8/9/07

I was in one of those deep states of sleep this morning. You know the kind where you wake up thinking you were in the middle of something really important, but you just can't remember what it was. Sound sleep is a rarity for me, so I enjoy a good restful slumber whenever it comes my way. Then, about a half hour before my alarm was set to go off, the communications system beeped me back to reality.

The relay that I was supposed to haul to Calexico was running behind, so they pulled me off of that load and put me on one that was already on the yard. Nice. I got to avoid going to California, exchange 600 miles for 700 miles, and get rolling earlier than expected. I can't complain there.

Heading up through New Mexico today, there was apparently a practical joke being played on truck drivers. There was very little traffic and there were very few construction zones. Every time there was a construction zone though, the speed limit was 45mph, the zone was 50 yards long, and it was at the bottom of a ravine. So instead of being able to coast down a big hill and get a run at the next one, I found myself starting at 45-50mph and struggling up the next climb each time.

This was one of the windier (is that a word?) days I've experienced in quite a while. This load is 15,000 kilograms, so not light by any means, and it seriously felt like I was leaning sideways for much of the trip. Most trips through the southwest, or even on the central plains for that matter, will have gusty winds in certain places, but this one had solid strong winds pretty much from start to finish.

Aside from a nap this afternoon, it was a long day of good running. I did manage to sleep pretty soundly for a couple of hours this afternoon. You know the kind where you wake up thinking you were in the middle of something really important, but you just can't remember what it was. When I woke up, I got out to throw some oil in the beast. I swear that the southwest is like some form of punishment for our country. It's freaking unbearable out there. I'm usually singing a different tune in January, but for now I'm glad to be heading back north. I hopped back into the air conditioning post-haste.

I'll have two drops tomorrow afternoon in the Denver suburbs, then hope like hell to get something nice for the weekend. I'm not too excited about the possibility of picking up at that Pepsi plant again, that's for sure.

On two different shows today, I found myself unable to come to a conclusion about a topic that's in the news. This was pretty rare for me. My opinions may very well be wrong half the time, but I can always form an opinion. There's this rapper fella by the name of D'Mite. Actually he says he's a poet and not a rapper, but whatever. The topic of discussion was his song being played on BET. I found it to be funny if nothing else, but the gist of the debate is whether or not a song, laced with profanity but preaching a positive message, is good or bad. A few samples:

"Read a book, read a book, read a motherfuckin' book..."
"Your body needs water, so drink that shit..."
"Raise your kids, raise your kids, raise your Goddamn kids..."

I don't know man. It's hard to justify that kind of language being a positive influence for teenagers. At the same time though, if they're going to hear the language telling them to get bitches and hoes and guns and drugs, maybe this is one step forward. I imagine that it would bother me a little more if I had kids, but I don't, so I just chuckle. I still have to give him credit for finding a way to make me waffle on an issue.