New Year’s Resolutions for 2007

Well it’s that time of year where like always I make my resolutions about what I want to accomplish and somehow nothing ever happens or I simply forget so I am determined to accomplish at least one of these resolutions.

1. Startup my business and with God in mind for it to begin to grow.

2. Lose weight again but this time going to right doctors that know how to diagnose me and not give me medicine that doesn’t help me get better.

3. Pursue one of my hobbies, whether it be writing a book, or having a photography portfolio, or learning a new language.

4. Take a vacation and use that as my honeymoon. It’s been five years and I think it’s time for a break and to take a honeymoon.

5. Fix my husband’s and my credit

6. Begin the process of buying a house after the credit is fixed and we have enough money saved.

7. Begin to be positive about myself and accept things that I have and accept the things that I cannot change.

8. Get my self healthy again and control my PCOS!!

Well that’s all I have I hope I can accomplish at least one, and that many others out there can do the same. I guess if I think of more I will post them.

Indiana

Well we are currently passing through Indiana heading to Florida. We should be there by New Year’s Eve in the afternoon, which I thought we wouldn’t make it. Anyways I haven’t posted in a while because I am currently working on a website for an ecommerce business and it has been taking up all my time. Please feel free to post a comment, and thank you for visiting my blog!

Here is a picture of a factory in Indiana, as you can tell I love to take scenic photos..

Schedule until New Year’s

Well currently we find ourselves down I-24 in Tennessee, we are headed to Hopkinsville Kentucky. We should be there at around 5:00 p.m eastern time. From there we will head about 78 miles to Owensboro Kentucky. Once again we are delivering to our favorite supplier which is as you all know from a previous post WALMART! No problems so far with them so that’s good. Once we deliver in Owensboro we are headed to Chicago, Northlake to be exact. So hopefully we will get home in time for New Year’s. We are scheduled to be there late on the 30th so we will see.There hasn’t been anything really interesting or new to talk about, just the same ol’ stuff, you know crazy drivers, hurried drivers,and LOTS of RV’s all over the place. These suckers are dangerous on the road also, which isn’t new for me.

Well I just remembered there was one thing after leaving home after Christmas my father in-law went to his truck and head out, which he is an owner operator and come to find out found that another truck stole his battery box cover was stolen. Well this little piece is worth maybe around $200.00, so it’s something that has to be bought again, using his hard earned money simply because some other driver didn’t feel like buying one.My father in law who is the only provider for his family of 4 is a hard worker and shouldn’t have to go back to this. I believe as all us drivers and us passengers like myself we need to help each other out.Help out in the road anything to help those to move America. I believe we go through enough daily to then go home for Christmas and come back to this. Well to the other driver I hope your conscience eats your brain and you will pay for what you did. I believe in the Lord and karma and “What goes around comes around”!

Well one we arrive back home we will be there until we leave on the 2nd of January in the morning. So I won’t be writing as much until the start of the New Year. Thanks again to those who look at my blog, I hope you enjoy what I write, and continue to read.

Welcome home Florida

Well, we finally arrived here in Florida about 8:00 p.m last night. We will be here until December 26th. So we will take this time to relax, and enjoy a Christmas, with our family and friends.

Passing through New Orleans

Once again we are on the road this time passing through New Orleans. Going through New Orleans you can feel the grief and pain that thousands of residents from New Orleans felt that day that Hurricane Katrina brang on August 29, 2005. Katrina was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Seeing this devastation even though it was over a year ago proved that this was real. We passed through I-10 where many used this route as an escape but couldn’t. All we could think of was of those who weren’t able to get out, the children, elderly, and those sick that were immobile.They couldn’t be saved!

We passed through the Superdome where many evacuated to find refuge but was not found. Instead what they found was starvation, violence, hope, sadness, anger, everything but the help they needed. The superdome home to many games, concerts, and other entertainment venues will never be the same no matter how hard they try. This once bustling town with jazz music, Mardi Gras, and popular spot to visit is no more. It is now empty, sad, and still vulnerable. Traveling through I-10 you could still see the houses with blue tarp on it, weed growing out of them, and many still with no home. Many homes had trailers in front of them, or with debris in piles in front of them. I felt uncomfortable because of how I felt going through here. Videos and pictures still haunt me from that day that was plastered all over the media, now became more real being in that area. Going through there doesn’t justify what people wen through or how many died waiting for help and salvation, but it gave us a peek of the strength of mother nature and it’s fury. All else I could say is a prayer goes out to those who couldn’t make it, and those still trying to make it.

You can read more on Wikipedia about Hurricane Katrina —http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina

Tip when a car is driving in front of a truck

Today’s tip for when driving in front of a truck. Trucks that are loaded, meaning they have merchandise in their trailers weigh anywhere from 50,000 to 80,000 lbs on the road. That means they can’t stop easily. Try and avoid cutting a truck off on the road, a truck must have about 7 seconds of distance to be able to stop safely and avoid an accident. If you are a car and must cut in front of a truck on an off ramp step on your gas. Don’t cut off the truck and take your sweet time, you are causing a probible accident. Remember a truck is bigger than a car and can kill you instantly. Drive safely!!

