STRAYCAT’S DOGGONE BLOG

Life Day 21772: At Leisure in Las Vegas

Here I go again playing “catch up” on my daily diary. It was pretty uneventful. Unseasonably cold weather was the dominant factor. I did remain far enough south to avoid the snow related traffic problems in the northeast.

Monday, February 12th:
As it turned out, I did manage to accumulate enough time off to re-start my 70-hour clock, but not by choice. There was no freight available in Memphis either. After sitting most of the day, I finally recieved a PrePlan that picked up in Memphis and delivered in Jefferson City, MO, a whopping 330 miles.

Tuesday:
I picked up the Jefferson City load and departed  Memphis at 0930. I drove to Matthews, MO where I took a break for lunch. I then drove on to Jefferson City. I spent the night at a tiny truckstop a mile or so away from the consignee.

Wednesday:
I did the drop delivery at 0900. They had no empty trailers available. Fortunately, after about 2 hours, I recieved and accepted a PrePlan which picked up at the same customer, albeit at one of their satellite warehouses, and delivered in Mesquite, TX. I didn’t need an empty because I had delivered earlier. I drove to the satellite warehouse and pick up the load. I left Jefferson City at about 1130. I drove to Chouteau, OK. I had lunch and fueled here, then drove to Mesquite, TX where I spent the night at the customer.

Thursday:
At 0900, the scheduled delivery time, I was unloaded. They were efficient and promt. While waiting, I recieved and accepted a PrePlan which picked up in Grand Prairie, TX and delivered in Henderson, NV. After the unload, I drove to our terminal in Lancaster, TX for fuel and to turn in paperwork. After fueling, I had some lights on my trailer repaired. They worked, but there was some “ethnocentric engineered” wiring which  caught in the door latch whenever the doors were latched. It was only a matter of time before they would have been a problem: if not for me, then the next poor driver. Better to have it repaired now while I have time. This took about an hour. I then drove to the shipper in Grand Prairie. This was a live load, but it didn’t take too long. I left Grand Prairie around noon and drove to Big Spring, TX. I had lunch/dinner here. At 1700, I left and drove the rest of the way to El Paso,TX where I planned to stop for the night.

Friday:
I took the day off today. I got a PM Service done on my truck, it’s first scheduled service. It took almost 2 months to reach 20000 miles. That’s bad, it should take about 6 weeks if freight is good and i’m running steady. I then just messed around the rest of the day. I went to “Wally World” for a while. That was the highlight of my day.

Saturday:
I left El Paso at 0930 and drove to Willcox, AZ. I had lunch here, then drove to our terminal in Phoenix for another break. At 1600, I left and drove to Kingman, AZ where I stopped for the night.

Sunday:
After messing around most of the morning, I left Kingman about 1100. I drove the consignee in Henderson on the “off chance” they would unload me today. The scheduled appointment is for tomorrow at 1000. The consignee did unload me early, but I had to wait a while (about 2 hours). After unloading, I drove to the WWW to begin my well deserved time off.

Life Day 21763: Malingering in Memphis

Before I update my chronicles, i’d like to take the time to announce that I am, in fact, the father of Anna Nichole Smith’s baby. (Just avoiding the rush by announcing it now). :=}
What is this world coming to when the major news story of the day is the identity the father of the baby of some “junkie, Gold-digging, no talent, strumpet. If she had invented a cure for AIDS or Cancer, I could understand it, but she didn’t. I think my beloved country is doomed.

Now, on with the show.

Monday, February 5th:
I left the WWW and drove to the shipper in North Las Vegas for the load to Berea, KY. It was a load of scrap metal. I feared for my tires as I entered and left because there were little pieces of metal strewn everywhere. Before I left, I did a “roll over” tire check. I pulled a couple of good sized pieces of shrapnel from my tires, but thankfully none penetrated. Thank God for new tires with lots of tread.
Before I left the Vegas area, I went to Best Buy and purchased the Nikon D40. I’ll spend the next few weeks learning how to use it, in my spare time, of course.
I drove to Kingman, AZ where I stopped for dinner. I then drove to the Arizona Rest Area at the AZ/NM border where I stopped for the night.

Tuesday:
I left the Rest Area at 1000 and drove to our terminal in Albuquerque. I fueled and walked the MMM. I then drove to Amarillo, TX. I had dinner here, then drove to Oklahoma City, OK where I stopped for the night.

Wednesday:
I left OKC at 0930 and drove to North Little Rock, AR. I took a short break here, then drove to Nashville, TN where I stopped for the night. I used my entire 11 hours of driving.

