A little R&R

The floors and bookshelves are clean, dishes done, groceries bought and put away... My oh my what am I going to do with all of this spare time.  SPA DAY!!!

I spent 8 hours today at my salon getting polished and tuned up.  It felt absolutely heavenly and I actually feel like a woman again!  After all I have put in my fair share of time in the past 4 months polishing on the truck.  Today it was my turn ! ! !

What you might ask did Randy do all day to unwind.  Well he didn't go to the salon with me.  Instead he went and played with his buddies working on the obstacle course for the upcoming Jeep Blessing next weekend.  They met for an early breakfast at Sparks (absolutely delish local resturant). Then thru rain and wind, worked for 6 hours finishing the obstacles.  Of course they all had to "test" them to be sure they were in proper working order for the eager Jeepers next weekend :-) By the time I got home, he was dry and cozy again. But the smile was still firmly planted on his face as he regailed me with the days follies. 

Down Time - Discovery Cove

All I can say is, WOW!  This place is so awesome.  We went here several years ago while staying in Florida for a few weeks during the winter.

This is the entrance...

I loved these playful dolphins in the entryway.

Randy surprised me with a private cabana reserved just for the two of us!  It came with a professional photographer who took some really great shots of us that day.  Certainly better than we could have taken as distracted as we were by the main attractions.

My first ever dolphin kiss.

He was just like a dog and wanted his belly rubbed all the time.

See what happens when you don't rub his belly fast enough :-D

Randy wasn't so sure about the idea of kissing a fish and had a hard time not laughing!

Hitching a ride...

We happened to go the week of Valentine's and Randy surprised me yet again with a special delivery from one of my dolphins.  He swam up to me with a buoy that said I Love You Oodles and Oodles. Randy.  I was so surprised.  It had to be one the best and most romantic days we have had so far.





Since we don't drink champagne, so I still have this unopened bottle and glasses.  The chocolates Randy polished off in short order and the crystal frame sits on my dresser with a photo of us from that day.  It is such a lovely reminder of the special time we spent together there.

The day started out beautifully, but by late afternoon some clouds had blown in and it cooled off a little.  Randy was able to search out a cup of steamy hot chocolate for me while I pealed off my wet suit.  I can't think of a better way to end such a lovely day!

He was so happy all of his plans had come together without a hitch.  AND he just loved the private cabana!!!!

Down Time - Sewing Projects

Yes I love to sew.  But obviously I don't get a lot of time to pursue this hobby any more.  I do however do a little each time I am home.  So I thought I would share a few recent and current projects.

This is a quilt I am making for my husband.  When he was in the Navy he bought t-shirts at every port his ship hit around the world.  You could say they were his souvenirs.  Only problem is that he was 2 sizes smaller when he bought them.  I know there are other wives out there with similar issues.  My husband was a skinny teenager, but has grown up to be a well muscled large man.  So the question was always what to do about these t-shirts.  I couldn't throw them away, since they represented a lot of memories for him.  Yet I didn't want to see him wearing them either.  For a while the solution was just to pack them in a vacuum bag.  Then I saw a sitcom on TV one night that was the perfect solution.  She took all of her husband's "favorite" shirts and had them made into a memory quilt.  What a great idea!  I have always wanted to make a quilt so this was a double winner in my book.  

I ran the idea past Randy and he wasn't to sure, but was willing to have me show him the idea.  So I dug out all of t-shirts and folded them to show the graphics I wanted to use.  Then I laid them out on the floor, along with some brown ultra-suede to use for the border.  Randy is a very literal guy and has to actually see stuff like this to be able to "imagine" how it will look.  He loved it and even wanted to help in the designing process.  So we have been working on this for a little over a year now a little bit each time we have been home.

So far we have chosen all the panels, cut them out and ironed on interfacing to give a little more body to the flimsy cotton t-shirt material.  Now I need to either buy an embroidery machine or have someone embroider the front border I want to do.  We decided we are going to put things like the name of his ship, years in the navy, ports of call and medals he received along the outside edge of the quilt.  It should look really neat when all done.  Now all we have to do is get it finished.

Yes, you are seeing yellow rubber duckies.  I get cold easily and so I love footy pajamas.  But they are hard to find in adult sizes.  So I went to the fabric store looking for some nice warm material.  Randy was with me, so when I decided on blanket fleece and was sorting thru the stacks looking for just the right design, he chose this.  He pulled the roll out and said with a big smile, you should get this one. At first I thought he was joking, but then after discussing it for a minute I agreed that they would be really cute.

