On the road again

We had a great TAH for four days. Had some rain, some great spring weather, got some golfing in, and of course more than a little sewing. Got a few naps in, some yard chores and really enjoyed Grandma and Grandpa. Very enjoyable days off.

Joe and Beth came home from Branson Monday afternoon so we were able to spend some time with them too. Now we're back on the road for 17 days then off to Las Vegas for 5 days. Seems like a pretty good schedule to Teresa and myself.

Still no baby from Scott and Jennie. Jennie's having a baby girl and already she's proving out her character - she will arrive when she's darn ready.

We're back at it. Yesterday we picked up an empty trailer in OKC and dropped it in Tulsa at the Whirlpool factory and picked up a load of appliances. We dropped it at the Lowes D/C in Mt. Vernon, TX. When we arrived we had to wait for 30 minutes. Their computers had gone down. Can you believe it, computers crashing ???

We treked on over to the Pilot in Sulphur Springs, TX to fuel up and shower. Our next w/a has us picking up a load of water in Hawkins, TX and delivering in Houston tonight at 2000. We'll leave here around 1000 and head for the shipper. That gives us ample time to enjoy our morning.

We Made it Home

Wednesday we delivered about 1030 and waited for our get-us-home work assignment. Then we waited some more. Then we took a walk for 30 minutes. We were sitting about 340 miles from our home base. That's a bit too far to deadhead or bobtail and no loads were going west out of Little Rock. We were getting ready to go eat lunch and then our next w/a came. It always happens that way; try to take a nap or plan to do something else and the w/a will arrive.

We headed east 140 miles to W. Memphis to pick up a relay load headed to Dollar General in Ardmore, OK 450 miles west. We delivered Thursday at 1145, 30 minutes early and bobtailed back to the drop lot in OKC.

We got to Grandma's yesterday about 1500 and chatted and opened mail. Grandpa took us out to Enrique's for dinner. He sure likes to spoil us when we're home. Mrs. Boss has breakfasts and dinners planned for the next four days, Belgian waffles for breakfast today and grilled salmon for dinner tonight.

I guess I'll have to fit my golfing in between cooking sessions. Remember the buxom Kissing Bandit ? I have this idea; we pass enumerable golf courses in our travels and I'm thinking to bring 3 clubs and a putter and play one hole at as many courses as I can. Of course I'll have to safely park and "jump the fence" then play one hole and get back to the truck. Anyway if I get the courage to actually do it I'll be the Golfing Bandit. Seems like fun in my head, we'll see how it works in practice.

Not much else to report, just planning on resting up and recharging. We'll be back on the road Tuesday morning. Teresa got her appointments rescheduled for today (Friday) and Monday so it all worked out.

We're not giving up yet...

HEY, look at the bottom of the posts - the comments link is now green. I tried white but that obliterated something else.... that didn't take too long now did it ?

It's Wednesday morning and we're a long way from home. I'm pissed but Mrs. Boss is hanging in there.

We delivered our load in Burlington, WI and Teresa had the appearances of coming down with the flu, oh shoot!!! I pulled away headed for a drug store to get some Tylenol and our next w/a came in. Not quite what I was looking for. We're to head up north to Neenah, WI and pick up a load of printed cardboard to deliver around Little Rock, AR. Not real bad but after delivery we'll still be 300 miles from OKC.

Throughout the morning Teresa still felt pretty rough. No vomiting but fever and headache. A few more Tylenol. Tuesday morning she woke without the headache and fever. She's a trooper I tell ya.

We got a good start Tuesday from Bloomington, IL and stopped in at the Edwardsville OC for a couple of maintenance issues; leaking coolant and short in the lights. Got the short fixed and made sure my extra bottles of coolant were filled. While there I contacted my DBL to let her know we were in Edwardsville (suburb of St. Louis) in case there was a load we could swap with another driver and head closer to OKC. After a little rumination she decide there might be. Three hours later she realized they had had a communication snafu and that, no, it wasn't going to work. We wasted three hours waiting for them.

We're now in Neelyville, MO on the AR/MO border. The sun is coming up and we're still about 180 miles from our delivery and 300 miles from OKC. Yesterday my DBL had indicated that there were no loads out of Little Rock headed west, which was why I had tried for the swap in Edwardsville. Now we're not sure what's going to transpire today.

But I'm still pissed, over three weeks on the road and we're ready to head for the barn. Teresa has made some appointments for tomorrow so we're anxious to make it, but it doesn't look good at this point. I figue to be done by 1130 this morning. Best case is they bobtail us to OKC, that's what I'm shooting for, but you can't tell what they're shooting for.

Minesooota is soooo cold

We dropped our trailer in Sartell, MN yesterday about 1500 and inquired as to whether our load for the next day was ready. Security couldn't figure it out for sure so we left. Went to the mall in St. Cloud and wandered around, the place was packed. There must be something in the water there, seemed like everyone was carrying babies.

We rented "Australia" at the Red Box - $1 each. Very good movie. Think I'll start calling the Funny Lady - Mrs. Boss from now on.

