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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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(NOTES) This page was written from notes, about a month after the trip --- notes are at the end of each day. TRIP SHOULD BE BROKEN INTO EACH TRIP TUL > DAL > SAT > SPR Estimate was that taking the bus from DAL to SAT would cost / one way $12 - cab to S DAL bus $32 - bus $35 - cab to customer $80 So I checked on keeping a rental for the 5 days and found that by renting it at DAL and returning it to DFW it would cost $110 - Alamo $130 - Budget $130 - EZ $180 - Avis Renting the same car / same days from DFW to DFW would cost (plus a larger cab far) $190 - Budget $200 - Dollar $210 - Alamo $260 - Avis Lost my notes, but I remember it would cost $200 more if I rented the car in DAL / DFW, took it to SAT and then home, than it would cost to rent a car in DAL /DFW take it to SAT, return it to DFW … then re-rent the same car and drive it home ??? X214 ?? TX accident ?? from notes ******************************************************************************************************************* WEEKEND I've been doing my best at avoiding any multi-leg trips this year, but there isn't much available right now and this trip looked like it would have minimal down miles. Accepted the run on Friday … dispatch gave me the cities but not the address' of the customers so I did have a rough idea of costs and how long it would take … knew I'd have to keep rolling to get it all done in five days … 3,000+ miles or so. Spent way too many hours this weekend on the computer … trying to get the costs on this trip down. Had driven through San Antonio a year ago and the Motel 6 I saw was $60+, and by the time I get back to Dallas on this trip, it will be the weekend … After checking the cost of the Greyhound and cab rides, I start checking rental cars … I find that if I get a rental car both ways I can avoid the high cost of motels in both towns and I'd have a lot more freedom in timing. Then I got thinking, if I keep the car for the week, I would avoid two cab rides … then I found out (stat's shown above) that I could save $80 by picking up a car at a non-airport location in Dallas and still return it to DFW airport … so I made my reservation, done deal. And I also checked the option of driving all the way home … that would get me up to 4,000 miles driving in less than a week but if the airfares go up I would know my options … lost my detailed notes, but I remember that it would have cost $200 more if I had rented the car in DAL / DFW, took the car to SAT and then home, than it would cost to rent a car in DAL /DFW take it to SAT, return it to DFW … then re-rent the same car and drive it home ??? I have no idea why … sort of like … why would it have cost half as much to fly from El Paso to MSP via Houston than it would be to only fly from HOU to MSP. Had the same thing on a flight that laid over in Denver … my whole flight was half the price of just getting to Denver. Wonder if anyone has a computer program to cover this angle. Then I remember something about this customer that could mean I wasted most of my weekend checking all these details … MONDAY I assume the truck is not going to be fueled so I get in early and get the keys before getting the paperwork … also find out that I have to give a couple of drivers a ride to IA. Sort of knew that, any truck going south on I-35 has a good chance of having to drop drivers in Waterloo. Friday they were talking about a different driver doing the honors, but my truck is fuel paid and his wasn't so I guess it's fair … does add a couple of hours to my already tight schedule. Am already behind by the time we leave the office. Now I can ask dispatch about this customer … 'yes, they (the customer) will pay for cab rides to / from transportation.' 'No they will not allow you the same dollar amount as a credit.' … so all the checking on prices I did this weekend is out the window … wasted. If I subtract out the cost of cab fares … $60 - $90 … the bus is by far the better option. Guess I will chance that I can get a cheap motel … shouldn't be any worse than break even. I had hoped that I could put that $60+ towards the rental car, but no … customer needs the receipts … (think you could find a cab that would give you an extra receipt? … nah) One of these drivers gave me a ride home from IA a couple of weeks ago, the other I haven't seen before … he makes it sound like he's been around a while … lots of road stories. Says he's been driving 'Penski semi tractors' … when I said I didn't know we had that account he says … 'Maybe that's because YOU don't have a class A license.' "Actually I do have a class A" I told him, "but have never driven a Penski tractor." Asked him if he had been doing any of the LAX runs … 'They're money losers, I wouldn't touch one of them … _____ lost $200 on the run he did out there.' Told him I had done four runs and made between $150 and $200 a day on those runs, he had no comment on that, but had another quick come back to something else that made me realize this was going to be a long couple of hours … from then on he just kept talking without much input from either of the other of us. Back to loosing $200 on those runs, too bad we are at the end of them … I would have kept the rumor going, help discourage the other drivers from taking them … more $$$ in my pocket. (Did check with dispatch a couple of weeks later, they couldn't remember anyone saying they had actually LOST money on that run.) One of these drivers is picking up a truck in Waterloo and will drop the third driver off in Grand Island, NE to pick up the truck that finally shut down the PHX trucks … major, major problem. Trucks starting on fire didn't shut 'em down but this did. That third driver has a long day ahead of him, he's going to be out of hours by the time he gets to his truck … 14 hours, all 'on duty, not driving' … if he's logging it legal. Computer routes us south out of Waterloo on state and county roads, have never taken that way but was planning on it today. With a class C truck it shouldn't be a problem … if I get lost. I do … I miss my first turn and stay on US 20 all the way to I-35, same route as I always take. Did wait until the other driver had his truck, he was insistent that he was not going to driver a right hand drive, and that's all we had been taking to PHX for the last four months … but those trucks were on hold, and I knew that there were going to be other PHX trucks sooner or later … sooner I guess, his was a left hand drive. Good thing, I was afraid dispatch would try to get me in the PHX truck if he refused it … not that I mind those trucks, but this is a five day run, that is a two and a half day run … less days, less miles, less $$$. New tanks on these pro-pain trucks so I didn't want to push it, stopped at the Flying J in DSM, in the rain. Stop again in KC at that Flying J, no sense in taking chances … was afraid they might not fuel me. Lighting in the distance, some locations are picky on that … I waited … and waited … just to tell someone I wanted fuel, then had to wait for someone to come out. The guy fueling said there is a guy and a gal that come through here every week … then I find out he's only been working here a month. Most of my trips I wouldn't stop here … stop in DSM and then Emporia, or on I-44 at the MO/OK (Joplin?) border, but tonight I'm not taking any chances. Call Dick (of KC) to see if the computer has routed me the best way … it says US 69 (?) … by looking at a map it looks like US 71 is a better road / better route. Dick has another route, stay on I-35 into KS, then this road, then that road. But when I ask him to repeat it so that I can write it down he decides that maybe