Turn The Page

There was a political rant here about why I'm losing interest in my usual talk radio programs lately, but it speaks volumes to instead spam backspace and spare you.  Let's just say that in between all the bullshit on SiriusXM there have been a lot of ads for Amazon's audio book store, Audible.com.  Meet the newest edition of my channel 19 plugs.

Last time I listened to an audio book I’m pretty sure it was The Bernstein Bears and needless to say it was on a tape deck.  Wasn’t even sure I’d like it now but the price was right.  1 free each month and half off any I want to buy in the meantime.  I decided to get the audio version of the Halo book that’s traveled over a hundred thousand miles with me but has never been cracked once.  Time seems to fly by now, not quite as fast as listening to my radio shows but still faster than music alone.

It was long ago, it was far away- so much better than it is today

Long time since we met at 322

Going the distance?  Yea Sheila 2.0 and I have been places.  A lot of the same ground, but a distance nonetheless.  The trip we're on now is like none we've done before.



Well, done with Roehl, that is.  Actually I've done this several times

Shit just got real.

Real anticlimactic, that is.  Basically I'm doing a 5am delivery, an 11am live load, then hightailing it straight back to Wisconsin.  In some sense, it's a GOOD thing that the Game Developers Conference is going on in San Francisco this week, thus most of my colleagues are out of town anyway.  Maybe if these loads get more frequent I might get a chance for a proper [on location] college reunion.

I guess there was going to be more blog here but... yea.  I forgot just how much of nothing there is out here.  That sprawling nothing between Toledo and Gary feels like a Dunks run next to this

Twilight Zone

The above and beyond things we do for our employers.  As much as it sucks for miles I don’t mind doing a delivery in Tewksbury my first day out.  Have to pick it up in Springfield?  Ok fine.

Wait, delivery time is what, now?   0600?  Now you owe me one.  Nobody likes starting their 9-5 job at 2am.

That started a chain reaction that lasted 3 straight days of starting at 0200-0300 and done by 1600-1700.

I finally broke it with a push for customer service to get an appointment time changed from 0600 to 0900 on day 4.  I said there was no way in hell I was going to get up at midnight.  That cycle wreaks havoc on my energy level.  As soon as the drive time runs out in the early afternoon I pass out, lethargically wake up at 7pm, eat, go back to sleep, get up at 0200 and do it again.  Doesn’t do well for my already sluggish interpretation of how productive I am in my free time.  They didn’t put up a fight.

Kentucky SWAG

The only upshot of that night-rider finale was that it was headed for southwestern Virginia by way of Kentucky.  Yay!  Blazing new trails…. Except for that part where its 200 miles on a can-of-worms/malaria-germs state road through the heart of the Appalachians.  Find an interstate between Lexington, KY and Wytheville, VA.  You won’t.  Wish I didn’t have to do most of it before the sun came up, not only was it a pitch black ride over mountains and mining towns, fog limited my sight to ½ mile or less most of the time.  Maybe next time it will be a little more picturesque.  I made bank this week so ha.

Way Down the Line

Had no pictures ready this time.  Deal with it.   Nvm lol, ripped them off my flickr

Since the last update there have been many run-of-the-mill day to day assignments, so nothing really new to report.  The one exception being the bass-ackwards 3-stop pickup originating in Wilmington, DE and going to Stevens Point, WI near HQ.  What made it extraordinary was getting loaded with the wrong stuff on pickup 2/3 in southern NJ and being told to go ahead to WI anyway, only to be a third of the way across PA and get a call saying "Oh, nvm lol we need to bring that back to NJ and get the right stuff loaded."  All this while Nemo was raping New England with snow I was getting rained on like it wasn't even funny.  Meanwhile dispatch is worried that I'm going to get buried up to my windshield and conversely I was worried about drowning.  Got paid for every mile AND the detention time so I would say no harm no foul, but I suffered mental anguish driving through the same towns 4 times in 48 hours.

Oh yea.  The Camping trip went down on the following weekend.  Last year I missed it, this year I made it.  
My how the year has flown by since that fateful Thursday in Montreal.  Could have been a bit warmer but it also could have been a LOT worse.  Keeping my hopes up for next year.  Seriously, managing beer to the proper temperature using only a raging fire and snow is almost more trouble than its worth.

Dress appropriately

5 Axles : NOPE

If we were actually ON Mt. Washington we'd probably be dead.