I got rocked around all night, so my sleep wasn't as beautiful as it could have been. My co-driver had to hammer and tug at our trailer to get the axels to slide to where they needed to be. Many customers want them to be slid all the way back before they will load a trailer. Having the trailer "tandems" slide all the way back raises the rear of the trailer to be even with the dock. This morning, we were loaded with 7,400 lbs of empty aluminum cans. We were in Middleton, New York - a pleasant town far enough away from Manhattan to know what manners are.
While we waited to be loaded, I struggled to figure out why my BlackBerry wouldn't charge, and why it malfunctioned in every other way possible. I spent a full hour on the phone with my wireless provider, troubleshooting, and eventually transferring my phone number over to my spare phone - the Samsung Moment. Both phones have their own advantages, yet have serious drawbacks. At the same time, I must acknowledge that I have developed a sharp set of preferences over the years. I have worn out several cell phones since I discovered their convenience, entertainment, and neccessity. Regina and I purchased our first cell phone in July of 2001. That thing is a comical clunker in comparison to what we have now!
I stopped by our OC in Carlisle, Pennsylvania this evening. That trailer had to be fixed. Had to. So, while I waited patiently in the maintenence bay, I noticed that my left headlight had gone dark. What excellent timing for this to happen! I asked (and got) a spare bulb for the right side. It has been my repeated experience that when on bulb blows, the other will follow withing a week. I know now to be prepared.
While we waited to be loaded, I struggled to figure out why my BlackBerry wouldn't charge, and why it malfunctioned in every other way possible. I spent a full hour on the phone with my wireless provider, troubleshooting, and eventually transferring my phone number over to my spare phone - the Samsung Moment. Both phones have their own advantages, yet have serious drawbacks. At the same time, I must acknowledge that I have developed a sharp set of preferences over the years. I have worn out several cell phones since I discovered their convenience, entertainment, and neccessity. Regina and I purchased our first cell phone in July of 2001. That thing is a comical clunker in comparison to what we have now!
I stopped by our OC in Carlisle, Pennsylvania this evening. That trailer had to be fixed. Had to. So, while I waited patiently in the maintenence bay, I noticed that my left headlight had gone dark. What excellent timing for this to happen! I asked (and got) a spare bulb for the right side. It has been my repeated experience that when on bulb blows, the other will follow withing a week. I know now to be prepared.
I ventured into the OC cafeteria after my repairs were complete - and who did I see? Eric B! He was putting away his laptop, and preparing to head to the bunk. He and I have been friends for about 2 years. We met while we were being detained in West Memphis, during a bad ice storm. I teased him about visiting his house and raiding his fridge, since I would be in his home state of Virginia before the end of the night. He teased back, inviting me to finish off his Thanksgiving leftovers, at my peril.
I talked to Regina before I delivered my load of cans to the Coors brewery. She and the boys went to the new movie theater, in Ozark, to watch the new Chipmunks movie. Forest fell asleep right as it started, and missed nearly the whole thing. Maybe he and I will go see it during my Christmas vacation.
Today, Hunter excessively microwaved his brother's leftover pizza. When he opened the door, he exclaimed that the bubbling cheese was "breathing!"
At the moment, I am winding it down after another day on the road. Coors didn't have an empty trailer for us to take to a Roanoke, Virginia recycling facility. I parked the bobtail truck next to a very comfortable driver's lounge trailer. We have several hours to spare before we start asking our dispatchers why they haven't found an empty trailer for us. My co-driver gets to worry about that now. He will get in the driver's seat about every 45 minutes to see if there are any new messages. While the truck is still, we make every effort to find a place to spend time away from the driver's seat while the other is sleeping. Without the hum of the engine or overlay of the radio, every noise from up front can be irritating; plus, any normal man prefers not to have every turn, zip, tinkle or snore to be so starkly observed by another male. And vice-verse, right??
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