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

My photo
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...

September 29, 2009

September 29, 1989, 2009

FIRST 5 YEARS: (Friday-Berkshire, Ohio)
Daylight was just filling the sky when I awoke at "All Right Truckstop" in Berkshire, Ohio. Had to drive to Zanesville(Ohio) for my load. Since my rig was empty, I decided to do back roads. Took Hwy 37 through the back roads to I-70 at Buckeye Lake, Ohio. Really enjoyed the scenery. At Buckeye Lake I stopped at my "best fast food burger" restaurants(not mentioning it-they're not paying for an AD and I got not cut in price). Picked up a four burgers to go and headed for Zanesville, Ohio. Got to the bottle company and got loaded. Started west on I-70 and stopped again in Buckeye Lake. This time I topped off my fuel tanks and got another couple burgers and a couple large fries(Love "junk" food-don't think of it as junk, just yummy). Continued west on I-70 to the "Just a Truckstop" on the Ohio/Indiana border. Just went for the buffet and filled me up. The two burgers I got at Buckeye Lake were in my cooler as I enjoy cold burgers. The fries I got were long gone!!! After "topping" my tank, it was off for Muscatine, Iowa. In Indianapolis I left I-70 for I-65 north, then I-465 south to I-74 west. Got to the rest area on I-74 just past exit 58 and bedded down. Sun was still up but I was tired and needed a logbook break...
Tomorrow: Do you want flies with that burger???

SECOND 5 YEARS: ( The Purple Cow)
Memories just keep coming. I remember stopping at one of my "best fast food burger" restaurants while heading for Georgia. While sitting in my tractor eating my four burgers, I was watching the cows graze. There was a "purple" cow in the group. It was a calf that looked like it was partially covered with some kind of purple stuff. Dye, debugger?? I don't know. I remembered the poem I heard in my childhood:

I have never seen a purple cow;
I never hope to see one.
I can tell you one thing though,
I 'd rather see one than be one.
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