A NEW DAY

Both Craig and I commented when we saw this view before us on Monday evening that there was something about it that was just heavenly. Flying by it at over 55MPH, I couldn't begin to get the focus or capture the true colors that were being cast upon this great mountain. We enjoyed it anyway, knowing that the sunset would give way to a new day when the sun rose again.

Feeling somewhat like a hostage, a ransom of home baked goodies was exchanged for my release into my Mother's custody. Craig, salivating at the thought of eating the bounty of which my Mother presented him, was more than happy to kiss and hug me goodbye and be on his way munching on the chewy chocolate brownies that he put up on the dash of the truck. The baked beans and macaroni salad were put away in the refrigerator for a later time. He drove off one happy truck driver, but I would like to think a few miles down the road he did miss me just a little.

He managed to get into the Company yard in Bloomington, Monday night and delivered the Tillamook Cheese this morning to CostCo in Mira Loma, CA. Since his driving hours are getting slim, he was given a load to pick up tomorrow afternoon in Walnut, CA and deliver it to Puyallup, WA, to our friendly Fred Meyer DC on Sunday morning at 3am. I will need to remind him to make sure he turns the clocks back before he leaves or he will get there way too early!

I have been making good use of my time so far in Modesto. Have finally managed to change all of our accounts to reflect our new address in Washington State, and letting the IRS know where they can find us come tax time next year. Somehow, I think they would find us even without my help! The weather is still way too warm in California and I am finding that I am wishing I was back at home in Usk with it's chilly fall weather.

TILLAMOOK CHEESE

True to the preplan, as soon as we went empty at the Fred Meyer DC in Clackamas, we were instructed to drop our trailer and check in with shipping for a team load headed to Phoenix. Finding the correct trailer, scaling to make sure we were legal, we took off south awaiting where to meet up with the team that would be delivering this load. Minutes later, the beep of the computer told us to head to the Pilot Truck Stop in Rice Hill, OR which was about 150 miles away.

Three hours later we found the other drivers waiting for us and quickly exchanged paperwork and trailers. We now had in our possession a trailer loaded with bananas which didn't need to be delivered until the 28th. We were told to take the trailer to a drop yard in Troutdale, OR and pick up yet another trailer of bananas that needed to be delivered Sunday Morning. Ever the dutiful employees, we drove back the same 150 miles we had just traveled and switched trailers once again. With our new load of bananas, we headed to the TA Truck stop, and called it a day.

Like Deja Vu, we deliver the bananas to Fred Meyer on Sunday morning, hoping that we were not slated to be the banana delivery King and Queen once again, put in our empty call and sit back and wait. A mere 5 minutes later we were happy to see that we would be going to Tillamook, OR to pick up 40,000 pounds of cheese on Monday morning. With a day of layover pay given to us, we decided to drive the 90 miles there on Sunday and take our chances with finding a place to stay.

We couldn't have made a better decision! Our previous scenic drive on Friday, paled in comparison to the beauty we saw on our drive into Tillamook on a tiny two lane road. I was heartbroken at the many photo opportunities that I saw along the way, that I would not be able to partake in. Big trucks don't stop quickly and need a large area to park, so I'll have to put this route down in my book as a road to take in a car sometime in the future.Arriving at the cheese plant, we saw that there was ample parking for our rig and that the plant was right next door to their large tourist center. We checked in at shipping to let them know we where there early and that we would be spending the night there, and then hot footed it over for some cheese tasting. Who am I kidding? More importantly, they have their own ice cream parlor there and after picking up two different cheeses, a summer sausage, and some french bread, we did what every sane person would do........we ate desert first!

It was the freshest ice cream, outside of home made, that I have had in a long time, scooped into a freshly baked, right before our eyes, waffle cone. YUM YUM After enjoying our desert, we made our way back to the truck to enjoy the rest of our bounty. We were quite content after that and settled in for the night watching the World Series and playing on our laptops.

We were hoping this morning to be loaded early as our appointment wasn't until 10am. Craig had checked in with them again at 7am and they said they would probably be ready for us in an hour or so. The "or so" was more correct, and by 10am we were loaded and scaled and ready to enjoy the beauty again on that little two lane road.

