I normally use a small travel optical mouse with my laptop because I don't like touchpads all that much. It's a nice little scroll wheel mouse with a retractable cord and is a pretty handy size for carrying in the laptop case. When I went to bed last night I had left the mouse plugged into the laptop. When I got up this morning I discovered that Socrates has chewed through the cord at some point during the night. Damn cat. As I needed to make a run to Wally World anyway, I picked up a n...

I got to the yard this afternoon, dropped my load, and checked the box for paperwork for my next load. There was nothing there with my name on it. WTF? Ok, whatever. I parked my truck and headed down to the bar. As I expected the boss and several others from work were there. The boss, Pete, bought me a beer and asked how my trip had gone. We chatted for a few minutes and I got around to the fact that there wasn't a load waiting for me. He called over his brother, who is charge of outbou...

Last night some dimwit parked next to me, on my right. Well, he sort of parked. He backed his rig about half way into the parking space and left it there, front hanging out blocking half the drive. WTF? When I got up this morning I loooked at his half assed parking jub. When it was time for me to leave there would be no way I could pull out and make the swing without taking off his hood. I went on inside and took care of my morning routine and had some coffee. When I came back out the i...

I'm parked for the night in GA. I'm about 14 hours or so from the yard in WI and should make it there by noon on Saturday weather permitting. It's still a nice comfortably warm temperature but I see the cold front is rapidly making it's way across the country. I'll dress warmer in the morning. When I called dispatch from the port to let them I know I was loaded, she wistfully asked me what the weather was like there. I casually said that I had the a/c running as it was in the 80s. She audi...

I got to the port in Tampa around 8:00 this morning in hopes of getting loaded and rolling in short order. I was wrong. Post 9/11, ports have a lot more security. It takes about an hour to go through all of the ID check, background check, and vehicle inspection just to get in. Once I was finally allowed in I asked the guard where this company was located in the port. "Oh, ummm, I don't know. But there are signs." *sigh* Ports are very large places ya know. I knew which street they were...

Dispatch finally found me a load out. Tomorrow I'll be heading over to the port in Tampa to pick up a 35 ft long piece of steel pipe heading to WI. While I really hate going to ports at least I'll have something to get back on the road and make a couple of bucks. I'm in the process of washing up the dishes and doing the final pack up in preparation for leaving in the morning. It's been nice spending time at home but I have bills to pay so it's back to the grind tomorrow. And the damn cold ...

I spoke with my office this morning regarding a load out. She said that she had lined one up but that another outfit stole it out from under us by offering to haul it cheaper. I hate when that happens. These companies sometimes will haul for a loss just to get their truck to an area where they have another load waiting to be picked up. Ah well, it's not like I mind being at home but I need to get rolling to make a buck or two. Hopefully something will turn up later today. In the meantime I...

I installed and am running Avant Window Navigator, which works with the Linux compositing window manager and the Gnome desktop environment. I think I've set up a pretty cool looking desktop. Well, at least I like it.          

Despite the fact that my clothes dryer decided to go South on me today it's been a pretty good day. I slept in for a change, enjoyed some nice freshly ground coffee when I got up, and have pretty much spent the day loafing. I'm working on some pink baby booties for a husband and wife trucking team that I know who are expecting in December. She said she thought it would be cool to have the baby wear a pair of booties made by a fellow trucker. As I am not much for using other people's p...

When I walked outside this morning I was greeted by the site of this:       It had bloomed during the night. There are several more "buds" that should bloom over the next few days. It was a nice surprise first thing in the morning.

Damn I hate having the hiccups. Annoying as hell. Been going on for an hour now and I'm getting pissed. That's all.

I finally made it home once again. I'm pooped. A couple of times I thought about just pulling in somewhere and finishing the trip home tomorrow. But I really wanted to sleep in my own bed tonight instead of the truck, so I pushed on. As I sit here in my recliner, swilling a cold beer and enjoying the feeling of not being in motion, I have to say it was worth it. I hammered down to Miami today to deliver the final piece, a concrete pump heading for Guatemala. I got the the freight forwarder an...

I am finally on my way home. I have stops in NC, SC, GA, and FL on my way. I should be home in a couple of days. While still in WI I decided to visit the local western shop to pick up some jeans and a couple of shirts as I was pretty low on clean clothing. I could have just gone to a laundry but I hate laundrymats. I have shopped in this western store for several years and have gotten to know the owner a bit. He takes great pride in his personal service and was happy to assist me in findin...

I made it back to the yard yesterday. I'll be hauling a load home this time around. I need the time off after more than two months on the road. As Monday is a holiday my first stop, in Savannah, GA, won't be until Tuesday so I had some time to kill. I wanted to get a room for the night but as this is the 105th anniversary weekend event for Harley Davidson I suspected that getting a room would be both difficult and expensive.  I was right. I called my usual hotel and they told me they ...

In what I can only describe as a deplorable action on the part of an employer, trucking company Sid Wainer & Son fired truck driver John Acheson. Not for being a bad driver, not for being a bad employee, but rather for being a good, decent, responsible citizen and helping the NYPD make five, count em folks, five arrests. Here is the story in the New York Post:   SAMARITAN TRUCKER FIRED By PHILIP MESSING Posted: 4:04 am August 25, 2008 A trucker who helped the NYPD mak...