I ripped apart one of my old pairs and used it as a pattern.  I took care to lay out the pattern so all the little duckies swim across the front and around in a right to left pattern.  I found nonskid on ebay for the feet and an extra long zipper at Wal-Mart. They couldn't have turned out better.  These are the warmest, most comfortable things I have every owned!

We even went back last fall and bought more fleece.  Enough for a another pair for me and even one for Randy.  Not rubber duckies this time though.  I got Randy a dark red fleece with black moose walking across it and mine is a brightly colored geometric jester like pattern.  

NO, I am not going to model them for you...

This is my 6 bone hoop skirt.  I have bought the material for the dress, but haven't started it yet.

  It is going to be a beautiful purple shear over a lavender, mauve color with a huge sweep of somewhere around 200+ inches.

Musical Loads

So we were supposed to pickup a load in New Jersey going to Delaware.  We arrived sharply at 0600 for our 0630 pickup time.  We were pleasantly surprised to see some friends of ours in the other truck we were going to load with.  After a dicey blindside back into the building (inside dock), we all stood around chatting and catching up with each other till the dock people showed up to load us.  When everyone finally arrived for work we opened the doors and bumped the docks.  2 hours later we pulled out only to find out we were way over loaded on our drivers.  We were pushing over 60 pounds of psi on the drivers and are in a sunken dock!  When we checked in with the loading dock we were told that they had (we aren't allowed on this dock while being loaded) nose loaded us with 36400+ pounds!!  

Now a little history on this load...yesterday they kept offering out this load with no piece count or weight listed so we kept turning it down.  Finally after turning it down for the 7th or 8th time I called in to ask what the story was.  I was told who the customer was and that their loads never went over 12000 pounds, but no they only had the piece count, no weight on this load.  I agreed to do the load "IF" they would cover us by emailing the customer our weight restriction (we can only scale a little over 32000lbs).  I was further informed that there would be 3 of us loading, so the other 2 trucks should be able to take any extra if necessary.

Of course the customer was never notified of our weight restriction and the other 2 trucks turned out to be 1 other truck and another reefer with just about the same weight restriction as us!  Are we having fun yet?  The dock guy didn't want to unload the entire load, he just wanted to remove a few pallets from the rear to reduce the weight.  So we had to do the go around and explain to several people what it meant that we were over weight on our drivers.  They would have to move the entire load more to the rear of the trailer as well as reduce it, in order to shift the weight back to the trailer axles and reduce our gross.  Of course there were lots of suggestions from everyone else as to how we could avoid the scales (including driving half off the scales to avoid showing how heavy we were!!!) and the theory that once we were on flat ground the weight on our drivers would lift!  We had to explain that we don't run illegal, some one would notice if we tried to only put one side of the trucks axles on the scale and that once we pulled out the hole the dock was in more weight would be on the drivers, not less.  Of course they didn't believe us and left to decide what to do.  They came back a little bit later and asked us to move both trucks down to the other end of the building and put them into two docks there.  Then they would fix the weight issue down there.  Sure enough when we got onto flat ground, the psi on the drivers was almost at 75!!! For those of you unfamiliar, the drivers are usually just a little over 40 psi.

So after we get into the docks at the other end of the building we get calls from dispatch asking us if we want to do a little 11 mile hop loading from these same docks.  They had decided to off load us and bring in two dry boxes to haul our load.  Which was no problem for us, expect remember what the customer had said about fixing the load?  Apparently their idea of fixing the load was to completely unload us.  I guess that they just didn't want to break the news to us.  Like we would care.  So now we are waiting around for them to unload us and then reload us.

In the meanwhile 4 other trucks have showed up.  The first 2 get loaded right away and leave.  Then the other 2 try to hit the docks next to us.  Neither of them can drive for SH*T!  The idiot trying to hit the dock right to our left has to be the worst driver I have ever seen (that is saying alot)!  There are at least 3 truck lengths of open space in front of us and we in the dock.  Should be no problem to pull up straight in front of the dock and back straight in, right?  NOT!  He tried to hit our truck numerous times to being so far off he was headed for 4 docks to our left! It took Randy and 2 other drivers over 45 minutes to get this moron in the dock!!!!  I was sweating the whole time, thinking if he hits my truck or trailer I am going to skin him alive.  Since he didn't speak English I would have to because yelling at him wouldn't have accomplished anything.  I don't care who you are, if you can't handle a truck you shouldn't be in one.

Well after they loaded and sent these two morons on their way, the customer told us that something was going wrong with our loads again and they would be out to explain in a few minutes.  So there we all sat for another half hour waiting.  Finally the manager came out only to explain that we had in fact both been loaded for some time, but since someone had decided not to release the loads there was no paperwork and they were going to have to unload us.  Oh Boy...

