Thoughtless
I want to blog a magnificient blog. But for some reason my mind's a complete blank. Well, mostly. Obviously I'm not so blank that I can't type out any words. I am forming complete sentences at least.
I'm tired. I'm cold and a little scared right now. Perhaps that's why I'm all clammed up in the brain...of course admitting this is now allowing words to flow more smoothly from my brain to my fingertips.
I'm scared as shit about driving to Johnstown, NY tomorrow. I'll be going thru Buffalo, Syracuse and those two from what I just obtained from the weather channel website are expecting some nasty weather tomorrow. Freezing rain, snow, winds, etc.
I have just about had enough of winter already. We got snow the night of my stay in the hotel in Morgantown, WV. We woke up to about 3 inches and had to carefully make our way back to Charleston in slushy, slippery conditions. Hell, I-79 was even shut down for a bit due to a pretty nasty accident. Then... I get to my truck Thursday morning to find that I have to head to Parkersburg to pick up a load then off to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Ok, nice run coming out of the house. Except for the snowy blizzardy crap I had to deal with in Ohio (o-hell-o). I picked up my load and made it to the Columbus OC for fuel and my 10 hour break. It was late in the day and I knew the weather was going to turn for the worse. I didn't know how much worse it was going to get. But I sure found out the next morning.
Friday I awoke to 2 to 2.5 inches of snow on my truck. And it was still coming down. But, word on the radio said that I-270 and I-70 were fairly well cared for and were safe to traverse. So I set out for Michigan.
I forgot of course, that my route only had me on I-270 for a few miles before I got off on Rt. 33 north. It was in a little worse shape than the interstate loop. Then I had to take OH-31 north.... which was like driving on ice skates. No one had been out to treat the roads or even attempt to keep them cleared off with plows. Nope, no one cares about heavily traveled state routes in Ohio.
After only a total of 45 miles, the last 15-20 of which I couldn't even distinguish the road from the farm land that surrounded it, I found a truck stop with a free parking spot and I parked it and called my boss to tell them I was going to wait a little bit before I got back on the road.
I needed to take a tinkle, so I decided to get out and go into the truck stop establishment to do so. I stepped out of my truck into about 5 inches of snow, and again it was still coming down en masse.
The sun had started coming up more and I saw two plow/salt trucks pass by the truck stop over the next hour. I finally had the courage to get back to it. Traffic seemed to be traveling at a little higher rate of speed and that made me a little more confident. So I start up the truck, let her warm up and get ready to roll.
After releasing the breaks and putting her in gear, nowhere she went.
I was stuck. (insert four letter rhyming word here)
I went in and inquired with the sales clerk about a shovel. They had just one and it was being used to clear the front lot. Crap. So at her suggestion, I bought two bags of kitty litter to spread under my drive tires. I trudged through the snow to my truck and spread kitty little under the tires and got back in to give it a whirl.
It took about 5 minutes of easing back and forth before I finally caught traction and was rolling forward! Woo Hoo! I was on the road again.
It was slow going until I hit I-75 going towards Detroit. And the rest of the trip was without incident. I made my delivery only two hours late (which was already approved) and I was unloaded and headed to pick up my next load within an hour.
I picked up the load I am now under down in Battle Creek, MI last night and parked at the local truck stop for the night after I was done.
This morning I awoke to frigid temperatures, but mostly clear roads and made good time getting to where I am now, in Erie Pennsylvania. I had wanted to make it to Buffalo tonite, but I was fatigued and having some other physical complications that made me decide to stop while I was ahead.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I have about 6 hours left to go to get to Johnstown. It will probably take all of 8 hours with the expected adverse weather conditions. I hope things go well tomorrow. I'm trying to stay positive, but honestly... I positively HATE winter weather and wish I'd not agreed to take this load. Not that I really had a choice, but I could've tried to beg and plead. haha
Well anyways. I stink and need a shower. I'm going to go enjoy a nice long hot one for what I'm sure will be entirely too much money. Then I'm going to get a good hot meal and come back to the truck and watch a movie. I figure pampering myself tonite will help ease my mind and my nerves about tomorrow.
Plus... I'm worth it! *evil grin*
Oh... by the way... Happy Holidays!
