The reason I wasn't sure I wanted to stay home all weekend is starting to become readily apparent. I am bored out of my mind here. In order to keep myself entertained while I'm at home, I spend too much money, eat too much, drink too much, and so forth.
It has seemed, the last few times home, like I'm becoming a little detached from life here. I imagine this is a good thing to some extent. I don't get homesick while I'm on the road, so I'm able to do my job well and without emotional baggage. I just wonder what life looks like to people after five, ten, or twenty years of doing this. Some people have families at home. I wonder how their relationships are affected by a lifestyle that requires them to be withdrawn from society.
Today was a pretty useless day. I slept in. I went out to lunch. I took a nap. I went out to dinner. I took a nap. I ordered a pizza. Tomorrow will be probably more of the same, except I'll have to actually do my laundry. Then Monday morning I'll get my truck back from the shop and get back on the road.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
7/13/07
Another day at home...
I had lunch with Mom today, then played video games and smoked cigars. Anything to avoid doing laundry. I had dinner with an old friend and visited with his parents for a while. My friend is 72 years old and his parents are in their mid-90's. Apparently to a 96 year old woman I'm handsome, so I have that going for me, which is nice.
I stopped to grab a soda and ran into a woman that I used to know. She suggested that we grab a drink and my arm didn't require a whole lot of twisting, as tends to be the case.
We hung out all night and then... well that was that. Not exactly the flashiest conclusion to the story, but that's okay. The conversation was fun and we had a good time.
It occurred to me tonight that turning 30 last fall didn't mean I was getting old. Having to buy a larger pant size doesn't mean I'm getting old. Thinking MTV has become completely retarded doesn't mean I'm getting old. The way I know I'm getting old is that almost every girl that I used to think impure thoughts about now has children. I suppose I might have to grow up one of these days. Apparently I'm not a kid anymore.
I had lunch with Mom today, then played video games and smoked cigars. Anything to avoid doing laundry. I had dinner with an old friend and visited with his parents for a while. My friend is 72 years old and his parents are in their mid-90's. Apparently to a 96 year old woman I'm handsome, so I have that going for me, which is nice.
I stopped to grab a soda and ran into a woman that I used to know. She suggested that we grab a drink and my arm didn't require a whole lot of twisting, as tends to be the case.
We hung out all night and then... well that was that. Not exactly the flashiest conclusion to the story, but that's okay. The conversation was fun and we had a good time.
It occurred to me tonight that turning 30 last fall didn't mean I was getting old. Having to buy a larger pant size doesn't mean I'm getting old. Thinking MTV has become completely retarded doesn't mean I'm getting old. The way I know I'm getting old is that almost every girl that I used to think impure thoughts about now has children. I suppose I might have to grow up one of these days. Apparently I'm not a kid anymore.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
7/12/07
I got up this morning and headed up to the yard to do a little cleaning in my truck. I bought a new hand-held vacuum and that sucker is powerful, so I took it for a spin in the T600. Beauty.
Once I got the truck cleaned up, I took it over to the Kenworth dealer in Dearborn. On my way back to Michigan, the clutch brake had started acting up. By the time I left the yard today, the clutch brake was nonexistent. The guys at KW said it would likely be Monday before I get my truck back. I had been trying to decide whether or not to stay home through the weekend, so it looks like they made the decision for me. It's probably just as well. I've been running myself pretty hard for the last month or so and I don't think I'll be home again until September, so a nice break will do me some good.
Tonight it looks like beer and movies are on the agenda. I've amassed quite a collection of films through my Vongo subscription, so I need to start watching them and getting them off my hard drive.
Once I got the truck cleaned up, I took it over to the Kenworth dealer in Dearborn. On my way back to Michigan, the clutch brake had started acting up. By the time I left the yard today, the clutch brake was nonexistent. The guys at KW said it would likely be Monday before I get my truck back. I had been trying to decide whether or not to stay home through the weekend, so it looks like they made the decision for me. It's probably just as well. I've been running myself pretty hard for the last month or so and I don't think I'll be home again until September, so a nice break will do me some good.
