The Gear Jammer

Videocast 3: GrindKing Returns...

2007-11-17T22:54:00.000-08:00

New Feed

2006-07-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

Just to let everyone know, I have a new feed for all future podcasts.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

Podcast 12 is posted although I'm still waiting for iTunes to validate the feed. The old feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheGearJammer is still active for this blog as well.

Sacramento, CA -- Leave Of Absence

2006-05-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know I have been dealing with a personal situation that began on April 10, 2006 and is still unresolved as of the present. I have had to devote nearly all of my resources and time to handle my affairs and I truly apologize to all who emailed me for a status report.

Please know that my situation may affect my ability to drive a commercial vehicle and if so, I will have to change gears a bit and start doing something different for the time being. I will post an update of my status as things begin to settle down. For the time being I am in Sacramento, CA until further notice.

In the mean time I want to thank those of you who were kind enough to email me with your comments and inquiries as to my status. I have every intention of continuing to podcast and have an alternative venue I have been contemplating for some time now. I will be launching another website soon which will serve as the online headquarters for 'Customer Service America', a BBB style archival system for businesses that need to improve the level of customer service they are offering. In addition, this site will host many educational and training opportunities which business owners may use to revitalize their image and improve the methods and practices for a more proactive approach to customer service.

This is all contingent upon their participation in our 'Revitalization Project' in which they will undergo a 3 day assessment and agree to be profiled by our staff so that areas of opportunity may be isolated. Customer Service America is going to debut with a national expose on the business practices of Cingular Wireless who have the absolute worst rating in America today. We also bring Tom Bodette into the spotlight as we find drug traffic and prostitution are frequent flyers at the Motel 6 we profiled including an exclusive interview with Crack-Head Kim a prostitute and crack smoker who didn't mind telling it all in our podcast.

This is one show you don't want to miss folks!

Seattle, WA

2006-04-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

First thing I need to do is apologize for my lengthy absence. I have been dealing with a virus the likes of which I've never seen before. This thing is not only destroying my system files and propogating itself like most viruses, it actually uninstalls programs or moves the entire contents of the folder so that the program no longer functions. It's almost intelligent and seems to go into hiding or become dormant when I aggressively seek it with different virus scanning and spyware removal software I've had to purchase due to it rendering my McAfee and Spybot programs useless.

I don't want to make the claim that this is a new virus until I substantiate my findings, but currently I have been working to eradicate this thing for 2 weeks now and for all my efforts it is still firmly embedded in my system and although I can keep it at bay by running a script that scans the system every 10 minutes for the latest viruses and spyware, it has still managed to evade detection and/or fool the scan into thinking it found something but in reality it just places random files throughout the system which my software identifies as various malware and such. Deleting these files solves nothing and is almost like this thing is toying with me.

This Virus seems intelligent because it seems to evolve and 'learn' as I fight to destroy it. Each time I fix something and get a handle on it, the Virus changes it's mode of attack on my system so that I have to start again.

To date this program has done the following damage:

Rendered Spybot Search & Destroy unable to connect to it's server to check for updates.

Corrupted McAfee Virus Scan so that it will not open.

Uninstalled McAfee Security Center completely.

Placed over 100 different files throughout my system that are for the most part adware or tracking cookies which I believe are only created to keep the Spyware programs busy.

Added shortcuts to various sites in my Favorites folder for Internet Explorer.

Hijacked the home page and locked me out of the internet options panel on Internet Explorer.

Crashed my Windows Explorer (Desktop) over a dozen times now.

You won't believe this last one... I wouldn't if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.... It actually RE-WROTE the windows code for the GUI on my internet connection software so that the button that I click to CONNECT was just not there. Not only that, but it removed certain other graphical elements of the connection manager so that my NETWORK tab was missing as well as a few other tabs that had to do with monitoring network status.

That's just incredible. I have never seen anything like this and I'm stunned to put it mildly. I had to reinstall the entire program for my Sierra Wireless Aircard in order to get the GUI back to normal. I was essentially unable to go online until I did this. This Virus not only corrupts files, IT REWRITES THE GUI CODE!

And the latest tactict this thing has taken is to lock the task bar so that my icons are inaccessable. By that I mean my Connection Manager and McAfee programs by default load when Windows starts and they load into the task bar at the bottom right of the screen. I would normally just click on the icon to invoke the program, but since the taskbar is essentially 'Frozen' Windows can't or doesn't load those programs when it starts now. If I want to run those programs I have to manually open them from the actual folders as the shortcuts are also not functional anymore.... Why don't the shortcuts work you ask? Well it's really simple, the folders that the shortcuts point to are EMPTY. Yes, it takes the contents of the folders and just moves them to another folder. UNBELIEVABLE.

Windows is becoming increasingly more unstable and I don't think I can keep booting to Safe Mode to fix problems much longer. My files are backed up for the most part though in the event that I lose this battle.

If you are saying to yourself.. Why don't you just format the hard drive? Well I will be formating soon and will update both McAfee and a few others who have asked for me to document what I can on this and forward it.

I'm in Seattle, WA and not sure where I'm headed next. I will update as soon as I know anything. I'm sorry for not having a podcast up yet but it's been impossible due to the situation with my laptop.

Usk, WA

2006-03-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm looking for a preloaded trailer here at Ponderay Newsprint in Usk, WA that I will be delivering to the San Jose Mercury News. This area is beautifull. It's Pend-Orielle County and we are close to the Canadian border here. For any trivia fans out there, this is the spot where Twin Peaks was located in David Lynch's popular television series several years ago. Much of the filming was done on location in these woods.

I was a huge Twin Peaks fan and created a couple of websites which never really got finished. You can see them here:

One Eyed Jack's Casino
The Book House Boys - A blog idea that I had

Well I just wanted to update everyone and you can click my Geo-Position to see where Usk, Wa is located. Also I have decided to fix the problem I discussed in Podcast 10 where my files were disappearing from iTunes. My solution is to move all media files to a seperate feed. When I do this I will post the new subscription link. It should be a smooth transition. I will update this blog with shortcuts in the posts that contain media files.

I am working also on several new podcasts for you to enjoy. My daughter is definitely signed up for co-hosting and while I'm in the bay area we will get together and throw that together. This should prove to be a great podcast and one that I as a father am very excited about.

