I finally made it back to the yard today. As I got in late and didn't have a pending load that I know about I checked into the hotel ( sort of, more on that later) and went over to Applebee's for a few adult beverages and dinner.

The area was hit hard by a nasty lightening storm. It was striking all around me, very close as I dropped my trailer. Now, you have to understand that I once spent three months blind as a bat becaue of a lightening strike (yes, I've been hit by lightening) I was less than happy about my working conditions at that point. I really didn't like being out in that mess but ya have to do what ya have to do.

I went over to the hotel to check in and their power was out due to the storm. As they know me I got my room key and we agreed that I would just do the whole check in and pay thing later.

After getting my room I walked over to Applebee's. Their power was also out and they were closed. I was let in anyway because they know me but they had no way to serve me. Ok, fine. I walked back to the hotel. As soon as I walked into my room I noticed that the clock in the room was flashing midnight. Well, hell, the power had just come back on. I walked back over to Applebee's.

The bartender was someone I hadn't  seen before. She served me a beer and we chatted a bit. I took my knitting out of my backpack and started working on it. She came over and said "Hey! It's YOU, you're the knitter!"

I remarked that obviously my reputation preceded me and she told me that she had heard about me her first day there. How funny is that? A  middle aged knitting trucker is part of their first day orientation. LMAO it cracked me up.

We chatted a bit and made friends pretty quick. At one point she even came around the bar and gave me a very nice shoulder massage. I enjoyed the hell out of that and she's quickly become my favorite barkeep there.

I learned a lot about her personal life, and she showed me all of her tattoes, some of which were in let's say "interesting"  places. She checked out my own ink and seemed to like what she saw. She also commented on my eyes but I've have those since I was a kid and don't really consider them all that remarkable.

She seems like a decent kid, with a couple of kids of her own, and I can't help  but like her. She has a good personality and an attitude that I really like. She isn't afraid to talk shit if she needs to and I'll admit I made her need to a couple of times just to see how she'd react. Hey, that me, what can I say?

I had a good time, as seems to often happen, and returned to my room once the stom let up. I hope she stays a while as I think she'll make an interesting barkeep/conversationalist.