As is custom for his sleep-walking habits, Ben was in the back getting rest, for about 45 minutes when I hear the tear of the velcro curtain open.
"Everything okay up there Deb?"
"Yep, everything is fine. Just go back to sleep hon."
"Are you sure you don't need my help?"
Thinking he is legitimately awake, I respond again, "Nope. Just get your rest."
A short pause.
"Have you landed any planes lately?" he asks.
"You know Ben, I can't say that I have. Have you landed any planes lately?"
A deep sigh. "No. I think I'm just gonna lay back down here. Let me know if you need anything!"
And, as is to be expected, a few hours later when he really woke up, he had no recollection of our conversation. It certainly is entertaining!
Present location: Sacramento, CA
Headed to: Portland, OR
Miles the last two weeks: 11,500
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Reflections
Discussing our future is a daily occurrence for Ben and I. We have truly enjoyed these past 2+ years on the road, but the "honeymoon" of trucking is definitely over. We have logged close to 500,000 miles, traveled to 46 of the 48 continental United States, visited friends and family numerous times, but we are ready for Part II of married life.
It has long been a desire of ours to work for the Church in some fashion, and we hope and pray an opportunity will present itself to us that will allow for service to the Lord as well as provision for our earthly needs. We have realized these past 2+ years just how important it is to be involved in a faith community as well; we miss parish life and daily Mass!
A frequent dialogue we often share is also about children. We certainly pray for the expansion of our family and are eager to journey into parenthood. Being pregnant and raising a newborn in a truck are just simply not an option, so that is extra motivation to get off the road (no, Mom, we're not pregnant yet).
Our debt snowball has really gained some footing and we are 4/7 of the way through our student loan debt (we paid off all credit cards and vehicle loans in 2010). There are only 3 loans left, but they are big and will take some time. At our current rate, we should have #5 paid off by Christmas, #6 paid off by May 2011 or so, and then #7 paid off no later than next Christmas. We are putting a large amount of $$ aside into these debt payments each month, but it feels like we're slowly going nowhere because the amounts are so big. But--slowly we keep trucking and will reach our goal!
Checking Indeed.com and Craigslist daily bring up various job opportunities or at least ideas into our minds. Recently, we found a posting for a resort couple; one part grounds-keeping, maintenance, etc., one part hospitality, housekeeping, reservations and running the retail store. On a whim (and certainly influenced by our desire to cease nomadic lifestyle!), we contacted the owner who then requested we send our resumes. We were then called back for an interview, which will happen this weekend on our hometime. A lot of factors have to be just-right if we will even be offered and then take the position, but this small journey has been incredibly motivating. Taking this step, even if it leads to nowhere, is a good step in the right direction to help us in getting off the road.
Acting as driver recruiters has dried up quite a bit; the recruiter we were working with always seems too busy to make contact with the folks we pass her way. That coupled with just plain being burned-out with all the energy and effort it takes to make the contacts and follow-ups and not receiving even so much as a call back from so folks, we've put recruiting on the back shelf. But--a driver we contacted 9 months ago finally made the move and we received the bonus last week! And this week, we snagged another new-comer and will receive that bonus next week! Every little bit counts and helps us get closer to our goal!
This past Sunday, we were passing through the St. Louis area and were able to stop at "our favorite truck stop", aka Sarah Swaykus' house. She is a friend of ours from grad school and has always been so gracious in having us over when we have the time! We went to Sunday Mass, had a delicious brunch and eventually went to St. Nicholas' Greek Festival at a parish in St. Louis before heading to Ted Drewe's for some world-class frozen custard. A culinary delight filled with lamb kabobs, gyros, Greek salad, spanakopitas and then frozen custard (not Greek). We also took a mini-tour of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (what a magnificent structure! It has over 41 million pieces of mosaic tile and is awe-inspiring! If you are ever in St. Louis and have time, you must check this beautiful holy place!). All in all, it was a fantastic day. Thanks, Sarah (and Becky and Karen and Amanda)!
Present location: Dallas, TX area (we've been here since Monday evening, and are scheduled to be home in Bend tomorrow. Do the math...it's not happening :-( )
Direction headed: Home! That is, if our next load doesn't cancel on us like the last two did to get us there!
Miles last week: 5600-ish
Have a blessed week, readers!
It has long been a desire of ours to work for the Church in some fashion, and we hope and pray an opportunity will present itself to us that will allow for service to the Lord as well as provision for our earthly needs. We have realized these past 2+ years just how important it is to be involved in a faith community as well; we miss parish life and daily Mass!
