Comments in a bar...

Dancing Days by Led Zep is playing and a middle aged lady tells the bartender, "I had the world by the tail on a downhill drag when this album came out." 

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Closing out the day in style...

I drove 400+ miles today and made 5 deliveries today. I deserve a beer. Thankfully the last Kmart I delivered to today has a bar next to it and I am sampling a tasty local IPA. I was going to try and squeeze one more delivery in but hell with it.

The drive was nice today. I-84 follows the Columbia river for a long stretch with Mt Hood off in the distance sitting like an ice cream cone on the horizon. It was almost 60 degrees today and it's still Feb. I also learned that Mt Hood is home to 5 ski slopes I think it was, and one of them has a run open all summer because there are permanent glaciers on the top of the mountain. Portland just moved up on my places to live list.

I'm going to chill and enjoy a NBA game. I almost feel like a normal person right now...

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Sleeping in another parking lot...

'Twas a long but worthwhile day. My morning drive really was spectacular. I took US-287 out of Dubois and up a 9k ft mountain pass. The road was slightly snow covered, only two lanes and rather narrow. There were turnouts every few miles and most of them had pickups with trailers for snowmobiles. That seems to be the activity of choice for a Saturday morn up in the mountains of WY.

The picture is from further along on the other side of the pass. The tallest mountain in that pic is Grand Teton Peak, the second highest mountain in WY at just over 13,700 ft. 

The delivery in Jackson went fine and I spent about two hours walking around the town trying to find a shop for a decent souvenir t-shirt. I was also kicking myself for not taking my ski jacket and pants in the truck with me. I'm positive I could have a begged a day from my boss to ski Jackson Hole ski resort. The manager even told me I could park my rig all weekend in the store lot if I wanted. It's ok, I need to be saving money right now. I have to come back anyway. Couldn't find a decent t-shirt.

After my delivery I drove about 420 miles to get to my stopping point for the night; a Kmart parking lot in Ontario, OR. I made a dellivery here too and now I'm typing away in a little coffee shop. I have 7 stops tomorrow. I better get some sleep.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Brief update

Ended up spending the night in Dubois, WY at a little motel. Couldn't quite make it to Jackson. Beautiful drive coming up. Here is a pic of Mt. Elko. More later.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Another day...

A rather pretty western NE sunset greets me as I finish my day of driving. I didn't end up making it to IA yesterday. Shut it down at La Salle, IL 77 miles from the line after 672 miles of driving. I drove 729 miles today in 12 hrs and 15 min to get to Ogalla, NE. My truck only goes 65 mph. You do the math, that's a lot of driving.

Oddly enough, I feel pretty good. I got some phone calls made to my deliveries tomorrow and had two wonderful conversations with my mother and best friend. When I'm out on the plains the milles seem to come easy, and when I'm headed west they come even easier. I always feel light as a feather when headed west and like Atlas holding the world up when I come back east.

My dinner consisted of a cup of chili at Wendy's. The body doesn't need that much nourishment when one sits and drives all day. Some drivers forget this and that's why you see so many fat drivers. Relax mom, I ate more than just chili today. 

Bleh, I feel like making some more weighty ruminations but it will have to wait for when I can sit down with my laptop. I love making posts with my Pre, but this little key board is less than ideal for lengthy thoughts. Goodnight!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Bath time!

Just got my truck washed at a Blue Beacon near Toledo, OH. One of the worker guys tried to stop me from taking a pic but I snapped it before he got to me. My boss likes me to keep the truck as clean as possible. I could probably wash it every two weeks but I don't really see the point. I like having a clean truck but if I'm going to drive around the midwest and northeast in the winter...you get the idea.

Currently waiting for my food at the J restaurant. This is my first stop in 330 miles, I'm a little hungry. The goal is to make it to IA tonight.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Ho hum...

Not much to report. Stopped at a travel plaza on the PA turnpike in Taylor, PA. Slept, now I'm eating a breakfast sandwich from B-king. I kept my break to the minimum of 10 hrs so I can start moving ASAP. The sooner I get out west the better.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre