We have covered some miles since my last post. A load from Savannah to Tulsa. Then up to Olathe, Kansas to get a load headed in the right direction for January... down to Pompano Beach, Florida. We went from winter to summer overnight. Nice ocean breezes blowing thru the truck night and day enticed us to play around down there a little bit this week. Especially when we looked at the weather map up north showing us nothing but cold, snow and ice. We decided to do another short load staying in Florida that landed us back down in Miami delivering a load of insulation at a downtown Marriott hotel at 6:30 Wednesday morning. It wasn't all work though. We met up with some friends who bought from us the last of the engine tarps we had got last summer when we briefly lost our minds and switched companies. That cleared up a lot of space in our trailer and gave us more room. We also had the opportunity to hook up with my old friend from high school, Jon Spaude and his lovely wife, Donna for a delicious lunch. We almost, almost were tempted to stay the weekend to go ocean fishing with them but remembered our resolution to work a little harder this year and reluctantly got back in the truck and headed out to pick up an oversized load heading to Dallas by Monday. That's what we're doing today. Currently we're traveling thru Louisiana but Texas bound, one eye on the road and the other watching for a good place to eat some good barbeque, one of our favorite southern things to do. Next week we'll be taking a load out to Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas. We're praying we won't be stuck there for a week like we were the last time. Time will tell...
A new year and a new look to this travel journal... Is it just me or is it easier to read? I may do some more tweaking just because it's fun to do. We are back on the road again... the vacationing truckers are officially back to work! And what a weather event it was driving the entire Interstate 10 from coast-to-coast the past few days. We left sunny southern California on Thursday with temps in the upper 60's and drove as far east as Lordsburg, NM that night where it was temps in the 20's and snow flurries blowing around. We woke up the next morning to a little snow on the ground and word on the CB radio that the road was closed ahead of us. Snow had accumulated in the Las Cruces, NM area and had also crippled travel thru west Texas. It snows out there every year yet they make little attempt to clean it up. We saw no plow, salt truck, or de-icing - just a dump truck dropping red dirt and sand onto the road for traction. Their plan is to simply let nature take its course, let the sun come out and melt it. We had four days to make the trip which was plenty of time, even with the delay. By the time we got on the road thru there, I never saw much snow at all and could see the grass still sticking out thru it -what some northerners might call a 'dusting'. After we made it thru that section of Texas, it turned to rain and a deluge thru Louisiana. Rain continued until we arrived in Jacksonville where it was again sunny and 60's. Looking at the weather map, we don't really want to head north into the cold. The new year means it's time to bust out the adding machine again. Time for the daunting job of adding up all the receipts from the past year. Every year I say I'm going to do it at the end of every month but then I never do. It's easy to put it off until I absolutely have to do it. I can hard wait to see how much money we spent in fuel and repairs this year! The new year also means all new crochet projects. I had spent much time over the past year crocheting the miles away and giving a lot of it away in the form of Christmas gifts. My slate is now clean and I'm looking for inspiration for a new project. Jorge is hoping it comes soon as it keeps my eyes looking down and not so much watching his driving, reading signs, and all-around backseat driving! Our next trip will load up in Savannah, Georgia. We'll be picking up a load of airplane parts that are going to Tulsa, Oklahoma overnight. Being back to work means a lot less outgo and much more income! The year has just begun but so far we are keeping busy. Cha-ching! |