it's not the best route (for a novice). I end up taking US 71, have taken it before which is a huge plus in the dark, in the rain … in road construction. The next few hours are a 'hold on with both hands / white knuckle' kind of ride. Am really glad that I didn't take any road that was two lane … this kind of driving really can zap ya. Being off the Interstate changes how one looks for motels … US 71 is four lane but not much for motels at the exits / crossroads. The motel coupon book did show a couple of towns but not knowing the area I had no way of knowing which town was next … exit numbers are great for those of us in unknown area's all the time … but none on this highway. Did pull off once at a town called Nevada but nothing looked cheap … wanted to make it down to I-44 but by going out of route to drop off the other two drivers … and going out of route … I really didn't know how many miles I had to get there. Finally I see signs for Joplin and signs for a motel … Super 8. Had wanted to get 700 miles today, only got 650 and 100+ of those were out of route. Stopped at the Super 8 first, $46 … ouch, at that rate I'll spend way over $200 on motels this trip. I go down the street to the Blue Moon … price is under $40 so I check in. The Blue Moon restaurant is closed already tonight so it's the Denny's at the truck stop across the street. Disadvantages of these ma and pa motels … they are closed by the time I walk back from the restaurant, good thing I wasn't running any later. Monday In early / fuel truck / 2 riders to IA / behind already / (someone lost $200 on a trip to LA?) / stories / missed shortcut from Cedar Rapids / fueled in DSM / called Dick > US 69 vs US 71 > shortest vs 4 lane > Dick not going to LA / Rain in DSM - KC / wanted 700 + miles > got 650 / Nevada Motels > s8 = $46 > Blue / out of hours / Denny's @ TS TUESDAY MO scale is closed as I'm leaving and there isn't a OK scale so I'm good to go … roll on. Coming up on Tulsa I'm looking at a stretch of road straight ahead … abandon road, the freeway now turns … in most places in the country they try to return abandon roads 'to nature.' No here … Then I seen the freeway signs … I-44 right lane, toll way ahead … my directions don't say anything about exiting either the Interstate or the tollway. Should have taken I-44 at least there are more exits. Once past the exit I remember that sometimes these tollways don't have exits for an hour or so … that could really throw me off my schedule. Didn't help that they used the tollway exit number for I-44, I had no idea how close I was to my customer. End up exiting a couple miles down the road and looking at a motel coupon book … my atlas only has state maps, not city maps. The coupon book didn't have the toll road on it, but I did realize that I should have taken the I-44 exit … it costs me $.60 for those two miles, nothing major … it just adds insult to injury. Could tell this little mistake had gotten on my nerves … got a phone car about then and I'm sure I wasn't my diplomatic self. Had looked at the exit number for the customer this morning but seemed to be getting awful close to downtown, most of this customers locations are at the edge of town, in industrial parks … so I have to stop again to look at my directions. I've overshot my exit by 10 miles … AAAAhhhh. And I had just stopped, why hadn't I looked at my directions then? Still a couple of problems with my directions … 'go past the Texico station and take a right.' One, the Texico has long been closed, lucky for me they haven't taken down the sign yet. Two, 'past' which way? There is a road on two sides of this abandon truck stop. I do find the customer, and someone is there … had gotten the OK to do a blind drop and switch. Knew my truck from here to Dallas was going to be used, but we never know how used … good news, the gauge says full of pro-pain but the guy doesn't know if the gauge works … should get me the 100 miles to OKC. This truck is the same make and model is the one I am dropping off … but it's got about 190,000 more miles … and a lot of junk. The knew I was coming, I would think they would clean these things out … we hauled boxes of sales lit into the office and I was cleared to go. I do my paperwork and … the truck dies. I restart it, it idles but then I step on the gas it dies … and I've already signed for it. Light bulb (for once) … fuel shut off !!! I've never seen one on these trucks but maybe … that was it. I found a valve on the tank and turned it all the way the other direction and the truck started and kept running. Truck did run a long time on the fuel in the line, I had started the truck, pulled it around the lot, shut it off, started it twice … and it still had enough fuel to idle. With this used truck I've got both hands on the wheel, but there are a lot of cheap motels … 'cheep sleep' motels that I need to log for my website. First truck did 70 mph … where legal, on I-44 the speed limit is 75 and this truck does … 65 floored, and would rather get there than not get there … faster. Somewhere in the first 100 miles the truck backfires … makes me jump … but after that the truck does 70 mph. Truck is on about ½ when I get to OKC but I'm not going to chance it … only one tank … one old tank, with an old gauge. Fuel in OKC is $2.04 ?? which is a lot less then anywhere else, lines every where. Lines at the RV pumps … some vehicles need to come in from one way, some from the other. Finally some guy try's to organize people so they can get out, then he goes to the semi pumps where the lines aren't any shorter. I only have one option here and I'm fourth. Then third … this gal fuels, washes her windows, then pulls ahead to get propane, and sits in her vehicle doing paperwork … the guy behind her can't get to the diesel pump so we are going nowhere. I do find the guy who is going to fill us, but he has to ID the trucks at the pumps first. Later talking to the gal in the RV I found out she had also talked to the guy who would be pumping the propane … which would be why she was in no hurry to get out of her RV … didn't know the whole story before. Once she is filled the guy behind her thought he'd be able to fill both diesel and propane at the same time … not quite. But then he doesn't back up so it's a stretch to get the hose to reach my truck … the propane guy said he'd have me full by the time the other guy was done getting diesel. Could have … if he could have gotten the hose attached, took him a while … I was getting nervous … they could refuse to fill me. But they finally get me connect and get 25 gallons in … in a 100 tank. So I wasn't really on 'E.' Opps … can't find reverse on this thing … a stick … I go ahead … and again … I'm only inches from the RV when I find the REAL reverse. I've been to this drop a couple of times about two years ago so no need to look at the directions … pacing the parking lot at the FJ was a much better use of my time … I knew where Dallas is, then exit on a bypass, exit again by an airport … no problem. US 67 did look familiar, but it was too close to downtown and there weren't any airport signs … so I drove on, the bypass was just a shortcut anyway, the road I wanted would cross I-35 and I knew the name of that street. Then I passed I-30 … not a problem, I don't think … but then I passed I-20, that just didn't seem right … and I'm running out of time. Traffic in Dallas was worse than I thought it would be for this time of day … construction, fender benders. Usually I'm good about calling ahead even on repeat drops, always a good idea … would have been a really good idea today. Just past I-20 traffic stops, then a couple of squads try to get through … then traffic doesn't move at all. NOW I have time to call the customer, and yes I have gone to far, and I should