The joy of the holidays

Well, here it is Thanksgiving and I have stuffed myself with turkey, dressing, and a lot of other scrumptious food! I have been at home for a couple of days now. It has been great to be home! The sad part is that the end of home time is rapidly drawing near.
I will be hitting the road again Saturday. Bound for the unknown. I'll be on the road till I come home for Christmas. It will be a little bit easier on me now. I have a down mummy sleeping bag that should keep me warm without having to idle the truck. I also have an early Christmas present of a refrigerator. Boy that will sure help with expenses and eating some good things. I am slowly getting the truck fixed up. I still have some mechanical issues, but hopefully they are ones that I can live with.
I took Son of a Truckerman and his family out to see the truck today. His five year old son was really impressed with how big it was and the fact that his grandfather (Opa) can drive a big rig.
Wife of a Truckerman is going to see if she can make some improvements for me also.
The road will be busy this weekend with everyone returning from their visits, so be extra careful out there. I'll catch you on the flip flop.

Becoming a n ice cube

If I could have done away with a day in my life, yesterday would have been the one. It was one of thoughs days that every thing went wrong! My fleet manager told me I was idling too much. He wanted me to stop. Well, I tell you, not running the heat in Green Bay Wi.'s sub zero temp. is not what I signed on for. So I idled last night. If they want to fire me for that, have at it. At first, I tried to get under all the covers I had and not idle, but I started to look like Papa Smirf. I gave up on the idea when my teeth would not stop hitting each other.
I am now in St. Louis and have signed up for a service called Idle-Aire. It is really unique! They put this big tube in your passenger window and you set what temp. you want. You can also hook up to the internet, watch movies, or watch tv. The service is not cheap but what is these days?
I drove most of the day to get here so I am feeling a little tired. I will try to post more soon. Remember that Thanksgiving is coming soon. Keep that spirit when you are on the highway and give way to the bad drivers that are out there.

new post

This is a short and sweet message. Well I don't know how sweet but it will be very short. I have to get up at 3AM so got to get my rest. I'll be home next week for turkey day and will try to see both of my friends then.
Got to go. Stay safe out there.

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Thanks

Here is a quick post before I hit the road again. I can't believe how stupid I've been. I want comments from all you millions of blog readers out there, and I do read every one! As of this date I have not expressed my gratitude for the time and effort it takes to leave a comment. Well that changes right now. To all the Truckerman's family, friends, relatives and preachers here is a "THANK YOU" as big as an 18 wheeler! You brighten up my day and help me keep my sanity while I'm on the road! Keep them coming and remember to keep the highways safe for me and the rest of it's users. I'll do the same!

Say Good-By

I think it is time to say "so long Y'all" to The Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers,
Sky King, and Wild Bill Hickcock. If you remember all these TV shows, you are probably as old as Clarence the Trucker. That is better than the alternative! But I digress. At last I am finally leaving Texas and headed for a little known town in Alabama. I think it is near the Tenn. line. I can't recall the name of the town right now.
I finally got the worst bugs out of the truck. I think I can live with the rest of it's problems. It took 3 days and no pay because I was not delivering the goods. Well it was worth it. The oil alarm was driving me crazy! It had plenty of oil and the pressure was good. They discovered a broken grounding post and replaced it. Boy,is it quiet in the truck now!
Well this blog is one of the short ones because I am feeling my age and need all the beauty sleep I can get. To bad beauty sleep does not work.
Slow down out there and don't tailgate! Since I have started driving the big rigs, I have found that slowing down solves almost all problems.

The biggest State

Hello again from the state with the big lone star in it's flag. I have been here so much that I feel my legs becoming bowed (my impression of a Texan). I think I need to buy a ranch and grow cattle. Do you grow them or raise them? I need to get a stetson a six gun and some leg chaps. My problem with this concept is that I don't want to poke any cows! They might not like it and think I am a Matador and come after me. Yes, when it comes to an animal larger than me, I give it all the space it wants, as long as it is not the same space I'm occupying.
I heard from Ted yesterday. He was my driver trainer at Werner. The bad economy has reached the trucking industry and him. They are sending him home for a week or two because there are no loads for him. I really feel for him because he is an owner operator and has a truck payment in addition to the usual bills.
The next administration really has been given a tough task with regards to the economy. I truly think that we elected the best man to deal with the problems though. Time will tell.
I want to ask a question of all the millions of readers out there. Hopefully you have noticed that I try to end my blogs with a comment on road safety. My question is, do you like them or should I discontinue them!
Keep your tires on the pavement and in good condition.

