The High Road of Adventure

[18WheelsOfSteel]

There has been a few times I've seen a Big Truck go by...( there is a Cowan drop yard two minutes away from me) and I keep thinking.."oh boy...how I miss being a "steering wheel holder"....then I come to my senses!!

I hope you aren't out west ( DFW area) or in the area where all the terrible weather has been!

Jim

One of these days the DOT is going to do an inspection, order a psychological evaluation and realize that I'm crazy as a ****house rat, but until then I just try to ignore how foolish this job is and try to enjoy the parts of it I do still like. Mostly been doing Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and the Dakotas of late, had a small cold and snow spell, but by and large it hasn't been too bad, though sooner rather than later I need to get my butt back down south before I freeze to the road up here and up up stuck until ice out

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

Here's a gem, pictures aren't enough to explain how big this joint is, but here are a couple from across the street, the largest truck stop in the world, the Iowa 80/TA Walcott in Walcott Iowa, look it up on the website, this place is about the same thing as a trip to Jerusalem for religious folks, but it's for truckers instead, barbers, movie theater, doctors, dentists, history of trucking museum, 3 or 4 restaurants, chrome shop, truck wash, every odd bit of trucking gear you can imagine and gift shops galore.

http://imgur.com/gallery/9TW5KXr

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Here's a gem, pictures aren't enough to explain how big this joint is, but here are a couple from across the street, the largest truck stop in the world, the Iowa 80/TA Walcott in Walcott Iowa, look it up on the website, this place is about the same thing as a trip to Jerusalem for religious folks, but it's for truckers instead, barbers, movie theater, doctors, dentists, history of trucking museum, 3 or 4 restaurants, chrome shop, truck wash, every odd bit of trucking gear you can imagine and gift shops galore.

http://imgur.com/gallery/9TW5KXr

Always wanted to visit that place but never got the opportunity My only "real" OTR job was after I sold my Rig and worked as a "company driver" for...ummmm (gulp) JBH way before they (and other companies) went from COE to conventionals. Me living here in New England ( my terminal was in East Brunswick NJ) they kept me out west/Midwest ( no freight going up your way driver! ) PMRO! I lasted a little over a year with them..got one day off for every WEEK I was out,so I stayed out seven or eight weeks..sucked big time when I had a brand new truck then had to turn it in to go home!
How about more Budgieness????


Jim

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

:17:Lol, I haven't seen my house since May man, I know how it feels trust me...this trip feels more like a deployment than a job, JBH is as good as the next OTR gig, they all suck in a lot of ways, home time is always missed, that's just how it goes unfortunately. One thing I am not ok with is hot seating...no thanks. Working on freeing up some memory for more pics/videos, got one of Beau this morning, but it's been a busy, exhausting week, I'll have a more thorough update this weekend at some point...been staying up late soaking up the World Series...last bitof baseball to tide me over until Spring Training...:17:

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

:17:Lol, I haven't seen my house since May man, I know how it feels trust me...this trip feels more like a deployment than a job, JBH is as good as the next OTR gig, they all suck in a lot of ways, home time is always missed, that's just how it goes unfortunately. One thing I am not ok with is hot seating...no thanks. Working on freeing up some memory for more pics/videos, got one of Beau this morning, but it's been a busy, exhausting week, I'll have a more thorough update this weekend at some point...been staying up late soaking up the World Series...last bitof baseball to tide me over until Spring Training...:17:

The Yankme's or BoSox aren't in it this year so I don't even bother to watch
During the shpeel with JB I was just recently divorced and my son was just three years old and I hated being away for so long. On one of my at-home times he called me "Gramma" It was time to get home more often so I quit!
So you're gonna get your re-start at some truck stop this weekend?

One time JB couldn't get me home for Thanksgiving and I spent a LONG weekend at a Petro in Nashville TN..never been to Nashville. A couple other stuck drivers and I walked to a restaurant ( a spaghetti joint) owned by some famous C/W female star ( maybe Tanya Tucker or Reba Macentyre or maybe it was Dolly...I forget lol) had a great time :18:


Jim

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

:17:Lol, I haven't seen my house since May man, I know how it feels trust me...this trip feels more like a deployment than a job, JBH is as good as the next OTR gig, they all suck in a lot of ways, home time is always missed, that's just how it goes unfortunately. One thing I am not ok with is hot seating...no thanks. Working on freeing up some memory for more pics/videos, got one of Beau this morning, but it's been a busy, exhausting week, I'll have a more thorough update this weekend at some point...been staying up late soaking up the World Series...last bitof baseball to tide me over until Spring Training...:17:

The Yankme's or BoSox aren't in it this year so I don't even bother to watch
During the shpeel with JB I was just recently divorced and my son was just three years old and I hated being away for so long. On one of my at-home times he called me "Gramma" It was time to get home more often so I quit!
So you're gonna get your re-start at some truck stop this weekend?

One time JB couldn't get me home for Thanksgiving and I spent a LONG weekend at a Petro in Nashville TN..never been to Nashville. A couple other stuck drivers and I walked to a restaurant ( a spaghetti joint) owned by some famous C/W female star ( maybe Tanya Tucker or Reba Macentyre or maybe it was Dolly...I forget lol) had a great time :18:


Jim

Very likely so, I think Beau and I might try to have a little jam session, he likes to sing along and watch me pretend to be Paul Simon, or Marty Robbins, but he is at least not judgemental and is an attentive audience, just disassembled a plastic toy that was a series of hollow plastic balls out and put them into the cage for Belle, she likes to toss things out of her play stand, maybe we can start working on some training to play basketball this weekend.

