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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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210110`CA Waiting for work ... spending the night at Marina CA No alarm. BB had leftovers from last night, I decided the In-n-Out burger had sat out too long so I went down for breakfast. Juice, yogurt or pastries. I took the juice and yogurt. We hung around the motel until almost noon. We had talked about walking to the state beach, but then decided we would continue on from there so we drove. No place to park inside the park gate, but there is also a few street parking spots just outside the gate and we got one of those. We had looked online and found a path in the park and wanted to walk that one. On an aerial shot, the path looked flat. Nope, it was up and down the sand dunes on the drifting sand. BB didn't have shoes for that kind of walking and doesn't like it even if she did. So we watched the waves from the parking lot for a while before leaving. That was Marina State Park, about .2 miles from our hotel. Next stop was the Red House Cafe in Pacific Grove. We have eaten here before. Last time there was a line. This time we walked right in, to order. Everything in CA is to-go right now. It is Sunday and we had to order off the brunch menu. BB had some kind of egg bake and I had eggs benedict. Maybe took about 10 minutes to get our food. When we were here last time there was a candy store in a 1800's house across the street. It is gone. I did remember enough of this area to find our way to the beach. We park near the John Denver memorial. These parking lots are dirt and no guard rail. BB though I was going to drive over the edge, and the next two people that parked next to us parked so much further back that other cars were having issues getting behind them. Later when we came back to our car, we were walking on flat ground in front of the car next to us. They could have pulled in a lot further. First we eat our to-go breakfast as we watch the waves. Then we go for a short walk, but it is either on the shoulder of the road or in the sand dunes. Coming back to our car we walk past the John Denver memorial rock. We drive less than a mile and stop again to watch the waves. Here we didn't walk at all other than the few feet to see the waves better. There is a 'high surf warning' in effect, what ever that means. By now we remember that there is a better hiking spot further up the road. Beach Trail is how it is listed or Asilomar State Beach. I didn't realize it at the time, but we were looking at the shore where we were yesterday on the 17 mile drive. We walked here for a while. Not sure how long we were at each place, but we left the motel before 11 AM and didn't get back until after 3 PM and we were never more than 15 miles from our hotel. By now BB is done walking so we head back, but decide to stop at the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary first. Another place we have been. I just looked, we were here last time in Dec 2019. It was the peak butterfly time so we saw some, but we heard that the numbers were way down. Today was past peak and we didn't see any. Then I looked online. https://www.kazu.org/post/winter-without-monarchs-pacific-grove-butterfly-town-usa#stream/0 There haven't been ANY this year. One of the experts has gone to 25 different monarch sites this year and seen 15 monarchs total. When they 1st started counting in 1997, there were 45,000 just at this one. We headed to the motel. And we get to drive down the street between to groups yelling at each other. One side of the street were people with Trump flags and other signs, other the other side were people with the Mexican flag and other signs. BB did a load of laundry and then it was almost sunset. This time we walked to the beach, good thing we did as anyone arriving now was not leaving. BB didn't grab a heavy jacket and got cold even when we were walking. We sat on the beach about a half hour watching the waves and the sunset. Not the beautiful colors I was expecting. And then the sun mostly went behind the clouds before it set. And my camera :( I thought I had taken pictures of BB and I, but sometimes when I click the button, it just focuses and doesn't take a picture. Not sure how to change that, I have missed a lot of pictures because the camera is not consistent. Sometimes it takes a picture when I click, other times it focuses when I click. Not sure the plan for tomorrow yet. We are close enough that we can call from here to see if there is work and still get there before the paperwork is ready. 210111`CA Waiting for work ... spending the night at Livermore CA No alarm, but we have spent too much time in the Pacific Zone. This is what we ate today for breakfast. I had two hard boiled eggs from the hotel, plus BB's bacon from a few days ago, and my left over apple pie from yesterdays breakfast. BB had her hard boiled eggs she brought from MN plus the left over chips from two nights ago. BB did another load of laundry before we got going. There is still a 'high surf' warning so we drove back to the beach to check it out. Pretty much looked the same as last night on the beach. Not nearly as many cars in the parking lot. Then we headed back through town to Burger King to get BB a burger. I ate the last piece of pizza from last night later down the road. When we came back past our hotel after stopping at Burger King, there was a man just standing in the street. He was either looking at something in his hand or something on the ground. People were driving around him. From there, we headed up to the Santa Cruz wharf. A plus for parking on the wharf is that people have to pay to park and there is only one way in and one way out. So less chance of riff-raff breaking into our car. We spent about two hours once we were on the wharf. We walked, we watched the seal lions that live under the wharf, we watched the surfers, then walked to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park