(Gee, look at me. For being without words I sure wrote an excessively long blog, didn't I?)
I'm tired. I'm cold and a little scared right now. Perhaps that's why I'm all clammed up in the brain...of course admitting this is now allowing words to flow more smoothly from my brain to my fingertips.
I'm scared as shit about driving to Johnstown, NY tomorrow. I'll be going thru Buffalo, Syracuse and those two from what I just obtained from the weather channel website are expecting some nasty weather tomorrow. Freezing rain, snow, winds, etc.
I have just about had enough of winter already. We got snow the night of my stay in the hotel in Morgantown, WV. We woke up to about 3 inches and had to carefully make our way back to Charleston in slushy, slippery conditions. Hell, I-79 was even shut down for a bit due to a pretty nasty accident. Then... I get to my truck Thursday morning to find that I have to head to Parkersburg to pick up a load then off to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Ok, nice run coming out of the house. Except for the snowy blizzardy crap I had to deal with in Ohio (o-hell-o). I picked up my load and made it to the Columbus OC for fuel and my 10 hour break. It was late in the day and I knew the weather was going to turn for the worse. I didn't know how much worse it was going to get. But I sure found out the next morning.
Friday I awoke to 2 to 2.5 inches of snow on my truck. And it was still coming down. But, word on the radio said that I-270 and I-70 were fairly well cared for and were safe to traverse. So I set out for Michigan.
I forgot of course, that my route only had me on I-270 for a few miles before I got off on Rt. 33 north. It was in a little worse shape than the interstate loop. Then I had to take OH-31 north.... which was like driving on ice skates. No one had been out to treat the roads or even attempt to keep them cleared off with plows. Nope, no one cares about heavily traveled state routes in Ohio.
After only a total of 45 miles, the last 15-20 of which I couldn't even distinguish the road from the farm land that surrounded it, I found a truck stop with a free parking spot and I parked it and called my boss to tell them I was going to wait a little bit before I got back on the road.
I needed to take a tinkle, so I decided to get out and go into the truck stop establishment to do so. I stepped out of my truck into about 5 inches of snow, and again it was still coming down en masse.
The sun had started coming up more and I saw two plow/salt trucks pass by the truck stop over the next hour. I finally had the courage to get back to it. Traffic seemed to be traveling at a little higher rate of speed and that made me a little more confident. So I start up the truck, let her warm up and get ready to roll.
After releasing the breaks and putting her in gear, nowhere she went.
I was stuck. (insert four letter rhyming word here)
I went in and inquired with the sales clerk about a shovel. They had just one and it was being used to clear the front lot. Crap. So at her suggestion, I bought two bags of kitty litter to spread under my drive tires. I trudged through the snow to my truck and spread kitty little under the tires and got back in to give it a whirl.
It took about 5 minutes of easing back and forth before I finally caught traction and was rolling forward! Woo Hoo! I was on the road again.
It was slow going until I hit I-75 going towards Detroit. And the rest of the trip was without incident. I made my delivery only two hours late (which was already approved) and I was unloaded and headed to pick up my next load within an hour.
I picked up the load I am now under down in Battle Creek, MI last night and parked at the local truck stop for the night after I was done.
This morning I awoke to frigid temperatures, but mostly clear roads and made good time getting to where I am now, in Erie Pennsylvania. I had wanted to make it to Buffalo tonite, but I was fatigued and having some other physical complications that made me decide to stop while I was ahead.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I have about 6 hours left to go to get to Johnstown. It will probably take all of 8 hours with the expected adverse weather conditions. I hope things go well tomorrow. I'm trying to stay positive, but honestly... I positively HATE winter weather and wish I'd not agreed to take this load. Not that I really had a choice, but I could've tried to beg and plead. haha
Well anyways. I stink and need a shower. I'm going to go enjoy a nice long hot one for what I'm sure will be entirely too much money. Then I'm going to get a good hot meal and come back to the truck and watch a movie. I figure pampering myself tonite will help ease my mind and my nerves about tomorrow.
Plus... I'm worth it! *evil grin*
Oh... by the way... Happy Holidays!
(Gee, look at me. For being without words I sure wrote an excessively long blog, didn't I?)
Comments
Congratulations to you GiGi, our hearts are with you out there...hang tough!!!