Tonight it looks like beer and movies are on the agenda. I've amassed quite a collection of films through my Vongo subscription, so I need to start watching them and getting them off my hard drive.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
7/11/07
Slept off a hangover for most of the day. Visited with friends and family. Took it nice and easy. I always try to give myself a break on my first full day home.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
7/10/07
Well, as far as the driving goes, today sucked the big one. There is no way to make eleven consecutive hours into an enjoyable experience. The dipshit feds make the rules, so we live by them. I had to drive for eleven straight hours this morning, and that is never good. But anyway...
My roommate is fine, which was a relief. His phone took a shit on him and so he's been out of contact. He has now paid his July rent and all is well.
After an afternoon of reading my mail and playing video games it was time to head to the bar. I got nice and liquored up while enjoying the All Star Game. Then came time for some of that borderline insane Godfather philosophy...
In the ninth inning, a fellow by the name of J.J. Putz entered the game. J.J. is a big strong closer, playing for the Seattle Mariners. Here's the funny thing. Yours truly was a hell of a ballplayer in a previous life. When I was fifteen years old, I played briefly for a Little Caesar's team here in Taylor. Because my high school team went further in the playoffs than most, I wasn't able to participate in the early summer practices. Once I was able to join the Little Caesar's team, I won the starting job as the catcher. My backup you ask? J.J. Putz. I then accepted an invitation to a team playing at a higher level and left the Little Caesar's team behind. Apparently, somewhere along the way, J.J. became a pitcher, and a damn good one.
So, over the course of the last fifteen years, I've been married, divorced, successful in business, unsuccessful in life, frustrated, thrilled, and all the rest. Now I drive a truck for a living and spend the majority of my time alone. I have learned to let bygones be bygones and enjoy what life has to offer me. My old colleague has made a career of baseball. Tonight I was pulling for J.J. more than most people could ever know. We were never close friends, but when you come from Downriver you learn to stick with your own. After J.J. struggled and was pulled for K-Rod, the cameras were steadily focused on his reaction. I couldn't help but wonder what sort of things were going through his mind. While his friends from Trenton and those of us from the surrounding communities see his career as a huge success, J.J. probably saw tonight as a missed opportunity. So who can really define success or failure?
I also entertained a call from an ex-girlfriend earlier this evening. As much as I despise the woman, my love for her daughter causes me to tolerate her insanity more than I would tolerate that of any other human. Where is the line between success and failure for her as a mother? Where is that line for me as a man? I think J.J.'s experience tonight was a pretty fair representation of what the rest of us mere mortals go through in life. We're one bad decision from disaster. We're one good decision from success. The difference between the two is usually microscopic and we don't see when we've crossed it. Just a thought.
My roommate is fine, which was a relief. His phone took a shit on him and so he's been out of contact. He has now paid his July rent and all is well.
After an afternoon of reading my mail and playing video games it was time to head to the bar. I got nice and liquored up while enjoying the All Star Game. Then came time for some of that borderline insane Godfather philosophy...
In the ninth inning, a fellow by the name of J.J. Putz entered the game. J.J. is a big strong closer, playing for the Seattle Mariners. Here's the funny thing. Yours truly was a hell of a ballplayer in a previous life. When I was fifteen years old, I played briefly for a Little Caesar's team here in Taylor. Because my high school team went further in the playoffs than most, I wasn't able to participate in the early summer practices. Once I was able to join the Little Caesar's team, I won the starting job as the catcher. My backup you ask? J.J. Putz. I then accepted an invitation to a team playing at a higher level and left the Little Caesar's team behind. Apparently, somewhere along the way, J.J. became a pitcher, and a damn good one.
So, over the course of the last fifteen years, I've been married, divorced, successful in business, unsuccessful in life, frustrated, thrilled, and all the rest. Now I drive a truck for a living and spend the majority of my time alone. I have learned to let bygones be bygones and enjoy what life has to offer me. My old colleague has made a career of baseball. Tonight I was pulling for J.J. more than most people could ever know. We were never close friends, but when you come from Downriver you learn to stick with your own. After J.J. struggled and was pulled for K-Rod, the cameras were steadily focused on his reaction. I couldn't help but wonder what sort of things were going through his mind. While his friends from Trenton and those of us from the surrounding communities see his career as a huge success, J.J. probably saw tonight as a missed opportunity. So who can really define success or failure?