and looked at the 'homeless' tents along the way. (Isn't a tent a home?) We both had a very small lunch so we decide to eat on the wharf. BB got a (some kind of) fish sandwich and I got a pulled pork sandwich. When I was full and half done with my sandwich, I had throat issues. But, unlike any time before, it went away on it's own. But now I was for sure done eating ... and an hour later I was still feeling stuffed. By now it is 2 PM and we head the directions of the buses. We had talked about stopping in Gilroy for garlic, but that will be another time. Lots of homeless tent camps even in Santa Cruz. We didn't see them on the route we took into town, but plenty of them on the way out of town. And what is a road trip without getting confused. BB gives me the directions, but a few miles to the Interstate it doesn't feel right. So BB looks it up again. We are heading to San Francisco instead of Livermore. U-turn. We didn't quite get to Livermore before it was time to call dispatch. So speaker phone. No buses ... again. We stop for fuel, we put in $7 but that only got us back to the level we picked in up at. And we likely will drive a few miles tomorrow. Our car. When BB picked up a car she had one request. It must have cruise. And it does, it just doesn't work. Because the radar isn't working. Seems like about 25% of the new unit vehicles we drive, the cruises don't work. We decided to keep the car anyway because we only planned on having it for 250 miles. So far we have driven over 500 miles, without a cruise. Another thing I didn't mention that happened a few days ago, it was getting warm in the car so I was going to put down the window. Then I realized I was right next to a 'bee' semi. We were in stop and go traffic and I could see a few bee's crawling behind the net over the hives. And I am also pretty sure I saw a few flying near the truck. Be aware of your surroundings. The bus company is almost between where we were and our motel. So we drove past, only a few buses. One heading to Denver, one to San Diego. Not enough markings on the other buses to tell where they were going. But there were a half dozen buses going to Virgina that were in the 'almost done' row. Not likely I would get one going that far. We check into our motel a few miles from the buses. The price is back down so we'll be staying in town. Load board US - 276 IA - 151 MN - 1 WI - 8 210112`CA-CA 1 bus to Santa Clarita ... spending the night at Santa Nella CA Breakfast. Last time we were here, we had to point and they would bag it. Today we walked into the same area and picked our own. I had a egg and bacon biscuit and yogurt. No juice, they said they could set the machine up, but I said I'd pass. BB had a bowl of dry cereal. We got a lake checkout and headed 1st to the PO to drop off last weeks paperwork. Then on the way to food, we drive past the buses, still not much. We are in CA so we are still eating In-n-Out Burgers, so far not more than once a day. We park across the street at Home Depot and watch the traffic. Not as interesting as last time. Then we head out to take a walk at the Sycamore Grove Park. We have been here before, but last time we parked at a different entrance. Pay to park. $3. We walk for about an hour on flat ground. We start out on a black top trail but the horse trail running next to it had less traffic so we followed that instead. After a mile plus we crossed over a dry river and headed back. Almost right away there was a sign to beware of the cougars. But we didn't see any. First we saw vultures feeding on something ... as long as they didn't start circling us :) Then we saw four deer right next to the trail were people were walking past. They looked at the people but didn't run. The trail we were on was further away so my picture didn't turn out very well. Once we saw the deer we figured the cougar was not very close. We also some some other birds and squirrels. And dry trees, dry vineyards and dry hills. Somewhere on our walk we remembered what we had forgotten. Our freezer bag we are carrying. So I called the hotel and we headed back when we were done with our walk. Driving back we went past the place I picked up the tree truck. They had a couple lined up to go again. As long as we were back at the motel, we sat there in the parking lot and used their WiFi for a while until it was ready to call dispatch. At first he said nothing for me. Then asked 'unless I want to go to Santa Clarita.' It is a lot shorter than anything I have done for him before. I decided to do it. We should be back in time to pick up again tomorrow night if he has anything. We sit in the parking lot a while longer and then head to Jimmy Johns to get BB something to eat. And then to the bus company to wait to be able to get through the gate. We didn't sit there long and I remembered that I can walk around past the gate. BB will wait with the car until someone lets her in. The seven buses for VA are still there. I see two drivers and say Hi and keep walking. I don't remember where those two buses were going. When I get to my bus there is someone checking out the bus next to mine. So we talk a little bit. More than a little because BB calls and wonders if I am done checking my bus yet. I'm not, so she drives back to where I am parked. This driver started during Covid and seems to run mostly buses, but not just from CA. His 1st trip was to Portland ... Maine. Right now he just got back from Denver and now is heading to Decatur IL. Hmmm. I wonder what the dispatcher has in mind that I didn't get the IL, that is my usual length of run. The dispatcher is done with the paperwork before I am done inspecting. Looks like only five buses are leaving tonight. Dispatcher asked that I call again tomorrow night. I guess we aren't ready to head home yet. Tonight we are in and out by 5:15 local. BB is going to follow in the rental car. It is not quite dark, traffic will be heavy but we have done this route many, many times. About 70 miles to the