A frequent dialogue we often share is also about children. We certainly pray for the expansion of our family and are eager to journey into parenthood. Being pregnant and raising a newborn in a truck are just simply not an option, so that is extra motivation to get off the road (no, Mom, we're not pregnant yet).
Our debt snowball has really gained some footing and we are 4/7 of the way through our student loan debt (we paid off all credit cards and vehicle loans in 2010). There are only 3 loans left, but they are big and will take some time. At our current rate, we should have #5 paid off by Christmas, #6 paid off by May 2011 or so, and then #7 paid off no later than next Christmas. We are putting a large amount of $$ aside into these debt payments each month, but it feels like we're slowly going nowhere because the amounts are so big. But--slowly we keep trucking and will reach our goal!
Checking Indeed.com and Craigslist daily bring up various job opportunities or at least ideas into our minds. Recently, we found a posting for a resort couple; one part grounds-keeping, maintenance, etc., one part hospitality, housekeeping, reservations and running the retail store. On a whim (and certainly influenced by our desire to cease nomadic lifestyle!), we contacted the owner who then requested we send our resumes. We were then called back for an interview, which will happen this weekend on our hometime. A lot of factors have to be just-right if we will even be offered and then take the position, but this small journey has been incredibly motivating. Taking this step, even if it leads to nowhere, is a good step in the right direction to help us in getting off the road.
Acting as driver recruiters has dried up quite a bit; the recruiter we were working with always seems too busy to make contact with the folks we pass her way. That coupled with just plain being burned-out with all the energy and effort it takes to make the contacts and follow-ups and not receiving even so much as a call back from so folks, we've put recruiting on the back shelf. But--a driver we contacted 9 months ago finally made the move and we received the bonus last week! And this week, we snagged another new-comer and will receive that bonus next week! Every little bit counts and helps us get closer to our goal!
This past Sunday, we were passing through the St. Louis area and were able to stop at "our favorite truck stop", aka Sarah Swaykus' house. She is a friend of ours from grad school and has always been so gracious in having us over when we have the time! We went to Sunday Mass, had a delicious brunch and eventually went to St. Nicholas' Greek Festival at a parish in St. Louis before heading to Ted Drewe's for some world-class frozen custard. A culinary delight filled with lamb kabobs, gyros, Greek salad, spanakopitas and then frozen custard (not Greek). We also took a mini-tour of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (what a magnificent structure! It has over 41 million pieces of mosaic tile and is awe-inspiring! If you are ever in St. Louis and have time, you must check this beautiful holy place!). All in all, it was a fantastic day. Thanks, Sarah (and Becky and Karen and Amanda)!
Present location: Dallas, TX area (we've been here since Monday evening, and are scheduled to be home in Bend tomorrow. Do the math...it's not happening :-( )
Direction headed: Home! That is, if our next load doesn't cancel on us like the last two did to get us there!
Miles last week: 5600-ish
Have a blessed week, readers!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
A Welcome Change-Up
Since we've been with this company, our routes have not varied much. It is typical for us to drive the I-80 east to west, the I-5 north to south, sometimes the I-70 or the I-40, and when we're in the east/south, we stick to I-75, I-95 and I-10. But (finally) after getting back in the truck last week and moving on a long load from the St. Louis area to the Seattle area, we found ourselves on a route we've only driven 3-4 times: I-90.
We weren't supposed to take it, but the flooding along the Missouri River is still lingering in Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, with continual interstate and state highway closures. The detours suggested made getting back on our original route of I-80 out-of-route, so communicating back and forth with dispatch led us to driving north on I-29 until we met up with I-90 in Sioux Falls, SD.
This route meant we got to see:
(a) 2684 billboards advertising for Wall Drug in Wall, SD
(b) lots of bikers getting ready for the big Sturgis gathering in Sturgis, SD
(c) the Badlands
There really isn't much more to see in South Dakota, but we were pleased, nonetheless, to have the change in scenery. The decrease in humidity once we crossed the Missouri River was clearly evident as well, and very welcome!
The stretch of I-90 in Wyoming was pretty boring, as we drove through there in darkness, but once we crossed over into Montana, Idaho and Washington, it was a welcome sight of mountainous beauty, pine trees, alpine lakes and rivers. The beauty of the Northwest is just astounding and we feel very blessed to be able to live among it (5 days a month at a time)!
