Mourning Dove

This is one my personal mourning doves. They land on the stairway roof just outside my window for a bit of water from sun melted snow.

One of "Those Days"!

It actually started one hour before Wednesday started so lets start then! I arrived at my destination 13 hours late having been sent out about that many hours late by the company. Of course it was shift change time so meetings were going on and the usual before work conversations needed to be attended to. Anyway I was sent to a dock area to wait until the spotter pulled a trailer out. He got to doing this about an hour later. I then could back in and relax......doze a bit waiting for the clamp lift to begin taking the load off. He got there about an hour and a half later. It was 2:30 am or three and a half hours after my arrival that I found a parking spot and went to sleep.
About nine I decided to head her home through the snow. The difficult travelling conditions added a few minutes to the 350 mile trip. At about 4pm I got my next dispatch. Pick up the trailer at the warehouse and finish loading at the mill next door. I got to the mill just in time for their shift change! Another hour and a half wait! Finally loaded I was making my way out of the mill when Volvo's warning lights give me a show! The electrical system had a malfunction and the voltage was down to 11 volts. The engine died as there was not enough voltage to sustain the necessary functions. The mechanic got there in about an hour and found no bad connections so we went back to the shop and picked up some new batteries which were installed and I drove the truck back to the shop.A new alternator was installed and in another hour I was on the road again! I was heading for "the cities"!
But not for long. About 40 miles out, bambi decides to cross the road. SMACK. I got to the the next safe spot to stop and sure enough the green is dripping from the radiator! Not a real bad leak but enough to require immediate attention. I headed her home. Now when the reservior above Volvo's radiator goes dry the engine shuts down. I had a gallon of drinking water which I dumped in the first time the warning lights for a shut down came on and made it to an open establishment for more water the second time. Into the shop I eventually drive again and we found the minor leak at the juction of a hose with the radiator! At least bambi had not damaged the radiator. The lose hose was clamped down and I was again ready to hit the road.
But not for long. It was now 8 hours after getting home from the previous fiasco and I had made no progress toward my destination except getting loaded so why hurry now? It was bedtime! The load got to there Thursday afternoon.

Two for the Price of One

A real deal in the old days was a buy one meal get one free but now it is buy one Kia and get the second one free! I heard it on the radio. I can't remember where for sure but I think it was a northern lower Michigan radio station. How about that. Buy one Kia SUV and get an $18,000 Kia sedan or whatever free for the kids!
I also heard another ad in Minnesota which advertised a huge purchase of Chevy Cavaliars and Pontiac Grand Ams by a dealer who was now passing the savings on to anyone who needed two new cars at once. With absolutely no money down one could drive home one of each for only $389 monthly. I guess it would be best to tow one home or bring a second driver with. I didn't hear for sure how many months but maybe till Social Security kicked in or the like. What a deal! Again 2 for one low monthly payment! One for you and one for the kids!

The Very Same Buck!

It was sometime in the mid 40's when an uncle of mine, an excitable sort, shot at and dropped an immense buck. Being a most law abiding type he immediately applied the metal locking tag required to be so affixed to the bucks antler. As he "whewed" and tried to stop his shaking (buckfever) all of a sudden the buck shot up and took off into the swamp. Apparently bucko had only been knocked out by the bullet. My uncle sat there dazed and dumbfounded! Vowing to get him he continued the hunt that year but the wiley buck eluded uncle's quest.
The following season uncle returned to the very spot of the previous years activity, found a cozy stump to sit near and settled down to wait. It wasn't much more than an hour when along came an immense form of the buck through the brush. Could it be the one he dealt with last year? Uncle took care to take good aim and fired. The buck dropped in its tracks! Uncle carefully approached ready to blast again if necessary and then dropped down to count the points on the rack! But what should he notice? The metal tag from last year was still affixed and proved to all that this big one got away once but not twice!

Dude with Rack

Look at the rack on this dude!


