Ever have a day when you wish you had stayed in bed?

Tuesday was definitely a day when Vince had wished he had stayed in bed. That morning we were up at 4:00 am in Lake Station, IN to head into Chicago.  It was snowing and as we headed onto the on ramp of the freeway we discovered that the on ramps in Indiana were apparently not a priority that day.  We saw a pick up had smashed into a barrier wall and there were other cars and trucks off the road on the various ramps as we made our way into the city.  Fortunately the roads were clear just not the ramps.

When we got into Chicago we were happy to see that the J&J driver of the single axle (small cab truck) was already there ready to put our trailer in the alley. Regular trucks are too big to maneuver trucks into the alley.  Since, trucks are not allowed on the streets of Chicago from 7:00 am – 9:00 am getting into the alley was very important.  Well wouldn’t you know in the alley was a truck delivering food products.  Instead of parking in the wider alley adjacent to the theatre he had parked where our trailer needed to go.  Vince explained to the gentleman that they needed the alley and he stated he would not be long.

While waiting for the driver to get out of the way Vince unhooked from our trailer so the J& J driver could hook up to it.  After unhooking we went around the J&J truck and pulled up to the curb on the left.  After pulling near the curb Vince started to back up with his four ways on to straighten us with the curb.  When we had gone around the J&J truck there was no one in the lane.  As Vince started to roll back we heard crunch sound.  Vince went to the back of the truck and found a cab driver had pulled in right behind us as he was backing up.  The collision caused very little damage a scratch on the hood of the cab and only took out our right (passenger side) light in the back.  But we were definitely getting the feeling this was going to be one of those days.

Remember the driver said he would not be long, well an hour and twenty minutes later he was still in the alley and it was 10 minutes until the 7:00 am curfew was to begin. Of course while we were waiting that hour and 20 minutes in the street we got a $75 parking ticket.  Once again Vince was wondering why he got out of bed that morning.

At 6:55 am the guy got out of the way it was finally time for our trailer to get backed into the alley.   All of that thankfully was uneventful. While the trailer was being loaded Vince called a Freightliner dealership just over the border in Indiana and they had our tail light.  So things were looking up a little at least as far as I was concerned.

We pulled out of the alley just after 9:00 am and headed to the Freightliner dealership.  As we were going through the toll booth in Indiana the monitor read our transponder for our EZ pass and gave us the green light, but the gate only went up 2/3 of the way.  Vince pushed the call button and explained the problem.  The woman on the other end said just a moment.  Then she came back on and asked us if it went up and we said no. She stated just a moment again.  She came back on and asked if we could drive under it and Vince shared no he had a semi, we got the just a moment again.  She came back on and said it will be a moment and apologized for the inconvenience.  At this point we were at 5-7 minutes of waiting. Vince went out to see if he could move the arm up but it was stuck.  The attendant the came back on and said it would now be another 10 minutes because someone was coming from somewhere else to look at it, but she apologized again for the inconvenience.  I had had it by that point because we all know 10 minutes wasn’t going to be 10 minutes. I got out of the truck and asked if Vince was sure I couldn’t hold up the arm while he drove under it.  We tried but I wasn’t strong enough to get it up high enough.  Vince then pushed the button and asked if we could remove the arm, the women said she couldn’t authorize him to take it off.  She didn’t say we couldn’t do it she said she couldn’t authorize us to do it.  So we took the arm off and were on our way.  We didn’t damage it by driving through it like someone in the lane next to us must have done because half the arm was gone; we just took it down and laid it beside the base.

After picking up the tail light we headed to the Flying J for breakfast, which thankfully was also uneventful.  As we were leaving the Flying J Vince turned on the wipers and the washer fluid didn’t come out.  It had been working fine all morning but now was not.  Vince started cussing and I started laughing, you know that Tom Hanks laugh in the Money Pit when the tub goes through the floor.  Vince appeared to be getting a little mad at me for laughing and I said “Honey you have to accept that this is the way the day is going to go, embrace it and go with it”.  He wasn’t happy with me or the truck but really what can you do but embrace it.  Fortunately the rest of the day went smoothly, which I believe confirms that embracing it works. We were able to travel through Indiana and then stop in Ohio for night without further incident.

We delivered to two shops yesterday in CT and today head back to Chicago.  Unfortunately, we were taken off a Chicago to Durham run and instead get to spend two days shuffling trailers in and out of Chicago.  Apparently someone thinks I like cold places because I have spent many Januarys going in and out of Buffalo and now this year it’s been Chicago.