taken US 67 … or I-20 is a good second choice. All I have to do is get to the next exit … some pickups are taking u-turns onto the service road … aaaah, probebly not a good idea with a truck, someone else's truck. So I wait … takes 30 minutes to get a ¼ of a mile … and in that amount of time, my fuel gauge drops from about ½ to less than ¼. This doesn't look good, we aren't moving and now I'm watching a news chopper circle the freeway about a ½ a mile ahead of me … must be something major. When traffic does start moving again everyone is exiting to the service road … me to, but I'm making a u-turn back onto the freeway. It's 10 more miles back to the customer and in those few miles my fuel gauge drops from ¼ to 'E' … but what are my choices? I drive on … Aaaah, the reason coming in from the south is not the suggested route … there is a median on this street with no way to directly cross to there driverway. But I see a break in traffic so I wait and end up driving a couple of truck lengths the wrong way into oncoming traffic. Made it … but now there is two trucks ahead of me to be checked in … and I'm also up against the clock, for the bus anyway. The guy to check them in is outside, but there are two trucks ahead of me so this may take a couple of seconds so I shut off my truck … the gauge on the tank is the same as the one on the dash … 'E.' The guy wants me to pull forward … I do … was going to shut it off but he says his inspection on used trucks amounts to checking the VIN. I quickly pull my vehicle to the back lot and park in the first open spot and SHUT IT OFF. Made it. Now I call the cab … should have when I pulled in the lot, but don't want to pay for the cab to sit … the one day I do that they will have a cab sitting a block away … the rest of the time they are at least a ½ hour away … as they are today. 2:15 - I had arrived at the customer 2:22 - I called the cab 2:42 - the cab arrives (think the prior bus left at 2:40) 2:55 - arrive at bus depot 3:10 - I'm on the bus 3:20 - bus is rolling Had hoped to be on the earlier bus which would have gotten me into San Antonio at 10:30 instead of midnight. Looks like each one of these buses stops at different towns en-route to SAT. By having the weekend to do my research I was able to find that there was a 'South Dallas' depot. Dispatch gave me the bus info for the downtown Dallas location, the cost of the bus ride would be the same, but my cab ride would cost more and because the bus leaves downtown before it gets to S Dallas, and because of the extra time it would have taken to get to downtown, I would have missed this bus too. "Round trip or one-way?" … there was only a $1 difference so I decide not to chance it, plans have been known to change. Don't think I have eaten yet to day so I walk next door to a Love's with a Carl Jr's and get a chicken sandwich … all their burgers are too big and the kids one tastes … charbroiled. Chicken sandwich was way too big too, ate most of it. Bus was fairly full … just about every bus depot has some kind of security now … just about. This one had a hired cop so I asked if he ever worked the downtown depot … "Every night." I Wanted to find out how safe it would be Friday night walking from the bus depot to the train station about a ½ mile or so. He didn't think it was too bad an area … (so why all the security?) Could hear some of the guys talking and realized they were drivers … but stayed out of their conversations until after we had passed Austin. By then the bus was a lot emptier and one of the 'drivers' had moved away from the aroma of the rest room and closer to me … and then we chatted. He was had left his last truck in Dallas and was switching to another company and would be picking up his new truck somewhere south of San Antonio … he lived in SAT and his wife was going to meet him at the bus depot for the stop … was going to … he was on the phone with her when I got off the bus, his wife was still in line at a fast food place, picking up something for him … and the bus driver had just announced that because we were running late, this would only be a 10 minute stop … so much for his wife's good intentions. This guy had the same outlook on 'co-drivers' as I do … lots of war stories. Getting in to arguments over driving, stopping, sleeping, cleaning … and coffee cups. I know I couldn't handle it … even the drivers I get along with personally I would still rather not run with … guess I'm just a loner when it comes to this line of work. Cab's are lined up at the bus depot, I give the driver the address and the general location … $21 with tip, not as much as I was estimating. Had thought I was picking up this truck at the customer and had noted the directions for them, but the paperwork says I'm picking this truck up at the dealer in the opposite end of town. I know the exit of the dealer and have a motel coupon for the same exit … I'll locate the dealer in the AM. I busy looking for the Super 8 and not paying much attention to anything else. A Motel 6 is just across the freeway if this place is full … I ask the clerk if he has any rooms for $39 … he sort of grins and shakes his head … then I add "With a coupon?" He seems hesitant to give me the room for that price but does … by now it's midnight and I doubt he's going to be renting too many more rooms at any price. I often rate, refer to motel rooms by saying 'The women I know wouldn't stay there twice,' 'or wouldn't stay there even once.' This is a room that would meet the standard of all but the Hyatt / Hilton crowd. Full sized bed, wide enough for three pillows … room enough for two beds this size in the room … it had a microwave, fridge, coffee maker, ironing board and … a safe. Over the bed were lights that dimmed to your preference … and the room was clean and quiet. Tuesday MO scale / missed I 44 @ TUL / road to nowhere / re-routing I-44 / looked at map in motel coupon book > extra toll cost 60 cents > ½ hour > correct change only / lost > look at directions / drop PU / 190,000 on used truck / after idling, driving around lot > truck dies > turn on fuel / does 65 mph / back fires / 70 mph / wait at fj > rv's > top off tank / added 25 gallon > ½ tank > had gone 120 miles > couldn't find reverse > awful close to RV / should have asked directions > US 67 looked familiar but didn't tanke it / cops passing > accident > chopper / call ask directions > 30 minute wait to get ¼ mile / dropped from ¼ to E in 10 miles / bad driveway, drive wrong way in lane or make U-turn / dropped truck on E shut off in lot / line to check in / called cab > missed bus I wanted to be on will get in at midnight instead of 10:30 / 2:15 @ cust / 2:22 call cab / 2:42 cab arrives / 2:55 @ bus $21 / ? 