So we spent 7 1/2 hours in their parking lot, bumped 2 docks and were loaded, unloaded, loaded and unloaded.  We filled out 4 bills of lading and got paid for 2 dry runs.  All without driving even 1/4 of a mile!  But we did get to spend a great day with our friends!

It was interesting to note that the customer continually acted throughout the day like we were going to bite their head off every time something went wrong.  It wasn't til the last 1/2 hour or so that they finally understood we weren't upset by all the commotion.  I mean we get paid whether we move the load or not.  What's there to get mad about?  We basically got paid $450 dollars to spend 7 1/2 hours catching up with friends.  Not a bad day in my book.

Sticky Situation

This was an early morning run we did for a customer.  We even called twice to double check the directions because we had a "bad feeling" they were wrong!  Boy were they ever.

It was dark, foggy and rush hour...and here we are at the bottom of a steep hill with a 2 ton elevated bridge to our left and a cement wall dead end in front of us.  

What you can't read because the photo turned out blurry is that these are EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY  and PEDESTRIANS ONLY signs.  Of course they are posted at the bottom of the hill where they really didn't do us any good.  (I know we told them we were in an 18 wheeler/tractor-trailer)

We couldn't have made this corner if we wanted to!

The endless stream of cars squeezing past us while we wait for a patrol car and more guards to control traffic so we can back out of this lovely little spot.

He had to back up the hill (about 7% grade) weaving back and forth between the low hanging branches (he did miss them both on the way down and up, but we took out several cones).  Then blind side the truck and trailer into the highway.  All of this while me, several guards and two patrol cars tried to control both the pedestrians and cars.  The cars where easy to control. They just blocked them from coming forward with the patrol cars.  The people on the other hand, kept darting around us and into the path of the truck!  You would think all the flashing lights and the big truck coming at them would make them think twice, but nope. (more Darwin Award candidates)

If only we had come in during the daylight after the fog had lifted a little, we never would have driven down into that horrible place!

Here one of the guards helping us is taking ANOTHER call from his superior yelling at him to get that truck out of that gate.  Apparently this gate is only open to vehicles for 45 minutes each morning so all the superior officers can get to work without waiting thru the lines at the main gate.  OOPS.  Of course they wanted the names of the people responsible.  We gladly spelled out the person's name very slowly so they could get all of the credit for this morning's fine adventures!

Since we had already had so much fine fun this morning and they were already there, the patrol cars decided to give us an escorted pass thru the correct gate and on to our destination.  This turned out to be a good suggestion, because they had to have us cross several coned areas and stop traffic for us to maneuver several times.  They also smoothed our way thru all the gates and check points.  Mind before we left with them on this little trip they told us not to worry about any cones, we would be driving over a few.  UNDERSTATEMENT!  We must have crushed over a hundred of the little buggers that morning.  But they were right, there was no other way in.

The funny thing is that we ended up right below where we got stuck that morning.  This bridge was the one we were first directed to.  Only it took 5 more miles of driving to get around to the other gate and finally end up where we needed to be.  Just a few hundred feet from where we started out.

Funny how things turn out some times isn't it?

Just a Pretty Picture of Truck & Trailer

Cutest Hood Ornament Ever

I stopped to fuel at the TA in Milldale, CT when I saw this little guy on the hood next to me.  I know you all have seen the more common hood ornaments out there like the flying pig, ducks and ladies.  But this is only the second one I would actually like to have.  The first one was a chrome husky.  Now with this bear I just don't think I could decide.  But since I can't find either of them, I don't have to.  I had Randy ask the guy when he came back out where he had gotten it (I was on the phone).  He said he had got it in LA about 7 years ago.  It was a special order back then and took him over 6 months to get it.  So I am still out of luck.

On the Job?

Last night I drove over and thru the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnels, twice.  The first time while heading south around 0130 the northern tunnel was closed down to one lane for both north and south bound traffic.  They had a transit authority car running first one way and then the other escorting the vehicles thru the tunnel.  When it came to my turn to drive thru I was wondering what kind of work they were doing on the tunnel.  To my surprise all of the workers in the tunnel (about 8) were actually asleep on the job!  They were LAYING DOWN on the hoods of their trucks, cars and on the walkway along the side of the tunnel!  Not one of them was even standing up.  Of course this aggravated me exceedingly so I just had to reach over and flip on the engine brake.  8" pipes behind a big CAT and on high...I just let it rip all the way down the tunnel until we started back up the other side.  I ALMOST couldn't resit grabbing the train horns when none of them even stirred at the racket, but Randy was trying to catch a few hours sleep before we got to our next stop.  So I had to restrain myself, THIS TIME.  After all I would get another shot at them on my way back north ;-)

