that houses upscale stores and the farmer’s market.  The show Extra also films at the Grove every weekday.

 As I previously shared we hauled in a small house that was to be built in the middle of the mall for a 3 day promotion by Tommy Hilfiger.  The house is promoting the company’s Prep Shop and will only be open at the mall from June 10^th – June 12^th.  I was shocked to learn that all of this work was for only 3 days, but I guess that is how marketing and promotion works in big companies.

When we arrived Monday morning, the first truck was just getting in to place.  Tony, the driver, had decking needed for the base of the house which was to be placed on sand that had been hauled.  After the decking was down it was our turn. Vince believed the best way to get into place was to back into the mall.  As I was at the back of the trailer helping Vince, a gentleman with the mall approached me and asked if it wouldn’t be easier for him to drive in.  I shared with him that Vince was not under that impression and suggested he talk to him.  I radioed to Vince that this gentleman was on his way up. After talking to Matt, who ended up being a top manager with the mall, Vince radioed Matt was jumping in to show him the way and asked if I was walking or riding.  I said I would walk, because I wanted to walk the route ahead of Vince’s arrival so that I could see if there were any complications.  I must say over the 3 last years I have become much more comfortable helping Vince get into places.  I was confident I could assess the situation and see maybe not all, but most problems.

 By the time Vince and Matt came around it appeared to me the only problem would be getting around the movie theater marquee. I believed it might stick out just enough that any pitch of the trailer might hit it.  Another issue was 3 pickups and a van parked on the left side of the road by the theater.  I radioed my concerns to Vince, who shared that Matt was already out of the truck preparing to get the vehicles moved.  I knew that Matt was my kind of guy when he walked up to the security guards and told them that all four of the vehicles had to go.  So many times theatre and other location representatives expect these drivers to work magic around vehicles that have no business being in the way, because they don’t want to upset people.  Trust me I have seen many Clark drivers do just that, work magic to get in docks and along curbs all while dodging cars. But not that day, Matt was in charge and I loved it.  He even shared with Tony and me that if they couldn’t locate the van driver they would be pushing it out of the way.  I love a guy not afraid to take charge.  After all the vehicles were moved, yes they found the van driver, darn it, Vince made it around the marquee with ease.

Stage II





After we were in place Matt introduced himself to me and shared that Extra would be filming in about 20 minutes down the way and if we wanted to see a movie he would arrange it.  We thanked him, but shared we didn’t know how long we would be there.  He said “oh you are going to be here all day, so just let me know”. 

As we were being unloaded, Tony, Vince and I were hanging by our truck, when I noticed a woman taking pictures of the truck.  It is not unusual to see people taking pictures, it happens all the time.  European travelers are fascinated with American trucks because they have nothing like it in their countries.  Little boys are also very drawn to our trucks. People are always getting up on the side boards and having their picture taken when we are in the big cities.  Vince and I have given many tours of our trucks. Vince likes showing off the trucks to the little boys because he would have loved to have had the opportunity to see the inside of one when he was a kid, but didn’t. So he is always open to giving a little guy or gal the chance to see inside.

As we saw the woman, Vince looked over asked me if I felt like giving a tour.  Of course, I love showing off our truck. As I approached the lady, who turned out to be an American living in California was thrilled to learn we were the owners and jumped at the chance to see the truck. I gave her a tour and learned her name was Linda.  She and her husband and I exchanged stories about our travels and lifestyles.  When I shared that I had a blog she asked for the link and made a suggestion that we put the link on the side of the truck so people could follow us.  It was nice to share our truck and story and I just wanted to take a moment to give Linda thanks for the opportunity and suggestion.   


Linda and me by our truck

 About an hour later, Sam who was in charge of the project stated he would need Vince to drop the trailer and then come back at 2:00 pm to pull it out of the mall. He then needed him to return at 11:00 pm to complete the unloading.  The crew working on the house was only called in for 6:00 am to 2:00 pm shift, the next crew was scheduled from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am.  Unhooking from the trailer for the first part was not a problem because Vince could park the tractor next to the parking garage, but leaving between 2:00 pm and 11:00 pm was a different story since the closest truck stop was 50 miles away.  Fifty miles in LA traffic is way different than it is in most other cities.  It could take us 4 hours to go that far, which yes, did happen to us once. 

