Our "it's not a promotion but sorta" happy news!!!

After only 7 months from the very start of our venture into the trucking world....3 months of school, 4 weeks of training, and 2 months and 3 weeks of being real live truck drivers we have hit the truck driver jack pot....we have arrived at the place we have been waiting for, for oh so long......for a full 7 months, ok so not that long, but we have arrived at a place most truck drivers dream and hope and aspire to end up!

WE ARE SO HAPPY & EXCITED TO SHARE:

We have been offered a dedicated I-5 driving position.
NOT IMPRESSED YET?! We weren't either initially. We kept weighing the options of continuing on our existent trucker track: which included hard work, grueling hours, no showers, seeing portland only every 5 wks, and very little money to show for it. Or to move on to this new opp. which gave us guaranteed higher miles every week translating to a consistent weekly higher pay check oh and also we would get to go home every weekend. Amanda & I vacillated back and forth, back & forth, until receiving wise counsel from my trainer who basically said:
MORE MILES=MORE MONEY-EVERY WEEK, & YOU GO HOME 8 DAYS/MONTH INSTEAD OF 4, + no more waiting around out on the road in the middle of canada scratching your butt missing your family & friends and spending more money than you're making....


"OHHHHHH! NOW WE GET IT!"

EXCITED YET?!
WE ARE!!!!

We frantically changed our stance and ferociously hopped the position was still available....we waited and agonized over our stupidity in delaying....we heard nothing

and then....

in a wild whirpool of confusion we were contacted by someone assuming we already knew the plan and nonchalantly told we would start the next day but we still didn't know where or how, we were passed to new management and then found ourselves doing a new run that required long hrs with no time for peeing/eating/or blinking, we were speedily driving the I-5 corridor back and forth 
but it felt good. We knew we were makin' dough and we knew we would be going home in a couple days for the weekend! It was suddenly a whole new world

We have now done our run for a week and a half and been home to try out our new mini-weekend and it's been real nice.

"Sunrise on the Run" (this morn on our new dedicated run)

New thoughts have formed over long 11 hr shifts of driving, of how we can have a life again, engage in community activities on the weekends, see friends, and long lists of all the things we can accomplish when home. It's especially weird since it was so unexpected and we have had to readjust to the awesome new reality.

Our time at home is short and quick.
Our shift changes are even shorter and quicker as one person dresses, eats, & wakes as the truck rolls on during the other's last hour of their shift and then we both hit the toilet for no more than 11 min of much needed servicing and then we are off and rolling again.
But we are back in portland every week! (or will be)
Seeing faces and hugging people we love (or planning upcoming reunions and VIP parties), drinking delicious coffee, laying on our comfy couch, and beginning to meet one of our main goals in this whole endeavor: making enough money to pay our bills/debt so we can be free for future possibilities!

We are looking forward to meeting our goals and having this new unexpected treat of a semblance of normal life again! Can't wait to be doing a little more of real life with all of you are loved ones back in P-town!

-Ariel

Go Girl!

In this new life that I now lead, there is a lot of improvising when it comes to the bathroom.  We obviously don't have one in our truck, so we have to rely on rest areas, truck stops, restaurants, and sometimes we just have to go outside.  I personally, am not a good squatter.  I can do it if absolutely necessary, but I am pretty bad at it.  Not only am I messy and clumsy about it, but I simply do not possess the leg muscles to properly execute an effective squat.  So before I left on this endeavor, I  bought a product called the "Go Girl".  It's basically a funnel that lets you pee standing up, so you can mostly keep your clothes on, and don't have to deal with the hovering.  I just used mine a few minutes ago, and, overflowing with the gratitude of dry pants, thought I would share it's wonders with you!  I would recommend it for camping, hiking, anything outdoors, and filthy public bathrooms and outhouses.  Cleaning it afterwards is a little bit of work, but so is changing your pants. :)  

And here is this video on the subject that I thought you would all find fascinating-enjoy!

