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 13, 2011

May 13, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Monday-Elk Run Heights, Iowa)
I was up early amd didn't have a set time for delivery. After I got up and ate some munchies from the convienent store/truckstop I was parked behind, I made my check call . My dispatcher didn't have any directions to the receiver in Waterloo(Iowa) but did have a phone number. He hooked me up to the number he had and I was soon talking with the customer. I asked for directiions and he informed me that, due to alot a street construction, he would have to give me alot of detours. It wasn't long before I asked if he could just send someone for me to follow; he said that that would be the best thing to do. He had someone for me to follow about 20 minutes after I got off the phone. I followed the fellow and his pickup truck to the delivery point...Left turns after right hand turns before getting there. I backed up to the warehouse dock and let them unload me. The unloading took awhile. To the right of where I was parked was a roadtrack with a low(I couldn't fit under it) bridge over the road in front of the warehouse. On the otherside of the tracks was a High School. I got unloaded and ready to leave just as the High School kids started "cruising" the school. I watch them for awhile and saw many of them several times. Finally I needed to get going and pulled a left into the crowd cruising when it was safe. I high school gal and her friend had to slow down for me and they weren't to happy about it as they both gave me the one finger wave. I got back to the Elk Run Heights truckstop...I called dispatch and was told to deadhead to the terminal in Kansas City. I left for Kansas City at 1:30 PM CST and headed west on Hwy 20 to Hwy 14 south. Got to Hwy 30 west and took it to Hwy 330 southwest. Got to I-80 and went west to I-35 which I took south. Thought about stopping at our truckstop in Urbandale(Iowa) but pushed on. Crossed into Missouri and then down to Kansas City and stopped at our terminal. Time was getting to be 7 PM CST and no loads for me tonight. I just went to my truck, watched TV and went to sleep...
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May 12, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Sunday-Kingdom City, Missouri)
--Details lost(entry erased) due to a problem blogger.com was having--
Woke up and left truckstop at 2:20 AM CST and headed to Mexico, Missouri where I got on Hwy 15. I had decided to take back roads as I had time and I wanted to see the "off roads" for most truckers. I took Hwy 15 into Iowa. Got to Milton, Iowa and took Hwy 2 east to Hwy 1. Took Highway 1 to Iowa City and got on I-380. Continued up I-380 to Elk Run Heights. Elk Run Hts had a fuel stop for us and I stopped there for fuel(92 gallons) and the day....
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