Once we delivered our load in the Seattle area, we found out our next load would have us going to Pennsylvania, and our directions routed us, once again, on I-90 in WA, ID and MT, but then we'd take the northern route of I-94 through North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin before dropping down to I-70. Not only did we have back-to-back loads of 2000+ miles, we drove back-to-back on routes less-traveled! Not a bad gig, if you ask me!
We'll have likely one to two more loads before we have our home-time for Ben's thesis defense next week (and visiting friends and family after), and then we'll be back out on the road again for another 4 weeks or so until we head back to Bend. Stay tuned for adventures!
We weren't supposed to take it, but the flooding along the Missouri River is still lingering in Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, with continual interstate and state highway closures. The detours suggested made getting back on our original route of I-80 out-of-route, so communicating back and forth with dispatch led us to driving north on I-29 until we met up with I-90 in Sioux Falls, SD.
This route meant we got to see:
(a) 2684 billboards advertising for Wall Drug in Wall, SD
(b) lots of bikers getting ready for the big Sturgis gathering in Sturgis, SD
(c) the Badlands
There really isn't much more to see in South Dakota, but we were pleased, nonetheless, to have the change in scenery. The decrease in humidity once we crossed the Missouri River was clearly evident as well, and very welcome!
The stretch of I-90 in Wyoming was pretty boring, as we drove through there in darkness, but once we crossed over into Montana, Idaho and Washington, it was a welcome sight of mountainous beauty, pine trees, alpine lakes and rivers. The beauty of the Northwest is just astounding and we feel very blessed to be able to live among it (5 days a month at a time)!
Once we delivered our load in the Seattle area, we found out our next load would have us going to Pennsylvania, and our directions routed us, once again, on I-90 in WA, ID and MT, but then we'd take the northern route of I-94 through North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin before dropping down to I-70. Not only did we have back-to-back loads of 2000+ miles, we drove back-to-back on routes less-traveled! Not a bad gig, if you ask me!
We'll have likely one to two more loads before we have our home-time for Ben's thesis defense next week (and visiting friends and family after), and then we'll be back out on the road again for another 4 weeks or so until we head back to Bend. Stay tuned for adventures!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Back on the Road...Again!
Whew! While we knew that the engine knocking in our truck would have us down for a bit, we never thought it would be 5.5 days! It made us nearly stir-crazy, not having many options to entertain ourselves or just relax, even. We spent 3 nights in a hotel and 2 in our truck (once it was cleared enough from the shop), and either hung out at the motel or the terminal.
There was this great thrift store across the street from the motel, and since we did not anticipate being away from all of our things as long as we were, I had only packed us one change of clothes. The thrift store came in handy with shirts for only $1.20!
There's only so much TV and The Office episodes you can watch at once, so on Saturday we had the shuttle van driver bring us to a movie theater. We watched the matinee of Cowboys & Aliens. Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig are a nice duo to observe, but the movie itself kinda stank. If you want to watch it, we recommend waiting until it comes to a Redbox near you.
We're finally back on the road now though, having gone from Atlanta to Louisville to St. Louis. We'll be heading to Washington state in the morning--it's nice to have a long run (2000+ miles) after having sat for so long. Our breakdown pay is only a cumulative $60/day, so big miles will help make up the deficit in our paycheck!
Hope you have a great week!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
There was this great thrift store across the street from the motel, and since we did not anticipate being away from all of our things as long as we were, I had only packed us one change of clothes. The thrift store came in handy with shirts for only $1.20!
There's only so much TV and The Office episodes you can watch at once, so on Saturday we had the shuttle van driver bring us to a movie theater. We watched the matinee of Cowboys & Aliens. Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig are a nice duo to observe, but the movie itself kinda stank. If you want to watch it, we recommend waiting until it comes to a Redbox near you.
We're finally back on the road now though, having gone from Atlanta to Louisville to St. Louis. We'll be heading to Washington state in the morning--it's nice to have a long run (2000+ miles) after having sat for so long. Our breakdown pay is only a cumulative $60/day, so big miles will help make up the deficit in our paycheck!
Hope you have a great week!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Bear With Me
Oh, my. It has been a while, has it not, Sandy? Life and driving has kept us quite busy lately, and so this blog post here will serve as a randomization of recent happenings, in no particular order. Enjoy!
1. We had a great hometime about a week and a half ago, probably one of the best on record so far. We ended up having 6 days off (due to slow loads moving when we returned to the truck), which were filled with cooking, baking, hosting our friends AJ, Sarah and their little one Gabriella (West Coast Steins) while AJ cycled in the Tour Des Chutes 100 mile ride, hiking, soaking in hot springs, going to church and spending one-on-one with JC in adoration, more cooking and baking, and seeing our other friends in town. The weather did not cooperate much, but still, what a delight!
