Enjoying North America while earning a living...

I kept a day by day journal the first 5 years I was enjoying North America. While earning a living,I kept track of where I went, often what I did, feelings I had and various other details. I am writing this blog day by day as I lived it. The month/day I lived it is the same as the month/day I write about it. The years are obviously different...thus the days title: ie: August 30, 1989, 2009.

About Me

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Starting as a preschooler, I remember my Grandfather bringing me rocks from his trips he took after he retired. Each rock had a story to tell. In the sixth grade, I watched a freeway be built and then wondered where all the trucks would go. I remember in high school looking at the mountains and wanting to travel. I did many jobs BEFORE trucking but I always wondered what driving would by like. I really wanted to see things and drive a big truck. So after almost finishing nursing school, a divorce and three cute little kids, I became a truck driver. While earning a living, I found myself enjoying North America and seeing the land and people. NO ONE ENJOYED TRAVELING MORE THAN ME. There are two things I have enjoyed in this life and they are traveling and writing. I use to call myself "Protourist" but my Mother-in-law and Wife would become upset with me as they know I really love THE "travel" and not THE stopping to see things. I now call myself "protraveller"(I like it with a double "L") and my Mother-in-law and Wife are now happy!!! I love to write and this blog gives me the opportunity to share my past and thoughts with the public.

About this blog's layout...BLOG UPDATED ONCE PER DAY...

I follow my journal daily by writing under the daily title, "FIRST 5 YEARS:" The first five years will strictly follow my 5 year journal. If I find the day I am writing about to be boring, I will either write about thoughts I remember(placed under the title of "SECOND 5 YEARS"), write a trucker tale(placed under "A Trucker's Tale"), give a helpful trucker hint, ask a "student driver" question or do something.....When a location appears after the day of the week after "FIRST 5 YEARS:", it is where I am at the start of that day((IE: FIRST 5 YEARS: (Sunday-Kansas City, Missouri))..... I would encourage those that find themselves enjoying North America to follow me day by day.....REMEMBER: THIS IS A BLOG ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR A TRUCKER THAT DOES NOT HAVE A DAILY ROUTINE ROUTE(called a "dedicated" route). THERE WILL BE MANY TIMES WHEN THE ROUTING, SCENERY AND DAY'S ACTIVITIES WILL BE SIMILAR(boring???) TO PREVIOUS DAYS; THAT'S TRUCKING! THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN THE ROUTING, SCENERY AND DAY'S ACTIVITIES WILL BE TOTALLY NEW; THAT'S TRUCKING. Frustrations? I mention the frustrations I had as a driver. I loved my job while earning a living and realized that all jobs have frustrations; truck driving is, and was, no different..... Many pictures on this blog can be left-clicked and made larger.....Questions?...Please E-mail PT at fabalt2000@centurylink.net


Blog Dictionaries...

The Trucking Dictionary...words in this dictionary will many times appear highlighted. If a word isn't highlighted or in the blog dictionary and sounds "different", check it out in this dictionary. Please note: Many times when clicking on these dictionaries anywhere in the blog, the first thing that comes up is an advertisement which I have no control over.
The Blog Dictionary...This dictionary contains words I use that aren't "trucker" words and thus not in the "trucking dictionary". I separate them--the dictionaries--in case someone wants to copy the trucking dictionary for personal use. This dictionary also contains names of people(not real names) that I dealt with many times through my trucking career. Blog word found in this dictionary often will be licked to it.
DAILY UPDATES SHOULD BE UP BY NOON CST...

August 29, 2009

August 29, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (TUESDAY-traveling)

The day starts as I am passing though Hardy, Arkasas, an old west style town well worth your time to visit if you get the chance. So far, the roads through these parts of the Ozark Mountains-north of Hardy-are fairly level. South of Hardy to Hoxie, Arkansas, the roads are especially hilly. After Jonesboro(Arkansas), the roads are pretty level again, with farm land on both sides. Just before Hwy 63-that I am on-gets to Interstate Hwy 55, I pass another interesting town called Marked Tree. I shoot down Interstate 55 to West Memphis, Arkansas and go over the Mississippi River. I don’t understand why, but I squeeze several times when going over the Mississippi at Memphis only.

I find my delivery warehouse here in Memphis (Tennessee) and find other trucks waiting to get unloaded also: Several from the company I work for. I got there about 1:50 AM and the warehouse opened at 2AM. I was happy as I was unloaded by 3:30AM. I got my paperwork and headed for our company yard in Memphis. Got to our yard, dropped trailer, parked my tractor in the tractor row, turned my TV on and went to sleep. Woke up at 10AM.

I went into the terminal and talked with dispatch. I am to be at our company’s Kansas City terminal Thursday and Friday for a drivers’ seminar, so I was given a load back to Kansas City. The problem is that it doesn’t get to our yard until tomorrow so I went and got myself a motel room for the night.

A Truck's Tale:(My roach fight...The motel was a good one.) While I was resting on the bed watching TV, a huge roach walked by the foot of the bed. I interrupted it and I thought I heard it ask me what was I doing in it’s room. I got up, grabbed a couple nose tissues and went for it. It took a defensive stance and the battle was on. I was able to work it into the bathroom. I then was able to grab it and flip it into the toilet. I rapidly flushed it down as it was big enough to get out if I took too long. Had to rest after the confrontation.

Before going to sleep, I walked over to the ELVIS PRESLEY Visitors’ Center to look at the two jets sitting in the yard. Looked at the jets awhile and return the the motel room. Went to bed.

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