TEXAS TEA / BLACK GOLD

Craig is spending the night in Pharr, Texas at the Silver Spur Motel. They are waiting for their trailer to be loaded with boats in Mexico and brought back to them in the US. Then he is off to Baltimore, Maryland! They expect to be on the road either late Tuesday or early Wednesday morning and get to Maryland by Thursday evening. Now that is putting down some miles quickly.

Craig is excited to get his first experience with east coast driving. He has heard some horror stories and wants to find out first hand what it is like. They most likely will run into much colder weather again from the mild temperatures they have had while in California and Texas.

The picture posted is of a refinery, in which Craig reports they are as prevelent as 7/11's here in California. Every where you look there is a refinery in Texas.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

Craig made his way to Fresno to pick up the satellite truck with a stop at the Company's drop yard overnight in Fontana. He was able to get some rest as they can not make the delivery of the truck until Monday morning. After an unfortunate event at the yard, in which Craig attempted to revive a fellow trucker who had suffered a heart attack, they proceeded on their way towards Texas.

Friday night was spent in Benson, Arizona, just west of the New Mexico border. Saturday they drove through New Mexico and along the border of Mexico to settle in for the night at Fort Stockton, Texas. As Craig told me, all three of the states they drove through all look the same, desert and cactus and not much more. From the pictures posted above, one from each state, you can clearly see what he is talking about.

Sunday night is being spent in San Antonio in the parking lot of a grocery store. They were able to drop the truck off a day earlier than they expected. They will not be able to get the information on their next load until the dispatchers are in the office first thing Monday morning. I'll be letting you know where their journey takes them tomorrow. Keep checking back for updates.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After an all too brief stop at home, for a hot meal,a hot shower, and a comfy bed, Craig is on the road again. It was so nice to be able to spend time together and reaffirm that the decisions we have made are turning out better than expected. It was also nice to be able to talk in person instead of intermittent cell phones with bad reception and second delays. Boy, the stories he told me about life on the road. It will be such an interesting and exciting experience for us both.

I had the pleasure of seeing both Craig and Ken in action at Bob's Marine where they dropped off four boats. Pictures posted are of the truck loaded with boats, boats being off loaded, and of course Craig, my favorite subject. I met Ken and he is a very pleasant man who spoke very highly of Craig and his driving abilities. Although he did say he needs a navigator, and of course that is where I fit into the plan. After all, over the course of the last 30 years, I have been known to read a map and be quite good at telling people where and what to do.

After a too quick goodbye ( yes, it is harder than we thought being apart ) they are off to Fresno to pick up a satellite truck to take to San Antonio Texas. From there no telling where they might head. There is still some talk about Canada, but that is the joy of this type of job, never really knowing where you might be headed next.

We are thinking that Craig will possibly be cut loose on his own within the next three weeks. Knowing what a great job he has done so far, I'm sure this will happen. He is truly living his dream.

HAVE BOATS, WILL TRAVEL

Craig made it to Little Falls, Minnesota in record time, passing through Montana and North Dakota. As he told me, life can change quickly in the boat fleet. The pontoon boats were not ready, so they loaded up 5 V-hull boats of which one would be dropped off in Chamberlin, South Dakota, and the other, are you ready....... Modesto, California. Yep, sign on to drive long haul truck and see the country and end up right where you wanted to leave. But on the bright side, we do get to spend a few hours together Wednesday night, just in time to celebrate our 5th anniversary.

One of the pictures posted is the little diner in Little Falls which Craig had the pleasure of eating at. Was able to ease drop on the local gossip and enjoy a hearty breakfast all for just $4.00 There is also a picture of Little Falls version of art, a large mural on the side of a building. Also posted is a picture of the Mississippi River frozen over.

He is getting to see quite a bit of the US and the feel of the land already. In just 14 days he has been through 12 states, and there is talk about possibly going to Canada after he leaves Modesto on Thursday.

I keep asking him if he is enjoying himself, and I actually think he would do this for free he is having so much fun. Our next objective is of course get me out there to enjoy it with him. So far everything has gone better than we expected, so we expect the rest of our plans to follow suit. Now if only the house would sell......

WHERE'S WALDO (AKA: CRAIG)

It seems the first question I get asked these days is where's Craig. Keeping track of him has been described by some as tracking Santa Claus on Christmas Eve as he seems to be always on the go and never in one spot for too long.

This morning, as Craig described it, it was a balmy 36 degrees below zero, in Missoula, Montana. By the time he had reached Billings, Montana, it had warmed to a toasty 10 degrees. Quite a bit different from the weather we are use to in Northern California.

Craig's trainer is named Ken. He is 61 yrs old and has been driving truck for the past 20 years since retiring as a police officer. Craig and Ken seem to get along quite nicely, but then, I've yet to meet anyone who didn't get along with Craig.

One of the pictures posted above is the truck Craig is currently driving and the type he will be assigned once he is on his own. To get a better idea of what our living arrangements will be you can go to www.freightlinertrucks.com , click on trucks, then models, and check out the Century Class ST. Not too shabby with all the comforts of home.

As of this evening Craig was at a truck stop in Glendive, Montana, just west of the North Dakota border and on his way to Minnesota to pick up two pontoon boats. As always, keep checking back for "Where's Waldo aka: Craig"

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A TRUCKER WOW

We are thinking now that the Marine Division and hauling boats was definitely the way to go. Who would have thought you would have to sit for hours to get loaded with beer ( and not in the good way) at 3am in the morning. But that is exactly what happened and then you're on the road to Idaho. You do get to see some sights along the way.....for example take the pictures posted above. The first one is the mountains outside of Bishop California, then onto the desert region of Nevada, to the snowy roads of Oregon, to be greeted with a sunrise over the Columbia River in Washington. WOW all this in one day and get paid for it too. Although it was a very long day/night, Craig is happy to report that his boat trainer is waiting for him in Spokane, WA and that happily, boats don't get loaded in the middle of the night! Happy Trucking with updates to follow.

ON THE ROAD TO COEUR d'ALENE

It's been 1 week since Craig left for his new job and it finds him today in Southern California enroute to Coeur d' Alene by Friday. The beef was delivered and a shipment of beer loaded for his trip to Idaho. With the weather conditions ahead, it seems he will have a snowy trip. It is his hope that he will finally get hooked up with his trainer hauling boats this weekend. No telling where he will be headed to next. He is happy to report that he hasn't hit anything yet... and let's all hope it stays that way! He is loving every minute of this new job and I can't wait to join him. We'll have more pictures and updates in the days to come. Craig is living his dream and it shows from this picture.

TIME TO START TRAINING

After 3 days of orientation, physicals and learning the ways of the Company, Craig has been officially hired! He is the first hire from California to be given a position in the Marine Division with no prior experience. As Craig said "I'm their guinea pig." I know he will be a shining star for their company.

After much searching, they were unable to find him a trainer right away hauling boats. He is catching a ride with a trainer to Seattle first thing in the morning to pick up beef. Then down through Tracy and Irvine where he will finally meet his official trainer.

If possible when he is going through Tracy I will try and meet up with him for a quick "hello" and a big hug. Can't believe he has only been gone 3 days, seems like two weeks. We are both so excited about this new job and the opportunities it gives us to see the United States and Canada. We hope to have pictures up here real soon of Craig and his new truck.

Keep tuned for further updates.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

The day has finally arrived. Craig is flying to Spokane, WA to begin his training. We are both so excited to begin this new journey together. Everyday a new adventure. Can't wait to hear where his first trip will be to. We will keep you updated as we go along.