2. Last month we were out on the road for 30 days and logged over 25,000 miles. That's a great month! We're on track to have our next loan paid down by Labor Day (and likely before!).
3. We delivered a load into the side of the earth...a former government complex that was carved from limestone is now a regular "hub" for small business and logistics; we drove our truck and trailer into the side of a hill and underground, dodging limestone pillars for a mile in and out. Boeing was a cool drop, but I think this delivery point beats it!
4. Leaving hometime set us on a track from Bend to San Francisco to Phoenix to Memphis to Miami to Atlanta, where we now sit as our truck is in the shop. We were slated to head towards New Jersey, but as we got ready to leave this morning, our engine started knocking really loud. Who knows how long it will take? But--all that travel? We did it in 5 days. Not bad for the first week out!!
5. As mentioned in #1, I am really enjoying cooking and baking every time we come home. This month's experiments included a grilled flat iron steak with blue cheese butter topping, turkey lentil chili, a delectable strawberry cake covered in whipped cream white chocolate frosting (so good we had to make it twice!), and German chocolate cake (definitely easier to make the second time around, but still labor intensive). I've also recently discovered a show that I enjoy listening to on Martha Stewart Living Radio: Everyday Food with Sandy Gluck. She gives some great basic advice for cooking and baking and experiments with making different things in her test kitchen, airing it on the show. I'm learning a lot and can't wait to put these tips into practice! I'm perusing different foodie blogs too to pick up new tricks and recipes. If you have any recommendations, let me know!
6. We've moved on from our last set of acadamia in transit; now we are onto lectures about Pope Benedict VI (guest lectures at Christendom University), Christian Spirituality (Dr. Mark Miravalle from Franciscan University), and of course Ben's philosophy courses. I have an aim to read Louis Bouyer's book, "Eucharist" by the time we return to Bend in September. His 20 years of research culminating in this work is fascinating, intriguing, and deeply theological. I read just the first 1/4 or so of it a few years ago in preparation for a diocesan event for youth. It made quite an impression on me and I intend to read the rest!
7. Ben is finally done with his thesis! The last part is coming up in just 2 weeks: he will be defending it in front of three philosophy professors back at Franciscan University in Steubenville. We will be spending our August hometime then in Ohio, completing this last task for his Master's degree, as well as visiting with friends and family in the area. This thesis is 5 years in the making, and finally 99.9% there. Please remember him in your prayers on Thursday, August 11 at 10:30am. Thanks!
8. I lost another 4 pounds!
9. I can't think of anything else at the moment, so...until next time!
God bless you!
1. We had a great hometime about a week and a half ago, probably one of the best on record so far. We ended up having 6 days off (due to slow loads moving when we returned to the truck), which were filled with cooking, baking, hosting our friends AJ, Sarah and their little one Gabriella (West Coast Steins) while AJ cycled in the Tour Des Chutes 100 mile ride, hiking, soaking in hot springs, going to church and spending one-on-one with JC in adoration, more cooking and baking, and seeing our other friends in town. The weather did not cooperate much, but still, what a delight!
2. Last month we were out on the road for 30 days and logged over 25,000 miles. That's a great month! We're on track to have our next loan paid down by Labor Day (and likely before!).
3. We delivered a load into the side of the earth...a former government complex that was carved from limestone is now a regular "hub" for small business and logistics; we drove our truck and trailer into the side of a hill and underground, dodging limestone pillars for a mile in and out. Boeing was a cool drop, but I think this delivery point beats it!
4. Leaving hometime set us on a track from Bend to San Francisco to Phoenix to Memphis to Miami to Atlanta, where we now sit as our truck is in the shop. We were slated to head towards New Jersey, but as we got ready to leave this morning, our engine started knocking really loud. Who knows how long it will take? But--all that travel? We did it in 5 days. Not bad for the first week out!!
5. As mentioned in #1, I am really enjoying cooking and baking every time we come home. This month's experiments included a grilled flat iron steak with blue cheese butter topping, turkey lentil chili, a delectable strawberry cake covered in whipped cream white chocolate frosting (so good we had to make it twice!), and German chocolate cake (definitely easier to make the second time around, but still labor intensive). I've also recently discovered a show that I enjoy listening to on Martha Stewart Living Radio: Everyday Food with Sandy Gluck. She gives some great basic advice for cooking and baking and experiments with making different things in her test kitchen, airing it on the show. I'm learning a lot and can't wait to put these tips into practice! I'm perusing different foodie blogs too to pick up new tricks and recipes. If you have any recommendations, let me know!
