A bunch of useless crap
Published on January 6, 2010 By MasonM In Blogging

Tonight I find myself in Hudson, WI. After delivering my load in Indiana on Monday I spent the night at a truck stop in Seymour.

Yesterday I went up to North Central Indiana and picked up a construction site forklift going to Minnesota which I delivered today. Despite my giving them three hours advance notice that I was coming to pick it up by the time I got there they hadn't taken the first step towards getting it ready to load. I sat around for two hours while they worked to get the thing started. The botter cold had frozen it up and it took quite a bit to finally get it running.

Afterward I stopped last night in Beloit, WI where I managed to find a parking spot in the little Pilot fuel stop and walked across the road for a couple of Guinness and to watch the game.

There was a fellow, a fellow trucker, there about my age who it would seem has never matured much beyond around the age of 20 or so. Loud talker, braggart, and seemed to have a compulsive need to impress everyone around him, much to the opposite effect (which is usually the case for that sort).

As I sat at the bar smoking my pipe, sipping my Guinness, and watching the game he intruded and introduced himself and offered his hand. As I try not to be rude I shook his hand and replied with my own name, but in an indifferent "not terribly interested" sort of way. Well, a gentleman should have a firm handshake, and I also do, but this cretin seemed to take a firm shake as some sort of personal challenge and squeezed my own hand for all he was worth(which actually wasn't overly much).

I could see his arm trembling a little which told me that was all he had. With a smile I increased my own grip just enough to offset his own with just a tad more to communicate to him "I really could break your hand about now if I wanted". I've always had a strong grip and my line of work chaining and strapping loads gives me a superb upper body workout.

As I tried to watch the game I half listened to his ramblings, nodding or making some noncommittal responses once in a while. For some reason the more I attempted to ignore the fellow the more he seemed to like me. Go figure.

I remained long enough to finish watching the game. As he had stepped out to the restroom I quickly downed the last of my beer, paid my tab, and beat it out of there before he returned. I didn't want to suffer any more of his babbling on the walk back to the truck stop.

Today I delivered the forklift in MN and am now on my way to one of our regular customers in WI to pick up a large snow removal truck bound for an Air Force base in Colorado. I don't know if I'll actually be hauling it there or just taking it back to the yard. I'll find out tomorrow.

I do need to stop by the yard to have the APU on my truck repaired as the heat/air blower has stopped working and I am rather fond of having heat in the truck this time of year.


Comments
on Jan 07, 2010

Heat is nice this time of year.

You like Guiness?  I love the stuff, but only draft.  And that is kind of hard to come by usually.  Good sipping beer.

on Jan 07, 2010

Good to know you are not in a snowbank some where.  Some people never grow up Mason.  You probably run into that more than the average bear.

 

When was the last time you actually got to Colorado?  When is Florida on the  play list?  Stay safe and keep WARM.  

 

on Jan 07, 2010

Dr Guy
Heat is nice this time of year.

You like Guiness?  I love the stuff, but only draft.  And that is kind of hard to come by usually.  Good sipping beer.

Yeah I much prefer Guinness draft but will drink the bottled stuff if it's poured into a glass. It just doesn't taste right straight out of the bottle. I won't touch the canned Guinness at all.

on Jan 07, 2010

notronaj
Good to know you are not in a snowbank some where.  Some people never grow up Mason.  You probably run into that more than the average bear.

 

When was the last time you actually got to Colorado?  When is Florida on the  play list?  Stay safe and keep WARM.  

 

I was in Coloado a couple or three times last year. I was just in Jacksonville, FL a week or two back. I am doing my best to stay warm. Am currently trying to get warmed up again after being out in this WI snowstorm all day.

on Jan 07, 2010

Seymour (pronounced SeeMore) - Mellenkamp's home town.  Nice little berg.  Cousin by marriage grew up there.

on Jan 07, 2010

Nothin' better than a cold unpasteurized draft Guinness.  Except maybe a cold unpasteurized draft Caffrey's.

'Specially with chips, even more 'specially after a nice round at Lahinch.

on Jan 13, 2010

Daiwa
Seymour (pronounced SeeMore) - Mellenkamp's home town.  Nice little berg.  Cousin by marriage grew up there.

Yeah, it's not a bad little town.

on Jan 23, 2010

Mason, where are you wandering?  Talk to us.  judy

on Jan 27, 2010

notronaj
Mason, where are you wandering?  Talk to us.  judy
\

Thanks for asking. I've kind of been all over the country of late but haven't been close to any free wifi locations. Will be posting something new shortly.

on Jan 28, 2010

I've kind of been all over the country of late but haven't been close to any free wifi locations.

Bummer!  Looking forward to the new post!  Safe traveling!