 -Amanda

P.S. I can't vouch for whatever videos youtube recommends after this video is over, so click on those at your own risk.

Canada!

"Oh Canada, oh Canada, how lovely are your maple leaves!" 

(So goes Ariel's favorite Canadian song-to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree")

I am writing to you from the great white north!  We have been in Canada before, but only just over the border to deliver something, and then right back into the US.  This trip is different.  We are IN CANADA folks!  Right now we're in Prince George, BC and then tomorrow we deliver in Grande Prarie, AB.  Get out a map and look at it, it's SO north!  Wondering why on the map, the whole country looks white?  That's because the whole country IS white!  I don't know how cold it is right now, cause the temp. gauge on our truck is on the fritz again (last I checked it said 90F).  Using my exceptional observational skills though, I'd say it's at last a hundred degrees below zero, but that's just an educated guess. :)  

Amanda doing an interpretive Canadian rest stop pee dance, it was quite inspired (actually the truth- this is Amanda showing me her disgruntledness with my repeated picture taking of her)

We drove through some absolutely gorgeous mountain ranges yesterday and today.  Frozen lakes, snow laden trees, towering white mountains lit up by the moon, snow/ice crystals blowing in the air looking like magic pixie dust in the sun.  

"Middle of Nowhere"-Canadian wilderness, with the moon still up and the sun rising 

There is apparently quite a lot of wild life to see out here too.  We've heard there are bears, wolves, and coyotes, and we have seen signs to watch out for deer, moose, big horn sheep in the road, & multiple badger crossing signs (seriously!).  Ariel told me she saw a bald eagle today while she was driving, and almost hit a doe & buck that crossed right in front of her! So far that's the only real wildlife we've seen, but I still have my fingers crossed for a moose.




Last night I stopped at a pull out to pee (cause there really aren't many places to stop, especially not ones with bathrooms).  As I was standing there relieving myself (I'd explain, but I think that'll have to be it's own separate post), I was struck by the complete silence.  It was literally just me and the truck, out in the middle of the wilderness.  I could see a tree and snow covered mountain off to the left of me that literally looked like cgi, because it was so surreal and pristine.  All I could hear was the wind in the trees.  It was one of the more inspiring bathroom experiences of my life. :)  It was also a little scary, cause as soon as I realized I was completely alone, I started imagining a coyote strolling up over the mound of snow, and me with my pants down...

Not to worry, nobody's been eaten yet. :)

Ariel took a lot of pictures of the incredible scenery, I'll try to get them added soon, so you can see them.  Internet is hard to come by, but I'll do my best.

PS-The stereotype that Canadians are nice is true.  The stories you've heard about the border crossing guards in BC being really cranky are also true.  It's kind of like the troll under the bridge, if you can get past the grumpy people who have had to deal with too many Americans in their lives, you can get into the country and meet the rest of the Canadians who are just nice to everybody.  Thank you, most Canadians, for making our stay pleasant and friendly. :)

-Amanda

P.S.

This is the area we stopped where the snow banks and blanketed fields were twinkling like piles of diamonds and the air all around us was filled with sparkles, it really did seem like magic pixie dust falling on a magic land that looked like scenes from the Narnia of the White Witch. With the whole countryside covered and inundated with snow and ice every stationary thing encrusted in white left to be frozen in time and a stillness about you...

As I drove through the wilds of this great northern land I started imagining those who long ago bravely ventured out here to conquer new frontier to exhibit humanity's ability to persevere and overcome. So crazy to me, as I drove over a road in a heated cab headed towards some kind of civilization that would have food/shelter and amenities and still out here in the middle of nowhere could feel the further I went the city girl inside of me feeling smaller and more vulnerable and almost alone in the world. Surrounded by harsh conditions. What might it have been like for those courageous wild souls who forged out this way with none of the modern conveniences that I traveled with. How tough and strong and brave they had to be!

