10/11/07

I got rolling early this morning, so that was a good thing. I usually make a concerted effort to avoid any meaningful thoughts at all. I find that my life is a lot easier that way, but sometimes they catch up with me. I had quite a bit on my mind all day today. Nothing major, but when there are enough minor things it adds up. As such, I was in some kind of a zone and the miles just flew by.

I stopped in Tennessee to take a nap and, when I woke up, my truck wouldn't start. I've mentioned the deal with my fuel tanks not being balanced properly, such that the truck only seems to pull from the left tank. That tank has the gauge though, so it usually isn't a problem. Apparently I was parked on enough of a slant to cause the fuel from the left tank to migrate right. I know the gauge was showing a little under a quarter tank when I shut the truck off. When I tried to start it a couple of hours later, it was bone dry.

I called our road service department and told them what was going on. They said that, if the place where I was stopped would take a Comcheck, I could ask them to take care of the situation. They did accept Comchecks, so I had them bring me some fuel. The guy had fuel in big jugs, but no way to pour it into the tank on account of the cap being located directly under the side of the cab. He went back to the shop and retrieved a watering can, but it still wouldn't reach. I pulled the hose off of my vacuum cleaner. Then, the mechanic was able to pour the fuel into the watering can, stick the end of the watering can into the vacuum hose, and insert the hose in the tank. It was a convoluted process, but it worked and we got my truck started.

After he emptied the last jug, the mechanic made a brilliant move and dropped my vacuum hose into the fuel tank. We couldn't figure out a way to retrieve it. He assured me that it would float to the top when I filled up the tank. I asked if he has had that happen before. He said no, but that he was certain it would float to the top. Needing to get rolling, I had no choice but to put the fuel cap on and take off with the hose in the tank. I got down to Dalton, Georgia a short time later and topped off the tanks. As expected, the right tank was completely full while the left was empty. I stuck my fingers into the full tank to try and feel the hose. Nothing. I jammed my hand a little further in. Nothing. Now my hand was stuck. Beautiful. I don't know if any of you have ever had your hand stuck in the fuel tank of a truck while it sits at a truck stop fuel island, but you don't feel very sophisticated at that point. I tried to wiggle it out, but the damn thing was stuck. I grabbed the nozzle with my other hand, squirted some fuel on the entangled hand, and gave it a good yank. Hopefully I didn't break any bones. It's pretty purple and nasty right now, but I got it out. And no vacuum hose.

By that point, the things weighing on my mind all day, combined with the fuel tank fiasco, had me pretty wound up. I parked the truck and tore into my weights. That seems to have helped. I guess I'll go to bed now and get going before the roosters wake up tomorrow.