Can you pick out my truck?

It is the fourth from the left.

Bad day at Bed Rock

Today I really felt my age. I arrived at the shipper about 9:30AM local after leaving Fort Worth at 3:30AM. I went in to the shipping area and pulled the bill of lading that I thought was the right one. Well guess what, it was not. I hooked up to the trailer it called for, after having a problem with the shank being to high and over shooting the fifth wheel lock.
I solved that problem, then discovered I had the wrong trailer. Raising the landing gear on a fully loaded trailer is extremely hard. I managed to do this not once but twice. Being a 64 year old has been, I was on my last leg and it was not supporting me very well. Oh what a sight! I hurt all over!
OK, it is done now and I am en route to San Antonio. I must have been a Texan in another life because I can't get out of here. I guess that is not all bad. I could be caught in the snow storm around Iowa and South Dakota.
Remember the roads are dangerous and there are a lot of crazy people on them. Be safe.

Rest Area

Here is an update from a rest area. I ran out of hours yesterday at Plainview, TX.
So I staid in a Walmart parking lot till they reset. That was about 3:00AM. Then I got on my horse and started to Fort Worth. I am now at a rest area that is wified just out side of Fort Worth. I was hopping to made my delivery early but the customer did not want it till my appointment time of 4:30PM. So here I sit.
It is supposed to get into the lower 30's tonight. Right now it is hot in the truck with the sun beating down on it.
I got a cat nap a little while ago and now I think I'll do it again. I hope that cat doesn't get mad at me for stealing his naps! Boy, that was reaching for a joke, wasn't it?
Keep it between the lines.

The best photo I could take

Not much of interest at a truck stop.

Agood looking guy!

Camera sitting on my truck fender and set to self timer.

Back side of my truck

Everything has a rear.

My day of rest

Tues. Nov.4
Vote day

I will have to pick up a load at midnight so I can’t stay up late watching the returns. I hope I can find a radio station that is giving results while I am driving.
I went to bed last night in the truck. I woke up about 1:30PM in a refrigerator with the setting at cooldest! It is amazing how much the temperature can change when the sun sets. I had to start the engine, pollute the atmosphere, and burn fuel just to get warm. Well in my defense, so were a lot of other truckers.
I got up early today with the intent of making this a productive day and then get some rest before hitting the road again. So far my plan is working. I’ve washed and folded clothes and I’m working on the blog, and I also purchased a satellite radio to hear sports, music and news. I got a great deal on the radio. After rebate it cost me $4.00.
Being a democrat in an area that has a lot of republicans, makes me feel very uncomfortable! I find it very hard to hear the redneck comments made by all the truckers and not put in my 2 cents. I think that restraint is a smart idea though. I don’t need to get into any arguments while on the road. Most of these truckers outweigh me now and look like they could do me sever damage if they wanted to.
It is time to return to the truck and stow my clothes. I’ll see if I can find something worth taking a picture of and will put it on the blog.
Remember to VOTE.

Time to bring you up to date

I have been told that all the millions of people that read my blog, really like it. I have also been told that the first few blogs that referred to the effects the truck had on me and the comparison to a washing machine were the best. So, I will strive to keep this lighthearted with a little humor thrown in. I am in Oklahoma City now taking a well deserved rest. I will get rolling again in 34 hours. Got to keep the DOT happy! I had problems with my Quail-com and had it worked on here. Now I don't have any excuses. Big Brother is watching my every move. That can be both good and bad, if you know what I mean.
Speaking of Big Brother,tomorrow is the long awaited vote day. Everyone get out there and put the first black man in the oval office! My personal opinion is that he is the best candidate for the office. I hope I have not offended any of my many readers out there. If I have, maybe you need offending. The thought of Sarah Palin being one step away from the Presidency scares the hell out of me! Now that I've fallen off my soap-box, I'll get some supper and will continue this tomorrow. I might even put a picture or two on the blog.
Remember... truckers care!

Old Man of the Road

Wouldn't you know it. Now that I'm on my on, I don't have time for anything! So this will be short, sweet, and no pictures. I've not had time to take any and I don't have time to post them if I had. I am back in Texas, this time at Amarillo. I'm going to Oklahoma City tomorrow.
It looks like I will be home for both Thanks giving and Christmas.
I hope to get my quail-comm fixed tomorrow and have a little rest. If that is the case, I'll post some more.
Drive safe!