The Iron Mountain paper had this to say about "the dudes" one of which is pictured here in Theresa Peterson's photo in today's The Daily News


Older bucks will represent a larger proportion than normal of the buck segment of the Upper Peninsula deer herd in the upcoming firearm deer season, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. They should also show excellent antler development.
Theresa Peterson/Daily News Photo

Jim Anderson had this to say in the related article:

Bigger bucks
By JIM ANDERSON News EditorIRON MOUNTAIN — Hunters in Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties might see fewer deer this year, but the bucks that hunters do spot should be bigger, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.The state’s 16-day firearm deer season opens Tuesday.Tuesday’s opening day forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with a 50 percent chance of snow and a high near 31. It might also be breezy.Wednesday’s forecast is partly sunny with a high near 31.Winter deer herd losses in the southern Upper Peninsula were minimal, the DNR said. However, there will be fewer young bucks because of poor fawn production in 2004, wildlife biologists predict.
Hunters in Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties might see fewer deer this year, but the bucks that hunters do spot should be bigger, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.The state’s 16-day firearm deer season opens Tuesday.Tuesday’s opening day forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with a 50 percent chance of snow and a high near 31. It might also be breezy.Wednesday’s forecast is partly sunny with a high near 31.Winter deer herd losses in the southern Upper Peninsula were minimal, the DNR said. However, there will be fewer young bucks because of poor fawn production in 2004, wildlife biologists predict.

The Mourning Dove: To Hunt or Let Live

Should we or should we not hunt these little creatures?
This is a mourning dove apparently so named because of its making a "mourning" sound.
Many states allow hunting of the beast but Michigan is locked in controversy at this time. At first hunting was to be allowed in a few southern Michigan counties but a petition drive put the hunt on hold.
I am well aquainted with a family of these birds which live where I live. They frequently land on the roof of the stairwell just outside my big window. I've offered them food which they enjoy. Often as I descend the stairs to my car they scare the hell of of me by flying out and up from under the stairs where they apparently have gathered for a snack of gravel.
A dozen or so can be seen on most days on the electical wires or rooftops in the neighborhood.
What do you think? Should we let these tiny little beasts coo around and eat gravel or should we allow hunters in southern Michigan blast them out of the sky as they pass over! Or should we just sit and chuckle as the bird huggers and bird hunters argue their cases?

I Like NPR"S Science Friday

There is so much one can learn while driving around. Today on Science Friday I learned that when I go to sleep my brain doesn't. It stays awake to do some book keeping and house cleaning. I guess it sort of sorts things out and puts the newly sorted stuff on the proper shelves or in the right drawer or on the right hook. Also it doesn't deal with small stuff at this time. The brain takes care of the bigger more complicated stuff at night. Then it also throws a lot of junk out for the GAD man to pick up. This might be why I can't remember where I delivered yesterday! They also say that the brain slows down energy consumption by only about 10 to 20 percent while the rest of the body sleeps. Could that be cause our eyes are shut?

In another portion of the program I learned that a praying mantis as shown above is actually a cockroach and is so fast in its body movements that it can catch humming birds and mosquitoes and other insects. The beast also is one of a few insects which can rotate its head to see behind itself! This and other animals were discussed by a guest who has written about this smaller majority. He figures that upwards of 90 percent and maybe even 99 percent of the worlds animals are smaller than a human finger.

America's Top Ten

I found the following story as a post on the CompuServe community causal chat area.

Fast food junkies were surveyed by Askmen.com and it appears that these ten fast foods top their list. Do any of these fast foods tickle your taste buds or do you have a list of faves you want to share?
#10 Pizza Hut's Pepperoni Pizza: The pepperoni pizza came in as the best of the best at Pizza Hut and the close second was its cheese and stuffed crust pizzas.
#9 Subway's Steak and Cheese Sub: Oh, yeah! Hot steak oozing with melted, stringy cheese!
#8 Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich: The original sandwich will always be #1 on everyone's list of Arby faves.
#7 KFC's Bucket of Original Recipe Chicken: Ah yeah! Chicken fans love those spices!
#6 McDonald's Big Mac: No matter how many new items McDonald's may add to their menu, the Big Mac will always rule.
#5 Hooter's Buffalo Style Chicken Wings: Is it the wings or the Hooters' girls that make the wings a fave?
#4 Wendy's Big Bacon Classic With Cheese: Add a Frosty and you're set for the day!
#3 Papa John's Cheese Pizza: They know how to spread the cheese!
#2 Taco Bell Beef Burrito: Cha, cha, cha!
and the #1 fast food junkies love the best is...You are going to have to read AskMen.com's "America's Top 10 Favorite Fast Food" for the the answer :-)

So did you go there to see? Its a relative of my favorite which is the smaller "healthier" version. I need to tell a story which makes me chuckle each time I think of the whopper ditty of years ago. In the sixth period ninth grade English class I taught in the old days was a young man of 15 or maybe 16 named Dale. One day as we awaited the the final bell Dale was heard to sing the whopper ditty, "It takes two hands to handle my whopper" whereupon Dale's head was abused by a book wielded by young lady named Debbie. I actually thought I would need to call for medical help but after seeing stars for a minute or two Dale returned to normal which wasn't too far beyond and above the condition he was temporarily assigned by Debbie and the book.

I Am Getting Alarmed!

John Kerry gave a speech this week at Georgetown . Iraq is beginning to alarm me. All the for's and against's on the radio and on the TV and in the papers and where ever! I keep wandering off the see pictures like the one above and reading names at places like this web site. What are we going to do Mr. President?

An Ambitious Road Project

Anyone who has traveled through Milwaukee on I 94 or I 43 has probably marveled at the immense Marquette Interchange. Conceived in the 1950's and built in the mid 1960's during the the era of the national interstate system's construction it now needs to be replaced. The plan will gradually rebuild the entire massive interchange while traffic flow is maintained. After all this is Wisconsin's busiest highway interchange. See for yourself the plans in this most impressive website.

Verbal Carbon Dating

Here are a few examples of VCD (verbal carbon dating). It is a new phrase from Red Green.

I remember when I could get a haircut for 2 bucks!
I shopped at the dime store.
Things used to nickel and dime me to death!
My family health insurance cost me $23 per month.

My new Ford Fairlane cost me $2200.

Geese Wait for Handout

One generally presumes that urban geese graze on the plush front lawns of some corporate world headquarters or at the local golf club but not so with these guys. You might recognize the site as in the area of the Duluth, Minnesota Harbor. These "harbor geese" hang around the no grass area back of a wholesale salt distributor waiting for their dinner. Now you ask......salt? Well, not salt. These wiley critters wait for a grain truck which has unloaded grain up the street to come by to sweep out before it picks up a load of salt to bring back home. According to the fellow in the salt warehouse the birds spend most of the summer there just hanging out for a handout. I guess for some its a choice of grazing for dinner or just standing there waiting for a handout!

Saturday Night On the Television!

It is entertainment DELUXE on the PBS Saturday evening tube. It all starts with the Red Green Show, hilariously silly but a must watch. Read all about my favorite nut. His motto is Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati.......(When all else fails play dead) . Each show ends with the guys at the Possum Lodge concluding their meeting with the Man's Prayer.....It goes like this ........

"I'm a man...
But I can change
If I have to
I guess."

Next is an interlude with with some young gal who likes to do things in her work shop. At times she stops to philosophize. I only leave her on so I don't forget to catch the Saturday night broadcast of High School Bowl. High School Bowl has been a favorite of mine since Dr. Christopher's years thereon! Tonight the Stephenson Eagles played. The trouble is that I don't remember if they won. Stephenson has a special place in my heart as it was there that I garnered the retirement pension that I started having direct deposited recently. It's not much but it is something! It will help keep the TV set on!

The finale before bed time is the Lawrence Welk Show. Oh such bubble music. The poor guy's been dead for some time but the music still flows! And the costumes are terrific on the gals and guys as they sing about getting rings and wearing bangles and beads and such! It is one of those shows which I would let my teenager watch if I had one. Just now I saw some real pretty teenagers singing. And now comes an arrangment of the 1812 Overture!

Ahh.....Saturday night with the television.

Oh My, It Isn't Far Off!

Look, see the white stuff!

Where Are You in This Set of Facts?

Somewhere I heard this propaganda about who pays how much. It went like this.

50% of taxpayers report income of $29,000 or more
50% of taxpayers report income of $29,000 or less

The first group pays about 96.6% of IRS collections.
The second group pays about 3.4% of IRS collections.

What do you think? I think I pay too much!

Transportation Accidents Take 44,870 Lives in 2004

I am appalled each time I see reports like this one. So many of these tragic deaths result from disrespect of rules and laws, lack of common sense and common courtesy, and, among other things, the courts allowing people to drive who simply should not be doing so. Just this past week I heard a news report of a young guy who split his Ferrari in two killing himself and two other people in the car he hit. This fellow had, if I recall correctly, 40 some traffic offenses on his record. Here's the latest on transportation deaths as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board and reported by J.J. Keller


Fatalities from transportation accidents decrease slightly in 2004

Transportation fatalities in the United States decreased slightly in 2004, according to preliminary figures released today by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Deaths from transportation accidents in the United States in 2004 totaled 44,870, down from the 45,158 fatalities in 2003. Although it is always gratifying to see transportation fatalities decline, NTSB Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker said, the yearly toll, especially on our highways, continues to be unacceptable. We need to do more at all levels - federal, state, and local - to protect our traveling public.
Highway transportation, which accounts for the largest portion of fatalities, decreased from 42,884 in 2003 to 42,636 in 2004. The number of fatalities increased in the motorcycle; light trucks and van; and, medium and heavy trucks categories. However, there was a decrease in the number of deaths occurring in the passenger car category, which recorded 634 fewer fatalities in 2004 than in 2003.
The number of persons killed in all aviation accidents dropped from 710 in 2003 to 651 in 2004. There were no fatalities on commuter carriers in 2004. The number of general aviation fatalities also decreased from 632 in 2003 to 556 in 2004. There were 14 airline fatalities, 13 of which occurred in a crash of one aircraft in Kirksville, Mo. Air taxi fatalities increased from 42 to 65.
Total rail fatalities increased from 760 in 2003 to 802 in 2004, reflecting a rise in every category except passenger fatalities, which remain

Do You Have Uninvited Guests in Your Stomach?

Hurrah for the scientists from Australia who were at first laughed at and chided for their work on the theory turned fact that a bug treatable with antibiotics was the cause of all the pain and misery of peptic type ulcers! I went through this about 9 years ago. In fact I just ran into a leftover bung of the medicine I took. The symptoms were painful stomach aches and pains which were somewhat soothed by anti-acids, baking soda, eating crackers and so on. When I mentioned this to Dr. Brunner, my personal physician, he immediately tested me for the varmints. Sure enough, they showed up in excessive numbers. They apparently like to live in and feed on the stomach's protective mucus liner exposing the delicate tissues to the harsh digestive juices and thus cause the pain. After only a few days of medicine the pain was gone and for good! Absolutely amazing! Too bad it took all these years for the prize folks to name and honor these these guys for their work! Beware, the bugs can be transmitted orally!

http://nobelprize.org/medicine/laureates/2005/index.html The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2005 "for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease" was recenetly awarded to Barry J. Marshall J. Robin Warren

Pulling with Volvo: A Week of Trucking

Trip #1 Sunday thru Monday evening

Zip City State County Miles between Accumulated miles

54151 Niagara, WI, Marinette
49876 Quinnesec, MI, Dickinson 4.5
60188 Carol Stream, IL, Du Page 301.4 305.
60153 Maywood, IL, Cook 17.1 323.0
54952 Menasha, WI, Winnebago 186.1 509.1
49870 Norway, MI, Dickinson 126.7 6 35.8
54151 Niagara, WI, Marinette 7.4 643.2

Trip #2 Monday evening thru Tuesday evening

49876 Quinnesec, MI, Dickinson 4.5 647.7
55440 Minneapolis, MN, Hennepin 315.1 962.8
55806 Duluth, MN, St Louis 153.6 1116.4
54151 Niagara, WI, Marinette 243.6 1360.0

Trip # 3 Tuesday evening thru Thursday evening

45202 Cincinnati, OH, Hamilton 586.7 1946.7
60186 West Chicago, IL, Du Page 313.8 2260.5
60499 Bedford Park, IL, Cook 27.0 2287.5
54957 Neenah, WI, Winnebago 197.3 2484.8
54151 Niagara, WI, Marinette 130.1 2614.9

Trip # 4 Thurday evening thru Friday afternoon

49876 Quinnesec, MI, Dickinson 4.5 2619.4
54151 Niagara, WI, Marinette 4.5 2623.9
53089 Sussex, WI, Waukesha 211.1 2835.0
53946 Markesan, WI, Green Lake 82.8 2917.8
54151 Niagara, WI, Marinette 179.6 3097.4

Crooks?

Delay, Frist, Scooter, and whoever is next.
Delay makes like money laundering is just like going to the laundromat on Saturday!
Frisk makes like selling millions in stock days before a price drop is like business as usual.
Scooter makes like naming CIA agents is like ninth graders naming the Presidents in the old days.
What is the matter with these people?

Price of Fuel

IT looks like the folks who made the price signs didn't expect the need for a "3"!
At this price it would cost 558 dollars to "fill er up"!

Air Force One

Will Air Force One will need new tires after this latest hurricane?

Natchez, Mississippi

On Monday, September 12, 2005, I delivered a semi load of water, soda, food, and clothing to a Red Cross warehouse in Natchez. Numerous shelters in the area were being supplied from the warehouse. The load of supplies was collected by the Iron Mountain Schools.

Dogs of the Road

Here's Jim , a driver with his bird dog.

This is Steve with his travel companion. Which is cuter? Is it Jim or Steve?

Almost

Diesel here has for all its worth reached $3.00. It now costs 520 dollars to fill up my truck to run about 1100 miles. Is that about 47 cents per mile? Have you seen the effects of that in the marketplace yet?

$3.00 a Gallon for Diesel in California

Here in the upper Midwest diesel cost is a bit less but still having a costly effect on the trucking industry. Yes, some of the cost can be passed on to shippers as surcharges but most trucks do some "deadheading" or running empty to pick up the next load. This deadheading is costing about fifty dollars more this year than last year per 300 empty miles. If trucks deadhead an average of 600 miles per week then deadheading is now costing each truck about $100 more in fuel costs per week over a year ago. Survival of the trucking industry is becoming difficult.

Show Me Your ID Please!

I was driving around this morning on my errands and decided to do the grocery and the miscellaneous shopping at the multinational corporation branch over on the east side of town.
As I was checking out I needed to show the lady my driver's license so she could sell me a can of air! Yes you read it right.......I needed a can of air to clean the computer! I had to show the lady my driver's license so she could sell me a can of air! What's next! Will we soon need a calcium consumption permit to buy a jug of milk?

How To Get Two for The Price of Two

I chuckled to myself as I observed "Grampa", a trucker, and his rider grandchild at a warehouse in Appleton today. The youngster as I must call the child since I was unable to determine it's gender was feasting on items from the vending machines outside on a park bench and soon returned to the break room to pillage Grampa's change supply to buy another item which after the purchase the kid announced to Grampa to be the "wrong kind". Being a good Grampa the youngster got another set of coins for the "right one" . I wonder what happened to the "wrong one" as the youngster left the break room heading for Grampa's truck with a candy bar in each fist!

What Are We Going To Do With Dad?

The program "Fresh Air" on NPR this week featured the author of this article.
It brought back memories of what my Dad's last years were like and caused me to consider what my and other dads last years might be like. Its a bit long but a must read for everyone with a dad!

Does the horse and buggy really belong there? Upon waking one wonders if this is reality or just a dream. Yup, it was real. This scene near Bonduel, Wisconsin, at 6 in the morning.

VOLVO

Giving Directions

A few weeks ago I was "driving around" south from Rockford, Illinois on I39 when I heard a fellow driver asking for directions into the RR Donnelly printing plant in the town of Mendota a few miles down the road. He was given very specific directions. "Take the Mendota exit and go west through town to the four way stop and turn left and the plant will be down the road a few miles. You can't miss it" It was too late for me to catch the driver looking for RR Donnelly when I realized that these directions would not get him to the Mendota location. He had gotten good directions to the RR Donnelly plant in Mattoon, Illiniois, some 150 miles away. I guess the moral of the story is that if you are giving directions don't confuse the locations!

The sign the truck brought is now firmly planted along Route 141 in Niagara

VOLVO

Congrats!

Congratulations to the guy who just completed three years of service to this. Add another 27 and you'll get your longevity award! You can do it by drinking more of this than this or this.

Oh, Oh!

I wonder what the owner of the green travel bag lying up ahead on the zipper wondered when he/she started looking for it? It caused quite a bit of talk on the CB. This was seen on I94 west of Kalamazoo, Michigan

What Is It All About? Tennyson Tells About "It"

"Flower in the Crannied Wall"

Flower in the crannied wall,

I pluck you out of the crannies,

I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,

Little flower -- but if I could understand

What you are, root and all, and all in all,

I should know what God and man is.

Do It

I Need A Reminder

I need to ask someone out there who wishes I remain
sane to remind me to turn "popup blocker" off for
certain tasks. For months I wondered why I couldn't
do what I wanted to do at my wireless providers
web site. Then more recently I pondered and tried
in vain to get the new little picture adding thing to
work here at this site. Today I eventually switched
from Netscape to MS Explorer where I have some
silly toolbar installed and again tried to use the
above mentioned picture thing. Ha....I was warned
that a "popup" had been blocked! Then the light
came on and I can even use the ABC thing with
the blocker disabled. Maybe I should just kill it and
rid myself of the frustration next time I run into a
similar situation. But then all those popups! Did you
ever wonder what's worse, popups or junk mail?
In my business I'll take the junk mail.
It keeps us trucking!

The Flags Flies Again!

Just off I 43 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is the new flag pole near the offices of Acuity. Over the years, my travels have taken me past this area many times and I passed their flag flying high. It was visible even at night lit with multiple floodlights. Then one night it was not there. Apparently the pole had been blown down during a windstorm. Eventually , I noticed they were constucting a new site and then a new pole. This one is taller still and much stronger. I would guess the pole at the base must be 18 inches in diameter or more. At the top is a strobe light. The flag again waves day and night along I 43! Thanks, Acuity, for the beautiful sight!

Ever Wonder How it Got There?

Did you ever wonder how something got there?
It is a good possibility that a truck brought it there. One of our trucks dragged this sign a couple hundred miles from the manufacturer to Niagara. Since it was over width the trip required special permits and routes. I'll post again when the sign is installed.

The Feast

These geese of Elk Grove Village waited patiently for the lady to come to work with her bag of bread. Then after the feast they proceeded to cross the street stopping all traffic for a couple of minutes. I presume they were heading for some water hole.

VOLVO

The Crossing

Heading across the street.

VOLVO

Will It Be Hit Again?

The Alabama Shores hotel in which we stayed in a few years ago and was damaged last year is in the path of the current hurricane!

VOLVO

Passing Time

My how time passes quickly when one is having fun! A little remodeling carpentry in Minneapolis over the July 4th weekend brought back a few memories of the days of old and the jobs with the houses we redid. Christopher and I closed up one passageway/doorway and hung a door in another opening. Boy, I hate door hangings! We made a few mistakes and as dutiful carpenters always do, we covered them up! Christopher was left with the taping and and a pail of compound to cover up the joints. Then paint and baseboard and move in!
Julia is a gem. "Hi" was her word for the weekend. Such a sweetheart! We took a ride with her to the Mall of America where she snacked on healthy food while Christopher and I gobbled Krispy Kremes. As we walked by a teen clothing store Christopher was heard to say something about his turn coming up! Good luck! I hope Julia is not quite like Beth who could shop for hours and find nothing to buy or should I say buy nothing. Maybe that's why she has always had money!
How about a job at Gunville. Openings abound as usual. The safety/personel man quit, the purchasing agent left to start his new business, the head truck mechanic is having health problems and hasn't been in lately, the truck shop needs another line mechanic or two, the trailer shop could use another guy or two, and the over the road dispatcher whom I thought was coming back to stay awhile is apparently on his last weeks planning another "adventure". It is a wonder that we get done what we get done with all the new people constantly cycling in and then out! Reggie who retired two years ago and had been doing only training two days a week and now is in five days filling in as safty/personel plus training wants me to get out the truck to help him but he can't pay me enough to make the move plus do I want to work there at the yard? I dunno. Maybe I'll consider it later on. I think it would be a good "hobby" after retirement and that's not too far off!