6. We've moved on from our last set of acadamia in transit; now we are onto lectures about Pope Benedict VI (guest lectures at Christendom University), Christian Spirituality (Dr. Mark Miravalle from Franciscan University), and of course Ben's philosophy courses. I have an aim to read Louis Bouyer's book, "Eucharist" by the time we return to Bend in September. His 20 years of research culminating in this work is fascinating, intriguing, and deeply theological. I read just the first 1/4 or so of it a few years ago in preparation for a diocesan event for youth. It made quite an impression on me and I intend to read the rest!
7. Ben is finally done with his thesis! The last part is coming up in just 2 weeks: he will be defending it in front of three philosophy professors back at Franciscan University in Steubenville. We will be spending our August hometime then in Ohio, completing this last task for his Master's degree, as well as visiting with friends and family in the area. This thesis is 5 years in the making, and finally 99.9% there. Please remember him in your prayers on Thursday, August 11 at 10:30am. Thanks!
8. I lost another 4 pounds!
9. I can't think of anything else at the moment, so...until next time!
God bless you!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Acadamia in Transit
A while back, I posted about Audible.com and our interest in beginning a subscription, as we had decided to use our time on the road spent towards more academic measures (now that we're both done with our degrees! {Ben has only his defense left to do}). What we discovered though, through this great age of technology, is that we don't have to spend money to take advantage of academics offered in transitory status.
The iPhone we bought back in January has been so great to use for so many things, but one we never really discovered using until recently was the iPod/iTunes functions. I know, I know, welcome out of the dark ages, right? I never knew (or desired to know, to be honest) how to use an mp3 player or an iPod because I just don't pay that much attention to music, and I figured that that's all people used them for. The XM satellite radio we have offers any kind of music you'd want to listen to as well, though we keep it to Christian and Frank Sinatra. So, no need to spend the money on something that probably won't be used, right?
Enter our discovery of iTunesU. Holy mackerel has this made our purchase of the iPhone SOO worth while! Now, again as mentioned in the Audible blog post, we've had lots of audio to listen to, such as Latin, Spanish, and the New Testament Scriptures. Adding to that, we've begun to listen (or for me, re-listen) to the distance learning graduate courses for theology from Franciscan University. We started with Historical Foundations of the Church and are now in the middle of the Teachings of Vatican II. But iTunesU? This has forever changed the landscape for the remainder of our time on the road.
The courses offered range from guest lectures all the way to the entire semester's worth of lectures, from many schools across the country. So far, some of the courses we've listened to have been:
Early American Colonial History: Dr. Jack Ravoke, Stanford
Justice (Philosophy): Dr. Michael Sandel, Harvard
Political Philosophy: Dr. Steven Smith, Yale
Basic Spanish: Claudia Fernandex, DePaul University
We've also downloaded some podcasts: quick lessons in Spanish, slowly-spoken newscasts in Spanish, as well as lessons in Latin (unfortunately classically spoken, but it still works).
Ben has downloaded so many courses, lectures, podcasts on our computer that we could go years without listening to anything else on the radio, XM or CD's. This suits his nature in so many ways, as he just loves to learn and absorb as much information as possible. Me? I like to take things a little slower, but am excited of all the prospects of expanding our education (one that we DON'T have to pay for!). And let me tell you--those Ivy League students (as showcased in our Justice class at Harvard) really are the cream of the crop. Very impressive!
Present Location: Laredo, TX
Miles this week: 6300 (woohoo!)
Also to help pass the time? Our friends recently loaned us their seasons of The Office. The writing in season 2 is fantastic! We haven't laughed this hard in a while!!
The iPhone we bought back in January has been so great to use for so many things, but one we never really discovered using until recently was the iPod/iTunes functions. I know, I know, welcome out of the dark ages, right? I never knew (or desired to know, to be honest) how to use an mp3 player or an iPod because I just don't pay that much attention to music, and I figured that that's all people used them for. The XM satellite radio we have offers any kind of music you'd want to listen to as well, though we keep it to Christian and Frank Sinatra. So, no need to spend the money on something that probably won't be used, right?