I could have started feeling like a pansy thinking of these brave settlers and fur trappers of old in contrast to us... but then we have made it this far and we did it by way of the small two lane, windy, icy/snowy middle of nowhere roads and worse....the back woods Canadian rest stops...

which are all exactly the same....a whole in the ground (no big deal) but they had open air windows, completely open  air in literally freeze your butt of below freezing temps. using ice toilet paper....it has been an invigorating experience to say the least of crossing the Canadian tundra (",)

ICE CRYSTALS adhering to anything that stands still for more than 5 seconds,
after using the biffy I had to defrost my bum

At a Husky gas station/truck stop I got to chatting with a friendly worker and she shared some of her story and the story of the land and the people who had lived there for years. She talked of how strong and resilient the people out here in the ranching/mining country were. She was especially focused on the strength and prowess of the women. She said that women worked alongside the men, mining, and trucking just the same. She said even in the trapping days there were women who set out into this wild wild west to trap and settle for themselves. WOW! talk about women power....pretty amazing! 

She told me that so much history had happened where we were now journeying. BC 97 is apparently the original route of the historic road-"Old Cariboo Road" that once was a thoroughfare for horses and carriages for the first settlers, trappers, and fur traders. We passed 70 mile house which was the original spot of the first roadhouse built in 1862, for stagecoaches to stop. I'm now very curious to read more of the history of the place and people who first settled here, sure to be many thrilling and intriguing stories, in this majestic & powerful land...

Frozen lake La Hach- (in the background, this huge lake completely frozen over and covered in feet of snow I saw snowmobile tracks on it)

SUNRISE AT COSTCO- PRINCE GEORGE, BC, CAN

We are still alive, though I'm now off to drive even more north and east into even wilder Canadian wilds to reach Grand Prarie, Alberta...wonder if we'll see any moose, caribou, or ravenous bears. (The lady actually told me a story of worrying for her friend who lived out of cell reception and being concerned if she couldn't make it down the road advising that the friend carry a shotgun in case she had to walk incase of coyotes, wolves, & Bears. We have been traveling most of our days out of cell reception and our Qualcomm signal. If you see breaking news of two American girls in the Canadian wilds and a picture of two fighting back throngs of wild beasts with plastic knives, then you'll know that it is us (",). Until we have internet again have a lovely week

 eh!

-Ariel

"WOOHOO! LIVIN' THE GOOD LIFE"-
(Ariel sporting her daytime-drivers glasses and 'manda sneakin' in the pic while cozy in her bed bunk)

Here's What You Missed On "As The Wheel Turns"

ARIEL: 

Graduated from training, but was suddenly getting off her trainer's truck a day early, that day turned to two days and then within the hour she was off… she had been conned into driving all by herself across 3/4 of the country. She was scared, people kept saying "well, at some point the baby bird has to fly and us mamma birds have to push the baby birds out of the tree" this did not make her feel better, she just kept imagining dead & mangled baby birds, causing her fears to mount… but she got her game face on and frantically scribbled last minute notes as her trainer answered her 'what if' scenarios and encouraged her that she could do it, she realized she could do it but she was still scared. Driving without her trainer all alone was a whole different game… but despite her fears, she did it! All 2,000 miles of the journey, all by herself! She was a real live truck driver! She was so proud of herself despite some very hilarious initiation into the very interesting world of trucking… 

After loading  all her stuff into the old truck and getting all the extras she needed from the shop, she bobtailed only feet  next door to the truck stop to spend the night, and despite the minuscule distance she traveled was so nervous, ha! 

