Am in WI for Christmas Eve. I’ll be hauling an over-sized load down to Jacksonville, FL but due to regulations can’t do so until Saturday morning. They don’t allow us to move over-sized load over holidays.

There was a nasty snowstorm here last night. It became something of an adventure for me as about 10 miles from the yard my driver’s side wiper blade decided to go flying off the truck. That made for an interesting 10 mile drive.

This morning I drove down to visit Uhle’s Pipe Shop in Milwaukee. I bought myself a new Savinelli pipe, a tin of Peterson’s Sherlock Holmes tobacco, and a few ounces of their Blend 114 tobacco.

Here’s the pipe:

I checked into the hotel and went over to spend some time at Applebee’s. I got lots of hugs and even a couple of kisses when I went in and “C” even had a Christmas card for me as she was hoping I would stop in.

I got to chatting with an older couple there and when I got around to telling them that I live in Florida they immediately wanted to know why everyone there knew me and hugged me when I came in. When I explained that I am a trucker and work out of that area they acted very surprised and expressed their ideas about what a trucker is supposed to look like as opposed to myself wearing a nice hat, decent clothing, and being reasonably well groomed. I had to go through the whole explanation of how they shouldn’t believe everything they see in movies and on television and that truckers are actual people and don’t always fit those redneck, stinky, ball cap wearing, toothless, stereotypes.

Some of us are actually educated and enjoy taking a shower every month or two.

I’ll be laying low here in the hotel until Saturday morning and then head south. Tomorrow, Christmas day, I’ll be just hanging out, smoking my pipes, watching television, and alternating between reading and knitting.

Merry Christmas.