414 Miles to Go!

Yuppers my dear truckers, we have drove 2100 miles since Wednesday and we should be on time with our load tomorrow afternoon.  I had to call dispatch as I am down to 4.5 hours on my 70 and needed to make sure I will have enough hours tomorrow.  I did find out, there is an extended time frame on this load so if I did have to take a 34 hour restart, it wouldn't be an issue........except to me!  My money does not have the value it use to in Canada and when we were there earlier this week, they didn't want my cash!

Gonja has finally accepted that it is OK to sit on the furniture (the passenger seat) and has been happy to do so most of the day.  The only down side, it is too small for him to try and sleep in.  Poor boy still has to sleep on the floor.  All and all, he seems to be enjoying himself and enjoyed a good grooming at a rest stop...he did that on the back wiggle with all four legs in the air and was just a smiling, must to the amusement of others as they walked by!

The cheap little hand vac does what I want it to do and that is it.......pick up dog hair, except on his chair.  I might have to get one of those sticky tape rollers for that.  And, if I can get this cheap CD player in the truck to work tomorrow, we will begin our spanish lessons.  We are going to have a full weekend of adventures, even if most of it is in this truck ;)

And.........I am going to have a GRANDSON!

It is good to be back in Montana!

Good sunny morning from the Pilot Truck Stop in Missoula, Montana!  Yuppers, I finally got an awesome load from Seattle to Detroit!  We are talking about 2500 miles of beautiful northern country that I have never seen before so I will be milking those extra three hours a day to enjoy the full 14 hours that this truck can move in. 

It has been a great ride so far with a load weighing less than 30,000 pounds so the mountain passes are a breeze!  Gonja is still trying to figure out what to do with his time in the truck but he sure knows what to do with his time out of the truck!  We will be taking a 1.5 hour lunch today so we can run a bit and shake the dust off our ole bones. 

Enjoy your breakfast and some coffee.  We will be heading out in 30 minutes!

My first snow drive!

Good evening from Mile City, Montana!  We did not make it all the way across the state before our hours ran out.  Gonja is feeling good after that nice run for lunch and a nap.  He is finally relaxed enough to enjoy his rawhide.  He is learning that when we get out of the truck, he better do his duty or wait!  As long as I throw in a little play time, he seems to be adjusting well.  Need to grab some toys the next time I hit Wal-Mart.

My food supplies are holding well but I did pack for nearly three weeks.  The frozen food is still frozen and the rest is sweet and cold.  I had chicken breast with steamed cauliflower and broccoli topped with cheese; all made from the contents of my cooler and the truck stop microwave was my lil oven.  This round of road trip is so much more organized and efficient with the bonus of my beloved lab with me.  I may be poor but at the moment, quite blessed.  Sweet dreams truckers!

We love our walks  :)

Wonder what is wrapped in there!

Dinner companions........they let me do all the talking!

The flooding Clark River

Told the company my bumper needed repair, they told me they would need to pull my load..........I fixed it, MONTANA style!

6/14 and checking in from Canada!

Good Sunday morning from the shop lot of Freightliner!  I was on the road at 5 AM, at the shop at 6 AM, lost my load to New York and it is now 9:00 AM and not allowed to leave as the company has not yet paid the vendor for the mechanical repairs.  I ate breakfast, took Gonja for a walk and now just sitting.  I could have done this at home!  If they keep the truck here overnight, I am going to be a very mean person and insist on leaving after my tooth is repaired first thing Tuesday morning.  This is ridiculous.

Oh, I talked to Kel and Jim yesterday!  Kel is quite happy as he is with Josie and they just did a recovery of a truck that they were thrilled to be out of!  Poor Jim on the other hand, is ready to hang up the towel.   Between breakdowns, bad loads, lack of company communication and fender benders, he is going to turn in his keys when he returns to Portland.  I will call him again today and see how he is doing.

I am going to be calling a friend soon to pick me up.  Later!

Good evening from the Smokey Point Rest Stop off I-5 North.  I am on my way to Canada after two days of shags and very little pay for the hours spent.  I waved at my dentist today as I drove by on my way north while she was holding that precious gold crown for me.  I am hoping I might be able to stop tomorrow but nothing is promised in this company!  I am sitting at the rest stop because I have two tires that need replaced and it didn’t dawn on me when I requested the repairs that they would head me east and not north.  So, when I pulled in for a break here, I realized I was now 80 miles past the shop.  So now I sit for road assistance and by the way, it is the quickest way to get new tires!  I still have a feeling I will run out of hours and spend the night here.

Gonja is slowly getting use to being in the truck and REALLY enjoys getting out and smelling a world of dogs away from the forest.  We need to build him a little extension to the passenger seat so he can sit and stare out the window as it keeps him better entertained than staring at tree tops!  We are off to walk the rest stop while we wait on service.  Enjoy your evening!

OH!  Brian is now going to quit and Jim is not!  Go figure!

Good morning from Canada!  It is the 14^th and I have been sitting in Canada for nearly two hours trying to get back to the other side of the border.  Dispatch is looking for a load and I am unsure if it is here or on my way back into the US.  So……..here we wait and see!

I went through Customs very easy this morning.  They didn’t even notice Gonja as he just laid as quiet as a mouse on his bed.  Papers were ready for just in case.  I was told it is harder to leave Canada than to enter and wonder what to expect, especially if they give me a load to take home.  They did ask about mace and weapons………..which of course I responded with….Nope!

I want to do a “in the street” interview but hate to be away from the truck too long.  So, since I have been up since 3 AM, I think I will take a nap instead…..that is what Gonja is doing!

Oh!  And by the way, this little Coleman cooler is awesome!  I did a little homemade changes and insulated a small section near the air unit and all the frozen food I prepared before I left is still FROZEN!  I actually had to place the produce at the very end as the carrots were getting a touch frosty.  For $88........will worth the savings of eating out!

And this post was provided by of some Canadian with Wi-Fi!