Home Sweet Home Via Urgent Care! 🏨

We were not suppose to be home until today, but because of those "chiggers", Mark's asset manager got us home two days early, in order to get me to the doctor.  We parked the truck, and Mark immediately drove me to urgent care in town. It only took one look from the doctor to get a diagnosis.  I'll get back to that topic later.

After leaving El Paso, we spent the next two days delivering to Wichita Falls, Tx.  and then to Salina, Kansas.  Since we had been pushing ourselves for the the last two weeks, getting up no later than 3 am on most days, we were exhausted.  We simply pulled into both towns, dropped off our load, and went to the nearest truck stop to sleep.  It was so nice to see the Pittsburg, Kansas city limits sign this last Friday. 

I have had a wonderful time spending the last two weeks with my guy. I was able to visit places that I have not visited before,  We were able to actually talk to each other in the same location, not on the phone.  We were able to watch television...together.  Eat our meals together.  I have been in heaven, even if I was itching terribly.  We made memories.   I am so proud of how hard my trucker works everyday, and he does it for us. One of the treasures I brought back from the trip is this beautiful blanket he bought for me in Arizona.  I love how bright and colorful it is... reminds me of ME.

Ok, back to the chiggers.... they were not chiggers. I started figuring out  this was not chiggers about three days later, when the rash spread.  So, I thought that even though I had never had an allergic reaction to poison ivy, that was probably what I had. We went to Wal Mart to by Ivy Rest to help cut the oils and stop the itching.  We washed EVERYTHING, but the cat, that was in the truck. It had to get better now that we knew what it was, right?   It didn't help.  I was waking up every morning with new spots, sometimes on my back, sometimes on the other arm, but then it went to my right hand.  Boy Howdy did THAT itch.  I couldn't stand it.  That's when Mark told his asset manager and she sent us home.  

What was it, you ask???   OAK MITES.  I didn't even know those little creatures existed.  The doctor told me that they like to burrow in your skin and make tunnels. Then  they travel through the tunnels to different parts of your body.  I was given a steroid shot for the itching.... Ahhhhhh. I, also, had to put this cream on my body, from head to toe and keep in on for 8 hours.  Since Saturday morning, I have felt so much better.  

So.... another trip is in the bag for me.  Until Spring 2019.  I can't wait to see what memories are made then.  

Until next time, thanks for stopping by.

"Out In The West Texas Town of El Paso...." 🐴🐮🐂

My parents love country western music, old western movies, old western anything. So it's not surprising that I grew up listening to some of the greats, who paved the way for the country stars of  today; George Jones, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, to name a few.

My favorite singer, though I'm not sure I ever told my parents, was Marty Robbins.   Yep, you guessed it, I love his song, El Paso.  I sang it for Mark, from the middle of Arizona to the Texas border. I even pulled it up on YouTube and sang with the music. Mark appreciated that music, because I'm sure it sounded better than my attempts as acapella. "El Paso" led into several different songs from the past. "Big Bad John", "Folsom Prison Blues", " Coward of the County".... I know, Kenny Rogers was later, but I couldn't help myself.  The cat thought we were nuts, but we were having fun. 

Due to its geographical location, you don't have to be in El Paso long before you see the Mexican city of Juarez. I was struck by the difference a fence can make.  On one side, upgrades on the infrastructure, with new roads, brick homes, and malls with designer stores; On the other side, urban sprawl of poverty with homes that look like they are made out of cardboard boxes, dirt roads, and an abundance of trash.

The best thing about El Paso, to me anyway, is that Mark has family there and we had been invited over for lunch. After parking the truck, Mark's uncle picked us up at the truck stop.

