4/29/10

Lugging a 44,000 pound payload up and down mountains, against the wind, will have a tendency to make a driver feel like he's being punished for something.  At least that's the case for me.  And we all know who created the mountains and the wind.  So the first few hours of my day weren't a whole lot of fun.

It turned around though.  Somewhere amidst a barrage of asinine satellite messages this afternoon, I managed to get a new pre-plan to replace the one that came and went yesterday.  It's not quite as long as the original but, taking me from Chandler, Arizona to Texas over the weekend, it will do quite nicely.  That was pretty sweet.  Then, just before I stopped at the Pilot in Jamestown, New Mexico for an Italian BMT with double meat, I started to see traffic sitting still on the eastbound side of the freeway. 

I could have snapped these kinds of photos for a while but, you know, driving a truck and all.  That freaking traffic jam ran from somewhere in the neighborhood of the 45 mile marker all the way past Exit 26.  People were walking their dogs in the median and everything.  Brutal.  My side had no issues.  That was pretty sweet.

So there I was, rolling along and thinking "Punishment, shmunishment, somebody up there actually likes me.  I'm way better than those poor suckers."  I don't get into the weird superstitions of the ancients and such, but it was funny that this was exactly when a snowstorm blew across I-40.  Okay then.  I get it.

As I rolled down I-17 and got past the snowy weather, I had the good fortune to spend fifteen minutes climbing a mountain at 20mph behind a truck that was apparently even heavier than mine.  In the context of the preceding few paragraphs, well... just look...

Now, I dig the whole 'Jesus is coming' thing.  I really do.  Whatever your beliefs may be, have no worries, you won't be getting lectured on this blog.  Anyone who can read one or two posts can figure out that I'm no holy roller.  I believe what I believe and others believe otherwise, but I do think that everyone would do well to move toward a greater state of grace, just in case.  Even if it's all a superstition and there is no afterlife, there's no harm in trying to do things the right way.  So those trailers and billboards and stuff are a handy reminder as far as I'm concerned.  But what's with the word "soon?"  That's not very specific.  Does this guy know something that I don't?  I would appreciate some clarification.

I got down to the Shell truck stop at Exit 262 and saw that they had not only a SubWay where I could get another Italian BMT with double meat for dinner, but also plenty of room for me to drag out the damned weight bench and have another go at it tonight.  Maybe someone up there really does like me after all.  Heh.

It looks like I'll have a little over 60 miles to cover in the morning to make my delivery.  Then I'll bounce over to Chandler and pick up a load headed for Garland, Texas.  Garland is close enough to Waco for me to invoke the 'Texas = Go Home' doctrine.  I went back to work on Monday.  Therefore Sunday is Day #7.  Therefore, as long as I'm not delivering early in the day on Sunday, I'll be sending in my request for a day off in Michigan.  Screw it.  Someone else can deal with that Waco black hole.