7 people / 3:05 ?2 people / 3:10 on bus / 3:20 rolling *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** WEDNESDAY This motel also has a continental breakfast … but I'm too early to take advantage of it. I can see the Ford, Volvo and Mack dealers from my room, but not the IH dealer … desk clerk doesn't know where the dealer is either … but as I start walking I can see the sign, from my room some trees were blocking it … the dealer is less than two blocks from my motel, lucky guess. So I walked instead of taking a cab … Only takes a few minutes to get my paperwork signed and do my inspection and I'm rolling. Need fuel, I know where a TA and Pilot are but … not how to get there on the Texas freeways. I think I can just stay on the service road, they always run for miles along the Interstate … it does, but takes me a mile or more out of my way where the two interstates come together. I fuel and roll, lucky for me I am right on the north end of town and I'll be going against morning rush hour … no slow downs for me. Think it's going through Austin where they have the lanes stacked … looks like they had built the original freeway in a trench with all the cross streets at ground level … then when they needed more lanes they put the new lanes as a bridge without disturbing anything below … I stay on the down lanes with all the traffic entering and exiting. Haven't looked this one up on the internet but there is a station that advertises it's self as 'Willie's Bio Diesel' … not something I'm going to put in someone else's vehicle. Having more lanes doesn't seem to change drivers bad habits … going through Dallas where the highway is five lanes wide, drivers still wait until the last second … and then cut across all five lanes to exit … Somewhere north of Dallas I get passed by some stacks of trucks, one of the starts to swerve, the driver regains control and then swerves again … these are just temporary hitches holding these trucks together, not sure how much abuse they can take … and to get this job done in five days I am going the speed limit … 70 mph .. and they went sailing past me. Drivers in TX like to make good use of the service roads, traffic backs up a little and the service roads back up as far as the Interstate … OK is working on the freeway right at the TX line, and in addition to the usual construction signs, they have one that says 'service road ends' … that's not true and because of that little mean streak in me, I wouldn't have posted the sign. The service road doesn't really end, it goes under the freeway and back the other direction … I somehow would find it amusing to see all those people who are too much in a rush to stay in the lanes of traffic suddenly heading the other way and to the rear of the line ;) I fuel again in Denton … O-u-c-h … fuel was $.20 more (??) than it was in SAT or will be in OKC … I put in enough to get to Oklahoma City where I hope the prices are still as low as they were yesterday. Prices are still low and the lines are still long … so I cut in line … No line at the RV pumps today … and as always, I'm running legal ;) so don't have to worry about the time stamp on my receipt, I just pay at the pump … saves me maybe a good ½ hour. I push on … speed limit on the OK I-44 is 75 mph, can't get that out of this truck … cruise sets at 70, and it's not worth any extra miles to stand on it all day. This time I am paying attention when I get to Tulsa and stay on I-44 through town … may have saved a couple of minutes going around but someday I'll look at a map. Did want to get back though TUL to log the exit for my Exit 101 and Cheep Sleep web pages … lots of Cheep Sleep. It's been a while since I've taken any new highways where I haven't already logged the exits. These IH trucks are an easy ride for writing a book while you driver … two hands are not required. Easy driver, just wish they'd pay better. This one is fuel paid, but we get very few from this customer, most of these are for our #2 customer and the pay is … not good. The company I'm moving the trucks for this week pay $.45 plus fuel, I have made a little as $.30 after fuel moving the same trucks for the other company … I think $.39 was the best I have done. Have to keep rolling to get this trip done in five days … just my luck, now the East bound MO scale is closed … ;) It is getting to be a long day, only two fuel stops since I started this morning and the last one of those was six hours ago. Have coupons for some Springfield motels, the cheapest one doesn't advertise truck parking so I will check it out first, the second lowest one is only a couple of dollars more. Surprise … the Travelodge and Budget have signs for $18 & $19 … $10 less than my coupons. I go for the Travelodge even though it's a $1 more … "$29 for a signal room" 'What about your sign for $19' "$19 a night is the weekly rate, no one is going to rent you a room for that price for one night." … I looked at the sign a little closer … it did say 'WK.' With as hard as I'm running I didn't think I would have to run this late at night … OK, it's only late because it's a small town … the best food in the area is will be Bob Evens and they are closing in less than 10 minutes. I hate to do this but I go in and order … I do get my food to go, just can't see making them stay open for me. Everyone is very accommodating … 'no problem, no problem' Don't remember what I did order but it came with biscuits and I got some extra butter for them … Wednesday Stacked bridges / roads 5 lanes wide > cutting across all lanes to exit / with lanes plus service road = ½ mile wide / traffic uses service roads if backed up / @ TX OK line sign "service road ends" > I wouldn't have put up sign ;) Willie's Bio Diesel / Truck stack swerving, and again *********************************************************************************** THURSDAY It's still dark when I roll out, stop at a truck stop at the edge of town … will log this as 15 minutes for inspection and fuel … and rolling. Some fog this AM in the low area's, this part of MO has a few hills, up and down. When I get to Saint Louis there are signs for a by-pass to I-55 North … but the traffic is backed up going that way so I chance it and head through downtown in morning rush hour. Now here I've been before, my wife and I came through here on a working trip a few years back (only out of state trip we've taken in our eight years of marriage … that's why I don't want to have too much fun at this job, save some of it for when we can finally travel … together.) Traffic is pretty much NA, going into STL and leaving STL … they also have a section of split freeway, this one looks to be because of the railroad tracks and all the bridge supports. Just as I'm leaving East Saint Louis I come up behind a slow moving car with a large caution sign that read 'Caution, blind man driving.' Once I'm along side I see his business sign 'Venetian Blinds" … advertising … it got my attention. Also noticed the IL southbound scale / exiting … usually they have the scales when you enter the state, and where we usually go on the north end around Chicago they don't have any … oh well, I'm legal … no worries. Just north of the scale was a semi that I wish I would have pulled over and taken a picture of … a Denny Herman tractor and trailer, and the belly of the trailer was almost laying on the ground … I can just imaging calling that one into Dispatch … 'Houston, we have a problem.' I always watch my speed fairly close but usually don't watch my rpm's that close … not real close, usually try to run as close to 50 mph as I can without the truck down shifting which it will do if the rpm's get too low. On this truck I've been pushing it and the cruise actually wanted to set at 69 mph, so that's what I was driving … on the first tankful. But on the second and third tankfuls I could only get 67 mph out of the truck, now this AM I'm getting 69 mph again. Not only that, the rpm's don't look right … no idea … I was cranking more rpm's for less miles per hour? 69 mph = 2,375 67 mph = 2,475 Finding this customer was no problem, I had talked to the customer yesterday and it was going to be a blind swap, but someone was there so I asked them where to park there 'new' truck … they didn't know so they made some phone calls and still didn't know … should have just dropped and ran, would have saved my self some time. After I had swapped out my stuff from one vehicle to the other and was ready to leave when I decided to go and check if I had rolled up the windows or something on the truck I was leaving … windows were up but I had left the door open and left my food in the cab … something just doesn't seem to be clicking today. Then I get a ½ a block down the road and hit the breaks, the hood of my truck goes flying up … had forgotten to latch it … what is going on with me today? Good news, this truck is