Meet John and Lucille Williamson. I need to stop here for a minute and crow about Mark's family.  His family has been so loving and caring towards me and has accepted me as one of them since before Mark and I got married. They are genuine people. These two are no different. John made a stop at a store so I could get some medicine for those chiggers, which has turned out to be something else, we think poison ivy.  When we got to the house we were greeted at the door with a big smile,warm hug, and the most amazing smell of a home cooked meal in the oven.  It was going to be a good day!🍞🥗🥧  Roast, potatoes, carrots,  salad, bread, and pumpkin pie was on  the menu for lunch.  I was in heaven. It took me back to my grandmother's table, when my whole family would visit her and grandpa. After lunch, bellies and hearts full, it was time to head back to the truck. They loaded us up with gifts of pomegranate jelly and peanut butter brownies, and took us back. It felt good to have support from family. Life is good!. 

Tombstone 🤠🐎

Today we travelled across the dessert Southwest. Wow, I did not know just how beautiful that part of the United States was. God just keeps showing His omnipotence to me.

Crossing Arizona and New Mexico had so many beautiful sites, there are too many to post pictures of.  I really liked seeing all the vast amounts of veggitation that I don't see in Kansas or Missouri. Desert sand spread out for miles, sprinkled with several types of cacti, such as Saguaro, teddy bear, and hedgehog. The scene brought me back to those old western movies, where the guy is crawling in the desert, looking for water and of course there is a sidewinder slithering up to bite him. 

OOOPS, I got a little side tracked there. My favorite cactus were the flat pancake-shaped cactus, called Opuntia. This cactus is also known as The Prickly Pear cactus. I didn't get a good picture of those. 

Sanguaro

Half way across Arizona,  Mark told me to pick a.point of interest I wanted to see.  Noting that Tombstone, Az. was only 24 miles from our landing spot of Benson, Az., I decided that we should go have dinner at Big Nose Kate's Saloon. We pulled into the truck stop, unhooked the trailer, and headed south. Talk about fun. 

The town was just what I was expecting, old, dusty street with the wooden boardwalk along each side of the street. Since the towns people do reenactments of the Shootout at the OK Corral, there were several actors dressed up as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the Cowboy outlaws. You could hear the spurs of their boots hitting the wooden walkways, literally. 

Most of the shops were closed, but we were able to check out The Bird Cage Theater, opened in 1881, and was known as the most famous honky tonks in America between 1881 and 1889. The New York Times referred to it in 1882 as the wildeat, wickedest night spot between Basin St and the Barbary Coast. It was the scene of 16 gun fights, and its walls, riddled with 140 bullet holes show evidence of these happenings. 

 Dinner at Big Nosed Kate's (Holliday's girlfriend) was nothing short of entertaining. What once was The Grand  Hotel, built in 1881, is now a Live music joint with great food, and exciting atmosphere, and  was just the ticket for an evening out of the big red box, aka the  truck. 

Big Nosed Kate is said to have been the first prostitute in Tombstone. 

Here are a few more photos, because I haven't put enough in this blog entry. 😀😀😁

Next stop...El Paso, Tx where we have family to visit. 😎😎

Been there, Done that, No T Shirt Wanted.

Yesterday was a 14 hour day.... well technically a 13 hour and 58 minute day according to the "time clock" on the dash of the truck.

Before I go on, I have to comment on just how big Las Vegas looks when you are coming down off the mountains in the dark. It goes on forever. Now I have been to Vegas 3 times before, but I have always flown in. I was thoroughly impressed at how far it spread across the vast dark sky.

We got to Las Angelas around noon. I learned something. I learned that it takes a special person to live in Las Angelas. I am not one of those people. There are far too many people, cars, and traffic lanes for this country girl.  Kansas looks pretty good from where I'm sitting.

The mountains were pretty, but there was rain and fog over them so I am sure they were much prettier then what I saw. I did get some pictures this morning as we were heading out of the area.

LIL BIT got into the action, as well, but she was not able to stay there for long.

CHAINS!

