Gi-Gi Roxx - The Ravings of a Lunatic

Nice little storm brewing outside right now. It's not uncommon to have winter thunderstorms in West Virginia. Just like it's not entirely uncommon to have 63 degree days either. However, that being said, this winter has been quite uncommon over all. We've had many days where the sun has beamed and the temperatures have risen to well over the "normal" mark. Heck we've had days where its been gloomy and cloudy and still felt the air creep over the 50 degree mark. It's been a weird winter here, that is for sure. And now here we are, under a tornado watch, 60+ degrees, thunderstorms all around and it's the last day of February. Weird winter indeed.

For the first time since leaving company training in Indy 11 days ago, my new boss actually phoned me. Each time that we've spoken prior to today has been when I rang him. Heck, he never even returned my call last week when he said he would. So I was shocked to see a company number suddenly appear on my iPhone's display followed by the sounds of my Dexter ringtone. Upon answering, he identified himself as if I had no idea who would be calling me from the company. He then proceeded to tell me about how he had a truck for me. It was over at a small terminal in Kentucky and it was an Ultra Shift (automatic). I heard him typing on his keyboard and then he kind of paused, then with a sigh he said something along the lines of "well I HAD a truck for you, would you mind if I put you on hold for a minute?" I said "okay" and proceeded to turn the speaker phone on and lay the phone aside while I played on my tablet. A little over 10 minutes later he came back o...

The hubby and I went for a little "stay-cation road trip" this past weekend. The intention was to go take the tour of the historic Moundsville Penitentiary in Moundsville, WV. But, after driving 3 hours to get there, we found that it was closed for the season. Now this was kind of "my bad" since I just looked at the hours they were open on weekends and how much it was going to cost us to take the tour. I neglected the rest of the words on the main page of the website where it said that they were closed from October to April. I was a little pissed and a lot disappointed. I was really looking forward to it. But just across the street was the Grave Creek Mound Museum , which was another place we have wanted to visit, and it was open. So in we went. Of course, to follow the trend of the day the actual Mound site was closed because of the cold weather and possible icy conditions on the stairway to the top of the mound. So all we could do was look around at the st...

Well I'm learning to knit. I figured, with all this downtime waiting for a truck I might as well get a jump start on a new hobby I've been considering trying. So far, I have to say it's a lot harder than it looks but it's easier than I imagined. Now, the first day I was pulling out my hair, staring at the images in the "learn to knit" book I bought at the craft store, cross-eyed with confusion. It was just not making any sense. And just when I thought I was on the right track, finally understanding the words and pictures, I learned that I was way off base and making a royal mess of things. I turned to my tablet to browse YouTube for some instructional videos, of which I found plenty. I choose one and watched, replayed, and scratched my head while I replayed it a few more times. Finally feeling like I was understanding I started to cast on my first row of stitches. Ten stitches later I was like "WOW I'm knitting!" Then, of course, it was tim...

It's just a facelift. I was tired of the orange and green swirly background. I'm not sure I like this one but it's gonna have to do until I find something more suitable. Sorry.

It's really kinda hard to tell right now. Especially since I don't have a truck to drive . I'm seriously starting to think that the Universe is trying to tell me something. I did hear semi good news on my husbands job front yesterday, but it's nothing certain yet. Just a whisper of potential possibilities in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, he's still unemployed but going to school full time. Me, I'm technically employed but not working... I wonder if I could qualify for some sort of "unemployment" for this time? I mean... I'm sitting here ready, willing and able to work but I can't work because my company isn't ready or able to put me to work. Kinda bites. I put a call in to my new boss man. He was busy and instead of holding for an unknown amount of time I just left a message with his associate to have him call me back. So far, nothing. If he doesn't call by the noon hour tomorrow I'm calling again. I mean I love being home...

No no... I'm retro. My hubby and I were out and about today and ended up in a couple of random antique shops in the area. We call them junk shops, since most of the stuff in them isn't anything more than just that. Junk. During today's browsings, much like many of our recent junk shopping adventures, I spotted items that were once in my own household or those of family members when I was growing up. Today I found many more familiar items than usual and it sent me on a trip down memory lane in a big way. There were knick knacks and what-nots and toys and house hold goods that were so familiar to me that I could swear they were taken right out of my memory and placed on the shelves and tables around me. Each new discovery set my brain into a backward motion, remembering so many things. Among today's treasures there was a Hobnail candy dish with a butterfly on top that reminded me of my weekly chore of dusting the living room. Then I spotted an exact copy of the mirrored...