I remember a rather fond weekend in Nashville parked at the TA there, was just a quick walk over the bridge to the heart of the Country Music grind and boy did my codriver/roommate and I have a blast, at least the parts I remember were fun anyway. Got to see a bunch of smaller country acts performing in bars up and down the street, and as it was a Friday night all the ladies obligingly made sure that we were never short of a cute gals anywhere you looked, really I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve such a fun weekend, but unloading those liberty gun safes on Monday in Bama sure felt an awful lot like paying for it hahaha.

I will try to get a sensible progression of where all this weeks travels have taken me from where I left off last weekend tomorrow or Sunday

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

Where did we leave off? 2200 miles this week, we started 20 miles north of KC, then off to Russelville, then to Johnson Creek WI, Plano IL, and Valley NE, finishing with a 550 mile drive back to Russellville, for those considering this a grand adventure, my 3 day average of fuel cost was around $507.00, 2-3 times a week.

I have a few videos of the babies I'll post separately

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

Here's one from the other morning while waiting for the tire to be changed, a matter of five hours or so.

http://imgur.com/gallery/2LbGyn8

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

They don't have a care in the world! I love how the "green one" (forgot his/her name) gets a bite to eat then looks over the food bowl at you.
Nice set-up for them also. the condo rig is perfect,where they have their own area and you have storage room also.


Jim

 

[JuicyNip]

Enjoying this thread very much. Thanks for sharing with us. Looking forward to more videos of your sweeties.

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

They don't have a care in the world! I love how the "green one" (forgot his/her name) gets a bite to eat then looks over the food bowl at you.
Nice set-up for them also. the condo rig is perfect,where they have their own area and you have storage room also.


Jim

I keep them in my parrots list, but Beau Dandy is his name, and she is Southern Belle, they are finally getting to understand that dad has to get into those storage totes every day, and are occasionally curious what I dig out of them, but most often they just ignore it anymore. He is always wanting attention, just not physical contact, and they have both learned to use the top of that dish as a dinner plate, it's fun watching them gently grabbing crumbs off of it accompanied by the soft Morse code style tapping.

Just finished cleaning out the cage, got half of my laundry washed when some woman came in with enough laundry and quarters to tie up the machines all day, so bedding will have to wait. Got a ribeye pork roast in the crock pot, accompanied by 4 Idaho yellow taters and the rest of my asparagus to go in closer to the finish time, it's smelling delicious, should be a bit on the spicy side, can't wait! The babies have been out since around noon, they have had probably every bit of 8 hours out over the last couple of days, I wish I could trust them not to get themselves into any mischief while I was driving, but I'm paranoid they will get into a place where they can't get out of without help and hurt themselves in the attempt, so they have to spend the driving time in the cage for their safety...maybe some day after they are a bit older we can sort out something different

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Guess I'd be paranoid with the little ones also. There wasn't much room for Amy to get into trouble in my cab-over,but he preferred to be up front and personal with me,either on my shoulder or a BIG T-perch I had bungied to the jump seat ( wish I could find the photo's,you'd lol seeing him looking out the window as I threw chains and binders over the beams




Jim

 

[Tami2]

Here's one from the other morning while waiting for the tire to be changed, a matter of five hours or so.

http://imgur.com/gallery/2LbGyn8

Oh my goodness ..... love this! :heart:
So peaceful, I could watch them for hours.

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

Here's one from the other morning while waiting for the tire to be changed, a matter of five hours or so.

http://imgur.com/gallery/2LbGyn8

Oh my goodness ..... love this! :heart:
So peaceful, I could watch them for hours.

Oh I do, they are a constant source of entertainment whenever I get bored

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

Couldn't help myself, waiting to deliver here in Kansas City, park the truck and turn around and catch these two catching a quick snooze, this will be used as future blackmail during times they pretend not to get along in unrepentant fashion!

http://imgur.com/gallery/FuEsZgX

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

Sorry I have been so scarce this week, been fighting a sleep preventing sore throat/cold or flu type thing, and been spending what little free energy I have left on the World Series, the birds, and trying to keep Beau from admonishing me too badly for not having our music sessions, I'll have a more full update this weekend assuming this cold thing doesn't up and kill me first, intolerable things illness, make you unable to keep up energy and motivation levels, ought to be illegal!

 

[Tami2]

You don't ever have to apologize. Take care of yourself and get well.

Write when you are up for it or have time. This isn't a chore.

 

[18WheelsOfSteel]

Somebirdy was happy to greet the sunrise this morning! Might be a bit tricky to hear him over the rumble of the engine, didn't realize that until after I uploaded lol.

http://imgur.com/gallery/pnt5zcH

 

[Laurasea]

Hope you feel better soon ! I'm hearing coughing and sneezing everywhere!! The plague!!!!!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

He could also be singing along to the melodic rumble of the Big Cam!
Ahhh yes...Budgie sounds and the smell of diesel smoke in the morning..what could be sweeter???




Jim