Disney Disappointment

For those of you who don't know, I have a teenage "Stepson", Holden,  who is severely autistic. He is non verbal and has some sensory issues. It is very easy for him to get frustrated and overwhelmed. His disability is so severe that the state has issued us a handicap tag for the van. He spends most of his time watching Batman and Spiderman videos and also goes through spurts where he will watch Disney Movies. Lion King is one of his favorites. He prefers to be alone though, and crowds kinda freak him out.

We had heard that Disney world was exceptional at dealing with people with disabilities. Everything we read on the internet, or heard from people who had taken someone with a handicap there had given us nothing but positive feedback. Taking Holden to Disney did not seem to be a tough decision. We knew it would not be easy, but with all of the accommodations Disney makes, we figured it would be OK.

Disney's Animal Kingdom put many of the fears Joanne and I had to rest. They were on it. When you get into the gate, all you have to do is go to Customer Relations, tell them you have someone in your party that has a disability, show them proof if they ask, and they will issue you a card. From that point on, all you had to do is show that card to someone at the attraction or ride and they immediately go out of their way to make sure your needs are met. They will put you in a special line that takes you to the front, bypassing all the Hoi-Polloi. The employees continually went above and beyond what we expected. Joanne and I were impressed.

Universal Islands of Adventure was exactly the same way. Friendly, accommodating and understanding. We could not have asked for a better experience. Holden was one happy guy.

After taking a day off to hang out at the resort and celebrate Jack's birthday a day early, we headed to Disney's Magic Kingdom, not at all worried about how Holden was going to handle the day.

The crowd was already pretty large when we got there. We waited for the Ferry to take us to the park with no real problems. The Ferry ride was nice. The only complaint we had was the distance we had to walk to even get to the ticket gate.

Shortly after getting into the park, meeting Mickey and Minnie, and watching one of the many productions they have going on throughout the day on the streets we headed over to Tomorrowland. The first hint of a problem happened here. Jenna, Holden and Joanne's niece Morgan decided to ride the Astro Orbiter. Some kind of "Jet" ride that just goes in circles. There was already quite a line. Joanne and I watched as the kids walked up to the line, showed the card and got escorted to the front of the line. A few people went ahead of them, then they were allowed to........get in the middle of the mouse maze. Well, I am generally optimistic, so I just figured since it was an older ride, there wasn't much they could do to re-configure the cues. We didn't think much about it, until the next attraction, Monsters Inc.

If you have never been there, Disney doesn't just make you stand in the cues for most attractions. They entertain you, setting up the premise for the show or ride. Monsters Inc is a very funny little show, that made us laugh and includes a lot of audience interaction. However, this is where it began to dawn on us there might be somewhat of an issue. When we showed the card, we were informed that we would have to go through the 1st cue until we reached a specific door, and we would find the access for handicapped persons through that door. Sounds good........well except for the fact we were standing right next to the door we had to go through. Now, when I say right next to, I mean RIGHT next to. Why did we have to go through a very crowded cue, just to walk into a door that we were standing right next to? Well, maybe there was a reason that would reveal itself once we walked through that magical door.

But No. It did move us past the other 2 cues, right into a long line of people in wheelchairs. We were stacking up. So again I go back to, if this is where we ended up, why did we have to wait in a cue, with someone who can't handle crowds for long? Joanne and I were befuddled.

We ran into similar issues all day.  Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Cafe and Inn wanted us to just "leave him here" while we waited in line to get food, When we voiced our concern, we were told we couldn't sit at a table while we waited, without an explanation why, or even a hint of concern as to what our concerns were. By the way, we did show them our card. They knew we had someone who needed some special accommodation. They did not care.

The Haunted Mansion didn't even offer any other access.

The Jungle Boat ride made us wait, as well as an older gentlemen in a wheelchair and his family. You know me, I struck up a conversation with them and found out that they also had a son who had sensory issues and Asperger's Syndrome. They had been having the same problems we were.