full of fuel, next stop … motel … If I hadn't asked where to park the truck, I could have made the day with only ½ 'on duty not driving time.' See a 'Triple Crown' train … semi-trailers anchored directly to the rail wheels ??? No flatbeds … seems like it would be over kill to build a semi trailer that strong, strong enough to pull 100 cars, or maybe there is more than meets the eye. Had thought of taking the by-pass around Saint Louis on the way back, would avoid the scale … and from the other direction it was the 'suggested route.' But from this way there was no suggested by-pass and the road I think was the route had signs warning of delays due to road construction … so back through downtown Saint Louis … and across the scale … no worries. When I saw the 'belly dropped' truck a couple of hours ago the driver was on his phone and hadn't even put out his triangles yet, now they had one lane blocked as they were trying to empty his trailer. They had a big boom truck with a cable wrapped around the middle holding it up so they could drive a fork lift from one trailer to another … I've seen a trailer like that before, was in it when the belly fell out … but I had to leave for the west coast before they emptied it so I didn't get to empty it. Oh well, maybe with all this activity all the scale people were in patrol cars at the delay site … no such luck … but this is a scale where they have a lane for empty trucks, and I got the arrow to be in that lane. I see someone standing over by my lane as I approach … and I'm doing the 20 mph or what ever is posted, but this gals starts waving at me. Guess I didn't stop fast enough and she waves me to go and park … O-K … what was that all about? I've even been a good boy this trip and always had a placard in the left window where the scale can see it … drivers have been having problems, getting fined the last couple of months for not having there pacards on the sides of their trucks. One of the guys I dropped in IA this week said … 'don't worry about it, that was the month they train in all the new cops, everything has to be done by the book or they don't' pass. It's a new month, everything will be back to normal.' He seemed to be as much hot air as most drivers, we'll see how close he was on this one … "Let's see your placard and DOT papers" she said. The placard I show her right away but am not sure what else she is looking for … I finally ask if they have a sample of what I'm looking for … they are nice about it, but they seemed to know what they were after. By the time I find the sheet they wanted they already told me "Your placard doesn't match your DOT name." 'Huh' "Your placards say AAT, but your company is licenses as Advanced Auto Transport, do you have anything legal showing d.b.a.? (doing business as)" I look, I don't … by now a guy had taken over my problem and would be writing the ticket … repeated a few times … "This fine is not against you, it's against the company." The fine will cost the boss $100 and he will either have to issue all new placards or re-file with the DOT including 'DBA' on the paperwork. Must be my lucky day … my company has had up to 100 drivers on the road for the last ?? six, seven years ?? crossing scales in every state that has scales and … I get stopped … what are the odds? And how did they know? They had to have seen me coming, someone was outside to meet me … why? I thought about asking them why they flagged me in … but didn't want to remind them of something where they may fine me besides … I said as little as possible. They did have my nerves on end, at one point they asked me for my plate number … I start digging through my paperwork for a Xerox copy I had made, only later to have him remind me … I have my plate clipped to my legal notebook which was in his hand at the time … duh? Just one of those days … not thinking on all cylinders today. I'm free to go, all it has cost me is time … forgot to bill the boss for my lost time … good luck in collecting on that bill. I call dispatch to left them know, just in case they have any other drivers in the area … "No, no" they say, "we're legal." They keep me on the phone … come on, I need to get rolling. What am I or you gaining by me sitting at the scale while you do your research? They've written the ticket … finally … not that long really, and I'm free to go. These people at the scale were on a mission, the other guy that was in most of the time I was, was searching for his current paperwork … he has the 2004, then finds the 2003 paperwork behind it … but they are patient and finally he finds it all shoved in the front pocket of his legal book. The only other driver I remember coming in was from USF Glen Moore … he was told he had ___ days to get his new DOT numbers on his truck. For what ever reason his company had gotten a new DOT number and the old one was about to expire. Not sure why they do that, I can see our old DOT number behind our current one on our placards. Same route back to San Antonio, thought I would make it back as far as Tulsa, but decide against it … could make it look legal in both miles and hours but I'll just get up in the middle of the night instead. Hard going to bed this early though. I make it as far as Joplin and check into the 'Roadside Motel' … last time in this town I stayed at the Motel 6, now I'm on a budget motel kick … cheaper is better. This one checks out ok and has room for non-semi truck parking, seems to be the only non-chain motel in the area. Not sure all the reasons I'm running low on cash, OK tolls and cab rides would be a couple of the reasons. Need to find a cash machine, if I don't find one of mine tonight I will need to use a foreign one. Find my bank in the local phone book, its still banking hours and I try to get them to tell me where their closest ATM is. Who ever I talk to doesn't seem to know the area but I finally realize that one of their bank locations is about two blocks from my motel. So I walk to the bank, too cheap to pay that extra $2 service charge … don't know how these drivers can pay the Comchek charges week after week … $$$. Bank is just closing as I cross the street, if had I called 15 minutes later I would have gotten a recording. The guy at the motel had suggested the Ramada as a place he eats … I asked to look at the menu before they seated me. Good thing I did, didn't see anything that looked that good, and the prices were way over what I will pay tonight. Coming out of the Ramada I see a Salon … not in the mood, then I see a Bob Evans … whatever I had, I ate too much this close before going to sleep, but it was good, has been at everyone I have eaten at. Good food, good people. Thursday Switching trucks and IL scale are only stops / Denny Herman trailer hanging low > on hook getting emptied / would have by passed scale if no road construction on bypass > I-?? / On way in by-pass was backup up so I went through town 2,375 rpm = 69 mph / 2,475 = 67 mph different tankfuls 'blind man driving' / go in low area's / TX scale closed / OK N open / MO closed 3/3 times Calling to find bank, I don't know where I am > they don't know directions > am only 2 blocks from my branch bank > too cheep to pay $2 service charge vs weekly Comcheck charges / ask where to eat > Ramada across the street > menu way too $$ > Salon < not in the mood > See Bob Evans eat too much > too late / In IL see train of 'Triple Crown' semi-trailers / box cars / Some fog in the AM / There is no 'Park' on this truck, takes getting used to ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** FRIDAY … Oh … this is early. 