So with only a couple hours left, I told Vince I wanted to at least go down and watch some of the taping of Extra.  Matt had by this time introduced us to one of the gentlemen from the Extra crew, who had shared that the guests were Wendy Williams and Linda Carter and their appearances were scheduled for 1:30 pm and 2:00 pm.  I knew we wouldn’t be around for those times, but it looked like they were filming some other segments so we wandered down.  Well, let me tell you that Mario Lopez is as cute in person as he is on TV and also just as nice.  He talked with people and encouraged people to get into the shots; it was really nice to see.



Mario Lopez during taping of Extra



After making an attempt to be the audience of the Extra show, sadly I didn’t make it but the guy to right did, so I was close. We were talking again about the parking/truck stop issue, but never fear, because it was Matt to the rescue when we ran into him again. He was checking to see how we were doing and wondering what movie we wanted to see.  We shared that we had to leave at 2:00 pm so that wouldn’t be possible.  He acknowledged knowing we need to move out of the mall, but shared that we could park by the parking garage and if that didn’t work there was a dock area in another part of the mall.  We were so grateful to hear that we didn’t have to head to the truck stop.  He stated “it’s LA you aren’t going to find parking.”  He then walked us over to movie theatre to get us tickets to the Hangover II.

Stage III

Around 2:00 pm we moved the tractor and then it was off to the movies.  Later, on the way to dinner we ran into Matt one last time and thanked him again for making our time at the Grove so enjoyable.  He shared he was happy to do it and glad we had such a great time.  A genuinely nice person like Matt is rare. He is definitely one of the best managers I have ever met. 

After dinner it was a nap then back at 11:00 pm for the completion of the house. Due to the darkness I was not able to get the completion of the house but hope the pictures give you a good idea.  It was a great day but now it's time to truck back across the country.


Stage IV - a wall up



Delivery for Mr. Hilfiger @ the Grove

Our trailer with the Tommy Hilfiger promotion on the side

After many long days of driving and a lovely night spent in Phoenix at Corey and Nancy's house, we finally arrived in Los Angeles this morning. On our drive from New Orleans to the state line we once again saw the flooding that has been on the news. As the pictures show the water was very high.  I also wanted to share a little story about the Palace truck stop before I forget again.  The Palace is an independent truck stop that survived although not easily through Katrina.  If you look carefully at the picture of the sign you will see discoloration of the left tip of the crown and the O and P, that is because those are the only sections of the sign that survived the hurricane.  It was surprising to many that the sign actually survived the storm at all. A clerk shared with me that despite the hard times in the months follow after the storm the truck stop was able to stay in business.  We highly recommend their pizza and wings special, since it added to our wonderful date night at the Palace.

Flooding in Louisiana

After we left Louisiana we spent the next 2 days and a morning going across Texas and let me assure you it is right up there with traveling from south to north in California at 55 mph.  You just think you are never going to get there.  We traveled through New Mexico in what felt like record time and then stopped in Eloy, AZ for the night.  Eloy is about an hour outside Phoenix and due to the three long days of travel (remember Vince can drive 11 hours in a 14 hour period) we stopped there instead of pushing into Phoenix later in the evening and finding out there was no parking.  We called Nancy who was happy to hear we had time to stop and even cancelled plans for the evening so she could hang out with us.  So we were up early Saturday morning, took showers and were in Phoenix by 10:00 am.  It was great to be out of the truck for a day. We even got to the movies to see the latest Pirates movie. Unfortunately Corey was on trauma call Saturday so we were only able to have a quick visit with him at the hospital when we first arrived.

Flooding in Louisana

Storm approaching on I-10 southwest TX

Sunday was a short drive to a truck stop in Ontario, CA.  We arrived there around 5:00 pm local time, had a quick dinner of leftovers from Saturday's dinner and were in bed by 7:00 pm.  We needed to be at the Grove by 5:00 am, so the alarm went off at 3:00 am and after a quick breakfast we drove the hour down to the LA. 

Yesterday we delivered a house that is part of a new promotion for Tommy Hilfiger called the Prep Shop. We spent the entire day at the Grove while they built the house in the middle of the mall. We had a great time and will try to get our stories and pictures which include Mario Lopez taping Extra, posted tomorrow. However, today we must get trucking to Stockton, CA to pick up a trailer that needs to be in NY by the weekend.



Southwest TX



Big Sky to Baltimore to New Orleans - 4000+ miles in 8 days - Now that's truckin!



