11/28/2009

Looks like I'm gonna have to continue my maximum speed traveling. I have to diverge today from the shortest route and stop by at least scavenge some pars stickers. It is a required stick that goes on the customs invoice as u traverse the Canadian border going north. Its my bad as a ran out quite sometime back and forgot to restock. So here is hoping I get lucky once again and find some.

Yesterdays travels were great. Clear skies, clear roads till 10 or 11 and then only up to normal amount of traffic. 650 miles knocked out and at 2pm to boot.

Spent some time meandering about the local Walmart. Walked over to the AT&T store thinking about ungrading my phone and they were either out of the model I was looking at or it was more than I was willing to spend. Think in some ways shouldn't upgrade anyway, still trying to justify it in my mind. Well the battle will just have to rage on for a while longer.

Have a nice day

Bookerz out

11/26/2009

I usually research things a fair amount before I do purchase them. For some reason beyond ken I didn't research who had the better coverage when I purchased my aircard. Yesterday I an email from ATT that I am spending alot of time on foreign networks. I seen the warnings pop up but each time I wasn't near the national border so I dismissed it. Apparently ATTs idea of foreign is different from mine. Getting to the point as far as air cards the Verizon coverage is much better.

Yesterdays drive was uneventful. About 150 miles short of the goal a bad case of the lazies hit me and I pulled up short of the day's goal. I'll have to pay for that laziness somewhere in the next 3 days. I'm going to try and make it up today by driving full speed all day. That should knock out 100 miles of it anyway.

I stopped at the Flying J in Tucumcari, NM and treated myself to the buffet. I figured it being turkey day they would jack up the price, but they didn't and the food was quite filing.

I gave up on the audiobook "Brian D'Amato - In The Courts Of The Sun" the writing style and storyline were not to my liking. I started a different book "Michael Connelly - Nine Dragons". I've listened to another of his books and it was good and so far this one is good as well.

It is time to do the pretrip and hit the road.

Have a good day

Bookerz out

11/25/2009

I pull out early and swing into a 24 hour public scale, it was closed till 8am. As I was pulling out and looking for another scale that was enroute. I once again saw the banner still hanging under their road sign 24 hours it said. Nobody had bothered to tell the banner about the new hours of operation or pull it down. Anyway scaled all axles more than 1000lbs under max.

Rest of the day was a nice relaxing ride through the country side. Non of the packed highways with the weekend warriors that the east coasters are experiencing. I finished up the day in Winslow, AZ. Tomorrow's plan is to reach the eastern border of Texas roughly 620 miles.

In the reading/listening department.....

Audiobook -- (whilst driving)

Michael Connelly - The Lincoln Lawyer Just finished this one it was good

Brian D'Amato - In The Courts Of The Sun Started this late yesterday so far it is struggling to hold my interest.

Ebook reading

Over the last 2 weeks I've finished...

• Out of the Ashes (1983) finished


• Fire in the Ashes (1983) finished


• Anarchy in the Ashes (1984) finished


• Blood in the Ashes (1985) just started....

This is a series of 35 books by William W. Johnstone while very interesting I have a feeling that I'll need to take a break and read something else at some point or points along the way.

Have a nice day

Bookerz out

11/24/2009

It was a most trying day.

I was scheduled to load at 8am pst, so rolling the dice like I normally do. I checked into the shipping department 90 mins early. Usually much earlier than that at a larger plant will get you a potentially firm dismisal until the appointment time. Sometimes you get lucky (Feel like a nut), sometimes you don't. Today was definitely unlucky day. Three of the stocces were not even made yet and wouldn't be until..... The shipping people trying to be nice, kept saying check-in at such and such time and we'll see. To cut a long story short at 11pm pst. I am finally collecting my bills of lading.

I was sitting long enough to get another 34 hour reset. It would have served me better to get the reset in almost at the end of the journey but you take where you can get them. So tomorrow it is off on my (almost) continent wide journey.

Hi Ho Silver Awwaaayyyy.........

Have a nice day

Bookerz out

11/23/2009

So...........

I made it down to Kingsburg, CA without any extra stops, other than a Fuel and Load check stops. I had figured on having to stop and grab a power nap and factored in extra time for just that. I guess the need to grab a power nap is more likely to appear if you don't allot time for it.

I get to the plant and wonder into the receiving area. Humm... no one in the office. So I mill around the area,being resolutely ignored by all that pass by. I am trying to scope out someone who can give direction or point me in the general direction of someone who can. I finally decide to roll the dice and walk up to a dude working on loading a intermodal container. I strike the golden goose, on the first try. Go ahead and untarp outside and then come see me. Ok so off I go. Once the tarp is removed I go back and am told to back into this bay. But.... be sure to back in a close as possible to this side because the crane only goes over this far. It will be about two hour before we get to you cause I have to load this one first. I get unloaded several hours later.

I didn't leave the plant once unloaded, because I figured there would be a good chance of getting a load out of there. And sure enough that is what they spent the day working on. Initially they were talking about a load to Denver, CO, but I wouldn't be able to get there early enough. Finally they settle on a load to Montreal, Quebec. I won't be getting anymore miles this week. I got 2100 so far not bad but not great. And next week I be sitting on Monday morning with 3000 miles and the entire week ahead of me. It is a live load at 8am tomorrow morning and then I can start my journey eastward

Have a good day

Bookerz out

11/22/2009

The ride today was uneventful, but beautiful once the sun came up. By 1:30 central time I had covered the requiste 640 miles and I am properly stage for a 430 mile run to Kingsburg, CA. I'll let the dog loose at midnight the should put me down the around 7am or so central time of 5am Pacific. I've left myself tons of time in case I have to pull it over for a power nap. I like getting started early, but this is a bit early for me and I might require a nap along the way.

This flying J here in Flagman, AZ is nice enough, but if you have a tough time sleeping there are trains constantly running back and forth. And the line is only 100-200 yards from the parking lot. Fortunately for me sleeping is never a problem even with trains running by.

Have a nice day

Bookerz out

11/21/2009

It's 2am my time. I've got about an hour before I finish my reset and can hit the road.

I told myself yesterday, because I wanted to leave so early, I ought to move down where no matter how stupid another driver gets I'll be able to pull out without any problem. Well I wake up this morning and stupid materializes overnight. It's driving for "Sweet Express truck #971" and I might be able to pull out without waking his butt up. I'm going to try. But the trucks to my left won't be able to no matter what.Enough complaining.

Ate the breakfast buffet at the Flying J this morning. Went back and lazed around the truck a bit. Finally got up the gumption to clean up the cab. The mud I tracked in yesterday driving me crazy and all. It looks good atm the moment. All the surfaces are wiped down and floor is vaccumed.

The plan today is to run about 640 miles over to Kingman, AZ. I won't need to stop for fuel or anything but load checks. So with any luck I should arrive there about 1pm. That will allow me to pull out at 11pm tonight and try to make the original Monday 7am appointment in Kingsburg, CA. I've already pushed that appointment back to 10am just in case there is any problems, such as getting sleepy.

Have a good day

Bookerz out