In Holland, MI tonight. When I left Seattle it was still snowing up on Snoqualmie Pass and they were requiring trucks to chain up. My policy is to not chain up as I figure if the road is that bad I don't need to be on it with a big rig. Fortunately, the company for whom I work feels the same way. No sense in risking an expesnive truck and load over a slick roadway.

So, I went down to Portland and ran across through Salt Lake City and across I-80. It was 200+ miles longer going that way, but it seemed better than sitting and hoping the pass would open in a reasonable time.

On my way to Detroit I stopped into a small discount tobacco shop next to a truck stop (I honestly don't even recall now what town it was in) to pick up some CBW for the trip. While there I spotted a nice looking black sandblast bent pipe for twenty dollars. The only markings on it are "Torino" and "Italy". I assume it just one of many economy or seconds out of Italy. Basically a basket pipe.

Since I liked the look of it I shelled out the twenty for the pipe. It's actually a pretty good smoker and makes a nice addition to my small stable of "work pipes".  It's fairly light weight and the shape makes it hang nicely without really clenching.

Due to my new Olympus camera being stolen from my truck while it was in the garage in Florida I can't currently provide a photo of the new pipe.

On the way across I-80 I passed what was left of a rig sitting in the median of the highway. The tractor had caught fire and burned down to nothing but frame. I have to hand it to that driver for keeping his/her head. The driver had pulled off the road and into the median, dollied down the trailer landing gear, disconnected the tractor from the trailer and pulled it far enough ahead of the trailer to protect it and the load from burning, all while knowing the tractor was on fire. Well done! I hope the driver suffered no injuries.

I had originally planned on delivering in Detroit on Monday (yesterday) but due to a suddenly very upset stomach on Sunday and the frequent restroom stops that caused, I didn't make it there until around noon today. Oh well, sometimes it just goes that way. May have been something I ate.

During the "Spring cleaning" I've been doing in my truck for the past several days I found my Zippo pipe lighter. The damned thing went missing a couple of weeks ago and I had been sure that I had somehow dropped it, belt holster and all, in some truck stop somewhere. Turned out it was in my computer backpack the whole time. I seriously can't recall putting it there, or why.  Maybe it's premature senility?

As much as I dislike cleaning (ok, lazy is more like it) I have to admit that it's quite nice to have a somewhat organized and clean truck once again. I normally don't let my truck get in such a mess as it was but I had been a bit down since the first anniversary of my mother's death in December and had just sort of let things go. I think the return of longer days and the promise of warmer weather has finally snapped me out of it.

Now if I can just find time to get some laundry done I'll be in good shape. I am now down to wearing jeans and tee shirts which is definitely not my style.

Tomorrow morning I'll be picking up some plates of steel here in Holland and hauling it to one of our primary customers in a suburb of Cleveland. Hopefully I'll be heading back to the yard in WI from there as my truck is due for routine servicing (lube and oil), and that will allow me a few hours to run to the laundromat.

Now my day is done and I can kick back with a nice pipe and just relax for a bit before retiring for the evening.