I'll be updating again when we stop tonight.

Podcast 11: Sin City

2006-03-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

Podcast 11: Sin City has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Snowflake, AZ

2006-03-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

It's a bit cold here in Snowflake... I'm picking up a load of paper rolls headed for Las Vegas, NV....sin city... I should be there by around 3PM it looks like. After that I will find a place to park so I can get some rest.

While I was in the Phoenix area yesterday I was able to download quite a few podcasts thanks to the 3G Network and my broadband wireless card!! Looks like Cingular either fixed the problem I was having in Portland or else it was unique to the Portland area. I have been working on my next podcast as well so you can look forward to that soon.

Thor is having a problem understanding why he can't get out and run around at this paper mill... he's a real trooper though and puts up with many long hours of driving and sitting in places where he can't get out. I owe him a good run when we get to a rest area.

I will be talking about Geo-Coding and Geo-Positioning of websites and Blog's in my next podcast, note that I have the {feedmap} up and working now. You will see a target icon below each post on my site that will launch a window displaying my last known position with a fair amount of accuracy. While this poses somewhat of a security issue since I am hauling freight, I won't be updating the position until I am leaving the area. More on this in my next podcast....

Thank's for the plug Joe (ABQ Trucker), I downloaded all of your podcasts yesterday and will be going through them shortly. For those who don't know, Joe is a fellow truck driver who does a podcast called ABQ Trucker out of Albuquerque, NM and he has a blog as well. Check him out.

Well, I gotta get rolling here, more later...

Podcast 10

2006-03-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

Podcast 10 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Podcast 9

2006-03-11T02:18:00.000-08:00

Podcast 9 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Update

2006-03-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

I received an email this morning letting me know that the MP3 link for Podcast 8 was pointing to the wrong file on my website. It was correct in iTunes and also correct on my Feedburner feed.

I was aware of this and thought it had been corrected. The link was pointing to gj_012906.mp3 but the correct file should be gj_030206.mp3 which is what I'm showing now. Sorry for the mix up.

Just an FYI....More later..

Podcast 8

2006-03-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

Podcast 8 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

La Mirada, CA

2006-03-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to let everyone know I am having a problem uploading my latest podcast which was recorded on March 2nd in Sacramento. I will have the problem resolved on Monday hopefully and get it out to you. My apologies.

Portland, OR

2006-02-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to head to Los Angeles in a bit. I heard on the weather channel that it's gonna be a wet, windy and miserable ride most of the way. My only real concern is coming through the mountains in southern Oregon and Northern California. I'll see how bad it is when I get there.

I'll be stopping in Sacramento along the way and plan on putting together my next podcast from there. Also I want to thank Trucker Tom for mentioning me in his podcast the other day.

They just finished loading my trailer so I need to go seal it and get the paperwork....

Still in Calexico...

2006-02-20T03:41:00.000-08:00

Podcast 7 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Calexico, CA

2006-02-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

This morning I got a few more shots of the ant colony before we headed out. Pictured to the left is my camera coupled with the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens. You can see how long it is and the need for a tripod to support it. In the shot below you can make out the spikes on the ant's back. I'm not sure what kind of ant it is but it's got some heavy armor, pretty cool. I couldn't get it focused any better because he kept moving around.

I really like doing macro shots of insects and I especially like shooting spiders. I'm not quite sure what my fascination is with them... I'd like to try some infra-red photography sometime too. With infra-red the shots come out looking kinda like negatives. It's a neat effect, I'll post some in the near future.

We got into Calexico this afternoon and delivered the goods. Right now we're parked at the end of the road in this industrial complex. We didn't get an empty trailer so that makes it harder to get another load. Hopefully something will turn up in the morning.

Tucson, AZ

2006-02-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

On our way to Calexico, CA where we deliver tomorrow. We picked up this load of flour in Plainview, TX just north of Lubbock the other day. I spent the two days before that doing local work in Odessa, TX delivering tires for all the Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores in the area. Not much fun since it's all driver unload. Each stop gets harder than the last because the trailer gets emptier and it's farther to get the tires to the dock.

The weather continues to stay dry but cloudy. After we drop this load I'm hoping to get something going north, maybe Washington. I shot a few pics of an ant hill out back here with my macro lens. The lens is fairly heavy and needs to be supported with a tripod so it won't break the connecting bracket on the camera body. The picture below, although not the best, is of one of the ants trying to move a small twig. The ant was about 1/4" long and I shot him from about a foot away using a 180mm macro lens. The spotlight and nightvision effect was done in post using photoshop.

Fort Worth, TX

2006-02-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

Wow.. I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted anything. I had some computer problems and took a few days off then was too busy to sit down and do a podcast with anything of value. I kept putting it off until I had some time and it just kept dragging out. Well I figured I better at least do an update before I lose ALL my subscribers...

Anyway, my last post was from Billings, MT and since then I delivered that load in Olympia, WA then headed south to grab another load in Portland, OR which I took down to my terminal in Lathrop, CA and dropped there. I took a few days off and visited with my daughter before returning to get a load coming out here to Fort Worth, TX which I delivered last night.

Right now I'm sitting at a Pilot Truck Stop here in Alliance Texas, which is basically Fort Worth. I'm waiting to get another load. The trip out here was a standard desert run, not too exciting. It was clear and dry the whole way although a bit windy in spots. I hope the weather stays like this as I'm kinda sick of all the rain.

I'll be posting another podcast this week and apologize again for my absence.

Billings, MT

2006-01-29T23:58:00.000-08:00

Podcast 6 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Rapid City, SD

2006-01-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

Videocast 1 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Council Bluffs, IA

2006-01-26T06:07:00.000-08:00

We made it to Council Bluffs, IA and have about 530 miles left to get to Rapid City, SD after we take a 10 hour break. After leaving Mount Vernon we stopped once in Missouri to get fuel because we didn't have enough to make it to Iowa where we are scheduled for a fill up. My dispatcher authorized me for 150 gallons which was more than enough. I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then hit the road again. We drove straight through to Council Bluffs without stopping again.

After we do a partial unload at Lowe's Hardware in Rapid City we'll take another 10 hours off and then finish up with a 450 mile drive over to Billings, MT for the final delivery at another Lowe's. After that I will have enough time to go do a pickup if there's something ready. If not, we wait until morning.

