Get Your Tail Back In The Truck!

Published on November 14, 2006 By MasonM In Blogging

When I got to the factory in Houston this morning to deliver the two presses I was greeted by a very tight situation. It was a tight turn into the gate and then an even tighter drive through one building and into a tight lot. "This is ridiculous" was the only thing I could think. But I did it.

As I was pulling off the tarp, with a guy's help, it didn't want to slide over the presses. We had to really lean into it and yank hard. Well it finally reached a point where it pulled free. Very suddenly. The sudden release of tension caused me to go back right off the side of the trailer. I landed on the pavement square on my back. Ooof! It knocked the wind right out of me. I lay there for a second to see if any pain set into my bum hip. Whew! No real damage, except for my pride. I slowly got up and dusted myself off while still trying to catch my breath again. The back was a tad sore but I was otherwise ok.

After getting the tarp, chains, and straps put away I climbed up into the truck to get a Gatorade. Something didn't seem quite right and I looked around. Hmmmm, normally when I am out of the truck Socrates keeps my seat warm. He was nowhere to be found. That's when I realized that I had left the window down about 4 inches. I looked up on the roof of the truck and sure enough, there was Socrates.

I ordered him to get his tail back in the truck but he made a little hop and backed up. He was daring me to come after him. Not gonna happen. As he was standing right next to the air horns I just sat back in the truck, reached up, and pulled the cord. When the loud blast came from the horns he couldn't get back in the truck fast enough.

I'm now heading over to Sealy, TX to pick up a couple of military vehicles for the Army heading for Raleigh, NC. As soon as I finish my late breakfast.

Comments (Page 1)

Trudygolightly

on Nov 14, 2006

...

it's a good thing you know animals and was able to predict his behavior with that horn!

hope your back does ok now!

foreverserenity

on Nov 14, 2006

Haha, Socrates was testing you uh?!

Hope your hip doesnt' bother you after that fall!

Zoologist03

on Nov 14, 2006

Bleh..falls are not fun...that might be a tad sore tomorrow.

Probably gave Socrates a mini heart attack

...good thing he hopped back in the truck instead of having you run all over the place trying to find him.

~Zoo

Tova7

on Nov 14, 2006

Your life musta been so much emptier without that little devil.

Dr Guy

on Nov 14, 2006

Sorry, that is my fault. I should never have allowed Sally to send him that note!

Now where do I get an air horn?

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

Reply #1

...

it's a good thing you know animals and was able to predict his behavior with that horn!

hope your back does ok now!

Well, I've seen his reaction to other air horns and loud noises in general. His instinct is to dive into the sleeper

Thanks, I'm sure I'll be feeling that fall in the morning.

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

Reply #2
Haha, Socrates was testing you uh?!

Hope your hip doesnt' bother you after that fall!

Yeah, I think he was wanting to play tag or something

I guess I was lucky that I landed flat on my back instead of squarely on the hip. It could have meant a trip to the hospital otherwise. Falling off the truck is the number one cause of trucker injuries.

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

Reply #3
Bleh..falls are not fun...that might be a tad sore tomorrow.

Probably gave Socrates a mini heart attack ...good thing he hopped back in the truck instead of having you run all over the place trying to find him.

~Zoo

No, falls are never fun. Could have been much worse though.

Socrates definitely doesn't like sudden loud noises. I was counting on him diving for the safety of the truck rather than chancing an unfamiliar place.

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

Reply #4
Your life musta been so much emptier without that little devil.

Little devil is about right

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

Reply #5

Sorry, that is my fault. I should never have allowed Sally to send him that note!

Now where do I get an air horn?

Yeah, he got ideas like "chase me, it's fun!"

Air horn? Bicycle shops sell them for bikes.

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

I managed to get the two Army trucks loaded and made it back through Houston before rush hour really got going. That was pretty much my major objective for today.

I'm in Beaumont now, parked at the truckstop for the night. There's a Joe's Crab Shack just about a block walk from here. Seafood sounds pretty good for tonight's dinner so I'm going to take myself a little walk.

Moderateman

on Nov 14, 2006

you big ol meanie!! soc, should wait for you to sleep and nip yer toes.

Dr Guy

on Nov 14, 2006

There's a Joe's Crab Shack just about a block walk from here

Hmmmmm!Seafood!

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

Reply #12
you big ol meanie!! soc, should wait for you to sleep and nip yer toes.

He probably will

MasonM

on Nov 14, 2006

Hmmmmm!Seafood!

No seafood after all

The last time I visited there one could smoke in the bar but not in the dining area. It seems that since my last visit Beaumont passed a fascist smoking ban that includes bars. The bartender told me that their business had died since the ban went into effect because all of the locals were now going to the places just outside city limits to avoid the ban. He's looking for a job in one of those places now.

As a smoker, places like Beaumont don't need or want my sales tax revenue.

I walked back to my truck, fired it up, and drove the 30 minutes to the first truckstop in Louisiana. I'll spend my money here.

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