Well the weekend was great. Gimme a truck so I can go work now, please... thanks. I wish it were that easy. I was all excited as I prepared for bed last night, thinking "tomorrow is Monday and I just know the boss will call and instruct me as to where and when to get my truck". However, I woke up this morning remembering what he had told me when we spoke on Friday.... "I work Tuesday through Saturday every week..." So I doubt I will be hearing from him (or any of his colleagues) today. Which is peachy but I'm kinda sad too. I need to work and earn money. My checking account is dwindling. I will get a small check for the week of training I had last week, but I have NO idea when to expect that. I am also anticipating a check from my old company at some point as well. I signed a paper to cash out my Union pension contributions which should come to somewhere around a thousand bucks. Which would be REALLY handy right about now. But I have no idea when that is...

So as I said in the previous post I arrived home yesterday evening. I drove from Indy to Charleston non-stop. I tried to consume very little liquid en route so I didn't have to stop unnecessarily. I just wanted to get home. Of course by the time I got home I was about to bust and upon pulling into the driveway and racing up to the door I realized my keys were somewhere in my luggage and I had to cross my legs while I searched frantically for them. But I digress.... In my previous employment experience with this company I had very little time between the end of my training and the time I was expected to pick up my assigned truck and hit the road. So I just kinda figured on the same thing occurring this time around and prepared myself for it mentally. As soon as I got my car (and my bladder) unloaded I filled the washing machine with my dirty clothes and started shuffling the things I needed on the road into the area I'd designated before I left for Indy as my "trucker ...

Again, it's still Friday but this post references yesterday, the final day of "Experienced Hire Orientation Training". I may have this confused but here's what I remember about the final day of training. We had 3 presentations given by 3 different company personnel on 3 different topics. One was about safety. Another about why the company chooses to be union free. And yet another about driver health and fitness. The first presenter was the Safety guy for the Indy terminal. He was a funny guy with some funny anecdotes about serious issues. He made the statement "I'm the safety guy, I don't have any friends" about 10 times during his presentation. So you know that while he is serious about safety, he does at least have a sense of humor. His talk was both informative and entertaining. Then in came the "why we're not union" guy. He too was serious about his position and also had a sense of humor, albeit not nearly as funny as the fi...

It's Friday, I'm back home and a little annoyed (that's another blog)... And since it's not fresh in my mind, I can't even really tell you what exactly went down on Wednesday. But I can say that more than likely it was a lot of sitting around with our thumbs up our butts waiting for things to happen. The morning was spent on "trip planning", using the company training method which is sure to make your brain slowly start to seep out of your ears as it turns to mush. I'm also sure that just before or right around noon we took a lunch break and then returned to work on more trip planning exercises and/or Qualcomm training. It's kind of a blur at this point. I know a good portion of our time was wasted while we waited for a couple of the other students in the class to "catch up" after having neglected doing the homework assignment from the night before. I'd say that during what turned into a nearly 10 hour day at the terminal in "t...

HOLY CRAP today I would swear I was given a full frontal lobotomy. My brain is MUSH. This morning at seven a.m. sharp we were herded into a closed training classroom for what was supposed to be a three hour course on the new load processing system we will be using (eventually) while out on the road. The system will be replacing the old 1980's mainframe system still currently in use by the company. It's a time consuming, brain muddling mess that as a re-hire is going to be harder to learn than if I were just some Joe Blow straight off the street newbie trucker. Having lived in the old system for three years and three months, this new way of life, when it goes fully live and operational, will be a rough transition. I don't want to get myself into a position where I hate it before I have it. That would be like Jedi mind-tricking myself into hating it before I've given it a chance. After the FOUR and a HALF hour presentation and training session we endured this mornin...

Monday was the first full day of training. We had a 7 am check-in and got things moving along pretty quickly. We had a good bit of classroom time in when another trainer popped in and asked for one of the Independent Contractor, or IC, students for a road test. Our classroom instructor took that as a sign that he too should pick a student and head out for a road test as well. Guess who was first to go? Yep. Yours truly. I got a little bit nervous, primarily because it had been so long since I'd been in a rig, shifted a manual transmission, and driven any kind of combination vehicle. Seriously, I'd not done any of this since I left the company back in Sept. 2010. So I gave the instructor fair warning that I was more than likely a little rusty. When we got out to the bobtail truck I did at least remember how to open the door and climb in correctly. I got in the seat and couldn't find the seat adjustment bar to slide the seat forward. Then I couldn't find where th...

So today, in my book, doesn't even count as a full training day. We took our pre -work screen physical assessment thingy to make sure we were physically capable of performing the basic job functions of being a truck driver. Although, they didn't have us hold a steering wheel in one hand, the gear shifter in the other, while balancing the atlas on our knees OR have us try to keep a coffee cup from overturning in the cup holder as we hit simulated turnpike potholes. Now THAT'S real truck driving. But the physical was just as it had been when I came through SNI training back in 2007. I passed it with flying colors and was pleased with my ability to lift 40 lbs and squat under a metal contraption meant to simulate a trailer. After my two training comrades completed their individual physicals it was time to watch a short, one hour power point presentation about the company's benefit packages. That was about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it was necessary and, ...