motel. Once we are checked in at the Quality Inn in Santa Nella, I walk across the street to a food truck and get a Chicken Quesadillas. Good but even that was too much food. No wash, no fuel on this bus. This is the 1st time I have gotten a map of the drop on where to drive in and where to park. And it will be one of the smallest lots I have delivered too. It would be nice if the locations that have 100's of buses would do that. I guess AL is working on an order of 100's of buses for FL. Short run for them, but all below the snow line. We should deliver by noon tomorrow and be back to Livermore before 5 PM. We will likely leave about 6:30 to make that happen. The car BB is now driving still doesn't have a working cruise. Load board US - 278 IA - 143 MN - 2 WI - 6 We've talked about staying either south or west in the winter, now we will have some idea how much it pays. Hopefully it pays more than sitting does. 210113`CA-CA 1 bus to Santa Clarita (delivered) ... spending the night at Santa Nella CA Alarm was set for 6 AM, we were both up before that. Breakfast was from your 'emergency' bag so neither of us went down for breakfast. I have the bus inspected and ready to go at 7 AM. The sun is just turning the sky red. BB will be following in the rental car and stops to fuel at Loves before leaving town. A few miles down the road I realize that my licence plate has fallen down so I do a quick stop to tape it back up. Off and on the road in a minute or so. From there it is a no-stop trip. Four hours to the drop, and we want to be back in time to pick up the next bus at 5 PM. Last night I had looked at the route and written the last three turns down. And I had to looked at the areal photo but had not looked at the street view. Street view. When I can see the building I can also see the CNG pumps along the highway. They look familiar. Then I see that I can not make a left turn into their driveway. Now I am sure I was here ... <> 10 years ago. I can't turn so I head down the street. I get to a cross street but decide not to make a U-turn in the center of the city street with a 40 foot bus. I turn left and then see a sign for 'maintenance entrance' so I turn in there. Opps. It is the employee parking lot. I wind around through the cars. Someone gets out of their car and explains how to get where I need to go. Then asks for a phone number for my work so they can apply. When I start moving again, there is someone ahead standing, waiting for me. To direct me out. They want me to go through the parking lot instead of around the end. To do that I need to back up half way through my turn to get a better angle. They are on one side directing me back. Opps. So I was only watching that side where they were. When I glanced at the other side I was almost up against a car. Instead of moving away from the car, I try to go forward. Slowly, very slowly. They are waving for me to stop, as I am too close to that car. I can still see between the bus and the car. So I keep moving. I make it. I should have given myself more room. I'm guessing I was only a couple of inches from the car. Any bump of the bus could have been enough to make it rub. But I made it. What I should have done was as soon as I came into the lot, I had to go right or left. I should have gone right ... and backed up right there and left. Once I am where I should be back on the road it is easy to follow where I was to go. I just get parked a BB pulls up near me. And then a shop truck pulls up, that was quick I thought. But they were not looking for me, they were looking for BB. 'The speed limit in this lot is 5 MPH !!' So I had to call my contact, no answer. No answer the 2nd time either. I've done this enough to know not to leave a message. I call the operator and get someone else. My contact is gone for the day. The guy does a quick walk around and signs off. I am 3 of 3 buses this time. In March there will be four more. When I mentioned maybe being here 10 years ago, he said they did get that brand of buses 10-12 years ago so I was close. Now I need to look it up :) 11 AM local and we are delivered. We head to Wendy's. We can't agree on anything else that we want to eat in the car. First stop heading back is a few miles down the road at a rest area. When we are stopped BB scans in the paperwork so I can get paid. Within a couple of hours I have gotten paid. paid well. It's only a one day trip but it has paid twice as good per day than any other trip we have done, ever. The next rest area we want to stop at is closed so it is almost three hours before we stop again near Firebaugh. It is now near 3 PM so I call dispatch. -0- Nothing again. Unless we want to take 5 days to get to Denver. I pass for the day and we head back to Santa Nella for the night. Dispatch does have two TRUCKS in Livermore heading down to San Diego. But he doesn't mention it to me. If I / we do take it, it would mean that we pick up Thursday and deliver on Friday. Then we would have been in CA for a week and have another weekend off. Not sure on that one yet. More likely we will end up taking the Denver tomorrow and drive slow. Deliver on Monday and ... That would still give us almost two weeks for something else. I don't think we would head back to CA. Before we get to the hotel, we stop for gas at Loves, again. And BB goes in to buy fruit. And fresh veggies. We check in to the Quality Inn and get the same room as last night. Then we walk around the building five times for exercise. Without a chicken salad sandwich at Anderson's Split Pea Soup, I am not interested. We end up walking back to the same food truck as last night. Load board US - 268 IA - 139 MN - 3 WI - 5 Another day to kill tomorrow until 3 PM when I can call about work. Weekends can be fun. Week days we don't have enough time to do much of anything and don't want to be too far away when we make the call. From IA, 6 to CA, 11 to OR, 11 to WA and still 2 to Reno. 62, or just about half are no-tows. The small RV's. ... the trip continues HERE |