Boy it was cold out last night, got down to 35 degrees. Had to add blankets and turn on the heater. I think we prefer the 100 degrees of Laredo.

The ride on down to Madison, WI was lush and beautiful, almost caught another deer.

We're spending the night in Janesville, WI which is about 50 miles from our consignee. We'll be on the road by 0700 and empty by 0900 and hopefully on our way enroute to OKC. With 3 days left we ought to be headed that way. I hope so, Mrs. Boss has made three appointments for Thursday.

Grand Rapids, MN

It's Friday afternoon and we're in Grand Rapids, MN. These are the headwaters of the great Mississippi river. Amazing to see the difference up here in Minnesooota, and what it looks like down in Missouri.

Wednesday we finished up in Kansas City, MO. Then dropped our trailer at another customer, picked up another trailer at a Schneider lot and headed south to Harrisonville, MO to pick up laundry products destined for Menard's in Eau Claire, WI. We dropped the trailer and our next w/a was coming through.

Another driver got stuck behind an accident in Chicago and couldn't finish his w/a. He dropped his trailer in Eau Claire and we picked it up. The load was to deliver to 3 Sears catalog stores in Minnesoooota. The first drop was for 0800 and in Virginia, MN, 230 miles away from Eau Claire. Had to leave at 0400 this morning in order to make it. We made all the deliveries on time and were finished by 1300 in Grand Rapids, MN. I had indicated that when we were finished we had only 1 hour left to run. Didn't really want to keep going.

There aren't any truck stops in the area so we checked into the Itascan hotel and walked into town. We took the Mississippi river pictures and wandered through downtown GR.




The Old Central School built in the 1890's was the site for the Welcome Anglers party. Tomorrow is the opening of the fishing season and the city is packed with fisher people and their boats.

There's the Funny Lady in front of the Blandin Foundation. It's an old philantropic organization providing grants, scholarships and community support in rural Minnesoooota.

We're done for Friday and 4 days left till TAH, we'll see what comes up tomorrow.

E. St. Louis, IL

Our truck likes the beach, too.

That's my Funny Lady walking along the beach.

She was able to throw some bread for the seagulls, they catch it in mid air.

We arrived in Atlanta about 0830. At this consignee you can only arrive one hour early for your appointed time. So we hit WalMart to get caught up on groceries. Teresa got a haircut. We're set now !!!

Dropped our trailer and waited for our next w/a. Nuttin honey. About an hour later we got it. The trailer should arrive in the early afternoon at the Atlanta OC so we headed over there. And waited and waited some more. The load has to be in Kansas City by 1000 on Thursday. We waited some more. Finally at 1700 it arrives. If you have ever seen traffic in Atlanta you will know we DID NOT go out at 1700. One other obstacle was - "where are we going to be so Teresa can see DWTS ? " So we stayed at the OC with the agreement that I could head out at 0500 both days. We covered 584 of 794 today, leaving 210 for tomorrow. Should be easy money for our AT appt of 1000. Still going to leave between 0500 and 0600 so as to miss traffic.

We're off to KC in the morning 7 days till TAH.

You were thinking Laredo ?

I'll bet you were thinking we're still in Laredo, TX, right ? Nope. We made it on time to the CN and got unloaded pretty quickly. We headed over to the OC there. Somewhere along the way I had lost a mud flap on the truck so I wanted it fixed. Teresa went in to start laundry while I went to the shop. I noticed the thermometer INSIDE the shop indicated 100 degrees. They replaced the flap and replaced 1 tire pretty quickly. We showered and ate a Hormel Roast Pork and vegetables dinner. Very good.

While at the shop our next w/a came in... pick up a trailer there at the OC and drop in Atlanta, GA Monday at 1100.

Since it was so hot we bobtailed up to the Pilot with IdleAire and ran their A/C for a couple of hours till it cooled down outside, which it seems to do pretty quickly. Must be the desert air.

Friday night we saw a border patrol capturing a "runner" coming over the fence along I35. Saturday we saw a hawk swoop down and grab what looked like a 6 foot long snake. Since we were in rattlesnake country we're assuming it was one.

Saturday we bobtailed back and picked up the trailer load of appliances and headed out. The route was the reverse of our route down to Laredo. Made it Lake Charles, LA.

Sunday we had to make tracks as we planned to spend some time on the beach in Biloxi/Gulfport, MS, very nice, not too hot yet. Got some pictures, but I forgot the camera this morning. I'll catch up. We covered 600 miles. Teresa got to watch "Amazing Race." Next week is the finals.

We didn't get any rain, little mist here and there. Apparently there had been some big storms ahead of us. When we got to LaGrange, GA we were planning on eating and showering but all the power was out. Cereal for dinner and no shower !!!

We'll make it to Atlanta by 1000 this morning. After dropping we'll only have 6 driving ours left for the day so. Not sure how that will effect our next w/a.

10 days left to TAH. Turns out Joe and Beth will be in Branson that week so we won't see them, hope they'll still let us stay at their place.