7/22/07

I think we all have something that we really don't like, but we don't completely remember why we don't like it. Take brussels sprouts for example. I hate them, I think, but I haven't had one since I was a kid so I really don't remember what they taste like. Well, auto racing no longer fits that category. I now remember exactly why I don't like it. That is about the most boring way to spend a few hours that I can imagine. I wish Eric and Dan in Racine (great guys by the way) had invited me to watch the grass grow. I think it would have been more interesting. Of course, I wasn't able to paticipate in the night's true entertainment, beer. Since I had to drive this morning and we can't have any alcohol in our systems out here, I had to decline. Those of you who enjoy racing, good for you man. I don't get it. I really don't.

The drive into Fridley this morning was shorter than I had expected. I knew I had 110 miles or so, but I expected US52 to be a little slower than it was. Most of the trip was 65mph and I made it in less than two hours. The distribution center to which I delivered today had a policy that I couldn't wait in the truck while they were working. I had to either stay on the dock or wait in the lounge. The shipper's instructions indicated that I was supposed to verify the pallet count, but my company didn't provide such instructions to me. Generally speaking, if I open the doors to the trailer and the freight comes all the way to the back, everything is there. So normally verifying the pallet count isn't something I worry about. Today though, the girl working the forklift was adorable and the driver's lounge had the Home Shopping Network on TV. So I stayed at the dock. It took her about an hour to get me unloaded, and I was on my way.

My choices of locations to park were somewhat limited, being in a fairly urban area. I could go 18 miles to the southeast or 20 miles to the northwest. It's pretty much a coin toss when you try to guess where the next load will pick up. So I headed northwest to a T/A in Rogers. Shortly after I got here I got my next load assignment. It picks up tomorrow... in Fridley. Story of my life. If I had known this ahead of time, I may have tried to find a warehouse or something that had room for me to hang out down there. Minnesota isn't a bad place to grab a few drinks, so if I didn't have to drive anywhere for 24 hours or so I could have found a local pub within walking distance. As it is, I'll hang out here and head back into Fridley tomorrow morning. The run has decent miles on it, taking me to New Jersey, but today is pretty much a lost day. For the first full week of this pay period, I'm at 2300 miles. That's not too great, but it usually straightens out by the end of the pay period, so I'm not hanging my head just yet.

I was a little tired from my early morning wake-up call, so I dozed off for a bit this afternoon. When I woke up, I found that the Tigers were trailing Kansas City, eventually losing 5-2. What the hell is the story here? Sweep Boston, sweep Minnesota, drop two of three to the Royals? That's bullshit.