Mount Vernon, IL

2006-01-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

Podcast 5 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Jacksboro, TN

2006-01-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

Podcast 4 has been moved to the new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gjpodcast

You may download directly from here or from the Media Archives.

Toledo, OH

2006-01-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of negative energy surrounding me. Although I try to work at building good karma it's like that dark force is always enveloping me. I feel smothered. Waves upon waves of thick blackness that begin by lapping sickeningly at my feet. Then slowly rising and it becomes difficult to move through the mire. Like in a dream where you try to run but you are in slow motion... eventually it rises to my chest and then slowly over my face and I can't breath. It's like an enormous weight pressing down on me and even though I have fleeting moments of prosperity and good fortune, in the end I am always in a dark place, alone.

That's key in all of this because it's not money and good fortune that makes one feel at ease. Balance can not be achieved by material things. Love perhaps? Spiritual awareness? I'm convinced Thor knows. He's happy. Always. No matter how bad things get he rises above it all. He senses when I'm drowning and he knows my strife.

Anyway.. I'm headed for Georgia tonight with a load from Whirlpool that delivers on Sunday.

Lincoln, NE

2006-01-17T03:18:00.000-08:00

I'm stopped in Lincoln to visit my twin brother Karl. That's me on the right. Tomorrow I head out again and will try to make it to Indiana so I won't have far to go on Thursday to finish up this trip.

Wendover, UT

2006-01-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, Well.... it's been awhile. I spent some time in Northern California and then headed down to Los Angeles where I got a load headed for Las Vegas, NV. After that it was back to Los Angeles and then up to Sacramento where I took an extra day and then grabbed a load from Fairfield going to Ohio.

The shot below is of Donner Pass. The pass was shut down about 14 hours after I came through due to severe weather. Reno had a mild blizzard as well. I stopped at Boomtown and played a little at the casino where I came out pretty good in the end. Thor didn't want to be outside much due to the strong winds. We left yesterday afternoon and stopped in Wendover, UT where I'm sitting as I type.

The wind is strong here and is rocking my entire truck back and forth. I don't have a lot of weight since I'm hauling empty aluminum cans. Not a good setup in high winds as my trailer doesn't have enough weight to stick to the ground. After I cross Utah I'm expecting more severe weather going across Wyoming.

Weed, CA

2006-01-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

We stopped in Weed to get some breakfast. I'm sitting in a booth at Silva's Family restaurant right now waiting on my Bacon, tomato omelet. We will be making a fuel stop in Lathrop and then go as far as my hours will allow. I anticipate shutting it down at Wheeler Ridge tonight and heading on in the morning.

Klamath Falls, OR

2006-01-04T23:26:00.000-08:00

We made it to Klamath Falls and decided to shut down due to ice on the Siskiyou summit. Better to play it safe since the load isn't very heavy and it's dark out.

We're at the Texaco truck stop on Hwy 97. Earlier we stopped at Beaver Marsh where I let Thor go play in the snow. He loves the snow so much and I got some good action shots of him.

The snow was deep, about 3 feet or more in places. Thor disappeared a few times but came shooting back up in a burst of powder. I took that picture of an icicle with my macro lens hoping to get an interesting shot. I'm not that pleased with it but will keep on trying. Macro photography is a bit more complex than it seems at first. I have a few books I'm reading on technique and I'm planning to take some time off for various photo expeditions. Utah, Colorado and New York City for starters.

We are due in Rancho Cucamunga on Friday and hope to pick up a load to carry us through the weekend.

Wal-Mart

2006-01-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

We sat around at the Grandview distribution center all day today. In the morning we head for Rancho Cucamunga down in southern California. We went out to get something to eat and found a McDonald's down a little way from the DC on Yakima Valley Hwy (HWY 12). As I was about to go in I saw a place next door called Skipper's. It was a fish & chips place so I decided to go there instead. What a mistake that was.

I ordered a 3 pc fish & chips, a bowl of clam chowder and a soda. That cost me $10.76 and I couldn't even finish the food it was so horrible. The chowder was canned and they proudly displayed this fact at the front register... $3.95 for the bowl of it. The fish was the worst... it had a crispy batter but inside the cod was so over-steamed that it had the consistency of oatmeal. $4.95 for the fish & chips. I had a $1.50 root beer from the fountain to wash it all down.

All in all a terrible experience. 2 thumbs down on this one folks. That's SKIPPER'S located at 2150 Hwy 12 in Sunnyside, WA so consider yourself warned.

Tokio Station

2006-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

We're headed back to Grandview to return the empty Wal-Mart trailer. We've made a pit stop here in Ritzville, WA at the Tokio Weigh Station. It's closed but there's a small truck stop here and we had a couple of sandwiches before moving on. Once we get back to the facility in Grandview we'll try to get another load. The weather is wet but not too cold.

Grandview, WA

2006-01-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

I'm at Wal-Mart DC in Grandview waiting on a load going to one of the stores in Spokane, WA delivering tomorrow. After that I head back here to Grandview with the empty trailer. They told me there is more Wal-Mart loads if I want them. I'll do Wal-Mart for a while, it's good steady miles.

More Later...

Portland, OR

2005-12-31T12:13:00.000-08:00

Well it looks like I'll be celebrating the New Year in Portland. Woo Hooo! I've been sitting here since yesterday about this time and it's been quiet. Not a lot of freight I guess. It's raining but not too cold outside. The truck stop is only about 3/4 full because of the holiday which makes it easier to get showers and supplies without the usual crowd.

Thor had fun at Christmas and grudgingly got back into the swing of things when we left Willows. We went down to Lathrop and grabbed a load going to Costco in Seattle. After that we did a small run back down to Portland and here we are.

Christmas Eve 2005

2005-12-24T22:56:00.000-08:00

My daughter hates daylight. I think she's a vampire...

Thor and my Mom chillin... waiting for Santa...

Red Bluff, CA

2005-12-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

BAH HUMBUG.

Fresno, CA

2005-12-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

I'm backed into a dock at KRAFT in Fresno. I've been here since 3 PM and they're takin' their sweet time to load me... I'm headed to Los Angeles (Target DC in Fontana) with this load and then picking up another load to come back up to Woodland (another Target drop) tomorrow.