"THIS IS A BOBTAIL"

Finding the bobtail section or what she thought was the only bobtail section which was only spots for 3….it looked as if  there was no space and then she realized there was one more spot to squeeze into….so she slowly awkwardly backed up  and at the point she thought I should G.O.A.L. ("Get Out And Look" which they drilled into us at school) she hit the chain  link construction fence that was back there…HILLARIOUS! ONLY 5 MIN. AS A BONAFIDE TRUCK DRIVER AND SHE HIT SOMETHING GEEZ! Really it was only a tap but she felt ridiculous. Then an old guy stopped to help her back up….remember she is only driving a bobtail…she felt more ridiculous. Finally after it was safe and parked she thought ok I made it the whole block and I'm safe! headed into the truck stop for some necessary goods like febreeze (the trucks previous owner was a smoker), clorox wipes-for wiping down, trash bags, and a tire thumper(AKA man beater)….and  returned out the door to her truck, turned the corner and oh look a bobtail with its 4way flashers flashing…..GEEEEEZE  it was mine….I felt like a such a newbie! I quickly went to the truck with my head down and turned off the flashers and got in and locked the door. Called my mom to tell her of my newb-ness and we laughed together at me!

The next morn. I was sent on an "MTY Hunt" the game we play as drivers where we have to search for an empty trailer.  This time I was sent to some other site to look for one, I found one and hooked up, then it was time to go to the customer  to drop the empty and pick up my FIRST LOAD EVER. I put the address into my GPS and went on my way turned right, passed a GP warehouse, got on the road, almost turned on a no truck road, turned right again got on a HWY then right on another HWY, then exited, oh look there is the pilot I stayed at last night oh look I'm on the same road, then it hit me I  was going right back to where I had just been! GEEZE! yup folks that's right I had picked up the empty and it was  literally right next to the customer but I had gone full circle-I mean, she had made the rookie mistake and couldn't help but laugh at herself….

She then took the new load and went the block back to the same pilot truck stop, miraculously found a pull through  parking spot (so she didn't have to do a back up) stopped the truck and parked, she was still alive the second day-pfewph! Then she went in to get some dinner, as she walked in she saw there on the right side the actual bobtail section with spots for a hundred! ha!…

It was a great start to her new trucker career. When her Truck instructor had said "IT's GONNA GET REAL INTERESTING OUT THERE" she just had no idea that by adding herself to the equation it was going to get REAL REAL INTERESTING OUT THERE! 

Her Maiden Solo journey ended just barely squeaking through cabbage Hill (the long steep pass on 84 coming from La Grande to Pendleton) she almost had to put on chains but didn't, she drove 15 miles/hr. with all the other trucks over snow & ice as the eastbound side was grid locked, only to find out that an hour later they had completely closed the pass. Look at those mad driver skills….from hitting fences & flashers left on to driving crazy conditions safely! She had made it… and now drove in through the green carpeted, tree laden, waterfalls cascading beautiful Oregon…She was HOME! She was a driver! THE LITTLE BIRDIE HAD BEEN PUSHED AND SHE HAD FLOWN! (Good thing, cuz a mangled baby bird would have made for a horrible ending to this episode)

AMANDA: 

Meanwhile, Amanda was still slogging through her training, a week behind Ariel.  The training experience was a very hard one for Amanda, aside from trying to cram her head full of reams of new information and skills, she also had to adjust to being separated from friends and family and out on her own for the first time.  There were a lot of challenges, what's the code people use?  Oh yeah, it was a growing experience. :)  In other words, Amanda was beyond relieved and happy to come back home by the end of it.  And even though it felt like a torture marathon at the time, she came back to Portland a stronger, more self-possessed woman, who was empowered by the knowledge that she had tried something completely out of her comfort zone, and had succeeded!   

She excitedly dragged her bags and bags of crap from her trainer's truck into her car, and got ready to take the short drive home…but…was something wrong with her car?  It felt tiny!  The experience of driving a tiny personal vehicle after that big truck was so bizarre, that she drove home at at least 10 mph under the speed limit, the entire time feeling like car was closing in around her.  "Why is the windshield so close to my head?  There's no room for my legs!  I feel like I'm shrinking, but my hands still look the same size!"  In spite of the shrinking car, you'll be glad to know that she made it home to drive another day.