Heading Down Big Sky



Heading toward a storm in Montana

We are in New Orleans after traveling 4000+ miles in 8 days. It has been quite a return to the truck. On our trip back from Big Sky I was shocked by the amount of flooding in the north west.  The flooding caused a detour from I-90, which was closed from Billings to the Wyoming border, to I-94 but I did get to knock off North Dakota from goal of seeing all 50, now down to South Dakota, Vermont and Alaska.  As the pictures show the flooding was bad and at one point we thought we may come upon more flooded roads.

Besides the flooding we also drove through plenty of rain on our way to Baltimore.  I have to say that at times the rain made me uneasy.  The rain was coming down hard, and with all the tornadoes this spring I can tell you I was nervous.

A couple of humorous moments for me occurred on Thursday night. By that evening I absolutely hit the wall.  I just couldn't sit in my seat any longer and abandon Vince for bed.  As we road across I-70 eastbound in Pennsylvania I thought I was on a bucking horse, thanks to the rough road and a storm accompanied by high winds.  Needless to say I never went to sleep, because I was too busy trying to not fall of the bed.

Then when Vince stopped at a truck stop to go the bathroom I had to ask the question only a novice/non trucker would probably ask, "why are we still going on when the weather is this bad?" My husband's answer, "it is 11:30 pm and this truck stop is probably going to full"  Now this is an answer I get off and on when my loving husband becomes Eeyore, yes that's right Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, "oh bother".  When he becomes Eeyore it amuses me, because he is usually so positive.  He shared that he would make a trip around the lot just to make sure, but his statement was in no way a positive one.  Now I am not as positive as Vince, but I do always try to be positive about finding a parking spot. Vince, who I understand and agree has more experience, is often times negative about finding parking late at night.  However that night as Vince headed around the lot it was only a matter of seconds before I felt movement that made me believe we were adjusting to a parking spot.  The next thing I heard was the truck shut off and all I could do was smile because Eeyore was wrong there was a parking spot.  Although I didn't say anything about the spot, I did share with him that I was relieved that we were parked because within three minutes of stopping, the winds kicked up again and we were suddenly in the middle of a horrible lighting show and torrential rain storm.

After Baltimore we headed up to Harrisburg to the home office to drop our trailer and check in.  As we were talking to dispatchers Chris, Ric and Kevin about our weekend dispatch of Hartford to Rochester.  Kevin asked us to hold up because four agents in New Orleans had just cancelled for Monday. Therefore they were looking at sending us to New Orleans instead of Hartford, before heading to Los Angeles. We checked back in about an hour later and were told to head to NOLA. But before heading to NOLA we had to go to go north to Wappingers Falls, NY to pick up our Los Angeles trailer. We spent the weekend driving and driving and driving.  Okay Vince was driving and I was riding, but trust me being a passenger/cheerleader is tough work. On our travels south we found warmth and sushine but also found additional high water areas, which made us wonder if there is any part of the country right now not dealing with flooding.We arrived in NOLA on Monday in time to help Steve, the lead driver for Shrek put in the show.

Today Vince had to take a 34 hour break from driving, before we could head out again. It was so nice to sit for a day at the Palace truck stop just outside NOLA and get laundry caught up but more importantly just relax.  Tomorrow we are headed to the city of angels, which means another 1900 miles.  I am definitely getting my truckin in this time, no doubt about it.



Flooding in MT



Flooding in ND

Big Sky in May still means gloves and layers

Us in front of Big Sky Mountain

Chalets in Big Sky

Well I finally made it back to the truck.  My flights from Chicago to Seattle to Spokane were uneventful, but I do have one question.  Why do people who have boarding passes in the high B and C category get on Southwest flights, make their way all the way to the back of the plane then look at the flight attendants and ask - "What do I do now?" Seriously - here's an idea get in one of the many seats you passed on the trip to the back of the plane.  We were late getting out of Midway because eight people pulled that stunt.

My arrival in Spokane was a wonderful reunion for us.  I forget how much I love the truck until I get back in it.  Our trip to Big Sky was a lovely drive until we had to climb the mountain, because we got to do that in a driving rain storm.  The water was very high next to the road and just hours after we passed through a culvert became blocked by falling rocks and the road was closed for two days. Talk about your good timing.