Presently, we are traveling south on Interstate 5 with the hopes of finally getting to a Wal Mart in Anderson, CA later tonight and then making our home in Corning. If all goes well, Craig will be dropping me off at my Mom's house for a few days tomorrow afternoon, while he delivers the cheese into Mira Loma, CA late Wednesday morning and then makes a run up north before coming back down and picking me up. That should allow me time to spend my favorite holiday, Halloween, at my Mom's, but right now it's time for lunch. We are going to enjoy some more of that cheese and summer sausage. Too bad we didn't have a freezer on board the truck, cause you know I would have bought some ice cream to take with us as well!

THE COLORS OF FRIDAY

We had some beautiful scenery along the way into the Portland area yesterday. We couldn't have asked for a nicer drive, and the weather didn't hit above 60! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We made our delivery this morning at the Fred Meyer DC in Clackamas, with the knowledge of a preplan dispatch we had received last night. We are to remain here and pick up a load that will be either relayed to a team or a set of other drivers to make a Sunday 12pm delivery in Phoenix, AZ. Our only question is, what we will get in return?

.

Oh, and that check list? We couldn't complete it. We tried to get to that Wal Mart in Woodburn, OR, but due to construction and detours, all roads left leading to it were posted "NO TRUCKS". At least we still have food to last us a few more days, and plenty of time to start another check list.

THE COMFORT OF COOL AIR

Let's go over that check list again shall we? Showers, Truck Wash, Wal Mart..... oh hell, let's just cut to the chase, and get the APU fixed. Add a great big check mark next to that one.... the showers can wait.

After a somewhat restful night's sleep, sans any A/C, at a great little gas station with truck parking by the rest area we had stayed at two nights prior, we had a mission in mind. With a window of opportunity to take some time away from driving on Thursday, we headed towards the Company yard and put in a call to Road Service to get the "go ahead" to get the APU fixed. I had already researched Thermo King repair shops on the Internet and knew there was one in Stockton. With the okay given, we dropped our trailer of bananas in the yard and bob tailed over to the repair shop.

Craig checked in, and within 10 minutes we were summoned into the bay and the wait began. Oh, I bet you think we sat around for quite awhile don't you. We went into their waiting area, guess it was too early for them to have fresh popcorn in their theater style popper, so we used the facilities and decided to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. Still thinking we waited some more? Come on..... as Craig would say, let's have that glass half full shall we, and just like that we were waved over to our truck. Within 15 feet I heard the sweet sound of the APU chugging along, and as Craig signed the paperwork, I opened my door to get in and was greeted by a blast of cool air. Ahhhhhh...... success. If we didn't accomplish another thing on that list, the day would still be considered perfect!

But with that window of opportunity still open, we dodged into the Truck Tub in Stockton and had the truck washed, then zoomed over to the yard to pick up our bananas and head North. We got as far as Corning and decided to stop and check another task off our list and take showers. Needless to say, I think we both felt like a million bucks after that task!

Now it's onto Aurora, OR, and a Super Wal Mart with great truck parking. We are hoping we will be able to spend the night there, but if not, there is a TA Truck Stop 2 miles up the road, which is our fuel stop as well. That will leave us with only the safe delivery of the bananas in Clackamas and we will be batting a thousand. Too bad I couldn't say the same about the LA Dodgers!

GONNA WASH THAT TRIP RIGHT OUTTA MY HAIR

Uh huh....... That's right, I was happy to wipe my hands of that last trip. It had to rear it's ugly head one last time in Las Vegas, when the receiver noticed a little 5 inch rip in the cardboard box and refused to accept it. A few phone calls later and five hours of waiting ( doesn't bother us, we get paid from appointment time on) there was a new buyer found for the $300 worth of rib eye steaks, and we were instructed to head back to the Company yard in Bloomington, CA. We were glad to know, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

The economy must not be too bad these days, as in like Chicago, Las Vegas seems to be in a constant stage of construction on their freeways and buildings. They never seem to stop building newer and bigger and fancier hotels along the strip. The poor Stratosphere, at the very start of the strip, pales in comparison to the mega hotels at the other end of the strip. Now don't think we were in Vegas and didn't gamble a bit. Craig won $10 playing poker on line while we had that down time waiting for a buyer for the steaks. I figure anytime you can leave this gambling city with more than you came with is a good thing.

On our way back into California we were beeped with our next assignment. We get to go to the Port in San Diego to pick up our old friends bananas. You remember from a previous post about the TWIC card we applied for? By the end of the year every person entering the port has to have one of those cards, but for now, just a lot of security precautions will gain us access into the terminal to pick up the bananas. We should receive our card in 6-8 weeks in plenty of time to be legal by the first of the year.

