Confounding Celtic Yard Art

Almost two months ago I posted about the hiatus I've taken from blogging.  I thought it was about time to check in and tell you what we've been up to.

So, basically...a whole lot of nothing.

Ed and I are still alive, which I'm hoping you're happy to hear, and we're still waiting on our trucking business-related stuff to be sorted out, but in the meantime, we're just trying to handle the oppressive heat as best as we can.

Being on the road for so long, we realized that we were rarely home during the summer months.  That's when the industry freight picks up (for us, since we do platform freight) and being on the road during the unbearable heat of the desert suited us just fine.  Oh, sure, it's hot in other places in the country, but I've got to tell you, there is no heat like desert heat.  And we're getting a giant dose of it right now.  Most days have been between 102°F to 107°F (38°C to 41°C). 

People like to throw around the "it's a dry heat" comment.  Dry, my ass!  It's "stick your head in an oven" heat.  Seriously.  People have asked me how hot it gets, and I've told them to pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and once it reaches temperature, get nice and close and open the door.  That eyebrow-singing whoosh of heat is exactly what it feels like out here in Tucson.  Not pleasant.

But there are people who love it.  Like our Welsh neighbor, who goes for a run when the sun is high in the sky, at the hottest part of the day.  Or he's outside doing yard work.  He apparently loves to feel that heat on his skin.  And sweating.  He must love sweating.  

Confounding Celtic Art - the title of the latest yard art piece in his gorgeous backyard - is visible in the photo above.  Walking his property is like being in a southwestern nature preserve. Lovingly cultivated over 20 years, he has done all of the work himself with the help of his two sons and has created the most beautiful maze of pathways through this arid, sun-baked landscape.

I wish I had more to tell you, but sadly I don't.  Oh, wait...there are lots of little baby creatures we've been watching recently - baby quail, baby ground squirrels, baby rabbits - there's nothing cuter than a tiny furry creature.  They've all been frolicking outside our living room window, so we have a front-row view.  

Oh, and we recently saw a great movie on Redbox - Bohemian Rhapsody.  I loved it.  LOVED.  Rami Malek did a phenomenal job playing Freddie Mercury.  I wasn't a huge Queen fan - I only knew the popular songs - but this movie really won me over.  I highly recommend it.

That's about it.

Check back in every once in a while.  I might not have much to say, but I'll try to post a picture here and there.  And of course, you can always find me on social media.

Have a great Fourth of July!!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2018: On 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

Hiatus

View from our front yard of the sun setting on the Santa Catalina mountains.

Today marks the 14th anniversary of the start of this blog.  On May 7, 2005, The Daily Rant went live.  The posting during the first few weeks was sporadic, but by June 20th, we were daily!  

I love writing this blog.  I found it to be a great tool to keep my friends and family informed about where I am and what I'm up to.  Over the years I've shared photos of places I've visited and written about things that happened on the road.  My perspective was unique - my vantage point was the cab of an 18-wheeler.

I'm proud of what I've done here.

I have been hired for several writing assignments as a result of my writing here.  I sold photos that were published in magazines and books.  My most coveted assignment was the one for The Guardian in 2013.  Not only did that run online, but it also ran in the print version, and my friend Linda in Manchester, England, was kind enough to send me the weekly copies of the actual newspaper.  Someday I'll frame them and hang them in my office.

Ed's knowledge of trucking coupled with my experience and perspective in the industry was used to secure several paying assignments.  We were both hired as consultants on a secret project (had to sign NDAs and everything!) two scientists were working on to improve a certain aspect of truck performance.  I was contracted to write an article for the Go Daddy Garage Blog about questions to ask before starting a trucking company.  And I was also contracted by an online employment firm to be an SME (Subject Matter Expert) to help develop an assessment for truck drivers.  These are just a few examples. 

Some days gathering content for the blog is challenging and I've written about this before.  During times when we were home, or on dedicated runs, it was difficult to come up with things to write about.  We were trucking, but we weren't doing much traveling to write about.  I've filled in with stories about my family, photos of my mother's cat, recipes and whatnot.  And of course, I write about our vacations and travels out of the country.  I may not be trucking during that time, but it's the trucking that made the traveling possible.  It's not just trucking life, it's our life in general.

Well, our life, in general, has experienced a bit of a hiccup.  And due to that hiccup, I need to take a break from blogging.  Don't be alarmed!  Ed and I are just dealing with a few things related to the truck and the business that will likely keep us off the road until November.  I can't talk about it right now but as soon as I can, I will.  Don't worry about us!

Because we won't be traveling, keeping up with a daily blog will be impossible - there's just not that much to write about when we're home and there are only so many pictures of cactus to post.  So I'll be taking a hiatus and suspending the daily writing until we get back on the road.  

This makes me very sad.  I've put a lot into keeping this blog going daily.  Even when it wasn't the best content, I maintained the daily aspect.  As I said, I'm proud of what I've done here.  I'm proud of keeping it up for so long.  I'm thrilled that I have readers from all over the world and I've been so lucky to have met some of those people in real life. 

People like Mick and Ali, people like Linda from Manchester, people like Irene from Queens, NY, people like Gary Goulette, people like Bob and Linda Caffee, people like George and Wendy Parker and people like Marlaina and MacG to just name a few.  Hell, Marlaina and MacG have become such good friends that not only do they spend holidays with us and our family, but we also vacationed with them in Europe for a month last year!  And we still love them!  

So although I'm sad about having to take this break, I'm going to use this time to explore the ideas I've had about changing my blog format.  I'd like to redesign it, figure out exactly how I want to proceed, and figure out whether keeping up with posting daily is even something I want to do.  

I do have an Instagram account and will use that to do a little micro-blogging, with pictures and little snippets about what's going on, so please follow me there.  Be forewarned - there will likely be photos of cactus, mundane daily activity photos, and updates on where we eat.  Maaaybe we'll go for a weekend away and post about that but don't hold your breath.

That said, I will be back here posting periodic updates so please check in once in a while.  If you'd like to receive those updates via email, go to the sidebar on the right side of this page where it says "Subscribe To Me!" and enter your email address.  You'll get new posts as soon as I publish them.

I'd like to thank you for your continued readership and appreciate all the emails and messages you've all sent over the years.  If you'd like to contact me personally, I can be reached at salenalettera@gmail.com.

I'll see you all soon!



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2018: Hangin' With This Chick For Thirteen Years
2017: Twelve Years Of Flitting Around
2016: The Magnificent Eleven
2015: My Baby Is Ten Years Old
2014: A Contented Living
2013: Eight Takes The Cake
2012: Seven Years And Still Ranting
2011: Don’t Worry, Daily Rant. I’m On Your Six
2010: So This Is What Niche Feels Like
2009: The Sum Of Its Parts
2008: Look At Me, I’m Three!!
2007: A Trucking Style Birthday Celebration
2006: A Perfectly Uninteresting Event
2005: The Day The Blog Began