THE GIRLS WERE REUNITED Back in Portland and GOT ONE DAY TOGETHER ON THEIR BEAUTIFUL COZY COUCH TO CUDDLE AND STARE LIKE ZOMBIES…THEN ARIEL WAS OFF TO SOLO A BIT MORE WHILE MANDA WAS ON HER HOME TIME

ARIEL: Ran a load up to Pacific,WA (company headquarters) and she dropped the old geezer of a truck and received the keys to her brand spanking new Gorgeous truck 10782 and moved in. 

Then funnily enough spent a whole day just living in the truck up in WA, while her partner was resting in Portland….seemed silly but the next day she got a load back to Portland.

ARIEL went to pick up AMANDA: to be reunited for reals and begin their new journey as a team. They moved in all their organizational boxes and cubbies and moved in, went over all the systems and procedures together and would after some silly working that ended in nothing were able to go home for Thanksgiving dinner before setting out again.

Their first run was from Oregon down to Cali…..for the next two weeks they would go OR to CA over and over and over and over, much to Ariel's chagrin (she was so sick of the Siskiyous) with a brief stint to AZ….they delivered christmas trees and an emergency run of sump pumps to the flood laden CA, and the usuals like TP and paper towels (",)

So much has happened: We've settled into the truck as our new little roving apartment. We've learned to sleep will bumping and rolling over highways and while jerking back n'forth in coupling and sliding tandems and backing up to docks

I once exclaimed over Amanda being exhausted because she had just woken up…to which she replied (with crazy big eyes)

" YEAH! because I just woke up from not sleeping!"

We've made lots of mistakes, encountered crazy people, been stared at SO SO SO SO SO MUCH! 

We've dragged our tired butts into many an establishment looking homeless & vagabond with unkempt everything, kickin' breath, groggy eyes and probably scared small children.

We've been to places called "Garden of Eden truck stop" , a town called WEED. We've seen amazing sights. 

                      Peed in many ways in many settings. 

Lowered and raised many a landing gear. 

Eaten a ton of "food" which is crap and had a couple delicious culinary encounters (Mexican in Cali, and Thai somewhere…). 

and of course tried on hats which I lobbied could be a tradition that we do every time we go to Rice Hill truck stop…

AND WE CONTINUE TO PRETEND/BELIEVE WE'RE LIVING THE GOOD LIFE (YOU KNOW PARTYING IT UP, ADVENTURING, AND HAVING AN AMAZING TIME….

                           

well Ariel does (and since Ariel is convincing Amanda believes it for a couple seconds every once in a while).

We were in Pembina, North Dakota the other night waiting to re-try entering CANADA and we were deliriously tired and Ariel started loosing it and bursting into hysterical laughter and Amanda joined, and we were in this quiet  little weird truck stop so everyone could hear, it had something to do with mac n' cheese being a comedy, children being a tragedy, and then there was the idea of me laying on the floor peeing my pants….as you can see it got out of hand but we look back on it fondly….

And then of course there are the more hairy moments….the reality

like being stuck between two lanes of traffic in a shopping mall with cars behind and signs in front and no way to move forward …..and last night when we were denied entry to CANADA, THEN HAD TO RE-ENTER THE US, BUT LOST OUR PASSPORTS, and then we were walking around between the respective buildings to look for passports and communicate and were told we couldn't just walk around that we'd get in trouble …..and ended up detained in a small holding room... 

and then just the usual day in day out stuff like being exhausted and driving then sleeping then eating then driving then repeat….. and working really long hours but only getting paid while rolling, and waiting then hurrying

BUT REALLY THOSE ARE ALL HILARIOUS AS WELL….(according to ariel)

So I guess we are living the good life sort of….

except for the fact that this really is hard work and we're not pro enough yet to be getting paid enough money for the amount of torture…..