The bananas will have a nice easy ride up to Clackamas, OR to the Fred Meyer DC on Saturday morning at 7am. That should give us an opportunity to see about getting the APU fixed on the truck. We are thankful that is stayed working during the worst of the summer heat, but sure have missed it the last couple of days while in California with the temperature being in the high 80's. We have become quite inventive getting the truck and ourselves cooled off in the evenings since we have a regulator on the engine which won't let it idle for more than 5 minutes without shutting the engine off.

So our check list for the next couple of days is: showers, APU fixed, truck washed, Wal Mart run, and of course, delivering the bananas safely into Clackamas. We'll see just how good we are at accomplishing these tasks, just as soon as I spray my body down with water and turn the portable fan on high!

NO REST ON SUNDAY

Some plans do come together, like when we left LaPine, OR and made our way past Mount Shasta into Corning, CA to take showers. Then onto the Company yard in French Camp, CA by Saturday night setting us up for a nice day off on Sunday relaxing and maybe having my Mom come out for a visit and a trip into the new Target store right down the street. It seemed to be going nicely, after getting a great night's sleep, having a nice fresh cup of coffee with our breakfast, and then sending in our daily hours, we set back and fired up the laptops. That's when it all went awry.

Craig's telephone rang. That was odd as it was only 8am and hardly anyone calls him on his phone. He answers it. I hear a lot of "uh huh's", and "okays", and then he hangs up. Seems there was a load that started at the same place we started from, in Wallula, WA, but somehow got extremely behind schedule. It had already been handed off from the original driver to a second driver, who had left too early during the night from Weed, CA to make it to the first delivery in Sacramento, CA and not have any time left to make it to the other two deliveries that were scheduled on Sunday.

We were told that the driver should be leaving Sacramento after the 9:00am delivery and would then come into the yard to swap trailers with us. By 11:30am we had our new trailer and paperwork in hand and were trying to get to the next scheduled appointment by 12pm which was 35 miles away in Riverbank, CA. Thankfully, we know the area, and beat feet over there, only as it seems to be the case when you are on a time crunch, run into a road closure and detour. No problem. We zip around and come in from the opposite direction only to be confronted with 3 other trucks lined up to be unloaded. OH VEY! So much for making the next appointment at 2:30pm in Daly City, CA just south of San Francisco!

After a 4 hour wait we finally get the 65 boxes of meat off loaded and place a phone call to the next delivery location. If they didn't need the meat we had to deliver to them, we would have been in a world of hurt. The employee said he would meet us when we could get there and take the delivery whatever time it might be. We again take off knowing all too well what kind of traffic we would run into going into the San Francisco Bay area on a Sunday evening, but we made it to Daly City by 7pm. That was the easy part. The hard part was trying to back into the tiny dock area tucked within a residential area with cars lined up and down a very small street.

Without the help of the employee, who had prior knowledge of the best approach to make the back, we would have been there much longer trying to get backed in. Within an hour we were done and desperately trying to get the heck out of South San Francisco and headed towards Las Vegas, which would be our last drop. Unfortunately, the 12:30pm Monday delivery would not be made. This load was just doomed from the beginning! We made it as far as a rest area near Coalinga, CA before our 14 hour clock ran out. We are waiting for our 10 hour mandatory break to be over before we head into Las Vegas, while we wait to hear what the new delivery time will be.

Yes, no rest for us this Sunday, but we did enjoy the challenge. It may have not gone as planned, but for being the third driver to be handed this load, I think we did pretty well considering all the obstacles that were put in our way. Now bring on Las Vegas!

THE WHEELS ARE ROLLING AGAIN

As it turns out, we didn't have to wait until Friday for our next assignment. We knew on our last run into San Diego to the Port to pick up bananas, that we would have to apply for a special identification card through the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) called a TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) before the end of the year. So after Craig finished with his class, we went into the office to electronically file our application form. We were then told to hook up to an empty trailer and head to the Port of Pasco and the TSA office to complete the process Friday morning.

We spent the night about 40 miles away from Pasco, and completed the journey and dropped our trailer in a Company drop yard about 2 miles away from the TSA office. We were the first ones there, and after filling out a questionnaire asking about any felony convictions, we were put through the rest of the steps to complete the application, which included fingerprinting and having a photo taken. Oh yes, and don't forget the $134.50 that each of us had to pay for the opportunity to have this card and go into the Ports. Thankfully, as least Craig's was paid for by the Company.

