Life Between The Cracks

A truckstop wall, somewhere in Georgia.

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2018: Well, I'll Be Damned!
2017: My Sentiments Exactly
2016: Ed's Last Look
2015: The Lido Line
2014: Puttin' On The Fritz
2013: Proof That A Snowball Does Have A Chance In Hell
2012: I Just Want Tiny Little Elephants To Massage My Earlobes
2011: App-solutely Crazy
2010: NCIS Investigates The Kitchen Aftermath
2009: Sometimes There Are FOUR Sides To A Story
2008: Made With Pride
2007: Coke Crushes The Competition
2006: Tired And Mute
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Trucks Bring It To Them, They Bring It To Us

A couple of weeks ago, Ed and I tried grocery delivery to our home.  It was our first time and we weren't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a great experience. 

This past weekend, we tried it again.  Except for this time, since we're on the road, we had the groceries delivered to us at a truck stop!

We were in Atlanta.  It had been raining for two days.  We were in our pajamas.  And we needed food.

We planned on going out to shop for ourselves over the weekend, but laziness took over and when the rain came, neither of us wanted to go out in it.  So Ed started looking into grocery delivery.  We found a Publix (one of my favorite grocery stores) a few miles away who offered delivery.

Ed placed the order and waited to be contacted by the delivery person.  Publix uses Instacart as their delivery service and they keep you updated during the entire process - "Your order has been received", "Your basket is being filled", "Your order is complete", "Your order is on its way".  They gave us the name of the two women who were doing the shopping and delivery and provided a time frame for the delivery.

When Ed received an ETA from the driver, he got dressed and met the driver at the main building of the truck stop.  He thought it'd be easier to meet her at the building rather than her trying to navigate a sea of semi trucks in the parking lot.  He took our two big tote bags so he'd be able to carry everything back to the truck.

Minutes later he was knocking at the back door.  I opened it to find him standing there with two bags, his raincoat falling off his shoulders.  He looked adorable.  But more importantly, he had our groceries.

This, my friends, is a total game changer.  Grocery delivery to a semi truck??  Awesome.  Not having to navigate parking lots that aren't truck friendly?  A big plus.  Ordering groceries in our pajamas?  Heaven.

Our original plan was to either take an Uber to the grocery store or drive the truck over.  Bobtailing (driving without the trailer) meant that Ed would have to drop the trailer, which he didn't really want to do, and driving the truck and trailer meant we could lose the parking spot we'd been in all weekend.  And, although the parking lot appeared to be able to accommodate our truck, you never really know until you get there.  No Truck Parking signs are a familiar sight.

It was a deal, too.  The delivery fee is waived if you order over $35 worth of product, which we did, so all we had to pay was the $3 service charge.  The Uber would have been over $20 plus tip for the round-trip.  The only thing better?
 
I didn't have to get out of my pajamas.  



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2018: Cloud Cover
2017: Vintage Sip
2016: Amateur Arborists
2015: Sea Day
2014: Art Deco Color
2013: Formed Around A Grain Of Sand
2012: Pinwheels, Cartwheels, What’s The Difference?
2011: Maybe You Left It On Mars
2010: The Art Of A French Cooking Friend
2009: Eddie Supervises Friday
2008: Squeaky Clean
2007: Rushing No More
2006: My Constant Gardner
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Loaded Up And Heading Home

After the Million Miler Event was over in Savannah, we decided to go home for a bit.  I had a few appointments I needed to take care of and Ed had some maintenance work to do on the truck.

There weren't any loads going to Arizona so we snagged this forklift headed to New Mexico and after delivery there if we don't find another load we will just deadhead the rest of the way. 

I'm glad to see that the weather in the coming week will be a little cooler - in the low to mid-nineties instead of triple digits - and it's monsoon season, so we can expect rain every day which although it raises the humidity, also cools things down a bit.

Looking forward to some afternoon rainstorms!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: The City Girl Snaps A Sunset
2016: Imperfectly Wonderful
2015: Charleston Blues And Greens
2014: Dodging Locals Under The Oaks
2013: The Best Trail In Town
2012: It’s Even Better Than Having A “Plan B”
2011: Who Says Truckers Don’t Have Nice Legs?
2010: Boy, Have Times Changed!
2009: I’ll Have A Short Stack With A Million Scrambled Eggs On The Side Please
2008: It Came At A Perfect Time
2007: Experimenting With Scrotum
2006: Can Anyone Spare A Roll Of Pennies?
2005: Matching Purse And Flip Flops??