Stuck in Texas! This time in Shell

Well we awoke from our horrible night to make a pick up this morning. Well we arrive here at 11:00 a.m. to pick up our pre-loaded trailer to head to Florida when of course we get bad news again. The trailer we are suppose to pick up wasn’t even here yet. They told us they wouldn’t even start to load us to around 5 p.m. Well here we are at 6:45 pm and now is when they start to load us. Again, my husband had to go and tell them hey I haven’t eaten or anything because this is supposed to be a loaded trailer. Well they tried and called where the people load at and they don’t even answer the damn phone. Well my husband who is not the type to cause havoc had to. I mean they expect you to stay here, because you can’t tell them you want to leave because that isn’t allowed. So you can’t leave, you can’t leave the truck on for very long, the “bathroom” which is a portapotti is germ infested and stinks like hell, so I have been holding myself all this time, and the company will only pay my husband about $30.00 for his detention pay for waiting. What the hell do these big shot companies think that truck drivers are slaves, not humans. Come on give me a break!!!

Delivery nightmare at Sam’s (Walmart warehouse)

I am going to tell you the kind of nightmare we had last night. Ok, well first let me recap on what happened during the day to lead to last night. First, my husband gets up this morning after passing through hell in Louisiana, to get a load that goes through to Dayton Texas. After driving about 5 hours to Dayton Texas, my husband arrives at the location in Dayton an hour early. See when you get to a location in which they need to unload the trailer you need to wait until they call your truck number and they tell you what dock number to go to. After waiting an hour they called us over the CB and told us to to dock.

Well we went to the dock and had to wait there about another 2 hours for them to unload us. After they unloaded us they gave us the paperwork and authorized us to leave. Well we then had to drive to Houston about 45 minutes away to pick up another trailer to then drive back to the Walmart distribution center. We drove to Houston, picked up the trailer and headed back to Sam’s. Well we got lost going back because the sign from their facility at night so you have to have night vision googles to see it. We arived about 30 minutes late, but we got there. We waited about 15 minutes when they told my husband to go to dock 118. Before my husband went he told the receptionist that he only had 3 hours left on his logbook to work. After a 14 hour workday you need to stop by federal law for 10 hours and you cannot move the truck. Well the lady reassured him it wouldn’t take 3 hours to not worry about it.

When we parked at the dock my husband ten told the guy giving back the paperwork if it would take more than 3 hours and he said that we would definitely be out of there way before that.Again we were reassured we would be out in time. Well we wait and wait and the clock is ticking and nothing. Well my husband goes and tells the company that he wants to know how many hours he has by their system to make sure he can tell the receptionist again.He left them another message saying that he doesn’t have any more hours to work what should he do because they don’t allow truck drivers to stay the night there.

My husband then goes inside the drivers lounge back to the receptionist to tell her that they have 5 mintues to give them the paperwork because he has no hours to work and if not he can’t move the truck. She goes and calls to tell them with an attitude tat he said you have 5 minutes to give him the paperwork,which didn’t help the situation. Well my husband then comes back to the truck and decided to call the company. He calls then and talks wit a 3rd shift dispatcher to explain the situation and was told he didn’t have any hours and that if they tell him to move he needs to move. The dispatcher didn’t provide any solution but to drive illegally and risk getting stopped and getting sent to jail for 10 years not including a huge fine, getting fired, and losing his CDL license. My husband then sent them another message in hopes of getting a better answer none which were answered. He sent them a total of 3 messages none were never answered. Which is expected because they never answer your messages you send them unless if you are going to be late in which they get on your case and goes on your record. My husband tries to call the safety department and of course they put you on hold with annoying music and make you wait an eternity. My husband hangs up when the guy finnaly comes out with the paperwork and tells us we are ready to go. My husband then tells him that he can’t move the truck because of the hours and explains it to him. He then said “company policy doesn’t allow it unless you are a Walmart driver, and that he could get his manager. He left to get his manager. My husband then again tries to call the safety department and hangs up again when this time the manager comes out to talk with my husband. At this time, which is around midnight I am tired and pissed off he has an attitude also.

My husband explains to him the whole ordeal including that he told the receptionist, everything. The manager says that again company policy you can’t park the truck here or leave it on the dock and that we were 30 minutes late, and that again you can’ park here because this isn’t a truck stop. My husband tells him he is going to call the safety department to see what they tell him. The manager agrees and tells him to let him know if anything. My husband finally gets ahold of the safety department and the man tells him that he can’t move the truck because it is Federal Department Of Transportation law, and that he would call Sam’s to see what is going on. He then told him to move to the side of the dock to not be blocking the dock but that he neede to decide whcih was more important breaking the federal law and having all the consequences occur or break Walmart’s rules. They also told him the only way that he could move is that a police escort escorts him off the property and to safe place. Well my husband parks right where you wait for them to call you to the dock and about 15 mintues later someone knocks the door. The security is there telling him that we aren’t allowed to stay there and again my husband repeats the same thing to him that he has repeated to everyone else. He says if we don’t move that he is going to call the police and my husband says go ahead I will call DOT. He says I am going to call Dayton police and leaves, and my husband tells him that he will be waiting.

