FIRST 5 YEARS (Sunday-Kendleton, Texas)
--daylight savings time ended this morning--I got out that 2:00 AM CST and headed for Laredo. Even though it was dark outside I could see the fog real well. The ride was quite pleasant through the night and I got into Laredo at 7:00 AM CST.
I got to drop my load in the yard and that I did. I stayed around the terminal for a while and talked to some of the other drivers. I left and went to church and was there when it started at 9:00 AM CST. After church I went to the Morten's home for dinner. Stephen had to go pick someone up at the Airport and I went with him. A person never showed up and so we went back home. After we got home I win over two Arlene's house and talk to them until they started watching the movie Robocop 2.
I went back to the terminal and watched television in my truck and went to sleep; time unknown...
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
- The Protraveller...
- 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...
October 28, 2011
October 26, 1991, 2011
FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday-Mobile, Alabama)
Stranger morning, I woke up and for some reason couldn't remember were I was. It took a while to figure everything out. I was parked behind at the waffle house so I went in and had breakfast; A couple double cheeseburgers, an order of onion rings and two glasses of water.
I continued west on interstate 10 through Mississippi into Louisiana. I got on interstate 12th and stopped in Hammond, Louisiana for fuel(172 gallons). At our fuel stop in Hammond, Louisiana I took a short break and checked out the movie theater and found nothing that I wanted to watch. I continued west on interstate 12. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana I picked up interstate 10 again and went west over the miles and miles and miles of bridges over the marshes of Louisiana. Got into Texas and drove through downtown Houston which was a mistake because of heavy construction. Got on highway 59 and headed for Laredo, Texas. Stopped for the night in a truckstop I liked in Kendleton. I turned on my TV and started to watch the sixth game of the World Series but fell asleep long before it was over...
Stranger morning, I woke up and for some reason couldn't remember were I was. It took a while to figure everything out. I was parked behind at the waffle house so I went in and had breakfast; A couple double cheeseburgers, an order of onion rings and two glasses of water.
I continued west on interstate 10 through Mississippi into Louisiana. I got on interstate 12th and stopped in Hammond, Louisiana for fuel(172 gallons). At our fuel stop in Hammond, Louisiana I took a short break and checked out the movie theater and found nothing that I wanted to watch. I continued west on interstate 12. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana I picked up interstate 10 again and went west over the miles and miles and miles of bridges over the marshes of Louisiana. Got into Texas and drove through downtown Houston which was a mistake because of heavy construction. Got on highway 59 and headed for Laredo, Texas. Stopped for the night in a truckstop I liked in Kendleton. I turned on my TV and started to watch the sixth game of the World Series but fell asleep long before it was over...
October 25,1991, 2011
FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday-McAdenville, North Carolina)
I woke up around 6:00 AM EST and found the employees have the doors open to the docks and I when inquired which one I wish to back up to. I got backed up to the assigned dock but found that they had to load another truck first as it was a company truck that needed to get out. I just any some letters I was writing and paid a couple bills and waited to be loaded.
After loading after loading I called it dispatch and told them I was leaving. I went east on highway 74 and then south on interstate 85. Got into South Carolina and stopped at our fuel stop in Spartanburg. I went into the restaurants and found another driver there and I knew. We had ran together last year in New York state. We ate and talked for about an hour and then I was on my way porch and Mobile, Alabama again. Got into Georgia and continue to Atlanta where I had to take the 285 bypass over the top of the Atlanta. Continued on interstate 85 into Alabama and to Montgomery. At Montgomery, I took up interstate 65 south until I got to the north part of Mobile, where I stopped at the waffle house for some sleep in the parking lot behind them. Went to sleep for the night...
I woke up around 6:00 AM EST and found the employees have the doors open to the docks and I when inquired which one I wish to back up to. I got backed up to the assigned dock but found that they had to load another truck first as it was a company truck that needed to get out. I just any some letters I was writing and paid a couple bills and waited to be loaded.
After loading after loading I called it dispatch and told them I was leaving. I went east on highway 74 and then south on interstate 85. Got into South Carolina and stopped at our fuel stop in Spartanburg. I went into the restaurants and found another driver there and I knew. We had ran together last year in New York state. We ate and talked for about an hour and then I was on my way porch and Mobile, Alabama again. Got into Georgia and continue to Atlanta where I had to take the 285 bypass over the top of the Atlanta. Continued on interstate 85 into Alabama and to Montgomery. At Montgomery, I took up interstate 65 south until I got to the north part of Mobile, where I stopped at the waffle house for some sleep in the parking lot behind them. Went to sleep for the night...
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