This morning, 10/12/18, started early again. We were greeted with 30 degree temperature as we headed into the truck stop for coffee and a bathroom. Glad I packed for two seasons. 🧤🧥🧣

We are on our way to Irwindale, California. From where we were located, that could only mean one thing..... Vail Pass, and over the Rockies.  We were off and running, with the occasional snowflake falling. The higher we went, the more it snowed. It wasn't long before we saw that sign every trucker hates to see...."All CMV must chain up ...." so that meant pulling over and Mark starting the process of putting chains on tires.  I learned not only was this NOT a fast process, bit it was also a  dangerous one with cars and trucks speeding by on a wet, icy surface. I did not take my eyes off Mark, as I watched thru the side mirrors.  An hour and a half went by, during  that time Mark got the chains on his truck and helped the lady behind us with her chains.  We were finally ready to get back on the road....ONLY to find out the chain law had been lifted. Thirty minutes later, and a rather irritated and very cold husband behind the wheel, we set off for our destination. 

As dawn was well upon us, and we were coming down out of the mountains, we both mentioned that the landscape we were seeing at that time was ugly and we didn't understand why people would live out there.  Boy, did we have to eat our words later, for what God had in store for us was nothing short of spectacular.  Entering canyon country, climbing higher and twisting around every bend, there was beautify color, that can only be described as God's artwork with His paint brush. Beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges spilled before us and all we could do is sit in awe. It was as if God answered our question, saying, "THIS is why people live here." 

I am so blessed to be able to see this beautiful country we live in, with my soul mate. 

Chiggars! I hate chiggars!

The day started like any other day. We were up and on the road by 3am to get a load to St Louis by 8am, only to find ourselves sitting for 4 hours while they unloaded 298 pieces of freight. In defense of the dock worker, he WAS the only one working to unload us. We read in the book we started, Mark took a nap, I played games on my phone.  We, finally, got our paperwork and headed to the nearest fuel stop to sweep out the trailer. I jumped out to go help, or watch, or whatever and that's when life changed for me. Right there at the Flying J truckstop in Pontoon Brach, Il.

Rewind your mind back to those good, old, hot summer days when everyone went down to their favorite swimming hole. You spend the afternoon jumping into the water, climbing up the bank, and jumping in again.  You're having fun with friends and family. You know there are bugs, chiggars, and ticks in the grass and that you will have bites on your body when the day is over. That's ok, you say to yourself, because at least you are having fun in the great outdoors.

Me? I seemed to have found a huge nest of chiggers , because I have bites on my arms, legs, hands, fingers, FACE!..... and I didnt even get to play outside to EARN them. I WAS ROBBED!!  Now I sit here crossing Kansas ITCHING....ALOT!
Insert the music Ride of the Valkry's here. That should put the situation into perspective. Did I mention  that everytime I go into a place (because a girls gotta pee and we are not in Buffalo), I get stares from all directions as if I had Ebola.

FEEL SORRY FOR ME. PEOPLE. 😬🕷😢

Off into the wild blue yonder

It's Monday morning and the truck is packed for a two week adventure.  I'm off again, with my trucker  to see where the road takes us.

After dropping Drexal off at the vet's office (they love when he comes to visit. He is king when he is there.), coffee in hand, and the cat taken care of, it was time to go.

Pretrip done and seat belts on, Mark sends his Ready to Go message, mentioning he wanted to head toward Washington state.

On your mark! Get set!........and we wait. And we wait, did I mention that we waited? No load assignment given.  It felt funny sitting in the truck....right next to our house. We were about to go inside and wait, when we got a load assignment. YAY! WASHINGTON HERE WE COME. ....WRONGO. Pick up a load in Tulsa and take it to St Louis. St Louis?  That was going the wrong way. Oh well at least we didn't have to sit in front of our house, looking stupid anymore.

We made it to Tulsa. Picked up the load. And spent the night in.......JOPLIN. Yep. 2 miles from my workplace.

I couldn't help thinking... this is going to be quite a trip.

On a different note, I'm sharing my side of the truck with a new passenger. Meet Lil Bit.  She is the luckiest cat in the state. My trucker found her in the middle of Hwy 69 and Hwy 171 intersection. If you were wondering, YES he stopped traffic , got out of his truck and picked up this small, helpless creature. Who said truckers were always grouchy, stuffy guys? She has been with him now for about 2 months. Not sure what she thinks of me, especially since I'm sitting in HER chair.