My truck was in the shop from Saturday until Monday evening. All they did was change the fuel filter. I lost 3 loads because of them, I was pissed off today... I hate Los Angeles and now I have to go down there. I wasn't mad about L.A. as much as the runaround I keep getting from the different terminals when I need something fixed on my truck. Anyway...

I got a few nice shots of the sunset here and have posted them. Thor can't get out here because it's a warehouse for food product so he's kinda grumbly with me.. what can I do...? I feel sorry for him though. He's a real trooper and puts up with the long hours on the road with only a few pit stops. I think he's kinda glad to be back in warmer weather after dealing with taking a leak in the rain with anywhere from 13-26 degree wind chill... he hated that shit. Heh-heh.

Well, I'm gonna go rattle someone’s cage and find out what's taking so long...

Lathrop, CA

2005-12-19T04:35:00.000-08:00

I'm here in Lathrop witing for my truck to go into the shop again for a fuel blockage that still plagues me. I have a load to Wal-Mart DC in Red Bluff as soon as the truck is fixed. I'm trying to get my radio swapped out also since the CD player is all screwed up and skips all the time now. We'll see if they consider that 'non-essential equipment'...

Last night I went over to Stockton and waited in line at Best Buy from 4 PM until 8 AM this morning along with about 50 others. We were there for the XBOX 360 which they only received 47 units. It was cold and miserable. It rained and there were strong winds most of the night. We set up tarps and a few had tents. Even though I had my truck there I had to remain in line or lose my spot.

In the morning the local news crew came out from UPN 31 and did interviews and shot live footage of us. Apparently there were lines of people camped out at ALL Best Buy's everywhere last night. The woman who was reporting ended up buying two XBOX's from the guys who were in front of me in line all night. She told us that she was keeping one and the other would go up for auction on eBay where we all agreed she would probably make about $1000 on it. All in all, a rough nigtht. It was worth it though, I got my XBOX, made a face on live TV and had a pretty good time in spite of the weather.

UPN 31 Video

Tipton, CA

2005-12-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

I'm in Tipton until morning waiting to get an empty trailer. That's my truck in the picture above. I'm parked at a Shell station right off HWY 99 in the dirt lot out back.

I'm hoping to get a load heading north to either Washington or Oregon. If not I'll be heading down to Los Angeles...

Shafter, CA

2005-12-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

Dropped our load at Sears this morning at 5 AM and then bobtailed over to a Flying J down in Shafter. I'm tired. More later...

Kingman, AZ

2005-12-15T05:11:00.000-08:00

I was practicing some night photography earlier. The 3 shots below were taken using the Time Value setting. I used a tripod and a telephoto lens. I have a great appreciation for professional photographers and have much to learn. You can see each picture gets progressively brighter as I increase the time for exposure. Still they pretty much suck.

There's a reflection caused by my failure to remove the UV filter. You can just barely see it in the bottom 2 shots.

This was some kinda refinery out in the desert in eastern Arizona off I-40. Anyway, we're in Kingman, AZ now and will finish the trip off tomorrow. Still have no idea where we head after that.

I'm gonna watch 24 and then sleep.......

Albuquerque, NM

2005-12-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

We're in Albuquerque. On schedule and getting ready to go to sleep. It's a bit colder here than I had expected. Thor is already fast asleep and twitching...

Oklahoma City, OK

2005-12-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

OKC.. heh heh. Home of the Unibomber among other things. Or was he from somewhere else? Yeah, anyway... Thor and I stayed here last night. We're headed out to California with a load of tires we picked up in Alabama the other day. This load delivers to Sears out near Bakersfield on Friday.

There were problems at Michelin during the pick up. I didn't get a pickup number which was needed to secure the paperwork. I called my company and got the run around as usual. It took about an hour but I finally got it. Then I went to drop my empty trailer in the back of the lot and it wouldn't disengage from the king pin. I worked at it for another hour trying various things to knock it loose but it was jammed.

I ended up calling for on road service to come out and help me. They took another hour to show up and charged $275 to get it unhooked! I'm in the wrong business. Whatever. Anyway what should have been a 15 minute drop and hook turned into a 3 1/2 hour ordeal.

Oh well. I'm on the road now and will be able to see my punky kid at Christmas so I guess it's not that big of a deal. I'm used to things like this happening by now anyway.

The weather is fair. It stays about 50 - 55 during the day and drops into the upper 30's at night. No rain or snow though. I've been watching an episode of 24 (The season 4 DVD) each night before I go to bed. It's a great season. Although I'm a huge fan, I thought that season 3 was beginning to head downhill. It was good but I think it just wasn't as good as it could have been. Season 4 makes up for it though. I also saw that season 5 will be doing a 4 hour premiere in January!! Kewl.

My kid is looking forward to seeing me at X-mas... or maybe she's just looking forward to taking possession of my Jeep... hmmmmmm....

We're heading to Albuquerque, NM today and then Wednesday we'll drive to Needles, CA and finish up on Thursday to Bakersfield. After this drop I need to stay on the west coast until after the holiday or I may not get back in time. I anticipate a load headed to Washington.

Atlanta, GA - Aracnaphobia

2005-12-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

This is the spider that attacked me in that forest out in Savannah, GA a while back. I finally found a picture of it.

I was looking for Thor who had taken off from the rest area we were stopped in. There was a huge grassy area and I'd let him out to play and do his thing before we took off. He had run out on the lawn and I was checking the truck tires. One minute he was there, the next instant he was gone. The only place I could figure he'd run off to was beyond the tree line that skirted the grass. So wearing a tank top, shorts and sandals I trudged across the grass and stepped through the threshold.

It was weird. One instant I could here the sounds of people and traffic, the next I could only here a stifled suppression of all noise. Kinda like putting your hands over your ears, you still try to hear sound but you can't. More like a silent yet loud ringing inside your head. Anyway, this place was so muggy and moist that I began sweating as soon as I entered. The ground was moist and covered in leaves and ivy in patches. I picked a trail out with my eyes that seemed to be the path of least resistance. The trees were thick in here and seemed to grow closer together the deeper they went. Ivy seemed to cover most of the trees, growing out of control here.