We were in Big Sky, not some place Vince and the gang usually go, for the Asian Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) a governmental conference.  Vince was the lead driver on this assignment and in order for him to do it, we needed to go through what I believe was level one security background checks. Thankfully we were both approved, not that there was really any question about that, and so there we were  in Big Sky surrounded by mountains and oh yeah snow. One nice thing about the gig was that they provided Vince a condo for a week at the beginning - the first week of May and then for the weekend when we returned. Snow in the middle of May is just not my idea of a good time, especially when I found myself digging out my gloves Saturday night for Sunday morning's prediction of 32 degree temperatures.

However,the views were beautiful and after a rainy Saturday the sky opened up for two pretty nice days on Sunday and Monday.  I must confess that Vince did try to get me to go on one of the ski lifts on Sunday to get a better view but I was too chicken. I'm sure Elizabeth is not surprised since she has seen how scared I get on the sky ride at the Ohio State fair which is really not that high.  We are headed to Baltimore for a Friday load in and with a I-90 closed in between Harding, MT and the Wyoming border due to flooding, we are making our way via I-94. Which means I got to knock off another state North Dakota, that makes it 47 so far ,only VT and South Dakota of the 48 and Alaska left to see.

Wheels up today!

So glad to report I will be returning to the truck this evening.  I am flying to Spokane to catch up with Vince.  We are then headed to Big Sky, Montana.  So excited that I will be marking off another state.  After Montana I will be down to only 4 of our great 50 to see.  Stay tuned because you never know what stories may come from a 6+ hour flight and our trip (possibly in snow) to Montana.

Also wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you in the over 20 countries who have continued to check in on us over the last few months. Your support is greatly appreciated.  I never thought we would hit over a 1000 views so fast and hope you will continue to share and enjoy our journeys. 

WOOHOO! A day trip with Vince!

Vince made it home Tuesday for what we thought was only the evening, but thanks to a change in his dispatch, he is home until Saturday.  (See there are times when change is good.)  His initial dispatch was for him to travel from Rochester to Dayton to drop a Lion King trailer, then off to Orlando.  Now after dropping in Dayton, he is headed back to NYC to do the final Madagascar load out with Vic. 

So yesterday morning I got the opportunity to jump back in the truck for the day and travel to and from Dayton.  While this may not sound like an exciting trip to most, it was wonderful for me.  I realized as I got into the truck for the first time in seven weeks how much I miss riding in the truck and more importantly how much I miss Vince when we are apart.

As I climbed in the truck the smells of diesel and the interior of the truck were overwhelming.  I forget sometimes how strongly a sense like smell can comfort you and bring you back to a good place.   As I adjusted my seat and fastened my seat belt I felt nothing but excitement.  I was really getting away, even if it was only for a few hours. I’m sure the chance to escape life even for the day is always part of it, because lets face it we all love getting away from our lives now and then.  But I think for me being with Vince is the best part of getting away.  Believe me it’s not the, I like having a man around thing, because trust me I did fine for years without one.  It is Vince who is calm and funny and thankfully loves me no matter how crazy I get.    

As we headed across I-70 West I was like a kid again, looking around at all the scenery passing by and just enjoying the ride.  When we got to the drop yard in the Dayton area, two Clark drivers were in the yard.  There was Angelo, who I had not seen in a year and a half and Steve who I hadn’t seen in over two years.  Angelo is from New York. He and his two daughters, that were in the truck with him one summer, traveled with Vince and Vic around California and then back to the east coast.  They all had a wonderful time and we have so enjoyed watching the girls grow up through Angelo’s updates.  Steve lives in Indiana and his wife Lisa follows along with us on our adventures through the blog and Facebook.  The four of us stood around getting caught up for almost two hours. Then it was time for us to head home and for the guys to get settled in somewhere before their Sunday load out in Cincinnati.

On the way home I realized how much I miss the road.  I love my family and I’m thankfully for the home time, but the time with Vince traveling across the country is just so wonderful.  It may be that splitting the time between the truck and home makes me love the truck time more. Who knows if I were in the truck all the time, maybe it would get old and the homicidal thoughts would out number the fun time.  I know someday I hope to find out for sure.  But for now I will continue to count down the days until I return in mid May to my husband and our adventures on the road.

Change - A Big Part of Trucking!

While my return to the truck has been delayed that doesn’t mean that I am without an update. Although Vince and I thought we had a plan for the next six months of where we would be and when we would be there, that all changed when Vince and the other drivers were informed that the tour has suddenly been canceled, and now will end after the show goes into Radio City Music Hall on April 14 ^th. 