The good news we still have each other and our laughing explosions and the adventures are never ending….hopefully someday we can actually make some money (",)

The Trucking Life

I know ya'll have been waiting patiently for an update, and so I'm gonna do my best to give you something interesting tonight, although I can feel my brain powering down as I type, so don't get your hopes up too high.  :)

I have been realizing from some of the questions I've been getting that we haven't given you guys much info on the trucker lifestyle.  First of all, it's true what they say, that trucking is not just a job, it is a lifestyle. Now that doesn't mean that we're going to start chewing tobacco or wearing flannel (necessarily), but it is a true statement about the job that we are now in.  We don't live in a house anymore, we live in a vehicle.  We eat out of a cooler or at restaurants or from what we can find at mini marts, and we pee in public restrooms or outside, and we never shower in the same place twice, if at all.  We're kinda like gypsies. :)  We are finding a newfound appreciation for things we took for granted back when we were non-truck drivers, some examples:

-Denny's.  I am not kidding when I say that Denny's is absolutely my new favorite restaurant.  I get so excited when I see a Denny's at an overnight stop, and let me tell you why: they have a build your own burger with an Amy's veggie patty.  Because of the lack of options and hot food out here, that veggie burger becomes one of the best things I've ever tasted.  A Denny's sign means "you will have something reliable that tastes good for dinner tonight".  I love sitting in the booth and savoring my burger and fries while reading a good book.

-Showers.  I have been fortunate enough to get a shower ever day I've been out here, because a morning shower is something that is very important to my trainer, so she makes sure we're someplace where we have access to showers if at all possible.  Some of the rest of us have not been so lucky in the shower department. :)  The way it works is that you get a reward card to all of the different truck stop chains, and then you get one free shower for the first 50 gallons of fuel you buy at that chain.  So we fill our tanks with 50 gallons, stop and reset the pump, and fill with the other 50 gallons, that way we get 2 showers instead of one.  (If you don't have the credits from fueling, the showers cost $12.) Anyway, in the morning you drag your sorry ass out of your bunk, and hike across the truck stop parking lot in your sweats, with crazy hair and pillow wrinkles still on your face, and sign in for a shower.  They give you a shower number and a code to type in to unlock the door to your private shower room.  Some of the shower rooms look nice and clean, and some of them look like exactly what you think of when you hear the term "public shower".  But the water is hot, and you are in a room all by yourself, and when you're done, you feel like a real human again.

-Hotels.  I have had the good fortune to be able to stay in a hotel room twice since I've been out here, and let me tell you, a hotel room is the last word in trucker luxury.  You can shower without flip flops on.  You can hang out and watch tv in complete privacy.  And you can do so in as much or as little clothing as you so desire.  You can walk around in your bare feet.  You can eat in privacy.  You can soak in a hot tub!  You can go to the bathroom in the middle of the night without putting your shoes on and hiking across a parking lot.  These are the things we live for. 

-Walmart.  (please don't anybody disown me)  I didn't ever shop at Walmart in my past life.  Ever.  But Walmart has several benefits for the truck driver.  First of all, they usually have room for truck parking, which is almost unheard of outside of truck stops.  Secondly, they often allow trucks to park in their lots overnight, which comes in handy if it's late and you literally can't find any other place to park and sleep besides the freeway ramp.  Third, they have everything.  You can buy a lot of things at truck stops:  snacks, drinks, truck parts, gloves, crappy toys, toothpaste, even bananas-but in the end, it's still a truck stop, not a store.  Walmart is a store if there ever was one.  They have clothes, they have appliances, they have a drug store, they have goldfish if you want them.  And they have groceries.  Real live produce and foodstuffs that isn't marked way up like at the truck stops.  And last, but definitely not least, they have bathrooms-and if you are parked in their lot for the night, there is nothing you want more.  Ariel and I have both gone into a Walmart, pockets stuffed with toiletries, for the sole purpose of using their bathroom.  It feels a little weird to be brushing your teeth when actual customers come in to use the toilet, but desperate times call for desperate measures-and oral hygiene is important to me. :)

Today I had a day off, and so did Ariel, so I got to talk to her for a good long time-her in a Starbucks in Virginia, and me in a bathtub in Arizona (the Little America truck stop in Flagstaff has killer shower rooms with big clean tubs).  We are both adjusting to our new lifestyle, and learning to appreciate the little things, baths, good coffee, and connecting with good friends.  We are really looking forward to when we get to continue that adjustment together-just a few more weeks! 

