JUST ME AND MY BOYS

Regina works on Saturdays. My mom usually watches the boys when I'm out of town, driving the big truck. Today, I was here. I got to have the full attention of both of my boys. This was a great day.
Since it was cold outside, we did indoor things - like, browse an outdoors store for as long as we wanted! We visited a few other stores, also. I got my for-the-truck grocery shopping done just the way I enjoy it. No hurrying. My boys were allowed to put whatever cookies and goodies into the basket that they desired. Hunter hasn't been allowed to get any new toys during this weekend, so we satisfied his toy desires by browsing and making wish lists.

We joined Hunter's Cub Scout den at the John Q Hammons arena this afternoon, to watch a basketball game between the Missouri State Bears and the Northern Iowa Panthers. We had a lot of fun there.
When we arrived, we had a little difficulty finding the den leader among the crowd of spectators milling about the lobby. He and I called each other a couple of times to locate each other. Forest was safely perched on my shoulders, while Hunter held my hand. For a moment, he let go, as we crossed the lobby. When I found the den leader, Hunter wasn't behind me, neither was he within sight. My phone rang. I knew the strange number had to be someone who had found Hunter, lost and crying. Sure enough. He didn't wander far, and he had the presence of mind to pull out the scrap of paper I made for him, which had my name and cell phone number written on it. His frightening episode of being lost lasted less than 3 minutes. It was actually a beneficial experience for him, however I would never subject him to it intentionally. He handled the situation remarkably well, for a 7 year old boy who has never been lost like this before.

We left the game early. My four year old, Forest, was getting drowsy and impatient. Also, my mom wanted to meet us for dinner, at a Chinese restaurant, in Nixa. This is my last evening in Nixa, before leaving town to haul the nation's freight. Time with family trumps anything, as far as I'm concerned.

I spent the late evening laundering my clothes, rugs, and seat covers. I put away my food, and removed a few unnecessary items from the truck. Space must be used wisely, when two men are sharing a truck.

There was significant drama at Schneider's St Louis (Edwardsville, IL) terminal today. At 2am, a disgruntled company driver rammed his truck trough the gate, and intentionally crashed into the building, causing the truck to catch fire. The fire didn't spread, however. So, he went indoors and set several new fires, while police tried to negotiate with him over the phone. The standoff ended 10 hours later, with him shooting himself in the head. He didn't survive. The story can be easily found online. Several messages have been sent out to all of the company drivers. Virtually all services and amenities will be unavailable for the unspecified future. We go there frequently. I got fuel there, just a few nights ago. It's strange to think that something so violent occurred in a place where I go for supplies, service, and relaxation.