I wiped my brow and proceeded along my little makeshift route calling for Thor as I picked my next handhold and footstep. The ground began sloping upward and I scanned ahead, my eyes constantly sweeping for a path as my peripheral vision kept alert for movement of the dog. There seemed to be only one place to get between a clump of trees that grew at the top of the rise. I yelled for Thor again as I realized this was more work than I had anticipated. Not to mention the humidity was making me cranky as I noticed I seemed now to be constantly wiping my brow with little to no effect.

The canopy overhead blocked out the sun and although it wasn't dark it was strange and a bit eerie. I found myself thinking of movies like Blair Witch and Sleepy Hollow. Hansel and Gretel came to mind and I looked behind me half expecting to find the path I had traversed gone, swallowed by ivy and twisting branches. Nothing quite so dramatic though, I had only come about 100 feet and could see the edge of the tree line. Sun was poking through in spots where the leaves were thin making beams that seemed almost laser-like.

I turned forward again and shook off the creepiness that had engulfed me momentarily. This was ridiculous, the dog came in here, he must have. Now I told myself, let’s just go get him and get out of here. Simple. I reached up and grabbed a branch to balance myself as I lifted my foot and found footing on a massive root that came up out of the earth. I pulled myself up over the rise and stepped between the trees laughing at myself for thinking those things a moment ago.

That's when it happened. Suddenly I felt something on my face. A strand of web, you know the feeling, as soon as you feel it your hand shoots up wiping at it. You always miss it the first time and the have to feel gently for it and pull it away. That's exactly what I did but it didn't pull away. Instead my hand encountered more webs along the side of my face and the web matter was tough, kinda like widow web you know? The black widow spider spins some of the toughest web there is. This reminded me of widow web. Then as I began clawing frantically at my face and neck I felt something else. Not on my face but on my chest. I looked down and the first thought I had was that a baby bird had flown into me and was caught on my shirt. How stupid was that? A bird? But that's how big it was and as I began to realize what it was it began to vibrate against my chest. I know that sounds weird but that's exactly what it was doing, vibrating. Even in the nanoseconds that it took for my brain to realize it was no bird my hand was moving toward it. Not to crush it but to knock it away. I did just that, I knocked it away with a spasmodic jerk. When my hand made contact with it there was a sickening slapping sound and then it went flying. When it hit the ground it landed with a soft thud. This thing had some weight to it.

It sat motionless for a few seconds and then began to move up and down on all eight of its legs. I have no idea what that meant but it seemed like some sort of spider fighting stance to me and I turned and bolted. I slid down the rise I had crested moments earlier and crashed through the branches, ivy whipping at my face. I burst through the trees and was out. Noise flooded into my ears and head. Trucks, cars and voices. A baby screaming, it was awesome. And there was Thor, sitting on the grass as if he'd never been gone.

I finally got the web off my face and neck. It took a bit though as it seemed to embed itself into the fabric of my shirt. We left and later I looked for that spider on the internet. It's called a Golden Silk Spider and is native to the area.

Anyway, I thought I'd share that story with you.

Still in Philly...

2005-12-09T05:02:00.000-08:00

Ooops... looks like it snowed last night. Not too deep, maybe a couple inches, but it's starting to rain now and turning to slush. This could be good or make it worse if it becomes freezing rain. More later, I have to get south of D.C. and then it'll just be wet. I hope.

Philadelphia, PA

2005-12-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

It's cold. No real snow to speak of, but the cold bites right through you here. We picked up a load at the ship yard in Philadelphia today. It drops in Georgia on Saturday. We will be driving through Baltimore and Washington D.C. tomorrow and then on down I-95 through Virginia and take I-85 down into Georgia. It should get slightly warmer as we head south but there's thunderstorms to contend with... ah well.

The ship in these pictures is the United States. It looked like a derelict to me. You can see the thing from a few miles out as you approach.

Martinsburg, WV

2005-12-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

Staying at the terminal here in West Virginia until 3 AM when I will head out for Pennsylvania.

I spent last weekend in Florida while I waited for my truck to go into the shop down there for regular scheduled maintenance. They did a half-ass job so I'm a little peeved. But whatever.

I got a chance to use my macro lens on some spiders... very cool stuff. I'm posting a couple of shots here. The rest will go on my photo page when I'm done. It's kinda creepy getting that close to a spider to get these shots. The lens is literally a couple of inches away from them when I take the picture... What if it jumps on me... ok, nevermind.

In other news.. I was planning to see my father at Christmas but plans have changed due to my step mothers bull-headed unwillingness to make amends with me. I doubt I'll ever be seeing them again. Sad. Instead I'll spend the time with my daughter.

I hate Christmas.

Shreveport, LA

2005-11-30T02:19:00.000-08:00

Well we dropped our load in Odessa yesterday and this morning we drove up to Lubbock, TX to pick up 42,000 lbs. of bird seed. This will deliver in Kissimee, FL on Thursday. The route we're taking doesn't go through New Orleans but we will pass through Biloxi and Mobile as we come across on I-10. We could have taken I-49 out of Shreveport and hooked up with I-10 just west of Baton Rouge but I have to get fuel in Monroe, LA which is on I-20 about 3/4 of the way across the state.

I think we'll stay on I-20 to Jackson, MI and then drop down to I-10 just before Biloxi. I wanted to see New Orleans but it would be back-tracking so I can't this time. I'll take some pictures if I come upon anything of interest in the areas we will be travelling through. Tomorrow we will be stopping in Pensacola, FL which I'm looking forward to. I've always wanted to check it out. Once we deliver this bird seed I have to take the truck over to our terminal in Ocala, FL for regular maintenance and do a restart on my logbook.

Thor is laying next to me asleep and he's twitching and smacking his lips... he's sucha freaky dog.

Knoxville, TN

2005-11-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

Still headed for Odessa, TX by Monday sometime. Nothing much to report. I found a picture I took of my daughters' teeth a couple of weeks ago... nice Ali!

Clear Brook, VA

2005-11-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

On our way to Odessa, TX to drop a load of crap at Family Dollar out there. Heh heh... I don't much care for the Family Dollar folks as I've had several episodes with them on prior deliveries. Admittedly, I've not ever been to the Odessa facility, so in fairness I can't judge them yet. I just know that in the past they've all been unpleasant to deal with at best. We'll see how this one goes, I'm prepared to be unpleasant to deal with as well. Perhaps not the most professional attitude, but one can only tolerate just so much shit without making a stand.