-Amanda   

Update

A few of you have been asking how things are going, since we haven't posted here recently.  The reason I haven't written in awhile is that this whole trucking thing is really hard!  

It's hard physically:  not always getting enough sleep and/or getting up really early, having to be really intentional about making time to eat, and trying really hard to find healthy food that I even want to eat, trying to drink enough to stay hydrated, but not so much that we have to stop every hour for a bathroom break, or I have to get up in the night and walk across the parking lot into the truck stop to pee.  

It's hard mentally: there is so much information that a person needs to know to be a truck driver!  Map reading, trip planning, company paper work, fueling, shifting, going down hills without loss of life :) and of course, building up the stamina to drive up to 10 hours a day.  

And it's hard emotionally:  being away from friends and family for such a long time, not having much free time to connect on the phone or internet, living with someone I don't know...for a whole month.  I think I can speak for both of us when I say it's been a rough week.  I have been just non-stop exhausted, and Ariel has been fighting a nasty cold.  

However...
It's not all bad news, so all the moms can just stop the worrying (you know who you are).  :)  I personally, have been feeling better about things the past few days.  I think it's a combination of getting to talk to my cousin on the phone a few times, and some serious intentionality in the food/eating department (I had 3 meals and 2 snacks both yesterday and today...first time since I left home).  Apparently, eating food and having friends will do wonders for your life!  


A few random thoughts:

-I drove 311 miles today.  Not my longest ever, but more than yesterday, and I didn't feel like I was going to fall asleep the whole time, which is a serious improvement.  Tomorrow: LA near the end of morning rush hour!

-So far I haven't had to drive in any rain or snow...and I've had sun every day.  :)

-I made myself a huge veggie sandwich for lunch today with Dave's Killer Bread...so good!

-Today I saw a sign for "Zzyzx Rd." off of I-15 in California.  I'd love to hear everyone's opinions on the proper pronunciation.  

-So far I've hauled birdseed, insulation, capri-sun, and cat litter.  I am probably not going to find a lot of deep fulfillment from this job. :)

-Today I had to hit my breaks hard and pull over to the side of the freeway, because there was a runaway cow trying to cross.

:)   -Amanda

Manderfield

I am going to try my very hardest to go to sleep early tonight, since I've not been very good at getting up early (3am) and staying awake to drive. (I've had to take a nap the last few days once my trainer started us out on the road around 6am, just couldn't keep my eyes open or my head up.  Don't worry, she was driving-I was in the bunk.)  I get to sleep in 'til 5am tomorrow morning, but I'd still like to get a good solid night's sleep, so I'll try to keep this short.  Just a few thoughts from the past few days:

-I drove my longest ever in one day yesterday, almost 450 miles.  And today I drove my longest stretch between breaks, I think it was about 4 hours.  I am physically and mentally exhausted at the end of each day, but I think I'm starting to build up my tolerance, so that is good!

-Yesterday I drove past a town called "Manderfield" in Utah.  :)

-I also saw a sign in the middle of nowhere (maybe Utah), that said, "We buy antlers".  Ha!

What else...tonight I'm in southern California, near Bakersfield-there's just so much sun!

Oh, and we are not recycling out here.  I mean, my trainer's not recycling, and I'm not gonna make a stink about it.  But we're drinking bottled water...and tea, and juice, and soda...and driving a huge diesel powered truck all over the place.  I'm gonna have to build my own self-heating cabin out of plastic garbage bags and walk everywhere for the rest of my life to make up for the damage I'm doing to the planet right now. :)

That's all folks-oh, except you should all send warm thoughts to my other half.  She's not feeling well and is dealing with snow in Wyoming right now.  Stay warm and be well cousin!

-Amanda