At the Main Street Electric Parade, we were told go here, go there, you can't go this way, you need to go that way.....the employees didn't seem to know what was going on. We did finally find a spot, right on the edge of the street where we would be able to see the parade. And what do you know. Without knowing it, and without ANY assistance from Disney personnel, we ended up in a section specifically for people with disabilities. In talking to them, they ALL had similar problems. One lady was so irate about the way her father was treated, she actually refused to budge when she was asked to back so they could put up the barriers. They had been pushed around and back all day and she had had enough.

I could go into WAY more detail here, but who has time for that? Bottom line is this. A disability is not always visible. Accommodations aren't just making a path for someone to get through. Disabilities run much, much deeper sometimes. Being herded around like cattle, or completely ignored does not make the issue go away. We won't be back, and we will warn all who care to listen, that Magic Kingdom is not the place to go if you are with someone with disabilities.

Mickey, you had a whole lot of disappointed people there on July 4th, 2012.

On the plus side, since it was Jack's birthday, they gave him a button with "Happy Birthday Jack" on it and the staff was really good about wishing him Happy Birthday by his name. He was thrilled. One of the Cinderella's evil step-sisters even said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK" in a mean, evil step-sisterly kind of voice from one of the floats in the parade. It truly was a magical evening for Jack, Jenna, Morgan and Holden. I wonder how much better it would have been for Holden if his needs could have been better met. Unfortunately, he will never be able to tell us.

Raising Revenue........ the Hard Way

Well, election season is upon us, and I know many of your eyes glaze over at the thought of all the political ads and talking heads each claiming their guy is right and the other guy is wrong. I will be doing my fair share of it. I LOVE politics even though it drives me crazy.

But there is one thing that drives me crazier than the rest of the crap I hear out there and I feel the need to pontificate upon it.

President Obama is currently out there talking about the "Buffett Rule". For those who don't know, this rule is named for Warren Buffett, the President and CEO of Berkshire-Hathaway, a multi-billion dollar company whose stock value is currently in the $100,000 a share range. The premise is that Mr. Buffett pays less in taxes than his secretary and that is fundamentally unfair, and we should raise the taxes on the rich to make things more "Fair".

That word, "Fair" is key. Everyone wants to be fair, and this rich guy paying less than his poor secretary doesn't seem fair at all. Well, Mr. Buffett doesn't pay income taxes first of all, he pays capital gains tax, because he does not take a salary. So right off the bat, they are comparing 2 different taxes. That doesn't seem fair either.

President Obama is claiming that raising these taxes on the rich will cure our economic ills. It will allow us to invest in education, renewable energy, infrastructure AND pay down our debt. WOW, those rich people keeping all THEIR money SUCKS! The Buffett rule would sure bring in a whole lot of revenue, right? Well, let's look at that.....

We have been told that the Buffett Rule would increase revenues by 54 Billion dollars. Holy Cow, that is a bunch of money. Well, sure, it is over 10 years, but that is still 5.4 Billion Dollars a year and THAT is a TON of cash. I can see why people on the left are screaming for that money.

The sad truth is, however, that our annual deficits are running 1.2 TRILLION dollars and 5.4 Billion dollars will barely make a dent, let alone heal the sick, and all the other miracles they are claiming this extra revenue will do. In fact, the estimated number of people making over a million dollars a year is somewhere between 110, 000 and 220,000, depending on which number fits which argument one side or the other is trying to make. Let's take the higher number just for fun. If you took 1 million dollars from each of them it is only 220 Billion dollars, and that is barely enough to cover the deficit for February of 2012.

Which makes me wonder why they keep going to this "Tax the rich" argument when it will do practically NOTHING to ANY of the things they are claiming that it will.

However, revenues have ALWAYS gone up when taxes are lowered. It worked under Coolidge. It worked under JFK. It worked under Reagan and it worked under the evil G.W. Bush. During his presidency, revenues went from 995 Billion a year to 1.436 TRILLION a year. Now I am not the smartest cookie, but that seems like a heck of a lot more annual revenue increase than 5.4 billion.