Clean Sweep

Ed took this photo of a little tugboat hanging out on the Savannah River, waiting for a job.



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2017: The Little French Dining Car
2016: Shiny Happy People
2015: The Oedipus Driving Complex
2014: Summer At Percy Priest
2013: Heat And Humidity Abundant, Wind Nowhere To Be Found
2012: Delicious Eats And Healthy Treats
2011: Special Seasoning
2010: Two Truck Drivers, A Writer And A Photographer Walk Into A Bar
2009: Taking The Express To The Heartland
2008: TIT-illating Sights On The Road
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Embracing Your Inner Bike Riding Hussy
2005: It Takes A Village To Wake A Child

Southern Cruising

The Georgia Queen waits on the banks of the Savannah River, day and night.  All you have to do is pick a cruise that suits you!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: Financial Reality
2016: Spring Break
2015: Moving The World
2014: Shoving Off
2013: Bean By Day
2012: The Honey-Do List
2011: Following The Trail Of The Father Of Our Country To The Place Where A Cuckoo Flew Over A Nest
2010: Amid The Corn
2009: I’m Going To Be A Millionaire!!!
2008: How I Do Love A Colorful Lunch Plate
2007: Lucky Sevens
2006: My Head Has Been In The Clouds For Weeks
2005: Chunky Cheese

Taffy Pulling

Salt water taffy stretching and wrapping machines at the River Street Sweets store in Savannah, Georgia.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: Hot Diggity Dog!
2016: Fashion Statement
2015: Proof They Have All The Training They Need
2014: The Value Of This Place Continues To Increase
2013: Bursts Of Light And A Bean
2012: Cool As A Cucumber
2011: I Think We Have A Winner
2010: Progressively Yours,
2009: Spill It
2008: I’ve NEVER Colored Inside The Lines. Why The Surprise?
2007: I Didn’t Make It, But I Ate It
2006: Sorry, no post for this day.
2005: Slim Or None! I’ll Take None.

Commerce On The Savannah

Over the course of our stay at the Westin Savannah Harbor, we moved rooms.  We originally had a golf course view and wound up moving to a river view, both rooms on the 16th floor, the highest in the building.

The golf course is nice, but in my opinion, watching the ships go by is more interesting.  This one passed through just as the sun was setting.  As you can see, just like the one that passed Ed on the river a few days ago, this one dwarfs everything around it.

The Savannah River is one of Georgia's longest and largest waterways.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: The Horsepower Of The Apaches Was Natural
2016: Putting In The Miles
2015: Grand Parking Lot
2014: True Independence
2013: Pyrotechnic Parade Across The Midwest
2012: Plane, Train, Or Automobile – Just Get Me To Canada!
2011: Hello, Kitty. Who’s Your Friend?
2010: If It’s Good Enough For Homeland Security, It’s Good Enough For Me
2009: The Top At Dock
2008: Night Interrupted
2007: Just A Train And A Tree
2006: This is One Lawn Boy I Have No Desire To See Naked
2005: Not So Cuddly

Dwarfed

Yesterday, Ed's little charter fishing boat was passed by this giant vessel, and then pass by the hotel we're staying at on their way to the port.  I read in a book in our hotel room that the Port of Savannah is the largest single container terminal in North America.

Last year, the port welcomed the largest containership to ever call on the East Coast of the United States.

That's impressive.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: When A Bolt Turns You Into A Bitch
2016: The Most Important Meal Of The Day
2015: The Weirdest Reunion Ever
2014: River Alarm
2013: A Face Only A Mother Sniffer Can Love
2012: Rolling In The Deep
2011: A Castle On A Bluff
2010: The Skies Really Are Friendly, No Matter Who Is Flying In Them
2009: Eddie Beach Feet Friday
2008: Panoramic
2007: My New Motto
2006: Fake It Till You Make It
2005: Feria Colour Strands

On The River

Today Ed took an afternoon excursion with some of the people from our event.  They headed out on an offshore fishing trip provided by Miss Judy Charters.  I opted not to go because it was 90 degrees with 1.1 million percent humidity. 

They picked up the guests at the hotel dock and headed out on the Savannah River for a few hours.  The women who ran the charter said the fish weren't biting because it was too hot.  OK, people, if it's too hot for fish who live in water, it's too hot for humans. 