Today is Father's Day

As a Father I have been blessed with Christopher and Beth. Even if you have been away for some time now you are always in my thoughts and I wish you the best always. Thank you for the card and pictures and letter which you sent from near and afar!
With Love,
Your Father

VOLVO IS 500,000

VOLVO has turned over a half million. That's about 2900 miles per week since we made our first trip in February 2002. VOLVO will probably outdistance me as I might give her up for a new VOLVO in a couple years or maybe I'll just give her up and go on a trip somewhere in an airplane!

VOLVO

VOLVO

Reminders, reminders!

Is it good or just a waste of their money and my time? Today's mail included some information from GlaxsoSmithKline the makers of among other medications my doses of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder better known as ADVAIR DISKUS. (I think it should ADVAIR in a Diskus.) They don't want me to miss a dose and they don't want me to run out of doses so they offer to call me apparently twice a week to remind me to take my "snort" and they will also call to remind me to go the the drug store to get some more doses before the old supply runs out. This is today's world. So many helpers! So any reminders! I wouldn't have to remember much of anything on my own anymore! But is that good for my aging mind

I Didn't Get Caught!

Well we made it through the week without so much as a logbook check during Roadcheck 2005. In fact I had to enter a scale only once the last day but did have a bit of a scare there in Abrams as I got the little flashing red "GO TO SCALE" light as I was passing in the bypass lane. I think maybe the boys in blue were playing games as when I got to the scale platform I got the "GO AHEAD" green. Otherwise almost where ever I was they had collected enough business for the time being or they were were gone.... maybe fishing! (That's fishing for trucks somewhere else). That was nice. A trucker can't wish for more than the "big word" at the "chicken coops". The big word is of course "closed" and the "chicken coop" designation apparently grew out of the physical stucture of the scale houses with the glass fronts resembling chicken coops. So passed Road Check 2005.

There is so much to blog about!

All week I've been thinking about things to blog about. The flow of ideas is endless. So many, in fact, that it bloggles my mind and I can't come up with any one subject. The road is a "Golden Corral" of blogging subjects. There are the truckers with their many muddled thoughts expressed on the CB. There are the 4 wheelers many of them driving like here was to be no next minute. There are the construction zones many of which extend the entire 600 mile trip with short distance breaks to get ones hopes up. And the Schneider Eggs.....one after the other......millions of them. There are the receiving jerks....I mean clerks...many of whom have not even the slightest idea of why they were placed on the face of the earth. Then there is the big CVSA or Commercal Vehicle Safety Alliance road check 2005 this week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is the event all commercal vehicle drivers would rather be watching on TV at home if it was shown on TV rather than being unwilling participants in the rabid motor carrier enforcement officers inspections. These guys just love getting on their little red creepers and sliding around under the trucks checking brake adjustments and listening for air leaks like kids listen for Santa on Christmas night. Only thing is they don't fall asleep down there but emerge to check out log books and truck registrations and shipping papers and driving licenses and health records and on and on. Oh well, that's life and we try to avoid them as much as possible. The only problem is that they are everywhere and I mean everywhere. I think I'll report on my true adventures during road check 2005 next weekend. Or maybe I'll luck out and not get caught!

Big enough? You bet!

I've decided I can handle this blog thing. I think I'm big enough to do it. First I have to get out on the road to gather some thoughts and even some pictures. I think it can be done! I, like the loader, am big enough to do it!

Is the loader big enough to handle the job?  

Gotta have a blog nowadays

I may not have much to say but this is an attempt to say just that. Its the blog thing that got me to do this! Everybody has to have a blog!