Thursday:
I left Nashville at 0700 and drove to the consignee in Berea, arriving about 1030. Again, I had to fear for my tires. It took about 1 1/2 hours to unload. I then drove to the miniscule truckstop nearby to wait for a load. It didn’t take long. I accepted a load which picked up in Versailles, KY and delivered in Valdosta, GA. I arrived in versailles about 1400, did the drop/hook pick up, and drove to Richmond, KY for fuel. I departed at about 1630 and drove to Dalton, GA where I ran out of hours (14-hour rule). I expended 11.25 hours today, using 10.25 to drive 601 miles.

Friday:
I left Dalton at 0730 and drove directly to the consignee in Valdosta, arriving at 1300. I did the drop/hook delivery, then drove to the nearby truckstop to wait for a load.
I recieved no PrePlan for the rest of the day.

Satruday:
About 0900, I recieved a message telling me that they had no freight in the area, and to “deadhead” to Memphis. I left about 1000 and drove to Albany, GA where I stopped briefly for fuel. I then drove to Montgomery, AL where I had lunch and walked the MMM. Next, I drove to Birmingham, AL. I gave the MMM another quick stroll here. I left at 1730 and drove the rest of the way to Memphis.

Sunday, February 11th:
Still no PrePlan. Probably won’t get one today either. Since I drove here from Valdosta yesterday, I won’t have enough time off to re-start my 70 hour clock, but i’ll be in pretty good shape for the next 4 or 5 days anyway.

Life Day 21756: Stagnating in Sin City on Super Bowl Sunday

Today at about 1500 local time, “Sin City” will become “Din City” as television sets everywhere are tuned in to watch the Super Bowl. I will probably avoid it if I can, but it will be hard. Did you know that over 3,000,000 new HDTV sets will be bought this year nationwide just because people want to watch the game in HD. I wonder how many will be returned next week when these morons discover that they can’t really afford them. If I were a Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc, etc, et al, I would tighten up my return policies ASAP. I have already given my Politically Correct prediction on the games outcome in the previous posting, so no need to go into that. I really have to wonder about all the “hype”. It is after all, just a game. I could maybe comprehend it if this were the World Bowl, and our team was representing America in the International Football Championship, but it’s not!! It is estimated that the total revenue to the host city (Miami, FL) this year in tourism and other sundry minutia this year will be over 1 Billion (with a B) $$$$$$. Ridiculous.
Enough of this, now to update the BLOG.

Monday, January 29th:
Sometime during the night, I recieved a PrePlan which picked up right here at our terminal in Denver and delivered in Las Vegas, NV. Naturally, I accepted it right away. I left Denver with the load about 0900. I drove to Grand Junction, CO where I took a break to walk the MMM. Next, I drove to Parowan, UT where I stopped again, this time for fuel. I finished out my day by driving to Mesquite, NV where I had to stop because of the 11 hour rule. One can’t quite drive all the way from Denver to Las Vegas legally in one day, at least not with Swift’s company speed limit of 68 mph.

Tuesday:
I awoke early and drove to Vegas as soon as I could legally depart. It’s a 1.5 hour drive from Mesquite to the south side of town where I stay at the WWW. I arrived at about 1030. This load doesn’t deliver until Friday, the 2nd of February, so i’ll have a couple of day off. It’s about time.

Wednesday:
Today I just took entirely for myself. I checked my mail for the first time in weeks. I recieved quite a fist full, but nothing really important. Of importance was what I didn’t recieve, which is my new ATM card which expires in February. I called my Credit Union and found that they had mailed it out in November to my current address. This worries me. A couple of years ago, the same thing happened and I wound up changing my PIN number just to be safe. I’ll probably have to change it again. What a PAIN.
Anyway, I spent the rest of the day geeking and vegging. In the afternoon, I set out on a trek to find out about Digital SLR cameras. Consumer Reports rates highly the Nikon D40 which retails at about $600. It is smaller (in weight and size) than most SLR’s but still has a lot of features. At 6.1 megapixels, it shouldn’t get too much “noise” (distortion) like other high megapixel cameras often do. I first tried Fry’s Electronics, who didn’t carry the Nikon D40. Ditto with Ultimate Electronics. According to the Nikon website, Circuit City and Best Buy both carry it. The particular Circuit City store that I visited in my trek was in the process of closing and moving, so I just abandon the idea and returned to the WWW. I’ll try Best Buy later. I’m in no rush.

Thursday:
Today I did the Pahrump pilgramage to renew the registration on my Jeep. The entire trip including drive time took less than 3 hours. I was amazed at the efficiency at the DMV. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I took advantage of their new Self Help Kiosk. All I had to do was scan the notification letter (registration form), verify that my information was correct, and make the payment into the machine. Presto, it printed out my new registration including the new licence plate sticker. What a change from “days of old” when you were there for hours dealing with one officious, petty, mindless, low level bureaucrat after another. After I returned, I finished the day by geeking and vegging.