We hit snow and ice coming through Pennsylvania last night. Nothing too serious but there were quite a few cars and SUV's wiped out on the shoulders. It always amazes me how crappy people drive. I can only imagine how many more accidents there would have been if the weather was more severe. Once we got into West Virginia and then on into Virginia the snow was gone and roads were dry again. Wet or not it's damn cold here... windy too.

We had turkey and all the trimmings at the friendly neighborhood Flying J Truck Stop. Not as good as home cooking but it was fine. I took a doggie bag out to Thor so he could have his Thanksgiving dinner too. I'm sure he was thankfull as he swallowed his turkey without hardly chewing it.... hmmmmm... guess it's just a dog thing huh?

Schodack Landing, NY

2005-11-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm backed into a dock at a grocery outlet or rather a distribution center. I'm waiting to be unloaded. It's 1:00 AM local time, this place is 24/7 though. Speaking of 24.... The season 4 DVD set will be released this month I heard. I didn't get to see any of the season 4 episodes when they aired, although my daughter told me about a few. Anyway... I'm looking forward to seeing them - commercial FREE!

I ran into some snow and ice coming through the mountains on I-88 here in New York. Nothing too bad but slowed me down a bit. It's cold, about 23 degrees outside right now. Thor is bundled in one of his fleece sweaters... heh-heh.

After I'm unloaded I'm heading over to Albany, about 10 miles, and find a truck stop to crash in. Tomorrow I'll get another load.

Gary, IN

2005-11-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Laying over at the terminal here in Gary until 3 AM when we'll head out for Toledo, OH to drop this load of empty aluminum soda cans in the morning. Toledo is about 200 miles east of here so it'll take about 3 1/2 hours.

It's cold here, not sure what the temp is but it's gonna get a whole lot colder before winter ends. No snow here yet, but I saw a bit in Wyoming when we came through. It was very windy and rained some in Nebraska but once we got into Iowa it cleared up.

After we drop the cans I'm not sure where we'll be headed but I have some scheduled time off at Christmas so as the 25th approaches I'll be worked back towards California.

Red Bluff, CA

2005-11-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

I'm spending the weekend with my daughter Allison. I left my truck at the terminal in Lathrop, CA and rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee to get around in. Saturday we visited Turtle Bay and the Sundial Bridge in Redding. It was pretty cool, Thor received quite a few compliments. Most of these were due to his Fido Fleece sweater... geez... After that we returned to Red Bluff and went to a late showing of SAW II. It was pretty good. Tied up a lot of things from the first movie and of course introduced some new horrific situations for us to contemplate. People were saying it was even better than the first movie. I thought it was well done but lacked the ability to scare you the way the first one did since you kinda knew what to expect. Still I recommend it to anyone who liked the first movie.

Sunday will be spent driving Ali back home to San Jose and then driving back to Manteca to return the rental. After that I will return to Lathrop and have some laundry to do. I need to clean out my truck as well.

It was good to get together with Ali. I haven't seen her since August when she rode with me for a month during her summer vacation. She just brought me the CD with pictures from that trip and I will be posting them soon. I keep on promising pictures and the Photo link on my site never seems to change, but I assure you, I'm working on it. It's taking me a lot longer than I expected to get it all together.

Reno, NV

2005-11-11T02:34:00.000-08:00

We're headed to Lathrop, CA to drop this Home Depot load we picked up in Minneapolis on Monday. My terminal is next door to the Home Depot facility, so after we drop this trailer we're gonna park at the terminal and then take a few days off to go visit my daughter Allison who will be getting her driving permit next week... yikes.

I haven't seen her since August when she rode with me during her summer vacation. I'm looking forward to getting together with her. Thor is always excited to see Ali as well.

Des Moines, IA

2005-11-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

I stopped in Nebraska on Friday night and stayed until Saturday afternoon to visit my girlfriend. I drove from there to Des Moines last night and shut down at a small truck stop north of the city. I have to deliver this load in Menomonie, WI tonight. There's about 300 miles left.

It's getting colder as I move north and I've had to bundle up when outside. Thor has short hair and gets cold very easily. I purchased a couple of sweaters made out of polar fleece for him, he really likes them.

Last winter he didn't have anything to help keep warm and would shiver a lot. He's a digger as well and his little foot pads were cracked and sore from exposure. It wasn't severe, but I had to limit his outdoor activities. I have since picked up some boots for him but have my doubts about them.

Most dog clothing is designed for smaller dogs in order to make them look 'cute' but not as a practical application. Consequently these cheap items tend to disintegrate after a short period. I have looked for quality apparel and not been able to find any until recently. This winter will be the test.

Houston, TX

2005-11-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

I spent most of the day at Budweiser here in Houston waiting to be unloaded. I have a Wal-Mart load waiting to be picked up going to Bentonville, AR in the morning. Tonight Thor and I are spending the night at our terminal here in Houston and we'll head out at dawn.

I'm going to take a shower and then watch Star Wars III before I go to bed.

Indianapolis, IN

2005-10-31T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm currently parked in back of a pallet recycling plant here in Indianapolis. I dropped a load of CHEP pallets at about 6 AM and I'm outa hours after driving all night to get here from Alabama.

When I come back on duty I am headed west about 50 miles to grab a load of cork which I will take to Anheuser Busch down in Houston. These two loads combined to give me the miles I was looking for to add to my October totals. I had a hard time making this happen though and feel that my manager should have been more forthcoming with me on Friday before she went home.

I owe my friend Patti in Eden, NC for getting me the backup load to Houston, THANKS PATTI!!

The drive up here was very uneventful. I have been listening to audiobooks lately to pass the time and have gotten hooked on them. When audiobooks first started becoming more popular I thought they were just for people too lazy to pick up a 'real' book and take time to read it. However I admit while that may be the case for some, I can see the benefits for a wider variety of consumers.

My personal situation gives me little time to start and finish a book. I like being able to pass the time on the road in this manner. I guess the biggest drawback is the limited variety of audiobooks out there. While you can walk into Barnes & Noble or a good used book shop and find practically anything you want in print, audiobooks are still a much thinner selection of choice.

