10/29/08

So we've established that 4am is a lousy time to wake in the morning. How about 1:15am then? Yeah, really. That's when the chickenheads woke me this morning. So I had to make a decision there. I had arrived in Tomah early enough to conclude a ten hour break before 4am. I had not allowed enough time to complete a full break before 2am though. I would either have to wait until 4am to leave Tomah or go into split mode, starting with yesterday's break in Belvidere. On account of having to pass Chicago, I went with the split option. This allowed me to drop down I-290 to I-294 and hop onto I-80 by 6am Central time. Waiting until two hours later would have probably been pretty bad. Even through the construction, things were moving at or above the speed limit. Not bad at all. Thanks for getting me up early, chickenheads. I think I've managed to skirt that Chicago traffic without any delays the last few times. Better to be lucky than good sometimes.

Once I got into Indiana it was time for my two hour break. Then I continued eastward. I stopped in South Bend to give the lads a pep talk ahead of Saturday's game. Well... actually... I needed to get some fuel and grab some cash for the Ohio tolls. I would have given a pep talk though, had I been asked. When I walked out to my truck I saw that one of the mudflaps on my trailer was gone. I think I checked that stuff before I left Wisconsin, but who knows for sure? I may have overlooked it. I was somewhat comatose at the time. Either way, I needed to get the thing fixed before I relayed the load to the next driver. Some of my fine colleagues are all too comfortable sticking other drivers with shitty trailers. I try not to be one of them.

I sent the PO request form, as I did a few days back. I received a PO and the name of the person authorizing it, as I did a few days back. I waited for the people at the Petro to verify the information, as I did a few days back. Whatever dude. It took quite a while but I still managed to make the relay fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. Good enough.

I was #1 on the board after making the relay. Since I wasn't sent home right away, I held out hope that I might make a few more dollars over the next couple of days before getting back. After another nap... no. Go home, said the powers that be. Fine, said I. So 1,215 miles for the week and home on Wednesday evening. I guess that ain't so bad.

Now the mail has been opened, the World Series is on, and the time has come. As the boys in Killarney would say, time to go "down the pub." I just may drink until I'm thirsty again.