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...

February 14, 2010

February 14, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Kansas City, Missouri)
I was up around 6:30 AM and for breakfast I had a couple pieces of yesterdays pizza...pretty good!!! I got into the terminal's truckers' lounge about 7:15 AM and found that I would have a load soon. I watched the news on the terminal TV and talked with the couple drivers that were sitting with me. It was about an hour when I got called to the dispatch window. They had a tire load for me with two drops; one drop was in Aurora, Colorado and the last drop was Cheyenne, Wyoming. I topped off my tanks (34 gallons), hooked up the trailer, did a vehicle inspection(and checked the seal on the trailer doors), did paperwork and headed out by 9:10 AM taking I-435 south. Got to I-70 and went west to I-670 which I took west through KC MO until it joined I-70 again in Kansas. Followed I-70 onto the Kansas toll road. Got off the toll road at Topeka, Kansas at around 11 AM an continued west on I-70. Traveled through the hilly part of Kansas. I just kept cruising along until I got to Hays, Kansas at 2:30 PM. I visited Wal-Mart but didn't buy anything and then had a meal across the street. Headed west again at 4 PM and was in the middle of the Kansas flat lands. Eastern Colorado is just as flat as western Kansas. I am one the the few people that don't mind the flatness...Nebraska has more flat land and no on complains about it... I don't think it's the flatness as much as it is what is on the land. I passed into Colorado and was in our fuel stop at Watkins, Colorado at 9:15PM. I decided to sleep here tonight and finish the trip to Aurora, Colorado tomorrow early....
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