Oh The Things You Will See on Mulberry Street...

Mark came home last night for a family event. This morning I hopped on the truck and rode to Joplin with him, as he was coming by the house on his way to North Platte, Ne.  While at Petro Truck Stop in Joplin, we came across a beautiful site... Anheuser Busch Clydesdales in three trucks.  Those beautiful animals were living large in their special equipped trailers, each with their own stalls and supply of hay for their snacking pleasure. They all stood tall and proud, like they knew they were royalty.  Their drivers may have been inside the building, but they were causing quite a stir among the people in the parking lot.  What a great way to spend the morning with my honey.  I love trucking.

11 States in 4 Days...

Buffalo was great, but the drive thru the Appalachians was breath-taking. From Pennsylvania to South Carolina, we had a tour of fall in all its splendor. Around every turn; over every hill splashes of red, yellow, and orange met us.
We started our day before the sun came up. The sunrise was another gift from our magnificent creator, showing us what He could do.  When we got to Charlotte, NC, we turned right, heading East to the small town of Marion, NC.  Mark had some important people waiting for him, his mother and one of his sisters. I enjoyed seeing him get more and more excited the closer we got to them.
After lunch from our favorite Mexican place   a tour of his truck, and big bear hugs from mom, we headed south to Georgia.  So far, we have been in Missouri,Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania,  West Virginia, Virginia,  North Carolina,  South Carolina,  and Georgia.
Atlanta.... I don't like Atlanta. This country girl doesn't do well with 6 to 8 lanes of traffic.
We landed in Kewana, Mississippi, ending a long day with the home made cobbler and SOUTHERN SWEET TEA.  😍

I'm In a New York State of Mind.

Good morning from the top of the country.... Buffalo, N.Y.. What can I say, other than "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore." We pulled into General Mills late and spent the night in the drop yard. That was just fine except, um well there were no bathrooms. You guessed it.... Mark says I'm a real trucker now.

We went from one General Mills location to another General Mills location, 2 miles down the road. We were picking up a load going to  Social Circle, Georgia. With Buffalo being a port of entry, security was strict. Standing at the counter, with 1 inch glass between us and the staff, we listened to the many dos and don'ts we were to follow while on the premises, as well as show so much identification that I was worried they were going to ask me for my first born grandchild. We all know THAT would not happen.  If i had to chose between being on the truck with Mark, or giving up Gus... well... sorry Mark.

After dropping the trailer we had and picking up the trailer waiting for us, we were ready to go back thru security and head out.  In the moments that followed, I learned that it IS possible to squeeze an 18 wheeler between a building wall and a moving train, with VERY LITTLE room for error.

I also learned that if you are a great driver, which did I mention my trucker is one of the best, it is also possible to make a 270 degree left hand turn in an 18 wheeler, with nobody or no property getting hurt. WHOOT!!  I love my trucker.

The leaves are starting to turn their beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges. We will be  heading down along the Allegheny Mountain range. Hopefully we will have a front row seat to the beauty of God's handywork.

Who knows we might even stop in North Carolina and see Mark's mama.

Ready to Roll

Today I start a 9 day adventure with my trucker. I am so excited, because this morning I didn't have to say goodbye. I was able to take my post to his right side, click my seatbelt into place and say. "Let's roll!" That was after the fiasco of just getting ready.  After getting our 17 y.o. out of bed at 6am (So he could drop us off), running thru Starbucks... because every road trip MUST start with coffee, spilling said coffee all over the floor of the truck (did I mention I used a rewards coupon for a VENTI sugary drink), unpacking our food for 2 weeks into the fridge and cupboards, making a super fast walk to Wal-Mart for that last forgotten item...AND.... my sweet trucker buying me ANOTHER coffee, we were finally ready.  Off to Kansas City to drop off paper somewhere down by the Missouri River by 11am.  "Where to next", we asked.
Nancy, his asset manager sent him a beautiful run to Buffalo, New York!! I'm finally going to get out of Kansas. Thank you, Nancy. You are my new favorite superhero. 🚀  Next question, can we make it by 11 pm tomorrow night?  Yes.... No.... Yes... Maybe...YES!

Stay tuned. New York. here I come!!!

Meet My Trucker

 This is my trucker.  My hero.  He is one of the 3.5 million truckers in the United States who braves the cold, frigid winters and the sweltering, hot summers to bring you practically everything you will buy for your family. He is a gentle man, who loves God, his wife and kids, and his job.  He stays relatively calm when you cut him off at a stop light, or move back into his lane too soon, causing him to hit the brakes, slowing down 75,000 pounds in an instant,  to keep from hitting you.  He waits patiently at fuel stops to get gas, sometimes three and four deep, as his clock ticks steadily toward the delivery deadline. He can sit for hours, waiting to be loaded or unloaded, even if he did get there on time.  At the end of "his" day, he has to find a parking spot to spend at least 10 hours out of the driver's seat. Seems like something easy to do, right?  Just pull into a motel.... Wait, no he can't do that because he can't  park a tractor and 53 ft trailer just anywhere. This means he has to find a truck stop down the road, hoping there will be parking spots when he arrives.  Upon arrival, he is met with several other truckers (depending on the time of day) who are, also looking for a parking spot. This can be quite the task, especially  if there is only a few spots open. It becomes a big game of musical chairs, only with trucks.  Tempers can flare, gestures can fly, all depending on the time of day and the current weather conditions.  Did I mention parking one of those rigs??   Once parked, it is time he finds something to eat, and get some sleep, only to get up and do it all over again. Being on the truck with him, I can honestly say that truck stop food is terrible. The comforts of home are lacking in those giant boxes on wheels. These things they do for us, without a second thought, to bring the goods to the people. Folks, if we didn't have these guys/gals, we would not have even toilet paper so readily available.  The next time you see a trucker in a truck stop, thank him.  They need to know how much we appreciate everything they do for us. Oh, I almost forgot, remember to give them the space they need to maneuver that giant machine safely down the highway.

My New Normal....

Little did I know that January 25, 2015 would change my life as much as it has. My husband was heading to Lincoln, Nebraska for his nine weeks of orientation for his new job.  I knew that as a trucker, he would be gone for long periods of time.  I knew there would be long stretches where I  would not be able to talk to him.  I knew all these things.  It was okay because I was ready.  How different could it be?  Boy, was I wrong. If you are reading this and you are a trucker's wife, I am sure you snickered at the above comments, you know that being a trucker's wife is very trying to say the least.  If I told you that it was easy for me, I would be lying.  I had to get use the idea that the American definition of normal was not my normal now. I had to find a new normal. When my husband was home, he would spoil me by taking me to work and picking me up some days.  He would have dinner made when I got home.  I have three grown kids with busy lives of their own, so the house is very quite when they are gone.  That was the most difficult part for me, I think. Getting used to the silence.  Then there is was the constant concern for his safety, was he eating properly, was he getting enough sleep?? 

It has been almost two years since we embarked on this new lifestyle. In those two years, I have been out on the truck with him at least four times.   Believe me, my eyes were opened to what truckers have to deal with every day, all day. I will save that for a later date.  My intent for writing this blog is to give me an outlet to write, but to hopefully be an encouragement to someone else who might stumble on to this site.