Well I've made it to Indianapolis. I had a smooth drive out, despite Mother Nature trying her best to dissuade me from hitting the road. But her little snow squall didn't stop me and within an hour of leaving the house the sun poked out from behind the clouds and kept me company for a majority of my trip. Upon my arrival I checked into the hotel and was quickly disappointed at how far downhill this once 4 Star hotel has gone. The hotel used to be owned by another major chain and when it was under their higher class management, it was a stellar hotel. The rooms were always SPOTLESS and the hotel in general always appeared sparkling. Not so much now. The entryway is about as lackluster as it gets. I remember being greeted with friendly professional faces, now replaced with young trashy looking chicks who were about as friendly as a doorknob and appeared to think their cleavage was more important than courtesy. The foyer used to have a nice table with fancy fake flowers, info...

I swear I have got to spend the rest of my week in the house. I went out and bought things yesterday for my return to trucking and of course I spent a small fortune. Actually most of the money I spent was for household groceries and goods which we desperately needed, but still... I ended up spending a good amount of money on items for my next trucking adventure. I picked up a new 2012 Motor Carriers Atlas... which I needed because the last Atlas I bought was in 2009 and surely there are some new things in it since then. I also picked up some pillows and such for the creature comforts on the road. I picked up a few safety items as well including a safety vest, hard-hat and gloves. I also snagged a steal of a deal on a "tub-o-zip-ties" at HoBo Freight. Zip ties are a truckers best friend, really. I used them a TON when I was out there before. From fixing things to securing things, they came in very handy. Heck, I even managed to temporarily repair a broken bunk window w...

Hell...yeah... I just bought a $10 keyboard at K-Mart. And by golly it works like a charm on my Thrive tablet. Yes, I'm excited.... can you tell? .....so I just started hitting random keys and found that none of the F-Keys are functional. But the Delete, Home, End, Insert, Page up and Down, Tab, and such all work. I can use the ten key pad as well. Plus this cheapo keyboard has a sleep, wake, and power button, but only the power button does anything. It puts the tablet into sleep mode and wakes it back up again. Although I have to actually touch the screen still to unlock it. I am thrilled that this keyboard works. Now I have no doubt that life will be much simpler on the road. I can use my fingers either on-screen or with the keyboard for getting things accomplished. I don't have to lug around that 10 lb. laptop and bag anymore. I can tuck this little bugger in my purse or backpack, but keyboard will only stow easily in the backpack. But that's no big deal. Ri...

I know I have a TON to get accomplished this week. But here I sit. On the couch, taking up space and being a blob. I don't want to do anything. But at the same time I do want to get moving. I know if I continue to procrastinate that I will then end up with a crazy mad dash at the end of the week, trying to get it all done at the last minute. Of course if that happens then I'll complain the entire time about it and keep asking myself why I didn't get it all done when I had plenty of time. I just need to find the motivation to really get started. Maybe a good power packed lunch will help. Or maybe just some pizza.... maybe a nap..... haha I loafed all day yesterday, I allowed myself the whole of Sunday to get my slovenliness out of the way. Apparently it lingers. I will get a few things out of the way today. I'm still working on getting laundry and such together. I put together a huge pile of clothes yesterday and I have my truck bedding half washed. I need to th...

I finished watching a few of the TV series' I'd been enjoying on Netflix over the last couple of weeks. I was irked to find that one of them was removed before I had the chance to finish it. But I'll manage. In my search to find something else to watch I found myself drawn to two vastly different shows, unable to really make a solid decision about which one to start first. So I watched the first episode of each shows first season and made my choice from there. Reno 911! can wait. This girls' gonna finally watch the X-Files. I know I know, it started wayyy back in 1993. But I NEVER watched a single episode of it while it was on TV or popular. I'm sure it wasn't for lack of interest in seeing it. I was always curious about it. But if memory serves, it was in conflict with something else I was more interested in watching at the time. I don't remember exactly what that was, but I believe that's what kept me from watching it when it was all the r...

Today I met my sister and niece at the local mall for a few hours of super fabulous girlie fun. We shopped our little hearts out and our feet off, as mine are properly propped up right now resting. We also snacked while we shopped, having cookies and ice cream. Yum yum! We really had a blast. The funniest moments were in the super huge shoe store that recently opened in the mall. My sister's penchant for high heeled peep-toes ("ooh look at these, oooh these are awesome, I gotta have these!") and my nieces antics while trying on "grown up shoes" (the knee high boots in the picture below were a riot) kept us all laughing. My niece got herself a new stuffed friend at the Build-a-Bear place, she and I snagged some candy at the bulk candy store and we all got some smelly goods at the Bath & Body Shop. My brother-in-law and nephew were over at the Civic Center catching a monster truck jam while we were having our little girls day. When they were done we met ...

Just checking my blogging capabilities via my new tablet. Yep. New Toy! Toshiba Thrive 10.1 16GB tablet. So far, AWESOME, but I think I will need a keyboard. :