Enter our discovery of iTunesU. Holy mackerel has this made our purchase of the iPhone SOO worth while! Now, again as mentioned in the Audible blog post, we've had lots of audio to listen to, such as Latin, Spanish, and the New Testament Scriptures. Adding to that, we've begun to listen (or for me, re-listen) to the distance learning graduate courses for theology from Franciscan University. We started with Historical Foundations of the Church and are now in the middle of the Teachings of Vatican II. But iTunesU? This has forever changed the landscape for the remainder of our time on the road.
The courses offered range from guest lectures all the way to the entire semester's worth of lectures, from many schools across the country. So far, some of the courses we've listened to have been:
Early American Colonial History: Dr. Jack Ravoke, Stanford
Justice (Philosophy): Dr. Michael Sandel, Harvard
Political Philosophy: Dr. Steven Smith, Yale
Basic Spanish: Claudia Fernandex, DePaul University
We've also downloaded some podcasts: quick lessons in Spanish, slowly-spoken newscasts in Spanish, as well as lessons in Latin (unfortunately classically spoken, but it still works).
Ben has downloaded so many courses, lectures, podcasts on our computer that we could go years without listening to anything else on the radio, XM or CD's. This suits his nature in so many ways, as he just loves to learn and absorb as much information as possible. Me? I like to take things a little slower, but am excited of all the prospects of expanding our education (one that we DON'T have to pay for!). And let me tell you--those Ivy League students (as showcased in our Justice class at Harvard) really are the cream of the crop. Very impressive!
Present Location: Laredo, TX
Miles this week: 6300 (woohoo!)
Also to help pass the time? Our friends recently loaned us their seasons of The Office. The writing in season 2 is fantastic! We haven't laughed this hard in a while!!
Friday, June 17, 2011
"It's a good truck."
Last month we had some downtime at the World's Largest Truckstop, a TA on I-80 in Walcott, Iowa. We took advantage of our time and walked a few laps around the perimeter of the property, as well as perused the nearby Museum of Trucking. That's right folks, there's a museum, even for us truckers! No fossilized trucker remains were on exhibit---just their trucks!
Take this one, for example:
Did you read the caption? A 1958 truck with 5.2 MILLION miles on the engine without a single accident. We'll likely not break the one million mile mark in our short time on the road as team drivers, and this guy and his trusty truck drove well over five million. That's a good truck!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Take this one, for example:
Did you read the caption? A 1958 truck with 5.2 MILLION miles on the engine without a single accident. We'll likely not break the one million mile mark in our short time on the road as team drivers, and this guy and his trusty truck drove well over five million. That's a good truck!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Little Blessings
While this morning did not start out on the right foot, there have been many recent little blessings worth sharing:
Our one-year anniversary with the company was noted in our payroll with a $1000 bonus for each of us for sticking together as a team for a year. Unexpected and wonderful!
Ben was found to be a match for the man needing a bone marrow transplant. Because of the difficulty in scheduling, however, and because there were found to be other matches for the patient, we decided it best to not continue with donating at this time. Ben will be put on an unavailable list just until we're done trucking. Pretty incredible, though, that Ben's 8% chance of being a match ended up being a match!
Friendly encounter 1: we met up with Steve, Dianne and Charlie near Louisville, KY of all places as they were headed back to VA from AZ over Memorial Day weekend. We went to Mass and shared a great Cracker Barrel breakfast with them, enjoying our long-overdue visit.
Friendly encounter 2: this past Sunday evening we met up with our friend Lisa in Wichita, KS and got to meet her new little baby too! Lemonade, rocking chairs and Cracker Barrel's front porch was a great setting for our visit! (anyone sense a theme here?)
Our miles this month out have certainly picked up and we are averaging a little over 5000 miles per week. That adds up and our next loan will be paid off on Friday! (a few weeks later than "scheduled,", but that's what happens when I don't turn in the paperwork on time to get paid the current week. Oops!)
Right now we're in the tri-state area of NE, IA and MO waiting on two trailer tires to get fixed. Then we're off to Salt Lake City, Salem OR and then Bend for our hometime! It will be good to be home!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Our one-year anniversary with the company was noted in our payroll with a $1000 bonus for each of us for sticking together as a team for a year. Unexpected and wonderful!
Ben was found to be a match for the man needing a bone marrow transplant. Because of the difficulty in scheduling, however, and because there were found to be other matches for the patient, we decided it best to not continue with donating at this time. Ben will be put on an unavailable list just until we're done trucking. Pretty incredible, though, that Ben's 8% chance of being a match ended up being a match!
Friendly encounter 1: we met up with Steve, Dianne and Charlie near Louisville, KY of all places as they were headed back to VA from AZ over Memorial Day weekend. We went to Mass and shared a great Cracker Barrel breakfast with them, enjoying our long-overdue visit.