3 - 4 AM? Need to fuel before I roll, plus one more fuel before I drop. Hate to back track, but there is a Flying J about a mile back … fuel is $2.02, pass a Shell a block from my motel, diesel is $2.39 … this wasn't just auto diesel, they had two pumps which could be accessed by semi's, if anyone wanted to pay the price. Opps … forgot to turn in my motel key, have made it a habit of not turning in my key until my truck is running, side effect of that is not remembering to turn in the key before I leave the motel. Minutes wasted … One tricky thing I'm not used to … no park on this truck, put the truck in neutral and put the parking brake on. Am used to doing that with the airbrakes, but this is a manual brake. This is the middle of the night, ok, its early morning when I get to the first toll booth … two lanes open, I pick the one where the guy ahead of me must have been asking directions to Anchorage, AK … I was tempted to backup and go to the other lane, but it can't be much long … now, it can't be much long … they have to be just about done by now … ahhhh. By the time I reach Dallas, rush hour should be over, so that means that 'construction hours' have started. Construction or accidents or just bad drivers, it took longer to get through DFW than I had planned. Even the exit to get to the zoo was backed up for a mile, great learning for those school kids … here is how we waste hours of our lives sitting in traffic … school bus after school bus. Today was a day of breakfast bars … thought I'd be eating my left over biscuits from Bob Evens last night … had remembered to get butter, and a knife. But when I reached into my food back this AM everything was sort of greasy … and then I opened the first butter container … empty, and the second … empty, and the third was almost empty … sealed, or so they looked. But not sealed good enough, all that butter had leaked into my bag … so the biscuits were a waste, don't care for them to start with, but I had figured with enough butter … Did end up throwing the bag away once I got home, never could get all the grease out of it. Did get a chance to listen to the 'Glen Beck' program for a while today … subject today was taxes. Glen asks each of the people working on his show how much they paid in taxes this year. One said he was getting a refund, another had to pay a thousand or so … all the time I'm YELLING at the radio … "How much did you PAY?" … and that was where Glen was going with the show … no one knows how much they paid … only the difference between what they have already paid and what they owe. Which is the exact reason there will never be tax reform … excellent foresight by the politicians. Taxes would stay under control if 1) people had to write a check once a year for their taxes, and 2) if elections were held the same day as tax day ;) Y-ah … this is the south, saw prisoners out in the rock quarry with their stripped suites on, must be AZ where they have the pink suits for the guys to wear. Have seen just one cloverleaf on the Interstate in TX, looks like they are replacing it … When I was heading north through Austin two days ago, I took the old freeway with all the city street exits, so I figured I'd take the 'high road' back, avoid any slow downs … yah, right. Just as I pass the point of no return, I realize that traffic is coming to a rapid halt … accident? Road construction? Nope, seems from this height people have a birds eye view of a soccer game, don't know what else it could have been, once we passed the game … no more traffic jam. TX must not be one of the area's where Greyhound is cutting service, it seems like I'm seeing a bus every ½ hour or so … plus all the other bus lines. Another closed scale house … too bad the one in IL wasn't closed … OK was open a couple of days ago, but no problem … passed the MO scale three times and it was closed every time … think the MO scale the opposite way was open every time. No problem find the customer for this drop, same place as they where when I picked up the other truck a couple of days ago … not sure why the swap … trucks are a year difference and about 50,000 miles difference. By now I have kind of figured out the Texas freeway system, if you need to cross the freeway … you need to go past your street, then make a U-turn across the freeway. As I'm making my U-turn, I have a green arrow and I'm trying to figure out where this service road is going to go … OPPS … my green arrow is gone and I've got three lanes of traffic coming at me. I hit the gas, they hit the brakes … one of these lights where there is a green arrow, but no yellow or red arrows. Right next to my drop is an even cheaper motel than I stayed at a couple of night ago … this one looks like about an $8 motel … Not for me, I do have my standards and this one doesn't pass. Customer does a quick inspection and I'm free to go … again, should have called for a cab as soon as I got to the customer … 30 minute wait … just going to miss the bus again, this will put me in Dallas around midnight … security / safety in downtown Dallas is my only concern tonight, I have no truck to catch, no time table. My cell phone seemed to be OK today, but now that I've called the cab it says its about dead, hoping it has enough power in case the cab calls back … as in they can't find me, the cab is now running late. Cab's here and we roll, not a speedy guy but takes a bunch of back streets and costs me less than the ride a couple of days ago. I get my receipt and 'run' to the depot … my bus should be leaving … NOW. Aaaahhhh there is about a dozen people in line ahead of me and one is having a major problem so she has one clerk tied up. The other person isn't speedy, nor slow … a bus leaves, I have no idea which one, the buses don't line up at doors and they haven't paged any cities … if my bus was on time, it was the bus that just left. Wasn't thinking about cutting it this close when I didn't buy that round trip ticket … I could have been on the bus. And I would have saved a dollar on the round trip … and maybe $2 because it is now 'weekend prices,' not sure how that works when you buy the ticket ahead of time. I finally get my ticket … and that wasn't my bus, they don't seem to be sure where the driver is. I wait by the bus a minute or two and the driver arrives … a couple more people get on. Not sure of the security rules, but the security guard must have to remain by the bus as long as the bus is on the lot … and the security guard is getting tired of waiting. He's motioning to the driver to get rolling but the driver is in no rush today. Finally one more passenger gets on and find out why the delay … the last passenger is an old lady who was supposed to have gotten off the last bus in Austin and does not want to get back on the bus … "Why am I getting back on the bus? I've been on the bus." This lady has no idea where she is or where she is going … and she's traveling alone. But my thanks to the old lady, or I wouldn't be on this bus. When the driver does get on, he yells at someone 'Not to get too comfortable …' in the back of the bus. The last row of seats has three seats together (and then the toilet) … it's the only comfortable place on the bus. Either the person was ignoring him or was already asleep … we had been here a while … but the driver had to walk all the way back to get them to sit up … not sure what the big deal is, people are always sprawling all over the place on the bus and its not like this one was crowded. I made good use of those seats from Buffalo, NY into Canada a year or so ago, driver never said a thing. One options I never did check out was the cost of the bus ride all the way home … It's going to be over 24 hours from the time I got on this bus until I'm home anyhow … maybe I'll remember to check when I get home. This is one slow ride … it's Friday night and the traffic is bumper to bumper. And to add to the weekend traffic problems there seems to be some type of road construction for at least 75 of the 300 miles