Ed had a great time and caught a stingray.  Apparently, it put up quite a fight.  Who knew there were stingrays in the river??



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: Reaching The Boiling Point
2016: Any One Will Do For Doo
2015: A Lazy River Surrounding A Big 'Ol Lazy Pool
2014: A Successful, Safe, Million Mile Driving Man And His Timepiece
2013: In Hot Pursuit
2012: The Spotlight Isn’t Just On The Community
2011: The United States Of American Cheese
2010: Waiting
2009: My Mother The Jihadist
2008: Perfectly Reasonable Defense
2007: Provocative
2006: Sidewalk Sushi
2005: $4,000 Worth Of Tupperware

No Miles Are Being Driven This Week

We're spending the majority of this week in Savannah, Georgia at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa for another Million Miler celebration.  It's hot and humid here, so I'm not anticipating leaving the building but who knows, I might surprise myself and venture out for shopping or photographing.  Savannah has great spots for both.

Ed got his award back in 2014, but as a million miler, he's eligible to the event every year, wherever it's being held. 

We currently have a golf course view (see above) from the 16th floor of the building, which is also the top floor.  In a few days, we'll be back in a river view room, which I prefer, which will give us a great view of the fireworks display on the fourth. 


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: Partying Among Nations
2016: When You Need A Little Boost
2015: Celebrating At The Creek
2014: Show Ed Some Love And Crank Up The Good Luck Vibes!
2013: Canada Or Bust!
2012: Salena Scissorhands
2011: The Bald And The Beautiful
2010: Here To Win, Here To Stay
2009: Her Bosom Is Heaving, His Member Is Throbbing
2008: Worn By The Sea
2007: Spinning In The Night
2006: Forget Country Music! We Have Bungalows Full Of Breasts!!
2005: I Demand An Explanation

Fall, Falling, Fallen

Fall is my favorite season.  The weather hasn't gotten any cooler in Tucson, and we don't have any changing leaves, but someone, somewhere, is enjoying this glorious season.  I envy them. 

Fall

Edward Hirsch, 1950

Fall, falling, fallen. That’s the way the season 

Changes its tense in the long-haired maples 

That dot the road; the veiny hand-shaped leaves 

Redden on their branches (in a fiery competition 

With the final remaining cardinals) and then 

Begin to sidle and float through the air, at last 

Settling into colorful layers carpeting the ground. 

At twilight the light, too, is layered in the trees 

In a season of odd, dusky congruences—a scarlet tanager

And the odor of burning leaves, a golden retriever 

Loping down the center of a wide street and the sun 

Setting behind smoke-filled trees in the distance, 

A gap opening up in the treetops and a bruised cloud 

Blamelessly filling the space with purples. Everything 

Changes and moves in the split second between summer’s 

Sprawling past and winter’s hard revision, one moment 

Pulling out of the station according to schedule, 

Another moment arriving on the next platform. It 

Happens almost like clockwork: the leaves drift away 

From their branches and gather slowly at our feet, 

Sliding over our ankles, and the season begins moving 

Around us even as its colorful weather moves us, 

Even as it pulls us into its dusty, twilit pockets. 

And every year there is a brief, startling moment 

When we pause in the middle of a long walk home and 

Suddenly feel something invisible and weightless 

Touching our shoulders, sweeping down from the air: 

It is the autumn wind pressing against our bodies; 

It is the changing light of fall falling on us. 

Here are some other poems to read as the leaves change and the weather gets colder.  



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2016: Twisted Monday
2015: The Bitchy Beast Of Strijen
2014: Montana Moments
2013: Scanning Comes To A Mouth Near You
2012: Go Ahead, Judge Me
2011: Con Los Años Que Me Quedan
2010: Ten. Ten. Ten. A Perfect Score!
2009: Lighting The Testosterone Torch
2008: Eddie Helps The Economy Friday
2007: Talk About A Thorn In Your Side
2006: My Sentiments Exactly
2005: Mason? Dixon? Line? BELOW It.

In The Stacks

Containers at the Port of Savannah, the fastest-growing container terminal in the United States.  

