A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

Boy, did we get a Christmas surprise. Here we were, sipping on our Starbucks, driving down Interstate 5, when the beep of the QualComm interrupts our listening to Christmas tunes, and you know how much I love listening to them and Craig doesn't. Anyhoo, I reach down and read our message......."Drop trailer in French Camp, pick up empty and head to Fresh Express in Salinas". Hmmmmm, okay, guess we won't have a leisurely drive into Puyallup with our bananas after all, and come to think of, there goes our Christmas Eve dinner we were planning on at Bill & Kathy's.

Shortly there after, the beep with the dispatch details comes across. "Pick up loaded trailer at Fresh Express and deliver to Billings, Montana". Yes folks, you read that correctly. I guess if you squint Montana is considered the west coast, and here I thought I had seen the last of Billings and the State of Monanta when we left the boat fleet. Just goes to show you that you never can tell where you might be sent. We are thinking the possibility of Wisconsin and/or Chicago might be next!

So into the Company yard in French Camp we go with two things in mind.....fuel up and beg, plead, and possibly cry to have them give us real chains instead of the cables Craig had to use last week. Especially since two of the cables busted and with a lot more area to cover which will most likely require chain control, we wanted the "real deal" instead of cables.

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Fueling goes nicely, and we find the trailer we need to pick up. Alas, there is a bad mud flap on the trailer that needs to be replaced. Craig heads to the shop to find someone to replace the mud flap and finds out that the only guy that can give us chains or cables is out of the yard picking up parts. This is getting more complicated by the moment. It's now late afternoon on Christmas Eve, and we still need to get a trailer wash out since the one in Salinas won't be open by the time we get there.

So, mud flap replaced, we head to a near by truck wash to get the trailer washed out. We had to interrupt their Christmas party of pizza, but we found someone who was willing to burn off a few more calories for some more pizza to wash out the trailer. Okay, two of the three items done, now drive back to the yard to see if "the guy" is back for the chains/cables. We pull into the yard and see his little white pickup. Yeah!

Craig goes inside, and comes out with cables, bungees, baling wire, and line ties for our trek through the mountains and snow. It was determined that the chains would add too much weight to the truck, so cables it will be. Now to get back on the road and get to at least Santa Nella, CA where we can take a mandatory break before heading to Salinas to pick up our load. Luckily, the roads were light with traffic and we made it to Santa Nella just in time to grab a bite to eat before getting some sleep for a 12 am take off.

Yes, we will be driving at night again, yes, we will no doubt be encountering snow and chain laws, and yes, we did get our Christmas Eve dinner, albeit, at a truck stop and not the nice little restaurant we were hoping for, but we are together, and you know what? That's what really matters. Merry Christmas everyone and may you have a blessed day with the ones you love.