Again he comes back 5 minutes later with another manager and again explains to him and he tells him well I should have known this if not I wouldn’t have taken the load.He tells my husband that he was late, and my husband told him he was an hour earlier for the last one and got lost coming now at night,he didn’t care and said it doesn’t mater you were late now. My husband told him I told the receptionist I have 3 hours to work only. The manager tells him that he wants to see the paperwork and that if it took less that 3 hours he needs to leave. My husband gets the paperwork and the paperwork says 3 hours and 40 minutes. The manager didn’t say anything and they left to call the police. Which this whole time they talked with my husband like if he was a criminal and doing something illegal. Well the police arrive about 10 minutes later and spot the flashlight in my husband’s face and you could tell they were being racist. My husband tried to explain the situation but they didn’t let him talk and after explaining they told him they would escort him out to not break any of Walmart’s rules and not cause trouble. So to end this whole ordeal 2 police cars escorted us out one in front and one behind us out of Sam’s and to a palce where there was some dirt and told him to park there.
It is just insane how the people treat truck drivers, and how such a company so huge the biggest retailer in the world has no respect for people, and didn’t just say it’s ok or it’s our fault. There was nothing no remorse my husband was treated like dirt, like a criminal, and all because he ran out of hours!!

Stuck in Louisiana part 2 with attitude!

Here is what happened last night after being told we need to wait about 7 hours! Well after they tell my husband that we need to wait an eternity we decided to go to the nearby Arbys to eat dinner. Well we go in and after some time we decided what we wanted to eat. First and foremost this woman had the biggest attitude, like the one you know that they hate their job, and that she doesn’t like working with customers is the face she had. Now not to sound mean or racist but this woman reminded me of those little brown monsters that are in the nintendo games that were after Mario. I mean I am not one to judge because I am no looker but I just couldn’t help it. She proceeded to tell my husband that they didn’t have certain things we wanted. They didn’t have curly fries, they didn’t have any milkshakes, they didn’t have any apple turnovers, and they didn’t have no mountain dew or light mountain dew, and she had to ask the woman first if she could make the grilled chicken for my husband. Well I just thought to myself well maybe you shouldn’t be open! Well we decided for me a crispy chicken sandwich meal and my husband grilled with regular crappy fries and monzerella sticks. Well my husband stood there waiting for our food while I sat down after choosing between practically 2 sodas, as I was already steamed with her attitude and their lack of food. As my husband stood there she took someone else’s order and barked at my husband “what do you want”? My husband just said I am waiting for the food. Well, we finally got our food and sat down and ate quickly to get out of there.Arbys just isn’t the same without curly fries and especially isn’t pleasant when people are so rude.Well around 1:00 a.m they called us to come to dock number 6. Well when we get ready my husband starts to drive to the shipper which was about 1 minute away from where we were parked. We pass this sign that says “Caution extremely bumpy road ahead”. I didn’t think mc of it because we have gone through many bumpy roads before like ones in Arkansas. As my husband is driving, I knew exactly what that sign meant. I was sitting on the back on the laptop and I was holding on to dear life as the truck bounced up and down up and down for what seemed like hours. I think that my intestines were out of place. Even the tv which has a strap to hold it in place came out of it’s strap and almost fell. All bottles and food all moved around. I even watched as my laptop which was charging as I was using it turned on and off of charging because of this road. Thank god we finally made it we got to our dock and waited about 30 minutes for them to load us. We turned the truck back on, of course going through that street again and went back to the same place to go to sleep, which was almost 3 in the morning, Well this morning we head for Texas. Let’s see what happens to us on the way there.

Stuck in Louisiana

Well we are here in Port Allen Louisiana, stuck until they load my husband.My husband first gets a a load at 4:30 and he is supposed to be at the location at 4:00 p.m. Then we get into traffic to go 7 exits down, and get there about an hour and 15 minutes later. Once we get to the supposed location we missed the street since like always there isn’t a sign and these people thinks we are some sort of fukkin psychic. Well we get to the place and to make long story short they tell my husband that there is a wait to be loaded with 20 trucks in front of him. They take an average of 3 trucks per hour so the wait is about 7 hours just to be called to the dock for them to load the trailer. Then for them to load the trailer god knows how long that will take. So here we are stuck and pissed off until they call us to the dock. In these days I am going to be geting more into detail on how cars can prevent accidents with trucks. Cars don’t have the knowledge on how to drive with trucks on the road, and risk their lives and the lives of others. I want to raise awareness on this subject and the trucking industry. So stay tuned!!