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2016: Isn't He A-Moose-Ing?
2015: Ten Saturday Links
2014: Farm And Garden Since 1936
2013: Waiting In The Waiting Room
2012: Waiting Out Our Mistake
2011: A Brilliant Island Adventure
2010: It’s Getting So Much Easier These Days To Spot Idiots
2009: Scenes From Motor City
2008: Eddie Mad Hatter Friday
2007: What A Grape Idea!
2006: You Couldn’t Pay Me Enough
2005: Due Amici Designs

Flashback To The South

Me, in Savannah, Georgia in 2007.  The photo was taken by Ed.



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2016: Debonair
2015: Geographically Centered
2014: Full Brain, Full Belly, Full Wallet
2013: Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo
2012: Honing Her Skills For The Nursing Home
2011: Fire Up The Grill
2010: The Voice Of Tucson Speaks
2009: Crossing Over To The White Side
2008: Eddie Voyager Of The Seas Friday
2007: Indiscriminate Discrimination
2006: Dancing Queen
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Birdwatching Saturday

We've been sitting around for a few days now. First, we were in a Walmart parking lot that offers truck parking near our delivery location, then we went to one of our "secret" spots (no neighbors, screaming fast internet), then two nights in a no-name truck stop, and now we're at a Love's.

Today we spent some time birdwatching. We really didn't have a choice since the birds essentially swarmed most of the trucks in the lot.  Sitting on hoods, perched on hood mirrors, they were everywhere.

I decided to feed them.  I had some kettle corn in the truck that had gone stale because I wasn't eating it and thought it'd be the perfect treat for the birds milling around. They loved it.

Based on my research, and the pale yellow eyes, I'm pretty sure these birds are Great-Tailed Grackles. 

They are iridescent black, and in certain light you can definitely see the greens, blue, and violets in their feathers.  The females were around too, but they're not as pretty - boring brown and half the size of these birds - so I didn't take any pictures of them.

Here's a view from the rear. This tail and coloring definitely seems to match the definition of the Great-Tailed Grackle.

They're obviously used to being around people because they weren't afraid of our voices, or the trucks rolling by. They ate the popcorn out of my hand!

Here are a few hanging out on the trucks parked next to us. 

Once the popcorn was gone, the appeal for me faded. The birds still hung around and hopped all over the truck, I could hear them on the roof of the sleeper.

So there you go, one of the more lame things we do with our down time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Flashback Friday
2013: The Best Kind Of Mob

2012: Who Needs A Guy In A Three Piece Suit When You Can Have This Guy In A One Piece?

2011: Stop And Smell The Turkey And Sweet Potatoes

2010: How Do You Spell Relaxation? B.V.I.

2009: Green Velvet

2008: Eddie Lost In Space Friday

2007: Have A Happy Thanksgiving And Choke On A Turkey Bone For Us

2006: When You Can’t See The View Because The Hooters Are In The Way

2005: Stealth Monday

Airport Delivery

From truck to plane, the quickest way for freight to travel between continents.



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2014: A Bun Of Spun Gold
2013: City Tour
2012: Capturing The Soul Of The Midwest  
2011: Ed Weighs In
2010: You’ve Got Mail!
2009: Bigger Than Leif
2008: Newfies, Here We Come!
2007: Big Teeth And Dancing Just Don’t Mix
2006: Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay
2005: Nuts

Morning Y'all

Sunrise in Georgia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Happy Fall Morning
2013: Own The Day

2012: Barrio Viejo 

2011: A Daunting Task
2010: Salivating Over The Salumeria
2009: The Cheapest Entertainment Around
2008: Proud To Be A Liberal American
2007: I Don’t Think This Is What The Gideons Had In Mind
2006: Ten Reasons Today
2005: The Big Five Oh!

Mangiare All'aperto, Trucker Style

Over the weekend we found ourselves, along with four other trucks, arriving in Moultrie, Georgia to pick up a load going to the Atlanta Airport. 

Our freight? These cute little short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft, being shipped from Maule Air, the world-renowned manufacturer of STOL airplanes. 

Maule Air is family owned and has been around for over 74 years. Founded in 1941 by Belford D. Maule - who started designing aircraft in the 1930s when he was 19 years old - the company first produced tailwheels and fabric testers. They moved on to design work in 1953, and in 1957 aircraft production began with the Bee-Dee M-4. The company manufactured and delivered 2,500 aircraft in its first 50 years of business.

Here is our craft, strapped to an aluminum skid, ready to be placed on the truck.

