November 2, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Saturday-Bloomington, Minnesota)
I woke up before the sun was suppose to come up.  It was still when the outside with snow flurries and a lot of clouds.  I and the other truck drivers waiting to get into the Best Buy store warehouse found out that the warehouse was not opening till Monday.  Also, we had a huge snowdrift behind the fourth truck so we could not get to the street.  The warehouse had a snowplow come and dig out the snow drift.  We trucks all backed to the road and took off.  I was going back to our fuel stop as I needed fuel.  I got stuck on the road in the ice and snow and I could not move at all.  I did not have any extra sand or anything that would help get me out.  I tried all my liquids and stuff. Finally, a little pickup truck came by with sand in the bed and a shovel.  A man shoveled some some sand under my tires and I was in business again.  I got to our fuel stop and fueled(98 gallons).  Some trucks were having trouble getting started rolling from the fuel pumps as the ground was so icy. There was a tow truck charging trucks to pull them away from the fuel island...  I got rolling OK when I get fueled...

Being that I would be there till Monday I got a room at the motel for Saturday and Sunday nights.  Since there was no one to clean their rooms due to the weather they gave me their rooms at half cost.  I just stayed in my room that night.  There was no place to go. . .

November 1, 1991, 2011

FIRST 5 YEARS:(Friday -traveling in Missouri)
And I was traveling up interstate 55 and pulled into our fuel stop at 1:30 AM CST.  I put 188 gallons in my tanks to fill them up.  I then drove to Hannibal, Missouri where I bedded down for the night.

I woke up around 10:00 AM CST and was on my way shortly up highway 61.  As I got close to Iowa eye to highway 394 into Iowa or a small toll bridge.  I took highway 394 into Iowa to highway 218 going north.  It had been raining all yesterday and last night and it was continuing to rain.  By that time I got to Waterloo, Iowa the rain was changing to freezing rain.  I was warned that interstate 35 had downed power lines and that it would be wise to stay on highway 218 until I got to interstate 90.  Boy the road sure got slick.  I remember coming over a mound and there was a stalled car miles in front of me. I couldn't put my brakes on as I would slide off the road...so I had to really slow down and I was worried that I wouldn't slow down fast enough to avoid an accident.  Things worked out OK.

I went up to interstate 90 where I went west to interstate 35.  Followed interstate 35 north to exit 81 where I was planning to fuel.  A couple cars had spun out on the ramp blocking it and I could not get off the interstate.  Since I had a trailer that I was to be dropped in the customer's yard I decided to go to the customer and fuel later.

I had to be careful as the roads were really slick.  I got to the customer and the guards had the gates closed.  Because of the blizzard, the warehouse had shut down.  I was the third truck in line that had to wait untill tomorrow.  The winds outside were blowing quite hard but the snow seemed to be coming down lightly.  I was low on fuel but had to wait till tomorrow to get rid of my trailer.  My bunk heater was not working but my cab heater blew warm air back quite well.  I just watched mike television and went to sleep that's all I could do.. .  The adventure was starting...