So it seems to me that if my friends on the left wanted more money to spend on the poor, or kids, or old people or trees (That ALL conservatives want to eliminate from the face of the earth) or stuff like that, They would get off the tax the rich bandwagon and get on the lower taxes for all bandwagon, because that is what increases revenues and that IS fair.

I believe our president knows this and is being dishonest with us. Politicians take advantage of the fact that most people don't pay attention and MANY people just don't give a crap and don't bother looking into facts before forming an opinion. This isn't just a republican/democrat thing. This is a politician thing and it HAS to stop.

President Obama, either you are lying to the American people, or your advisers are idiots. Which is it?

I have another post similar to this called "Why the left should like Trickle Down Economics" and "I Got Your deficit Reduction Right Here". Feel free to check them or any other post out. All comments, if respectful, are welcome.

Thankful? Yes!

Here is a quick list of some of the things I am thankful for.

My Savior, Mom, Dad, sisters Bethany and Linda, brother Jeremy, sweety Joanne, "Step kids"(Josh, Luke, Jenna, Holden)son Jack, job, roof over my head (even if it is the roof of a truck most of the time) plenty of food, heat, ac, humor, friends I have known most of my life, friends I barely know up to and including my fb and twitter families (they give me hours of entertainment out there on the road), our armed forces, our veterans, those who gave their life defending my freedom, our political leaders (even though I thhink most of them are self gratifying weasels) ,my relatively good health, flat screen tv's, a van that keeps on running reliably, my computer, cell phones, peanut butter and jelly (it sustained me most of my life) blah, blah, blah.

I could list more, but I am sure ya'll stopped reading that last paragraph after the first few. So I will just say this. I am thankful for everything in my life, good and bad. The good makes life good, and the bad makes me appreaciate the good even more. May your Thanksgiving be great today.

Food Stamp Stimulus

As I sit here waiting for the Exederin to take my headache away, I heard some muckity muck from the Obama administration say that food stamps were the best kind of stimulus we have. Nancy Pelosi has stated the same thing about unemployment checks and both of these people claimed that both of these programs created jobs, adding $1.84 to the economy for every dollar spent. Uhhhhhhhh..........

Don't fall for it. On it's face, that may seem plausible, and even something great for our economy. However, the math just doesn't work.

Food stamps and unemployment checks are needed, don't get me wrong. They are a safety net, and a lifeline to many people who genuinely need it. I am only questioning the stimulative affect and the amount of said affect. Follow me on this

First of all, that dollar came from somewhere. The government does not produce wealth. They don't sell anything (except a bunch of crap to the american people), they do not create anything (except headaches for the american people), and just printing money....well, that is a whole different blog post. That dollar came out of the private sector via taxes. Whether income tax, corporate tax, fuel tax, inheritance tax, sin tax, luxury tax, gas guzzler tax, or some other tax they have imposed on us, they have taken this dollar out of the economy.

So right from the start, we are only replacing a dollar with another dollar, so the stimulative affect is down to 84 cents.

Now, do you really think, that this dollar just passed through hands, or were there administrative costs? First the IRS has to take it, then the Department of agriculture has to give it. So, being kind, let's say that this only costs us 25%. (Too tired to do the math on this, but I bet I am pretty close. I may have low-balled it though. The governemnt has NEVER shown itself to be particularly efficient.)

So, take another 25 cents off of that 84 cents, and it leaves you with 59 cents for every dollar spent. So at best, jobs aren't being created, but they may be being maintained.

So while these programs are needed, don't tell me they are stimulative. I ain't buying it.

PS. If it was stimulative, our economy would be booming. There are more people on Food Stamps and unemployment now than ever. So don't think I am anti food stamp. I am anti BS from Washington

Why the left should LIKE trickle down economics

I heard it again and it drives me crazy. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, DNC Chair, was blaming the economy on George W. Bush again, talking about the "failed economic policies" of the Bush administration. May I ask, exactly WHAT policies are you talking about Ms. Chairwoman?