Friendly encounter 2: this past Sunday evening we met up with our friend Lisa in Wichita, KS and got to meet her new little baby too! Lemonade, rocking chairs and Cracker Barrel's front porch was a great setting for our visit! (anyone sense a theme here?)
Our miles this month out have certainly picked up and we are averaging a little over 5000 miles per week. That adds up and our next loan will be paid off on Friday! (a few weeks later than "scheduled,", but that's what happens when I don't turn in the paperwork on time to get paid the current week. Oops!)
Right now we're in the tri-state area of NE, IA and MO waiting on two trailer tires to get fixed. Then we're off to Salt Lake City, Salem OR and then Bend for our hometime! It will be good to be home!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, May 27, 2011
Top Five Truckstops
We're presently on our way to the Chicago area, and with a little time to spare, we stopped at the TA truckstop in Morris, IL on I-80 at exit 112. We've stopped here before to enjoy the restaurant's delicious baked goods, but decided on a meal this time.
This led to a discussion of what our top five truckstop places to visit are throughout the country:
5. Little America, WY: We've not yet frequented their sit-down restaurant, but what's not to love about ginormous 50 cent soft-serve ice cream cones, crown molding in the bathrooms, marble floors and bathtubs in addition to showers for the passing-through trucker? I-80 exit 68 usually gets us to stop!
4. Pollard Flat USA: this hole in the wall truckstop in northern CA (I-5 exit 712) has few amenities but some of the best food on the road. It used to be "the place to stop" back in the day but has since become rundown. Ben's trainer introduced him to it almost 2 years ago now, and we love to stop when we get a chance.
3. Jubitz, Portland, OR: this truck plaza features a great restaurant, hotel, movie theater, chiropractor, hair salon, convenience store, post office, and probably several other amenities we're not even aware of! Their food is delicious!
2. Morris TA and R Place Restaurant, Morris, IL: this is the aforementioned truckstop that started the whole conversation. Just take a look at my salad!
Their puff-pastry "pillows" filled with sweet cream, strawberries and 8000 calories are divine, as are their turtle brownies. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is great, an they even have a "truckers only" side that CDL holders can be seated in, which offers faster service so the driver can enjoy a good meal and get back on the road.
1. 7 Feathers/Creekside, Canyonville: this truckstop/RV park/restaurant/casino/hotel is operated by the Umpqua Indian Tribe in Oregon (I-5 exit 99). The menu features northwest cuisine with local fresh ingredients that changes with each season. There are walking paths around the RV park, free wifi, a shuttle bringing you from the truckstop to the casino across the way, and it's all open 24/7. When we were on the I-5 dedicated route, we stopped in once a week, never disappointed with any food choice!
Headed to: Denver, then Daytona Beach!
Miles this week: 5100
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This led to a discussion of what our top five truckstop places to visit are throughout the country:
5. Little America, WY: We've not yet frequented their sit-down restaurant, but what's not to love about ginormous 50 cent soft-serve ice cream cones, crown molding in the bathrooms, marble floors and bathtubs in addition to showers for the passing-through trucker? I-80 exit 68 usually gets us to stop!
4. Pollard Flat USA: this hole in the wall truckstop in northern CA (I-5 exit 712) has few amenities but some of the best food on the road. It used to be "the place to stop" back in the day but has since become rundown. Ben's trainer introduced him to it almost 2 years ago now, and we love to stop when we get a chance.
3. Jubitz, Portland, OR: this truck plaza features a great restaurant, hotel, movie theater, chiropractor, hair salon, convenience store, post office, and probably several other amenities we're not even aware of! Their food is delicious!
2. Morris TA and R Place Restaurant, Morris, IL: this is the aforementioned truckstop that started the whole conversation. Just take a look at my salad!
Their puff-pastry "pillows" filled with sweet cream, strawberries and 8000 calories are divine, as are their turtle brownies. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is great, an they even have a "truckers only" side that CDL holders can be seated in, which offers faster service so the driver can enjoy a good meal and get back on the road.
1. 7 Feathers/Creekside, Canyonville: this truckstop/RV park/restaurant/casino/hotel is operated by the Umpqua Indian Tribe in Oregon (I-5 exit 99). The menu features northwest cuisine with local fresh ingredients that changes with each season. There are walking paths around the RV park, free wifi, a shuttle bringing you from the truckstop to the casino across the way, and it's all open 24/7. When we were on the I-5 dedicated route, we stopped in once a week, never disappointed with any food choice!