I’m here because I’m entertaining.

We left Columbus last Sunday and headed to Cleveland for an Elf load out.  The show was closing therefore everything was headed back to the shops.  Our load was to be in Annapolis Junction, MD by Monday morning.  I had a very tough time Sunday night getting back into staying up.  I believe part of it was just getting back out on the road and the other was I didn’t have my Dunkin Donuts coffee Sunday morning.  I will not make that mistake again.  I abandon Vince around Midnight and while I didn’t fall asleep I was way more comfortable in bed than in my seat.

On Monday morning, I looked out the window and noticed a trailer beside us.  I asked Vince if that trailer was here when we arrived.  He answered “Honey that’s our trailer”.  Obviously, I was not paying attention that if we were hooked up to our trailer we wouldn’t be right next to a trailer. I laughed and asked him “tell me again why you like having me out here”.  He laughed and said “because it’s entertaining”.  I know it’s true because I once had my glasses on, picked up a pair of glasses that were on the counter and asked whose glasses are these.  I am usually organized and have it together. My only explanation is I must totally relax out on the road which leads to entertainment for my husband.

Yesterday, Vince had moved trailers in this lovely lot so that the Gotta Dance crew can pull things off the storage trailers and move them onto the trailer we brought from Harrisburg.  The lot is housing Gotta Dance and Lion King and as you can see it is not very big. It was an adventure. Today we are hanging out in cold but thankfully clear Lake Station, IN. 

Tomorrow, we return to the lot for the transfer. Tuesday morning, we head into Chicago where the Gotta Dance crew will take some stuff off and load on things that need to go back to shops.  After they are done we will head to NJ and CT with the returns for Thursday deliveries.   

Maryland Wins the Foliage Contest for Fall 2015

The winner this year for best foliage is Maryland.  As you can see the colors were vibrant and beautiful.  While we saw many beautiful scenes across the Midwest and East Coast this year, Maryland definitely was our favorite.

After a weekend of trucking from Annapolis Junction, MD to Sewell, NJ then Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh, we have arrived home.  The weekend, while yes not a lot of miles still ended up being very long due to the timing and time of the load ins and load out on Sunday and Monday.

 

Love DC at 2:00 am for its beauty and the roads are clear of traffic

This trip out was a very nice one.  We had wonderful weather throughout the month. We also met some very nice people along the way and got to see beautiful scenery.  Not much more you can ask for and while many may not believe this, I am looking forward to returning to the truck in January, despite what weather may await me.

    

4:00 am on a Dirt Road

Minneapolis on Sunday Night

The Mobil Truck Stop - Home away from home for a few days

After Appleton we stopped for a few days at a small Mobil truck stop in Waupaca, WI.  We had only planned on staying there for the night then moving on to someplace closer to Minneapolis.  But the Three Squares Restaurant, the nice staff at the restaurant, the extremely nice/clean bathrooms and sidewalk for walking won us over.  On Saturday, our breakfast waitress from Thursday not only remembered us but Vince’s order too.  It gave us a hometown feeling that you don’t find very often on the road.

Sunday night load out of the closing of the Little Mermaid was long. We didn’t leave the theatre until 3:45 am ET. Last show load outs take longer because items need to be divided for returns to the different shops, lights, audio and sound each go back to their respective shops.  We were loaded with scenery and audio, which meant two stops for us.

Our first delivery was to Springdale PA at 7:00 am Tuesday which was 800+ miles away.  These are the types of runs where day becomes night and night becomes day.  It is a tough thing to accomplish and I find that sadly the older I get the harder it is to do. But this time I took the avenue of only drinking my usual 16 oz of coffee and hydrating with only water (no additional caffeine).  Surprisingly, it actually worked and I was less tired throughout the trip.

At 4:00 am on Tuesday morning we arrived at the warehouse in Springdale.  To get to the dock Vince has to back down a dark, somewhat curvy dirt road, so I offered to help. I am sure I was a sight, standing on that dirt road in my black dress spring/fall coat (it has a nice hood on it and it was windy) with a reflective vest over it and a two way radio in my hand.  I asked Vince if he could see me at the back of the trailer and he answered very surprisingly that in fact he could.  

