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...

May 16, 2010

May 16, 1990, 2010

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Wednesday-Carlsbad, New Mexico)
Woke up between 5:30 and 6 AM MST and just laid there. The Wal-Mart store I was next to wasn't open when I was ready to leave at 6:30 AM MST so I headed west on Hwy 180 without visiting the store. Traveled passed Whites City, new Mexico-home of the famous Carlsbad Caverns- and over the Guadalupe Mountains after I entered Texas. I stopped for a couple minutes at the rest area on the downgrade for the mountains where I could see the desert in front of me and EL CAPITAN-a famous peak-behind me; simply a beautiful site.

Traveled through the desert to El Paso, Texas, getting there at 10 AM MST. I stopped at our terminal in El Paso and got fuel(122 gallons) and sat in the trucker lounge for awhile and talked to the other drivers.

I found another driver going to Mesa, Arizona(I was only going to Tucson) that said he would run with me. He knew where my first drop was in Tucson and that there was a steak house across the street from it. We talked which made the time go faster and we didn't pay attention to the surroundings we were passing. We passed into Arizona where we had to stop at the state weight station. We both did OK. We got to Tucson at 4:30 PM MST and he took me to my first stop. We parked on a side street across from the steak house and tire store. We went and ate and returned to our trucks. He continued on and I checked in with the tire store. They said I would have to wait to unload until tomorrow but that I could sleep on their property.

After they closed for the night, I backed up to the door they said I needed to be at. It was a nice night and not hot so I opened my bunk side doors and did some writing and paperwork. While I was working while sitting on my bunk, a gal knocked on my tractor and asked if I dated. I told her yes and she asked if I would go to a party with her. I declined as I didn't know her or what type a party it was. There was alot of activity at the apartment complex next to me and I was sure it wasn't all legal. It kept going until at least midnight.

As the night grew darker, I turned on my engine-for air conditioning- and TV and laid there until I went to sleep...
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)

What's in my blog...???

Blog Archive