As soon as we notified them that we had finished with the TWIC application, we were dispatched to the Tyson meat plant in Wallula, WA about 15 miles way to pick up 43,000 pounds of meat products, including everyone's favorite tripe, oxtails, and butt flaps. This dispatch has 7 deliveries, 5 in Stockton, CA, 1 in Merced, and the last stop is in Paso Robles, CA, all at Food 4 Less Stores. Although the dispatch indicated that the load would not be ready until 11pm on Saturday, when we arrived to drop the trailer there, we were happy to hear the load was ready for us to pick up. This would set us up for a very leisurely drive to start us back from vacation before Monday when we will make 6 of the 7 deliveries.

Last night we stayed in LaPine, OR after deciding we had driven enough for the day. This morning we were up and on the road by 5:30am with a stop in Corning, CA for showers and then onto the Company yard in French Camp, CA to stage for our Monday deliveries in Stockton. We really haven't noticed much change in the trees, but it was a nice 30 degrees this morning when we left LaPine. We know those temperatures will not be seen once we get into Central California, where we will be lucky if it only gets as high at the 80's and the lows in the 50's. Quite a difference from last year when we were traveling all 48 States and the joys of winter driving it brought. But, I'm sure we'll get our share of challenges even here on the West Coast. In any case, we will be sure to do what we like to do best.......keeping the wheels rolling.

END OF VACATION

Both Craig and I had high expectations that we would paint the office/hobby room, but gosh darn it, we just didn't get around to it. Too busy you ask? Nope.... too lazy, but then I guess that is what vacations are for. We so enjoyed just being in our little house, and enjoying the beautiful landscape around us, that we didn't do much at all.

Oh sure, Craig got reacquainted with his love of online Poker sites, and was even consistent with winning most of the tournaments he entered. I opened up an oven door for one of the first times in almost 2 years and baked Craig some cupcakes, and learned the fine art of using our new espresso machine to make all of our Starbucks favorites without leaving the house.

Yes, it was a great time away from the truck. Normally, we are ready to go back after a few days, but this time, I think both of us wouldn't have balked at staying a few days longer. But as I type this, we are back at the yard, me happily typing away on the computer, but Craig is sitting in one of the classrooms taking his yearly re certification class. Can you believe it has been one year since his return from his back injury? That time of stress and uncertainty seems like eons ago, and thankfully so.

I am proud to say that Craig and I were the first residents of Pend Oreille County to get to vote. Since our county is vote by mail only, I was hoping the ballets would have been waiting for us upon our return home. They weren't, so I called the Auditor's Office, and spoke directly to the Auditor herself, explained the situation, and she told us to come into her office on Tuesday, and that she would give us our ballets in person before they get mailed out to the rest of the residents. How's that for small town living?

While Craig is in class today, I'll be taking a drive down the road to the Wal Mart to load up the truck with our food supplies for the next couple of weeks. He shouldn't be in class too late this afternoon and I know we will both be wanting to hit the road again. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until tomorrow to get our assignment. Yes, vacation may be over, but we are just as happy to be back at work and seeing how much the landscape of our travels have changed while we have been off.

CHECKING IN

Day five of our ten days off, and nothing says you are home like the sound of gunfire in the morning. Either the shooters were really bad shots, or they were target shooting, but if the deer we had in our yard, when we came home late last night from Walla Walla had it's say, it would rather the shooters take up a more peaceful sport, like maybe becoming a professional TV channel surfer, like my husband.

Our first couple of days off consisted of stopping by a few stores on the way home and then getting reacquainted with our new home. It was nice that most of the seasonal residents had packed up and headed south for the winter. We basically have the entire area to ourselves and we are enjoying the solitude.

Thursday, we decided to head to Walla Walla, WA to pay a visit with my BFF Cori. We took a leisurely drive south and checked into a hotel for the night. Friday morning we hooked up with Mike and Cori and headed to Pendelton, OR to take an underground tour of the city. This tour took us into the lives of immigrants who resided underground, along with the more shady entertainment of bars and bordellos.

It really was amazing to see how people lived back then, but we also joked on the way back to Walla Walla, that a hundred years from now, people will be laughing at how we lived in the mid to late 1900's. We enjoyed a great lunch at a new restaurant in downtown Walla Walla, before heading back to their property to check on the building progress of the main house.