As I moved back and forth through the curves, I had to walk sometimes backwards to keep an eye on the trailer position as it moved and other times front ways as to not walk into a hole (trust me it was pitch black other than the trailer lights several feet away).  I found myself reflecting on how happy I was at that moment.  It was 4:00 am, I was coming off 48 hours of a topsy turvy sleep pattern, it was cold and windy and yet I was truly happy. I felt peaceful in the darkness because it was completely quiet other than the sound of the truck whirling as Vince would gently press the accelerator. I thought about how I was making things easier for Vince and was proud of how much I have learned over the last 7 years about how a trailer moves, which meant that I was actually helping.    It is amazing sometimes the things that bring us pure joy and I knew in that moment it was exactly what I was feeling.   I am just very thankful I took notice of the moment and appreciated it before it past me by.

Yonkers this morning, yes, it was tight and yes, that is a car parked in front of us

After Springdale it was off to New York for a 7:00 am delivery in Yonkers this morning for the unloading of the audio equipment.  Getting over the George Washington Bridge went amazingly smoothly last night which trust me is not always the case.  Our delivery also went smoothly and shockingly we got out of the city with ease, something neither of us once again expected.

 

Next up - Annapolis Junction, Maryland on Friday.

A Busy Fall 2015 Already

fall in PA

As we headed out at the end of September I was once again excited for the opportunity to see the fall colors around the country.  Little did I know how many different places we would travel in the first two and a half weeks of the trip that would give me that opportunity.  At one point the first week I told Vince I might need a map, some pushpins and colored string to keep it all straight.

Eclipse - East Lansing

 In the first two and a half weeks we have done the following moves:

East Lansing to Boston (saw the eclipse)

Boston to New Windsor, NY

Rock Tavern, NY to Durham (thankful for only rain & high winds due to hurricane)

Durham to Washington, DC (watched planes take off from Reagan while sitting on my perch at the Kennedy Ctr)

Rock Tavern, NY to Boston

Boston to Harrisburg to DeKalb, IL

DeKalb, IL to Columbus, OH (got to due laundry with my own washer and dryer and check in with family and a friend while Vince relaxed)

Columbus, OH to Appleton, WI 

The Potomac on a beautiful fall day

Homeland Security circling DC

Load out at the Ohio Theatre

Yesterday after leaving Appleton, WI, we visited the EAA Museum in Oshgosh, an aviation museum that has 90 planes, including a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis and a very impressive WWII room.  We once again experienced how small a world we live in.  When we approached the greeter at the museum he asked where we were from. We stated Columbus, Ohio, and he shared he had gone to medical school at OSU.  We then talked a little about the football team before he shared with us the layout of the museum.  This isn’t the first time we have run into someone with a connection to us or the towns we have lived in and I am sure it won’t be the last.

5th Air Force was Vince's Dad's unit in WWII , the exhibit includes a wall that shows where all units served during the war along with details about the units role in the war and items from that unit.

Today, we are in Waupaca, WI before heading to Minneapolis, MN where it will all start up again.

Winding Roads, a Casino Resort and Family!

Jillian and Charlotte

Last year when we went to the casino resort in NM it was very far off the beaten path, so much so that we thought we had possibly missed it until I saw the billboards asking Gambling Problem? Once we saw those we knew we were close rather than had over shot it.  That trek did little to prepare me for the winding roads we had to travel down when we got off the 15 in California and headed toward the Harrah’s Resort in Valley Center.

I-15 on our way down from Barstow - LA trying to rival NY

The hairpin turns and steep drop offs tested my heart more than once.  I worried that traffic coming the opposite way would think they had some lead way going left of center which they did not and worried we too may go left of center.  Vince had called asking for directions twice on our way there but never received a call back.  You can only imagine how unhappy I was when we were told the morning of load in that there was an easier way to go when we left.  Really? Thanks! We would have appreciated that info a day or two sooner.  Although I must say that the staff at the resort were great.  Everyone was friendly and very welcoming.

Harrah's Resort Valley Center

After load in on Friday we enjoyed a nice lunch and dinner, some gambling and pool time.  The show is kind enough to include the driver in the meal and hotel room package.  It was nice to get out of the truck after the long haul across the country.  The sad thing was usually you put the two of us in a casino and we are up until the wee hours of the morning but that Friday night we were asleep by 11:00 pm.

