And Sometimes Change Puts You Behind!

So, last Sunday we got to eat at the restaurant in Durham that has my favorite Mac n cheese.  Thankfully, load out went smoothly and we were on our way to Orlando.  As we drove overnight to Orlando I was reminded how much the little things that occur the trips are the things that stay with me for years.  I have found that there is a moment when driving overnight that I get tired. It doesn’t matter how much I sleep during the day, I’m still going against my body clock and just get tired.  Twice this time that moment arrived and both times an old song came on that made us both start singing.  That moment like several others over the years created energy in the truck and helps me to keep going.  There are several songs that I now hear either in the car, in a store or in the truck, that takes me back to those moments, like it was yesterday.  The songs remind me how much I enjoy our time together as well as how music influences our lives.

After arriving in Orlando, it was time for the challenge of getting me home.  While it was nice to have a day of warmth, the distance between Orlando and home we knew may become a problem.  It was determined on Monday that we were to head to Atlanta, which took us into the storm that stretched from Texas to the Carolinas.  As we headed up I-75 on Tuesday the closest we got to Atlanta was Tifton, Georgia.  We stopped there due to the closing in of sleet on the radar.  One of the factors Vince had to consider in this situation was the number of and sizes truck stops between Tifton and Atlanta.  Macon already showed sleet had arrived and that would most likely mean the truck stops would be full, it would have been foolish to push on, only to find out there was no parking.

Vehicles on the side of the road in Atlanta

Instead of getting home on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, we sat in Tifton on Tuesday and Wednesday more due to the conditions in Atlanta then Tifton.   As most everyone knows Atlanta became paralyzed due to the storm.  Our niece, Katie who lives in Atlanta endured a grueling 6.5 hour drive home on Tuesday.  Thankfully she made it, as opposed to the reported over 2,000+ motorist who abandon their cars that evening.  On our way through Atlanta on Thursday we counted 206 cars still sitting on the side of the road. 

One thing I haven’t share yet about this trip was that our refrigerator died while we were in Massachusetts.  When a refrigerator dies in a home it is easy to replace. We scout the ads go to a few stores, pick out the new one and arrange delivery.  When a refrigerator dies in a custom sleeper, I learned the process isn’t so easy.  Vince called a couple RV suppliers in Massachusetts and in Durham and all indicated while they could order the refrigerator it would take two weeks to get it.  We had a day or two not two weeks.  Vince then found Truck Fridge in Georgetown, Kentucky - truckfridge.com and learned that ordering was not an issue because they had the refrigerator in stock.  On Friday morning we got there shortly after they opened and after Vince wired, plugged in and installed the fridge, we were on our way.  I would highly recommend Truck Fridge to any truck driver or RV owner; they carry all types of refrigerators and were very nice to work with on the phone and in person.

Now I am settling into home, a few days later which shortens my time to get things done before returning to work. There is a month’s worth of mail to go through, the adjusting to getting up on a work schedule as opposed to truck schedule and hardest of all getting use to being alone again.  After six weeks with Vince at home and on the road, adjusting to life alone again takes time, not only me but Vince too.  Home and the truck are a lot quieter.  However, it is our life and the happiness that comes from sharing it with Vince makes it all worth it.