Change is a big part of trucking and while there were times in the past when I did not do well with these kinds of changes, I now roll with them in a much better way.  I’m pretty sure that in the past when Vince had to call to tell me about a change that meant he wouldn’t be coming through or that the arrangements for me to be with him were now changed, he probably looked at the mute button on his phone and thought about pushing it.

Yes, this cancellation now means that we will go back to having no idea what his income will be each week and planning my time out will be trickier because we will be working around an open schedule.  I am still confident it will all work out.  The Clark dispatchers, especially Kevin, are great at working with us to get me in and out of the truck and as far as the money goes, that is the life of an Owner-operator.  No week is ever the same unless a driver is hauling freight on some type of dedicated route (meaning the driver goes to the same locations every week) or in our case on tour. Also with many individuals out of work and struggling to make ends meet, we have nothing to complain about, these adjustments are mere speed bumps in our life that we always work through.

I am confident we will be together soon and still get to see the family members we would have seen had the tour continued as scheduled. Thankfully many of our family and friends live in big cities that are great supporters of the arts.  We also may get to see others that were not on the tour. After all, this week Vince was able to arrange for our great-niece Hannah to see the show while he was in Indianapolis.  Last year's tour canceled the Indy shows right before it was to get there, leaving poor Hannah very disappointed. Thankfully this year's cancellation didn't impact our plans for Hannah. Also, this weekend Vince got to finally meet and have lunch with our niece Rosaleen and her fiancé Steve while he was in Minneapolis.

But most importantly after freezing my behind off this past winter in the truck, you can bet I plan to return to the truck by May, so I can enjoy the fun and comfort of traveling in warm weather.  In the meantime, I ask that you hang in there with us, because I am sure Vince will have a story or two on his travels and it won’t be long before I will be once again sharing our travels and challenges on the road.    

Vince Proves You Can Go Home!

One of the perks of my job is the chance to visit family and friends scattered all over the country. Joan and I have had the opportunity to see sisters, nieces, nephews and friends that had moved away all while being paid to do so. On this trip I loaded into the Rosemont Theater in Rosemont IL, a western suburb of Chicago. Then on Wednesday I got to have dinner with an old friend I haven’t seen in at least ten years.

 I had reconnected with my friend Jesse through Facebook. We met up at the restaurant where I finally got to meet his daughter. She is now ten years old and I had only seen a picture of her when she was born. Jesse and I picked up where we left off those many years ago. We talked about family, friends, and the good times we had. I know it won’t be another ten years before I see him again I will make sure of it.

I then headed back to my little hometown, Dixon IL. I moved to Dixon when I was ten years old from Columbus Oh. At the time it was awful and horrible. My sister Nancy and I thought our lives were over, when really they were just beginning.

Dixon is a small town, population now is 16,000. When we moved there it was around 13,000. I remember going uptown on Saturday, after getting my allowance for mowing the yard and other chores, and going to Fulton’s Drug Store. They had a soda fountain, so my friends and I would get some lunch and head down to the basement of Fulton’s where Dave’s Hobby shop was. Oh it was a great place to be when you were kid. There were model trucks and cars and Dave was a master model railroader. All the local train buffs came in on Saturdays to check out what was new and get tips from Dave. Dave took pictures of trains and knew all about the different lines of the time. I was more interested in the model trucks. Dave would let me open the box up and look at the instructions so I could buy the right colors of paint I would need for my project. He would also order models for me, but I had to put down a $5.00 deposit. Then Saturday night was movie night at the old Dixon theatre. I saw Smokey and the Bandit there at least fifty times. After the movie I would slide down in my seat so no one could see me and wait for the next show, I only had enough money to see it once so I made sure I got my $5.00 worth. I would repeat this process over and over while it was there.

On this particular trip back I had a mission. The local VFW has built a park in memory of the local veterans. When my dad was still alive they had just started to build it and now it is quite the place. It was all done with donations from the members as well as some of the local businesses. It is maintained by the members and they have done a great job. My sisters and I bought a plaque for my dad and I finally got to see it. It is a great way to remember him and all of the others who have served. There is also a 9/11 tribute as well. The local chapter of the VFW should be proud, they have done great job.

 

Now that my trip down memory lane is finished it’s back to The Rosemont Theatre to load out on Sunday and head for Saginaw Mi. I hope to see Jesse again and that next time Joan will be with me.