We stayed for a wonderful home cooked meal inside the guest cottage, where we all participated in preparing parts of the meal, with Craig enjoying the opportunity to flambe' the sauce. After the meal, we were given lessons on how to make the perfect espresso on the espresso machine that Mike and Cori so graciously gave us. It was getting late, but with the espresso flowing through our veins, we reluctantly said goodbye and headed back home knowing that next month I will be visiting again.

Right now, as we sit in our respective leather chairs in our cozy living room, the last of our first home made espresso still lingering on our tongues, the gun shots have stopped, the sun is out, and the temperature is a nice crisp 42 degrees. Life is good here in Usk, WA and we will be enjoying the rest of our time off. We may just decide to go exploring and see where the road less traveled will lead us.

A MIXED BAG OF GOODS

Don't mind me, I'm just tidying up a bit with some odds and ends before we take some home time for a week. I'll be posting while we are off with the things we have done and places we have seen, but now back to cleaning. A woman's work is never done!

We made our two deliveries yesterday morning and as expected, was told to return to the Fred Meyer DC and drop our trailer and wait for our next dispatch. We tried to take a nap, knowing that odds were the load would be a evening one, but sleep eluded us. We took to reading and watching TV to bide the time until the dispatch finally came through. A 10pm load headed to Spokane, WA for a 6am and 7am delivery.

Our ten hour mandatory break was over with at 7pm so Craig did his usual saunter up to the office to see if the load was ready early, and it was! We hooked up and scaled and started the trek east with a stop at the TA truck stop in North Bend, WA, as the reefer fuel level was sitting at almost empty. With a power nap calling our names, we pulled into the company yard at 2am and had no difficulties finding that sleep that had so deftly eluded us earlier.

Damn, that alarm clock. Two hours flew by and just when the dream was getting really good too! Bleary eyed, we crawl out of bed and make our way into Spokane to make our two deliveries. By 9am we are done and headed back to the Company yard.

A few of you have asked me where I get some of my cartoons. If you are a daily blog reader like myself, or even if you aren't and would like to put a smile on your face, you might enjoy this site called Shoebox Blog, which is a division of Hallmark. They never fail to put a smile or at least squeeze a little chuckle out of me on a daily basis.

Lastly, I thought I would share this photo of a truck we saw heading down the freeway. This is one truck you would want to keep your distance from. Check out all the placards it has on it. As has been documented, driving truck is one of the most dangerous jobs you can have, why would you want to further complicate things?

And with that I think we will uncomplicate our life and take a week off. As of now, my professional navigator hat is off and will be occupying the passenger seat, keeping it warm until my return.

WHOO HOO!

Guess we won't be hearing that on anymore Washington Mutual commercials. Confidence level is not high for the bailout, but one thing I do know.........people gotta eat! We have been going non stop lately, and especially the last month, using up every available driving hour that we can legally squeeze out daily. Although I have been off the truck once for a few days at my Mother's house, Craig has been driving without a break now for almost 9 weeks. I think it's time for him to do some relaxing, and that is just what we are going to be doing when we start a week of vacation on Wednesday.

But, we still have a couple of days to work, and work we will. Right now, in the predawn darkness, and the rain in the greater Seattle area, we are headed to drop off some nice fresh produce in Puyallup, WA. Would you believe we were able to pick up our loaded trailer in Salinas on Saturday a full 6 hours ahead of time? We couldn't either! By, 12:30pm, we had hooked up to our trailer, fueled, and were happily headed north. We made it just shy of the California/Oregon border, and pulled into a rest area to get some sleep.

Sunday was a beautiful day as we made our way through Oregon. The skies were overcast, but seldom did it sprinkle or rain until we crossed into Washington. We stayed at our usual truck stop in Tumwater, WA, getting there just a bit later than we would have liked to. This truck stop seems to be the staging area for the trucks making their way into the ports in Tacoma and Seattle, and there were only a handful of parking spaces left. By the time we had used the facilities, not a spot was open and it was only 4pm.

We have the two drops this morning, no more than a mile apart from each other. It would be nice to get a load out of Fred Meyer again, but we'll see what we get. All they have to do is get us into Spokane tomorrow for a delivery and then we can start our vacation. WHOO HOO!