Headed to: Denver, then Daytona Beach!
Miles this week: 5100
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, May 20, 2011
Just because people follow you doesn't mean you're headed the right direction...
One could consider the above title true on multiple levels, be it politics, religion, or in my case, taking a detour.
Early this morning, I had just crossed the Kentucky border from Tennessee, heading north on I-75. At exit 11 in Williamsburg, all traffic was diverted to the ramp by state troopers, but no alternative route was given. There had been an accident, bad enough to shut down the interstate. I began following some other folks who had also been directed off the main drag, quickly trying to find an alternate route between our GPS Jack and our sat-com (we call her Joan). I decided on KY 204, as it paralleled I-75 from what I could surmise from both devices.
This proved to be an interesting adventure, one I hope not to have again anytime soon. In my hasty decision, about 6 cars decided to follow for what turned out to be a 30 minute detour on a curvy, hilly, backwoods road that no truck should venture on. When I made the first selective turn, I told myself, "You're making this decision and you better be ready, because there's no turning back." I also offered up a prayer asking for guidance and St. Anthony's intercession so I would not become lost.
Let me tell you, those 6 sets of cars that seemingly chose to follow the trucker "cause they'd know where to go", were troopers, patiently driving behind my 25-30mph pace on that backroad.
However, at the junction of a US highway, I had to make the decision to turn left or right. Both ways would lead me back to 75, but the question became, "Should I take the shorter route and get back on the interstate just north of Williamsburg, only to not have yet passed the accident and have to still find another route? Or, should I continue my detour further to hopefully get far enough ahead of the hold-up?"
Opting for the latter, only one car of the six decided to stick it out with me. The others either continued on 204 or turned right. Thankfully this US highway was much wider, smoother and easier to navigate through than the state road!
I finally made it to I-75, realizing I did in fact make the best choice. Deducing from the nonexistent traffic coming from the south, had I not turned left when everyone else turned right, I would have gotten all caught up in the delay. The lone car that followed me gave a friendly wave of thanks as he passed by on the interstate.
Crisis of finding oneself lost: averted, oxymoronic as that may be!
*whew!*
Present location: Kenosha, WI
Headed to: Denver, CO
Recent friendly encounters: a night spent with the MI Martineks (John, Melissa, Ben, Maddie and Amelia), and supper with Joe, Andy and Tex in Richmond, IN
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Early this morning, I had just crossed the Kentucky border from Tennessee, heading north on I-75. At exit 11 in Williamsburg, all traffic was diverted to the ramp by state troopers, but no alternative route was given. There had been an accident, bad enough to shut down the interstate. I began following some other folks who had also been directed off the main drag, quickly trying to find an alternate route between our GPS Jack and our sat-com (we call her Joan). I decided on KY 204, as it paralleled I-75 from what I could surmise from both devices.
This proved to be an interesting adventure, one I hope not to have again anytime soon. In my hasty decision, about 6 cars decided to follow for what turned out to be a 30 minute detour on a curvy, hilly, backwoods road that no truck should venture on. When I made the first selective turn, I told myself, "You're making this decision and you better be ready, because there's no turning back." I also offered up a prayer asking for guidance and St. Anthony's intercession so I would not become lost.
Let me tell you, those 6 sets of cars that seemingly chose to follow the trucker "cause they'd know where to go", were troopers, patiently driving behind my 25-30mph pace on that backroad.
However, at the junction of a US highway, I had to make the decision to turn left or right. Both ways would lead me back to 75, but the question became, "Should I take the shorter route and get back on the interstate just north of Williamsburg, only to not have yet passed the accident and have to still find another route? Or, should I continue my detour further to hopefully get far enough ahead of the hold-up?"
Opting for the latter, only one car of the six decided to stick it out with me. The others either continued on 204 or turned right. Thankfully this US highway was much wider, smoother and easier to navigate through than the state road!
I finally made it to I-75, realizing I did in fact make the best choice. Deducing from the nonexistent traffic coming from the south, had I not turned left when everyone else turned right, I would have gotten all caught up in the delay. The lone car that followed me gave a friendly wave of thanks as he passed by on the interstate.
Crisis of finding oneself lost: averted, oxymoronic as that may be!
*whew!*
Present location: Kenosha, WI
Headed to: Denver, CO
Recent friendly encounters: a night spent with the MI Martineks (John, Melissa, Ben, Maddie and Amelia), and supper with Joe, Andy and Tex in Richmond, IN
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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