Still, more and more authors are having thier works published in both print and audio. I think this market will grow as time passes.

Looking outside I see that it's overcast and a bit chilly here.. Old man Winter.. He's a comin'... I'm gonna catch a few more hours of sleep before heading out.

Cullman, AL

2005-10-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well I've been slackin on the website... I took some time off and have been trying to make up for it so I haven't had much time to post lately. I did another podcast tonight though and after I played it back I have to apologize for my stuffy nose... I have a cold :(

Anyway, enjoy!

Willows, CA

2005-10-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Staying over at the terminal in Willows tonight and dropping the last part of a multiple stop delivery in Rocklin tomorrow. We dropped the bulk of the freight, bathtubs, in Orland this morning.

I got my generator hooked up and running. Sweet. I am totally self-contained now. This generator will run up to 8 hours on a gallon of unleaded gas. Not too shaby. It puts out 2000 watts at peak and has a surge protector built in. I just tested it out and watched a DVD on my flat panel TV while running my laptop at the same time. No problems.

I finalized my decision to purchase a generator after I got a new truck. A Volvo. Yeah the truck is nice. However the company rigs these trucks to shut off after 5 minutes unless the optimized idle is turned on. The problem with optimized idle is that when the cab reaches the designated temperature it shuts off. When the temperature varies by +/- 3 degrees it starts the engine and the environmental control kicks in again. That's exactly what it's supposed to do. The problem is that when you use a power inverter it will cut out for a few seconds every time the engine starts up. This causes the sattelite to have to re-aquire its signal (about a minute and a half) or if I'm watching a DVD, I have to scan the chapters to find where I left off. This is VERY annoying.

Basically I gave up watching TV or DVD's since I got this truck. With my old truck I could just shut the thermostat off and then back on before the engine shut off and it would reset, effectively preventing the engine from shutting down. This Volvo is different and I can't shut off the thermostat.

Now I don't have to run the engine at all anymore unless I need environmental control. With the price of fuel these days, everyone is happier this way.

Klammath Falls, OR

2005-10-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Highway 97. A mostly deserted Texaco truck stop. Dark and cloudy. The rain comes and goes, lasting only fleeting moments before stopping again but the raindrops are the size of nickles. In the distance a factory vomits steam into the night. The occasional sound of a truck passing on the highway. An owl silently lands atop a telephone pole. The sign flickers and then goes black as the station shuts down. The only light now is that of a lone streetlamp at the edge of the highway, its dull yellow glow casting an obscure circle of light beneath it.

The field behind us is pitch black. Even Thor senses something and doesn't stray into the thick brush. He just stands at the edge of the gravel and stares into the darkness, his hackles raised. Something is watching us. Something large yet perfectly quiet as it moves to keep it's scent downwind of us.

I call Thor back into the truck and we lock the doors. We know it will come closer but it won't touch the vehicle. During the night it will circle and dart about but it never tries to gain entry... It wants us to stray.. to come looking.. It wants to stalk us..

Thor whimpers as he tries to nuzzle up to me. The owl is gone. The air is icy though it's only 63 degrees. Shadows creep into the cab and there is movement outside. I close the curtains knowing it will be a long night...

Boise, ID

2005-10-09T02:02:00.000-07:00

We ended up staying in Salt Lake City longer than I thought we would so we'll make the final run tomorrow morning into Eugene. Thor had a chance to relax for a bit which is good cuz when he starts getting stir crazy he gets annoying. He lets me know he's ready for a break by standing on the edge of the bed and hitting the back of my seat repeatedly until I stop. This works ok except that when we do long runs like this he starts hitting my seat about every 10 miles. If I scold him then he disappears into the sleeper and pouts, occasionally making groaning noises to let me know he's pissed off and bored.

We're in Boise tonight at a Sinclair truck stop that serves as a drop lot for our trailers. The drive tomorrow will be across HWY 20 through Bend and on across the mountains. It's gonna give this truck a workout. The load is about 43,000 pounds so we will be taking the grades at about 25-30 mph. Coming down it's easy to pick up speed if I don't pay attention so we have to take it slow. I estimate about a 10 hour drive.

Moab, UT

2005-10-06T01:53:00.000-07:00

You know I can’t go through Moab without stopping…! A Jeep just isn’t all grown up til it gets to taste the dirt out here. I really miss my Jeep. This place is awesome.. even if you don’t have an OHV it has a lot to offer for outdoor adventuring.

We didn’t make it to Albuquerque last night like I wanted. I started to get drowsy about 100 miles out so I shut it down for the night in Santa Rosa. We’re still on schedule so it didn’t hurt us.

In the morning I let Thor out to leave some DNA traces in the field next to the dirt lot we parked in. I guess while he was sniffin around he must have disturbed a feral cat. It shot out of the grass and launched itself at his face… they tumbled down an embankment and then the cat took off across the dirt lot towards my truck. Thor was right behind it. Dobes are very quick and agile, but cats are faster still. The cat shot under my truck thinking it was a safe haven… no way, Thor ran under after it. He chased it down the entire length of the trailer and out the back. I started yelling at Thor to stop, but too late, it was on now! He had blood streaming from his nose and foam was smeared across his jaw and down his neck. There was dirt and grease down his back and he was locked on target – full throttle.

They ran across the lot and the cat darted under a parked car with two occupants. Thor came screaming up to the car and circled it twice then began jumping against the doors. The two people, a man and a woman, got out. I ran over and tried to get Thor under control but he wouldn’t have it.. the cat took off again towards Dairy Queen, Thor on his heels.

Now I was getting upset. By the time I caught up to Thor he had the cat trapped in a dumpster. I grabbed him and hauled him back to the truck. The people from the car weren’t upset.. they were laughing as they told me they live in the lot and the cat was there every day…

…ok, whatever. I apologized again and then got the med kit out and began patching Thor up. What a mess. After he was all cleaned up we left.

We stopped and got fuel in Albuquerque and then continued on to Moab. Tomorrow we will head to Boise, ID and Saturday we’ll finish the run ending up in Eugene, OR where we wait until Monday morning to unload.