Friday:
Today was a fiasco from start to finish. I arrived at the first stop of two at 0730, a half hour early. I checked in and got my “heavy weight”. This load was booked as a 2 drop load, but that turned out not to be the case. This first drop was actually just a “staging area” for the final drop downtown at the Sands Convention Center. This is actually a good idea. Imagine 100 trucks arriving in a conjested area (the Convention Center) at about the same time, all with drivers who want to be unloaded NOW!!! It would be a Circus. However, it is a pain on the “You Know Where” for us drivers. My first wait was about 5 hours. I was then directed to another “staging area” closer to the destination. Another hour wait here before I FINALLY arrived at the Consignee. Once here, it was another 3 hours before I was unloaded. Then I had to return to the original “first stop”, by this time in Friday rush hour traffic, to get a “light weight”. Total time today was 10 hours, with most of that waiting around. By the time I was unloaded, of course, there was no more freight available. I returned to the WWW, bored and frustrated.

Saturday:
I spent the entire day today waiting for a PrePlan to no avail. Finally around 1800, I recieved and accepted a Plan which picks up in North Las Vegas (but not until Monday AM) and delivers in Berea, KY. At least it’s about a 2000 mile trip, even if I have to wait an extra 2 days for it. It could have been worse. I could have waited the extra 2 days for a 250 mile trip to LA.

Today, Sunday, February 4th (Super Bowl Sunday):
It’s still early so i’m just geeking right now. As it gets closer to game time, i’ll go do some laundry, then perhaps jaunt over to Best Buy and check out that Nikon D40. I know i’ll be exposed to the Super Bowl on every possible TV set in the store, but i’m a “big boy” and can resist the temptation. The problem will be prying a sales rep away from THE GAME if I have any questions. In todays world, even the female sales reps might be involved in THE GAME.

Another “Politically Correct” Pigskin Prognostication

Tomorrow is the “Super Bowl” and in keeping with the tradition I started last year, it’s time to predict the outcome using “politically correct” Liberal logic (an oxymoron).
First we consider the names of the two teams involved. This year it is the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. Bears are vicious beasts who comsume other mammals, poor innocent little fish, and shred foliage from oxygen producing flora to quash their ravenous appetites. Colts are cute little “horsies” who have not even yet reached maturity. This puts the “PC” crowd in a quandry. Being wild animals, Bears should be protected. (Some species are even on the “Endangered Species List”). Colts are domesticated livestock and according to some, should have the same “rights” as humans. See the quandry. Few Colts who encounter Bears survive. Give this point to the Colts because they are cuter and friendlier than Bears.
The next point to consider is the home cities of the two teams. Indianapolis is located in the heartland of America. It tends to be politically Conservative for the most part. Chicago is a bastion of Liberalism with a strong Union base. This is a “no brainer”. Give this point to the Bears.
The third point to consider is the venue. This year the “honors” (re: MONEY) go to Miami, FL. Miami over-all tends to be more Liberal than the rest of Florida, although, President Bush did carry Miami in the much contested 2000 election by a slim margin. The resentment garnered by this fact would be enough to tip this point in favor of the Liberal bastion of Chicago and the Bears in the eyes of most of the “PC” crowd.
The forth point to consider is the “hometown” advantage, if any. The Colts were originally located in Baltimore, and moved to Indianapolis relatively (in the life of the NFL) recently. The last (and only) time they won a “Super Bowl” was 36 years ago when they were in Baltimore in 1971. The Bears have been a mainstay in Chicago since the 1920’s. They have only won one other “Super Bowl” and that was 21 years ago in 1986. I think that the “PC” crowd would give this point to Indianapoils because it is only “fair” that they win since it has been longer between championships for them (the Colts).
The last point to consider is the weather. Since the game will be played in Miami, it shouldn’t be a factor. There is a chance of rain forcast around game time, but both Indianapolis and Chicago are known to get rain. The humidity and heat in Miami should also be no problem for either team since both are located in the mid-west where it has been known to get hot and humid. Even in the one in a quintillion chance of snow, neither team would gain an advantage since it also snows in the midwest. (Note: should more “key” players from one team or the other die of a coronary at the sight of snow in Miami, it could affect the outcome of the game).
Now for the prediction. It’s a close race. The “pundits” favor Indianapolis’ potent offense over Chicago’s strong defense by 7 points. Those are the Las Vegas odds. I think Liberalism will win out and the Politically Correct would choose the Chicago Bears. As much as it pains me to do so, I’d have to agree with the “PC” crowd.
I pick “DA Bears”, but by less than 7 points. My guess at the score is 27 to 21 (maybe 24) Bears!!!!!!!