We all remember the situation where the police "acted stupidly" and then some people had a beer at the White House, right? I can't say for sure, but I think today we may have seen the exact opposite. A white guy chose to employ the 'yes sir, no sir' technique in dealing with a black cop, rather than yell at the fine public servant. The black cop responded in an equally respectful manner, rather than arrest the white guy. At the end of the day, our white guy wound up with a Level 3 inspection form. The only listed violation was a warning for speeding, with no citation. No harm, no foul. For reasons that might be explained by the Fifth Amendment to our constitution, we'll have to leave this part without any further detail, but I would like The One™ to know that my preferred brand is Guinness... you know... just in case there's a teachable moment... or something.
Aside from that little bit of drama in Indy, today's drive was an easy one. My relay showed up a few minutes early and I managed to stay an hour or so behind the rain that pelted Ohio and Michigan today. I can't park at the consignee, so Ottawa Lake was about as close as I could get. A friend of mine works at Cabela's in Dundee and she was getting off work at 5pm, so she was kind enough to pick me up and we headed out for a nice dinner. You know the day is going your way when you order a New York strip and the kitchen sends out a sirloin, then they bring you a strip and apologize for the mixup, telling you to keep both steaks for one low price. Beauty. (Can I eat two steaks, you ask? Yes, I can eat two steaks.)
The pay week is going to come up just short of $1,000 this time around, but 2,541 miles is a solid performance in my book. I'll be under the jurisdiction of the folks in Taylor once I make my drop tomorrow, so I'll hold out hope for a decent start to next week. They seem to do a decent job of lining up freight. Even if there's no freight to assign, I suppose there's a chance they'll bring me back to the yard (30 miles). If so, I can sit on my comfy couch and read my mail from the last couple of months while I await whatever comes next. If not... whatever. We'll just have to see.
Two steaks? Sounds like a dream!
ReplyDeleteAnd the reason I started following your blog is because of your Taylor roots. I spent much of my youth at my grandma's in the neighborhood off of Ecorse Rd. behind Telegraph rd.
ReplyDeleteTaylor-tucky!
I grew up in Lincoln Park, at least from 6th grade forward. Before that I spent most of my life bouncing around... Michigan, Texas, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Michigan... I just moved to Taylor at the beginning of '06, but it's every bit the redneck paradise that it always has been.
ReplyDeleteMy first restaurant GM job was at the Pizza Hut that used to be in your grandmother's neighborhood, next to the Handy Andy's that used to be there, down the street from the little diner that used to be there. My buddy owned the dollar store that used to be there. Damn, this reply just took a depressing turn, didn't it?
Thanks for the feedback though. That second steak certainly was a beauty. We'll end on a high note. That's better.
Yeah I lived off of Chandler street in Lincoln Park and went to Raupp Elementary from 1st through 3rd grade. But much to my chagrin, we relocated to Ecorse and I started at bullshit School Three.
ReplyDeleteAnd, you're right. Tis depressing to see what the neighborhood turned into. I was just thinking the other day about how much I used to love going to the "Ecorse Drive In" when I was a kid.
Man..."Handy Andy's"...forgot about that.
Joe,
ReplyDeleteEvery man should be able to eat 2 steaks, if not, your man card should be revoked!
ordinaryguy
Man card? I think our friend in Nevada kicked me out of the club a while back. Some sort of issue involving an attractive convenience store clerk and my failure to respond adequately... or something.
ReplyDeleteSchool Three? Dude, we may have been neighbors. After living in a shitty trailer park across from the Flat Rock Speedway for a year, my family moved into a lovely little rental house on 6th Street in Ecorse, right across from the steel mill. My sister and I walked across the bridge every day to go to school in Lincoln Park, registered under a fake address of course. This would have been in or around 1987, if memory serves. We moved to Lincoln Park a year later and the rest, as they say, is history.
Get the freak outta here. My step-dad's worked at that mill for the last 30 years. I know exactly where your talking about.
ReplyDeleteWe lived off of Bonzano st....you know where the "Harbor" was? So flippin' weird to grow up on a street that has a Presbyterian church right beside a burlesque theater.
I ended my academic career at Ecorse High in 8th grade. In 1987 I moved to W.V. to got to high school.
And I know the trailer park in Flat Rock you're talking about too! My step-dad used to take me to the track out there and I also lived in those "Creekside" apt.s on Telegraph in my teens.