The matriarch of Maule Air, June Maule, was still at the helm of the company until her death in 2009 at the age of 92!  I discovered this article and learned that she was inducted into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame, established in 1992 to honor women who have made significant contributions to aviation as record setters, pioneers, or innovators.

How awesome is that?

The logistics team (the guy standing on the trailer and the woman standing on the ground next to him in the photo below) were there for every step of the loading process. They took pictures and made sure everything went off without a hitch. It was one of the smoothest and quickest loading times I've ever seen.

I'd also like to note that this customer bought lunch for all of us! That's NEVER happened at any customer, ever, in the 11 years I've been on the road. What a pleasant surprise!

Once on the trailer, Ed strapped down the plane, which required the straps to go over the skid the aircraft was secured to rather than over the aircraft itself. Any pressure on the aircraft body could damage it.

STOL aircraft have short runway requirements for takeoffs and landings. They're good in areas where the runways are challenging - in high altitudes, covered in ice, dirt strips, patches of grass, or even on water (when used with floats).  They are often used for bush planes, sightseeing trips, personal enjoyment, or necessity, like in the communities of northern Canada or Alaska that are only accessible by plane.

You can see some performance videos here.

The company was even featured on one of our favorite shows, How It's Made.

Here, Marlaina takes a close-up look at the plane.

Below, you can see Marlaina and MacGyver's truck in the background getting ready to be loaded. Once Ed was finished strapping the freight, he slid the curtain back in place and pulled forward to get out of their way.

The planes needed to be at the airport to be loaded onto another plane (much bigger of course!) so they could begin their journey across the Atlantic. They decided to load the planes on Sunday so we'd all be ready to go first thing Monday.

First thing turned out to be five o'clock in the morning. Which meant I had to get up at four to get ready, and then make ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches for everyone. Ed and MacGyver are very cranky in the morning if they don't have food and coffee.

It also meant we'd all be spending the night on the air strip in front of the hangars, since there were no truck stops or parking facilities nearby.

So...what better time to have a dinner party than when you're stuck at an air field for the night?

There were five trucks and seven drivers - Marlaina and MacGyver, Ed and I, Bob, Ali, and Vladimir. I had originally planned dinner just for the four of us, as I always do when we're together, but how could I leave out the three other drivers knowing they'd be dining on fast food or microwave meals while we'd be eating my homemade deliciousness?

So we set up a little al fresco dining area.

The boys dragged over a picnic table, positioned the trucks around it to shield us from the wind, and strung colorful Christmas lights above the table. The glow from the string of lights and the running lights on the truck created the perfect outdoor dining atmosphere.

I thought it was pretty spectacular. I've fed people from my truck before - 10 truckers at Port Hueneme a few years ago, watermelon for the guys working in the relentless heat, and our friends from Life With No Fixed Address whenever we get the chance to meet up, like last night when we live-streamed the Canadian elections to our TV - and I enjoy every minute of it.

Dining at the air strip reminded me of a restaurant my father took me to over 20 years ago at a small, local airport in New York. It was called C.A.V.U. - Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited - an aviation term.  Seems like the place is still around, operating under a different name now, but I thought about it when I was telling a family member about my little dinner party.  

I made a Mixed Green Salad with assorted dressings, Rosemary Pork Chops, Couscous, Roasted Cauliflower, and Sautéed Green Beans. We had a little "beverage bar" set up with ice cubes and filtered water, and a bottle each of Coke and Diet Coke that was leftover from lunch.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal, the conversation was pleasant, and I don't think these drivers will forget this impromptu get together on the edge of an airstrip.  

This might be our new normal for outside dining, in agreeable weather of course. We already carry an extra chair for MacGyver (since we only have seating for three in the truck), who's to say we can't also get a folding table? Ed's going to have an aneurysm with all the extra crap I want to keep in the storage boxes.

But hey, if you're gonna truck, you may as well do it in style. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Released To The Press
2013: In A Time When Gentlemen And Ladies Actually Existed
2012: The Great Affair 
2011: The Gaping Void Says It All
2010: Under The Tuscan Sun Within 3,000 Year Old Walls
2009: Dragged Back, Kicking And Screaming
2008: Seniors Maintain Law And Order By Way Of A Fluke Discovery
2007: Lisa Lavie Is The Angel Here
2006: Fight The Moth
2005: Abandoned But Not Forgotten