I also entertained a call from an ex-girlfriend earlier this evening. As much as I despise the woman, my love for her daughter causes me to tolerate her insanity more than I would tolerate that of any other human. Where is the line between success and failure for her as a mother? Where is that line for me as a man? I think J.J.'s experience tonight was a pretty fair representation of what the rest of us mere mortals go through in life. We're one bad decision from disaster. We're one good decision from success. The difference between the two is usually microscopic and we don't see when we've crossed it. Just a thought.
Monday, July 9, 2007
7/9/07
Whole lot of nothing to talk about today. I pulled 375 miles in the 5.75 hours I could drive, leaving me in Charleston, Missouri until midnight.
Usually the XM radio has something worthwhile among its channels to help pass the time, but today was pretty lame. The sports guys were all talking about how stupid the home run derby is. While I personally enjoy the home run derby, it doesn't exactly make for riveting radio. The political guys were all talking about Scooter Libby. I don't care which side you fall on, it's a boring subject. I couldn't find any kind of good sequence of songs to keep my time occupied, so I wound up back at the old standby - XM Comedy 150. The beauty about a good stand-up routine is that, even when you've already heard it, it can still make you laugh.
I placed a call to the payroll department to see how I get my week of vacation pay. The girl said, "No problem, it will be on your next check." Well that was easy, now wasn't it? Between that $850 or so and the $60 for the holiday, in addition to my regular earnings, this check should be a nice one. I might need a few extra bucks as my buddy, who has been living in my extra bedroom, appears to have dropped off the planet. He hasn't paid his July rent and I haven't heard from him all month. His phone goes straight to voicemail. I just pray that nothing bad has happened to him. I guess I'll have some idea when I get home tomorrow.
For now, thanks to the feds' effort to make us less tired, I'll have to catch whatever sleep I can force on myself while I'm not tired and then try to stay awake for my 11 hour non-stop drive to Michigan after midnight. Morons.
Usually the XM radio has something worthwhile among its channels to help pass the time, but today was pretty lame. The sports guys were all talking about how stupid the home run derby is. While I personally enjoy the home run derby, it doesn't exactly make for riveting radio. The political guys were all talking about Scooter Libby. I don't care which side you fall on, it's a boring subject. I couldn't find any kind of good sequence of songs to keep my time occupied, so I wound up back at the old standby - XM Comedy 150. The beauty about a good stand-up routine is that, even when you've already heard it, it can still make you laugh.
I placed a call to the payroll department to see how I get my week of vacation pay. The girl said, "No problem, it will be on your next check." Well that was easy, now wasn't it? Between that $850 or so and the $60 for the holiday, in addition to my regular earnings, this check should be a nice one. I might need a few extra bucks as my buddy, who has been living in my extra bedroom, appears to have dropped off the planet. He hasn't paid his July rent and I haven't heard from him all month. His phone goes straight to voicemail. I just pray that nothing bad has happened to him. I guess I'll have some idea when I get home tomorrow.
For now, thanks to the feds' effort to make us less tired, I'll have to catch whatever sleep I can force on myself while I'm not tired and then try to stay awake for my 11 hour non-stop drive to Michigan after midnight. Morons.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
7/8/07
Ahhh... No alarm clock today, nobody knocking on my door, no rest area traffic. I was able to sleep until my body said it was good and ready to wake up. For me that is usually around 4-5 hours after I go to bed, but last night I actually slept for almost 7 hours. I took my time getting ready this morning and then hit the road for an easy day.
Since I'm once again hampered by the 70 hour rule, I covered around 325 miles, which is roughly what I'll be able to cover tomorrow. Rather than run a long day today and then spend tomorrow sitting around waiting for midnight, I decided to split the hours more evenly. I'll leave here around 3am tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be tired enough to get some sleep at the end of my drive. It would be nice to have enough rest before I have to get going again at midnight.
Now I suppose I'll watch a movie or two.
Since I'm once again hampered by the 70 hour rule, I covered around 325 miles, which is roughly what I'll be able to cover tomorrow. Rather than run a long day today and then spend tomorrow sitting around waiting for midnight, I decided to split the hours more evenly. I'll leave here around 3am tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be tired enough to get some sleep at the end of my drive. It would be nice to have enough rest before I have to get going again at midnight.
Now I suppose I'll watch a movie or two.
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