When I got to the shopping center where I was picking up my load this morning I saw that they had those stupid islands all over the parking lot. They're a real pain in the ass and make it impossible for a truck to move around without running over them. I chose a route that would minimize the problem but still managed to run my trailer wheels over the end of one of them. I had chosen this one because it had obviously been run over before and the little tree planted on that end was laying on it's side from being run over numerous times. I added one more time. Couldn't be helped.
As I was waiting for the guys to start loading me a security guard came over bitching about the little tree. I told her that it had obviously been run over many times before and I sure as hell wasn't going to pay for it. She called the cops. When the lady cop showed up she looked at the tree and it was plain to her that I was not the first one to run it over and she wrote that in her report. Nice lady, but I was pretty pissed that this self-important pissant security guard was trying to make my life a little more miserable (as if it isn't already) over a stupid fucking already dead tree.
It took most of the day to load this pile of junk. It's a really crappy load, mostly cooler/freezer panels. They're pretty slick and despite my best efforts to strap them down really tight the ones on the top deck slid forward on me a few miles down the road from where I loaded them. I managed to make it into the trucstop where I planned to stop and eat without them coming off the deck. I re-strapped them and fashioned a slip stop cradle out of a couple of old garbage straps I carry for just such situations. Hopefully they'll stay put now.
After wasting an hour reworking the load I went inside to finally get some breakfast. This was around 2:00PM. I went to the ATM to draw out 40 bucks. The machine accepted my card, made some noises, the screen said transaction complete, but no money ever came out. Now I was seriously getting pissed. I am not in the best of moods right now anyway and really didn't need this shit. I called the bank that owns the ATM and reported the problem. They said that I would have to call the company through which my fuel card is processed (ComData) and have them file a dispute. Needless to say I had a few choice words for this person.
I then called ComData and explained the problem to them. The guy took my information, verified that the transaction had been processed, which I already knew because I checked the balance before calling, and said he would submit the dispute immediately but that the ATM bank could take 30 days to respond. Great, just what I needed to hear.
I went on up the road to a different truckstop, cashed a comcheck, and finally had my breakfast around 3:00 this afternoon. I am so stressed out right now I feel like I'm going to blow a gasket. My chest is tight as hell, my head is pounding, and I am seeing spots floating in front of my eyes. All good signs that the stress has my blood pressure up. Not to mention feeling both very, very tired and as irritable as a wet badger.
I just made it across the line into TN and said to hell with it and stopped at the exit where the Boobie Bungalow is located. It's the only bar I know about up through here. I'm going to have a few over priced beers and try to forget the last couple of days ever happened.