Witchita Falls, TX

2005-10-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

I've done another podcast. I'm still wet behind the ears with this so bear with me! Mostly just an update and a few comments on {feedmap} as well as Google Earth.

Tyler, TX

2005-10-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

We've been stuck in Tyler for a day and a half now... We delivered to Target DC yesterday afternoon. They had no empty trailers so we bobtailed over to a crappy Diamond Shamrock truck stop on the corner of I-20 and Hwy 69 where we spent the night. Today my dispatch sent us all over Tyler trying to find am empty, but no luck. I met Clint, another driver from my company who's in the same situation. He delivered at Target yesterday same time as we did and is parked next to us tonight with no empty either. We both noticed there are quite a few bobtails floating around this town. I'm hoping something will develop in the morning.

There's a pre-plan sitting on me for a load picking up in Ennis, TX about 95 miles from here delivering in Eugene, OR on the 7th. That's about 2400 miles including the deadhead to the shipper. If I don't get an empty in the morning I'll lose that load and those miles.......

Fort Worth, TX

2005-10-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Actually I'm in Alliance, TX but it's not on any map yet. Ross Perot decided to build a city. Should be completed next year, it's actually a nice development but probably expensive to get into. Quite elaborate.

We dropped our load of tires at the railyard here and are at a Pilot truck stop for the night. Thor made a new friend, a dog that lives at or nearby the truck stop... anyway they have been chasing each other around for a few hours now. He doesn't get to interact with many dogs out on the road so it's a good break from the routine for him.

It's a windy 82 degrees outside but not too humid. I finished my laundry and took a shower and we are getting ready for bed.

My first Podcast!

2005-09-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Thor and I are in Forest Mississippi tonight. I have recorded a 'test' Podcast and have uploaded it. Nothing of interest but I wana see if the website is working properly and I'll begin more frequent podcasting.

Just click the Podcast icon below this post to stream the file with Windows Media Player or you can right click the icon and select 'Save Target As...' to download it.

Alternately if you are using a podcatching program then you can right click the Feedburner icon on the left to copy the RSS feed and paste it into your program. If you don't have a podcatcher you can click the Feedburner icon and there are a few different programs to choose from which you can download.

Let me know if you have any problems.

Atlanta, GA

2005-09-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Slightly humid, the air is damp. 74 degrees outside as I write this. I'm parked behind McDonald's for the night. I didn't wana go to the terminal because the food sucks. It's vending machine cuisine. I'll need to go there in the morning though to pick up an empty trailer and get a shower. Thor is snoring and twitching away in dreamland next to me here. How can you be chasing dream bunnies and snoring at the same time....?

Huzah! Cingular admitted their error and I have a zero balance! I'm quite pleased. I have to say that Cingular has been a pleasure to deal with after Sprint. Yeah they made a billing error, but they corrected it and I didn't get the fucking run around from them. I can respect that. They even called me up to let me know the problem was rectified. Sprint is STILL trying to nickle and dime me even though I terminated my service. I got another bill from them yesterday. Fuckers. The thing with Sprint that killz me is that they maintain they have the nations LARGEST all digital network. Have you ever compared the coverage maps from Sprint/Cingular? Check em out and tell me how Sprint can be so off base. I would lose my signal with Sprint often and since switching to Cingular I'd say my signal has faded only a few times in some really remote areas. Otherwise 100%.

Anyway, enough of that. I'm done ranting and headed for bed.

Somewhwere in North Carolina...

2005-09-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

I think I'm in a town called Bailey... not sure, the map is not very clear. Anyway I am stopped for the night and tommorrow I'll finish driving to Atlanta where I'll drop this load at the rail yard there.

Otherwise an uneventful day.

Mount Airy, NC

2005-09-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

I'm back in North Carolina... they changed the load on me so I'm not headed for Florida. Instead I went into Tennessee and picked up some water heaters coming back into North Carolina...

It was raining pretty good in Tennessee but dried up through Virginia and it's just overcast here in Mount Airy. I'm at a truck stop for the night and will resume in the morning to Garysburg, my final destination.

Troutman, NC

2005-09-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting at this truck stop all day because the customer I'm delivering to isn't open until Monday morning. I had a chance to work on my website though and got a few pictures as well...

Say hello to my leetle friend....... Yeah it was as big as it looks, and it scared the shit outa me. I had my camera though and was ready for him. Doesn't it look like it's got fleshy skin? Ugh. Anyway, I hate spiders.

So I'm dropping this load in the morning and then I have to go pick up a load of Campbell's Soup to take down to Florida. I need to check The Weather Channel and see what I'm in store for...

More later....

Columbus, OH

2005-09-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Well let's see... it appears I owe Cingular $800. I pissed off my girlfriend, my boss and my dog, my daughter hasn't returned any of my calls in the last week and I cut my finger open.

I spent the day driving fom our terminal in Columbus up to Detroit and back again. I dropped a load at Home Depot and then picked up a load of diesel engines from Detroit Diesel going to North Carolina. There were problems with the trailer at the pickup and the load will be late since it was supposed to be in North Carolina tonight by 11 PM. I had to deal with some guy at Detroit Diesel who looked a lot like Archie Bunker... heh heh...

432 miles to drive tommorrow and I will end the day in Charlotte, NC at whatever truck stop I can find parking in.

Eden, NC

2005-09-21T01:35:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Eden this evening. Have to take that class tommorrow before I resume my trip to Home Depot in Michigan. I'm at our terminal here. Thor and I both like this terminal a lot. It's small but cozy and Thor has friends here as well.

North Carolina is a beautiful state and I have given thought to relocating here eventually. Although I have given thought to Indiana, Washington and Arizona as well.... In any case I will be in Nebraska for now.

Well I'm tired and it's late, gotta go...

Wasco, GA

2005-09-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's Monday morning and I'm at a Pilot truck stop in Wasco. I'll be leaving here shortly headed for Wilmington, NC where I will be dropping this load tommorrow morning at PETCO. After that I am to get a load that I will take to the terminal in Eden, NC and drop it there so I can take a 2 hour Log Book class to update on the new hours of service changes taking effect.

The weather is sunny and warm, around 90 degrees outside. Thor is sleeping on the lawn out back behind the truck and I'm getting ready to get something to eat before we leave.