between San Antonio and Dallas. On this stretch we do pass one shoppers paradise I haven't mentioned before, exit 200 / San Marcos, there are two outlet malls, both Prime and Tanger … not sure how many stores, 200+ I think. First 'South Dallas' … the bus driver stresses this is South Dallas … but still he / we hear someone on the phone saying they are at the Dallas depot and want to be picked up now, so he repeats … "This is NOT the Dallas Depot, this is South Dallas, we will only be hear a minute." HELLO? … is anyone out there? Half the people get off the bus with their luggage … and get back on again … most sounded / looked like they could understand English, but even if they can't … Dallas is a big city, this is a tiny building in the middle of nowhere (by comparison). Finally Dallas, I rode the bus into town about a year ago … it doesn't look quite the same. We pass an old rail station but I'm not sure that is where the trains run from, looks more like a business plaza now. Once at the depot I find a security person to ask directions … the directions don't sound right. I walk out and walk down the street a block and then back to the depot. There is a Greyhound employee looking out the door so I ask for directions again … they don't sound the same, or right, but I go. I had run a set of Mapquest directions before I left home, but they are somewhere in my bag … really should have had them now. Down the street I go, at the opposite corner of the first block, there were some people who looked like they were being hassled by the local's … so I cross the street to avoid them and walk quickly the three blocks to the train station. A block away the train leaves … I find a ticket machine and buy a ticket. There are people in the area but it's a few minutes before I decide to ask someone to confirm which train I should be on … "None of the trains that stop here go near the airport … There should be someone at the (city) bus stop who can help you." The city bus stop is across the street and there is still someone there and they give me a choice of one last bus to the airport, it leaves in an hour … or I can walk another three blocks and catch the train to the airport an hour and eight minutes from now. I wait for the bus … people come and go, I just missed the bus before this … had I known where I was going when I got off the bus and came directly here I should have caught it … oh well. Does really seem to be a safe area, older people, family's with kids, no one seems concerned … could be what I saw by the bus depot was someone hassling someone they knew, others were walking right past them. Finally the bus arrives, I confirm he goes to the airport … I've gotten wrong info before, it happens A lady and her son got on with me, sounds like they had gotten on the wrong bus earlier and it has cost them hours … the kid, about 10 years old, seems to be drifting off … it is almost midnight. What appears to be an older business man decides to pull out his cash, looked like a few thousand dollars from where I was sitting … he got off a couple of blocks after I got on and walked down the street … not me, I carry minimal cash and not all in one place. It's a long ride with very few stops until we get close to the airport … the lady and her kid get off at another bus station and look like they still need to transfer to another bus. Plan was to take the bus to the airport, look at the motels with free shuttles and call one of them. Just before we turn for the airport we pass one the motels I have a coupon for, right next to a Motel 6 for $39. Helps to know where things are … plan was to call from the airport and use a motel shuttle but if the bus goes right by … I ask the driver if I can get off at the freeway exit, he asks where I'm going and says he will go right past the motels on his way back into town … and he ends up dropping me off right at my door, which keeps him on the service road longer than the route says he should be … Thank you sir. Some people are still willing to go out of their way even if its only to save you a few steps. I go to the Super 8 first and ask if they have any rooms for $39 (coupon price) … "No, we don't have any rooms at any price … there's a NASCAR race this weekend" … the one weekend the coupon isn't good for, and I'm here. So I walk to the Motel 6 which is right behind the Super 8 and ask if they have any rooms … "$59 single." It's an electronic sign they have out front, it would be nice if it was accurate. Wasn't planning on paying this much but I am out of options … there aren't anymore buses and am not sure if I can sleep at the airport … I take it, before they sell out … there is now a line behind me. Am down at the desk a few more times before I sleep tonight … can't find a phone number for my airline, desk doesn't have it … I finally call the airport to get the number. ATA … does not allow same day standby … only on flights within two hours of your scheduled flight … no reason to get up early, am not paying extra to re-book my flight … more info to add to my airline list … their standby rules. Then I'm checking on my morning ride … wow, a Motel 6 with a shuttle. And I need FOOD, haven't had any real food today. "Whataburger is two blocks away, and they have the best burgers" … she really bragged them up. It was also the only place at this exit, so not really a choice … hope she is more accurate on the quality of the food … its not two blocks, its more like a ¾ a mile, but it's a nice night and only motels in the area so no bad neighborhoods. A few things haven't gone my way, good thing I wasn't planning on buying a Mega Bucks lottery ticket or I could that add that to my list of things not going right … Mega Bucks was off line … the Whataburger was in connivance store. Had to take a couple of bites right away as I was running low … have now been up about 22 hours … go, go, go. And now I've got another ¾ mile walk back to the motel. Back at the motel I talk to the desk clerk again … she says I should have talked to the guy who checked in behind me, we have the same birthday. She said it would be interesting to see if we lived parallel lives … and then she added "But he was a real country boy." HE was? What about me? Guess the years have put me a long way from the farm … and no cowboy hat … and no … on my boots. It's just that I don't think anyone has ever thought I wasn't a country boy before … but this is TX. Whataburger … very good, very big … way too much. Now to crash. Friday Diesel for $2.02 @ FJ & $2.39 Shell TS within a mile / forgot motel key, had to bring it back / wasted time / toll booth > behind drive with too many ??? / DFW traffic backups / backup 1 mile for zoo / took 'high road thru AUS > cars stopping to watch soccer game / prisoners in striped suites crushing rocks in TX / meeting bus' every ½ hour > cutting service where? / did see one cloverleaf on the interstate > its being replace 1 fuel stop / $8 motel in SAT next to customer / green arrow > oncoming traffic / dyeing phone > waiting on cab / Million dollar Idea 'shut up and drive nurf phone / mega bucks off line ?? / bus > should have bought round trip > saved $2 > saved wkend increase > saved wait in line!! / rd constuction 75 of the 300 miles / old woman on bus > should have gotten off in AUS > won't get back on bus / Outlets @ x200 > both Prime and Tanger > San Marcos CITY BUS > mis-understood directions > ask again > safe to walk ?