Then on my trip back north around 0430 I was both appeased and disapointed to discover that they were back to work.  They were braking down the work area in preperation of reopening the tunnel for rush hour traffic.  So I just couldn't justify blasting them even though Randy was awake next to me in the jump seat.  Oh well, there is always next time....>:-)

Hail Storm

Here we are sitting in a truck stop just south of Lancaster, PA watching TV and waiting to go load in the morning.  Randy has found a movie on HBO he has been wanting me to see "Birdcage."  So we have tuned it in and snuggled into bed to watch it.  The opening credits aren't even over yet when the screen goes black.  The message on the screen says no signal.  Since we know this happens occasionally and usually passes in seconds we wait...and wait...and wait.  After a few minutes of nothing but a blank, black screen we get up and look out the windows.  The sky is completely black above us.  The cloud layer is so dense it has blocked out our satellite signal (which has never happened before in 4 years of owning one).  I opened one of the side windows on the truck and that was when we heard it.  The wind and low deep growling and rumbling.  It kind of sounded like two ships rubbing against each other.  Instantly we both thought tornado!  But there were no storm warnings coming over the weather bands on our radios or CB.  We opened all the shades over the sleeper and cab windows so we could watch.  It wasn't long before the heavy clouds passed, maybe 6-7 minutes or so.  The sky was still dark grey though and you could see what looked like a heavy curtain of rain heading toward us.  Turned out to be pea sized hail!  

Sitting Here

OK so I have been neglecting my blogging lately.  We were running pretty hard for the past 2 weeks and now I have been sitting here for 3 days.  Doing absolutely nothing.  Which I have to say after the last 2 weeks, FEELS GREAT :-D  It's amazing how quickly time can pass when you are trying to entertain yourself with catching up on some sleep, watching TV, playing on the internet and talking on the phone.  

Randy has rented a car and driven down to Norfolk to go on a Tiger Cruise with one of his oldest friends, Ed.  Ed is returning from a 7 month cruise and it is his last one.  He is retiring from the Navy after 22 years!  It's a big milestone and Randy didn't want to miss it.

So here I sit...with so much time on my hands I forgot to blog :-)

YUMMY

Mixed mahogany and brown rice with scallions and pineapple.

Poaching talapia in pineapple juice and tamari.

Rice and talapia topped off with lots of fresh scallions!

Some Areas Just Aren't for Stopping!!!

I just couldn't resist taking a picture of this when on our return trip thru this area we actually saw a tractor trailer who had decided it was time to pull off of the road and take a nap!  YUP!  Right by two of these bright red 8' tall x 12' wide reflective signs! Maybe he will be on the Darwin Awards next time around?

foreign Driver

So there we were sitting in the TA East in Ontario, CA when someone knocks on the back door of our sleeper.  We weren't expecting anyone, so Randy cautiously checked and then opened the door to a man standing on our catwalk.  He was a foreign driver who barely spoke English.  He had a piece of paper in his hand his company had given him and he started to gesture to it trying to show Randy something.  It was a PICTURE DIAGRAM showing how to axle out your truck properly.  I mean come on is our industry getting so bad that we need 3rd grade picture diagrams to show us how to do our jobs.  Apparently so.  

Next the driver handed Randy his weight ticket and then started jabbering again.  Of course Randy instantly saw the problem.  This guys drivers were over by 180 pounds.  But apparently he didn't know what to do with the information he had, so he decided to knock on our door and ask for help.  I guess we present a knowledgeable image? 

Randy put on his shoes, grabbed his gloves and went out to see what he could do.  I grabbed the camera and followed.  When this other driver saw we were going to give him a hand he slowed down and was able to speak a little bit of very broken English.  Randy showed him how to slide his tandems first.  Then he showed him how to put the landing gear down and slide his 5th wheel.  Unfortunately no air was getting to the release pins on the 5th wheel and we weren't able to figure out why in short order.  Since it was a minimum amount of weight he was over on the drivers and he wasn't over gross or any of the other axles, Randy told him to just run with it.  He would probably burn off enough fuel to equal it out and then not to completely top it off again until empty or fixed.  We also told him to call his company and get the problem fixed.

All in all an interesting and enlightening little diversion in an otherwise normal evening.  It is depressing to see drivers of this caliber being sent out on their own with so little training.  After he left, all we could wonder was what else he hadn't been properly taught...

Moral of the story...don't park next to the scales if you don't want to be disturbed.