SITTING IN SALINAS

As we suspected, after using all of our available driving hours on Thursday to get to the Company yard in French Camp, CA, the load was handed off to another driver to take the rest of the way into Washington. But, we didn't realize it, until Craig went to pulp the bananas for temperature, and the trailer was gone from where we had dropped it. Good thing we thought ahead and filled out all the required paperwork when we unhooked from the trailer.

At least we were able to watch the VP debate, which significantly bored us that we were able to get a great night's sleep. So much so, that I awoke at 4:30am and decided to use the laundry facilities at the yard while it was still cool. We have been in 100 plus heat for the past 4 days and we are more than ready to head where it is cooler. After having some fresh hot coffee and our breakfast outside on the picnic tables, and with laundry done, we had the truck completely serviced along with the APU.

By noon, we were headed down the street to the grocery store to pick up a few items we needed and then treating ourselves to lunch at a great little Mexican restaurant which was next door and then grabbing an iced latte at the Starbucks before heading back to the yard. We only had 3 hours of driving time available to use on Friday and wouldn't you know it, they found a way for us to use those up. We were sent a message to bobtail to Fresh Express in Salinas for a load today. Since it was getting late in the afternoon, and knowing how Bay Area traffic can be like on a Friday, we quickly put things away and headed to Salinas.

We are currently sitting in the parking lot of the Pilot truck stop watching the non-stop truck traffic coming and going. We received our dispatch info a short time ago. The load doesn't pick up until 6pm tonight, but we have been lucky with having the loads be ready several hours ahead of time. We will be checking in later this afternoon and hope for the best. This dispatch will take us not only to the Fred Meyer's DC in Puyallup, WA, but also another small company just down the street for Monday morning deliveries. That should set us up nicely for getting into the Company yard in Spokane for our requested vacation time on Wednesday!

IT'S A BLUR

The last couple of days have been a blur of activity. We left Dunnigan, CA Sunday morning, thinking that we would get into the Long Beach area early and park at the receiver's address. We stopped in Santa Nella, CA at the Starbucks and noticed that one of the trailer tires needed to be looked at. This could put a damper on our great plan, but onward we went, with a phone call into road service and the TA truck stop in Buttonwillow as our destination.

Upon arriving there, they tell us it would take at least 2 hours before they can even take a look at it. That didn't set well with us, so we decided to take our chances with the Petro truck stop in Wheeler Ridge. I kid you not, we arrived and left, with a brand new trailer tire in less than 30 minutes! I was more than happy to fire off an email to their corporate offices telling them how great our experience was there.

So we were still on track to park at the receivers until we pull onto the dead end street and see very large signs stating no commerical truck parking allowed. This was a place we had not stayed before, so we weren't too comfortable throwing caution to the wind and taking our chances getting a ticket. So, we headed back to the little street we stayed overnight at in Vernon, which was about 10 miles away. After a good nights sleep, we took off in the morning to drop off the frozen french fries.

When we put in the empty call, we were instructed to drop off our pallets and head to the Company yard in Bloomington. Once at the yard, we had just enough time to use the restroom when we were beeped with our next assignment to pick up a loaded trailer a driver had just dropped in the yard and finish the run into Arizona. We quickly hooked up to the trailer, got the paperwork, and got as far as we could before our driving hours were extinguished, which left us in Tonopah, AZ.

Now this particular load had six, yes (6) drops all in greater Phoenix area at Fry's, they were 2 in Phoenix, 1 in Scottsdale, 2 in Mesa, and 1 in Casa Grande. The first drop was for 7am and the last scheduled for 12pm. Wouldn't you know it, we plotted and planned our route, and we were able to make all appointments ahead of schedule and were finished and celebrating with a Subway sandwich by 12:30pm.

Immediately we were dispatched again! Boy, freight must be moving because we have not had much time to catch our breath lately between runs. We needed to be in San Diego at 9am at the Port to pick up a load of bananas freshly off the banana boat. So, once again, we take off to get as far as our driving hours would take us and we ended up staying in Yuma, AZ last night.

Right now we are sitting at the Port, waiting to hear our truck number called over the CB so that we can get into a dock and get our bananas. We are low on driving hours, and as much as we would love to take this load up to my favorite place, Puyallup, WA, we will not have the hours to do that unless they change the delivery date. Since it has been changed several times before we even got dispatched on it, I doubt that will happen. Most likely, we will be handing this off to someone else to take the rest of the way to Washington.