> train leaving, buy ticket > wait > ask ? go to bus stop / catch last bus out / only one train left also / just missed bus, right train / bus late missed 8:30 / lost miss 9:30 / 10:20 last bus / 10:28 last train four blocks away / get dropped off at m door s8 > can't use coupon > no rooms > NASCAR / m6 / sign says $39 = $59 / m6 > check in > $$ > person behind me had same B-day > should have compared lives / "but he was a country boy" < (thought I was) / clerk says Whataburger is 'two blocks' vs ¾ mile > good walk, but tired / / ATA > no listing in phone book > desk had no listing of > had to call airport Radio > Glen Beck > asks staff 'now much did you pay in taxes?' > each gives the difference of what the had deducted and what they owe … I'm yelling a radio … "HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY" … no one knows, that is why there will be no tax change ?? No regesiaty of m6 > NASCAR / on bus > driver says 'don't get too comfortable' … I had in CANADA / ½ of people on bus get off in S Dallas, even after driver repeated 'This is NOT the dallas' depot / how much was the bus ride all the way home, how long BUTTER SATURDAY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhh! I wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare I will never ever forget. I had asked last night what time the shuttles are, but find out this AM that the shuttle is only by request … one shuttle stops at about six of the motels. It's supposed to be one of these where they know who is going to get on and they are supposed to stay on a schedule. Supposed to, not here … a group gets one, but they are waiting for one more … who is still up in their room getting ready, one of them goes back up to the room and comes back … "soon." I've never been someone who thinks the rest of the world should have to wait for me or anyone else. Where ever this group was going, they had all agreed to ware their yellow company T-shirts so they could spot each other … only one does. One of the group has been to Australia with students and had exchange students from there stay with them. Interesting to me as I've had one kid go down under a coupe of years back and another one going this summer. In addition to this group, there was also a couple of pilots on the shuttle … one had been flying 37 years … And an 'older couple' who was going on a cruise in Europe … a 19 day cruise … the guy had fought in the war over there and wanted to go back. 'Older,' they had been married for 64 years and had gone to school together for all 12 years. They did say at their age they do make sure there is not a lot of walking required before they decide to got on a trip. I get to DFW in plenty of time and am able to get my ticket and past the gate … its going to be a long day, better eat something now … not going to eat at Fridays … Don't care for breakfast at McD's, but it's the cheapest … and I'm cheap. But as I start doing the math on what I want to eat, it ain't so cheap … I go to the 'Bar and Grill' instead … fresh food, same price … no comparison on the quality of the bacon, good stuff. Still not on top of things … left my juice on the counter for a while before I realized it, lucky it was slow this AM, it was still there. This airport is in rough shape … think there was 10 of 40 gates empty on this wing, no airline even assigned to them. That's one of the reasons their wasn't a lot of choices for food … and now I wait. AmericaWest gates are in the same area and they are paging … looking for 'Stand-by passengers,' must be overbooked on a later flight. ATA … has adjustable head-rests, makes the flight a little better. Lots of interesting things people carry on the plane … one guy today carriers a spare cowboy hat … a year ago someone was carrying everything but the kitchen sink … but they do have all the silverware and the cooking utincels. Empty flight … 21 passengers on this one from Dallas to Chicago … from the air I can pick out Lake Lewis north of Dallas … but why are we flying East??? Knowing too much only gives you more to worry about. I've been trying to figure out where we are as soon as we started dropping … Is interesting, out in this rural area the towns were built around the railroad tracks. When they re-built the road, they went around the towns … and now they have built roads around the roads that went around the towns … with the new buildings following where ever they put the new roads. One town about 130 miles from Chicago looked very unique, thought I'd be able to find it on a map (but now its been months since the flights). Amazing how close to Chicago the farmland is … Oh, didn't see much farming … three tractors in five days. Could also see the big pit on I-80 … and the craft area on I-294 … thought I'd be able to pick out where I dropped a truck a couple of weeks back but all the new strip malls look the same, all the houses are same … In Chicago when I get off the plane, I try to find my next gate … I'm at the right gate, but the next flight isn't going home, its going to WDC … so I ask where my gate is … they check. "There is a flight leaving now from gate ##, but they are closing the doors now … you'll never make it. Your flight will leave from this gate after this flight." I'll never make it??? I'm going to try ! ! ! When I get to the gate the door is closed, no one is around except for one clerk who is on the phone … I wait … a couple of more people walk up and wait in behind me. The clerk gets off the phone and re-does my ticket without any questions … the other passengers and I walk on the plane and we are ready to lift off. Almost as soon as we lift off … as we are still climbing, the passengers get up and start walking around … the one steward tries to make everyone sit, standing in their way. I had always thought they could just lock the bathroom doors and the luggage area's … no can do. Sounds like the TSA need to make some new rules. Lifting off, we head out over Lake Michigan … why … why are we this low? We fly over Kaminski Park … former Kaminksk park … it's now US Cellular field … there is an afternoon game today. We are not heading for the Sears Tower are we? Not another 9-11 … I'm spending way too much time on airplanes. Rough ride … almost all the way … less than an hour I think. Do see Milwaukee, am able to pick out the Intestates … Home again, no one had gotten my message so no one is waiting for me at the airport, but its Saturday and the buses are on limited schedule, so I guess I'll just wait for a ride. Saturday Nightmare > waking up Shuttle > (find out only if requested) > waiting for people > all were to wear yellow T-shirts > 1 of 4 does / pilot on shuttle > 37 years / old couple on shuttle married 64 yrs > 12 yrs of school together > heading on a 19 day cruise @ DFW > McD's vs bar and grill > left juice on counter > same price better food > fresh bacon / only airport I've seem with 10 of 40 gates empty / from plane I can pick out Lake Lewis > why are we flying E? / AmWest looking for standby passengers / carry a spare cowboy hat / ATA > the headrests adjust / only 21 on plane / in CGO walk off one plane / walk on other plane > 4 doors down > only reason asked was my gate said WDC so I asked … 'which flight are you on?" "(there is one at) gate 16, but its too late to make it" / door is closed, clerk is on phone / I wait / a couple more walk up, they redo my ticket I walk on / picked wrong side of plane / making the passengers sit > anywhere / guess they can't keep them locked almost no farmwork being done - 3 tractors in five days / Checked - SAT 2 CGO - and rental car home Checked - CGO 2 MSP, checked for a few days US Cellular field > game today / should have checked the time / $$$ of a bus all the way home / rough ride WHERE CAN I GET A MULTI-COMPANY CELL PHONE? 130 miles so of chicago, check map two roads from south / one from the east around town going north … / towns were built around tracks / roads built around town > highways built around towns > roads / is farmland very close to CGO / can see pit on I-80 > craft area on I-294 / fly out over lake MI / Kamisnski park > heading over dwntwn CGO (not another 9/11) |