Our view from our hotel room

Jillian, Charlotte and Me

On Saturday our niece Jillian who lives in San Diego and her baby Charlotte came to visit us.  Jillian’s husband Joe had to work and while we were sorry we didn’t get to see him, we totally understand weekend work schedules. It was so good to see Jillian and to meet baby Charlotte. The nice thing about seeing family and friends on the road is we get one on one time with them.  We really get to hear how things are going and what is new in their lives.  Also I think they would agree we are the perfect visitors we bring our own accommodations and we don’t over stay our welcome. 

Jillian, Charlotte and Vince

Baby Charlotte is as sweet as sweet can be.  The only time she cried was when Aunt Joan pulled her bottle to see if she had a burp in her.  Let me tell you she let me know very quickly that she wanted the bottle and not to burp.

Another Great Pic of Momma and Baby

Our trip back to Connecticut included a stop in Las Vegas to drop a few things at a shop. It is not as glamorous as some may think it means just going to a shop near the airport and having the things removed from the back of the trailer then heading east. It was a long trip back, partly due to the heat in the southwest, rain in the Midwest and mainly because it was just long days of driving, okay I don’t drive but you know what I mean.  It is almost time for me to go home, but we have one more move before this trip is over, so stay tuned. 

Connecticut to California: A 2900+ mile adventure

Sundown in Eastern AZ

 Our trip across the country was fairly uneventful until we got to California. But before I share that event I would like to share some comments, ideas, thoughts, whatever you care to call them is okay with me that come to mind after this trip:

• Four wheelers (car drivers) please don’t slam on your brakes when approaching an exit, playing with your GPS, phone or whatever else it is you find necessary to play with while driving down the road.  We do not wish to kill you but you must remember it takes football fields to stop a semi; semis do not stop on a dime.
• Semi drivers please turn on your four ways when you drop down to 30 miles an hour on perfectly flat roads, this happened not once, not twice but three times.  Vince and other drivers would prefer not to kill you, me or themselves when trying to deal with you and other traffic
• Construction workers please do not put barrels/cones a ¼ or a 1/3 into the clear/travel lane and expect cars and semis not to pick them off and send them flying.  We did not do so but others did and the shoulders were no picnic so we could understand why and how it happened.
• Construction workers in AZ please check each day to see what your sign says about which lane is closed, and if you are not going to do so, please don’t get all pissy with traffic and dramatically signal at people that they are in the wrong lane and need to suddenly get over.  Think Think Think! Why is everyone in the left lane when the left lane is closed?

Bridge in CT

So now onto our event travelling into California, shortly after you enter California on I-40 from Arizona there is a check point everyone must stop at.  Vince always shows the California Official his bill of lading, he/she reviews it and we go on our way.  Yesterday the young man while reviewing the Bill of Lading asked Vince it was hot enough for him (it was 116 degrees).  Vince replied that at least we had air conditioning while the young man had to stand out in the heat and inquired how he was doing. 

New Mexico

Well don’t you know that about five to seven minutes down the road our air conditioning went out?  I said to Vince “you had to say well at least we have air conditioning” and he replied he was thinking the same thing, talk about jinxing us.  For those who don’t know me very well I am extremely superstitious. 

New Mexico

Let me assure you that it gets really hot in a vehicle really fast when it is 100+ degrees.  Fortunately Vince spotted a truck repair place at the first exit we came to after this occurred.  He first checked it himself to see what the problem might be but not seeing any obvious reasons: belts loose, frozen compress, etc, we headed to the Great West Truck Repair. 

 

Arizona

When Vince came back after checking us in, he shared that it would be two hours before they would be able to get to us.  But then the next thing I knew Vince was back to unhook us from the trailer to take us over to be worked on.  Apparently when the air conditioner was repaired in Pennsylvania a year or two ago the settings were done for Pennsylvania and not for heat like CA.  Don, our nice technician, who happened to be originally from Akron, made adjustments to the manufactured specs and on came the air conditioning.  We were back on the road within two hours of the start of our ordeal, very thankful for shops like Great West that have helped us out more than once on our travels.

 

California

I had planned to take pictures in every state as we passed through but it rained a great deal through the Midwest, so no good photos ops from those states.  Instead I am posting those I was able to get along the way.  Today we are in Barstow, CA and will travel down to the Harrah’s Resort in Valley Center this evening.  I will share with you our adventures at the resort in my next post. For those in our family – we are once again getting to see family. J