The policies that lead to 54 straight months of economic growth AFTER 9/11?

The lower tax policies that saw revenue GROW from 995 billion dollars a year to 1.445 trillion dollars a year?

How about the policies that saw the average unemployment at 5.7% with the lowest being 5%, which many economist consider to be full employment.

In fact, if you wanna play politics, the economy was humming along great until the Dems took over in 2006, and started controlling things like banking and budgets.

GW isn't blameless. He approved bloating budgets and "abandoned free market principles to save the free market." (I never did inderstand that one). Fannie May and Freddie Mac pressured banks to give loans to people who shouldn't have them. And while GW called for reforming them 17 times, Barney (I break wind on live TV) Franks and Chris Dodd fought refoming them. (They were also the ones who supposedly "Fixed" them afterwards. We just sent Freddie and Fannie another 100 billion in bailout dollars. Good Job you guys!)

But politics aside, a fact that I would think the left would embrace would be the fact that lower taxes ALWAYS increases revenues. It did under JFK, Reagan and GW Bush. And while raising taxes does increase revenue, it is only a short lived increase and then revenues become flat and start to fall.

So if lowering taxes increases revenue, that means more money to spend on kids, old people, and other projects that the left "claims" conservatives are against.

So, get on the lower taxes bandwagon all you folks on the left. Or is there some other reason you want to tax the "Rich" more?

Just remember this, when the rich end up not having enough money to fund all the stuff, the government will keep dropping the bar for what it considers rich, and eventually they will come for your wealth.

I Got Your Deficit Reduction Right Here!!!!!

The budget "talks" in Washington are really getting on my nerves. John Boehner wants to give a short term increase on the Debt ceiling because republicans want it to be an issue again before the 2012 elections. President Obama and the Democrats want it to be a longer term deal because they don't want it to be an issue. Both sides are being disingenuous and playing games with our countries future, just so they can gain or maintain their power in the corrupt District of Columbia. President Obama brought up the fact that the debt limit was raised under Reagan 17 times (That works out to just over one every five months), while saying we needed a long term increase to the debt limit, because 6 months is too short a time.

Both plans currently on the table, while claiming to reduce spending by almost a Trillion dollars, are only decreasing the growth of spending. They are not actually cutting spending. By the way, that trillion dollars is over a ten year period. Besides not being enough to cover our deficit spending for one year, it does nothing to pay down our debt. So, if we aren't covering our deficit, that means we are doing nothing but adding to our debt. Great plan you idiots.

Cuts are needed across the board. Deep, painful cuts. I know my liberal, or progressive, or whatever you are calling yourself, friends will say that conservatives are trying to starve children, kill old people, and ruin the environment all in the name of giving the "wealthy" tax cuts. Whatever! That is a lie, pushed on you by a liberal media, that doesn't have anything else in their arsenal, so they fall back on the tried and true method of misrepresentation.

Cutting taxes, no matter WHO they are on always results in an increase in revenue to the Federal Government. Why? Lower taxes means more to spend. More to spend, means more things are bought. More things being bought means higher demand. Higher demand means more employees are needed to meet that demand. More people working means more taxes being paid and that results in higher revenues. By the way. The OPPOSITE happens when you raise taxes. But don't take my word for it. Here are the figures...

Year Revenue

2000 - 995.1 Billion
2001 - 1.028 Trillion
2002 - 1.064 Trillion
2003 - 1.114 Trillion
2004 - 1.186 Trillion
2005 - 1.263 Trillion
2006 - 1.339 Trillion
2007 - 1.407 Trillion
2008 - 1.436 Trillion
2009 - 1.411 Trillion
2010 - 1.466 Trillion
2011 - 1.507 Trillion (estimated)

These increases are under the Bush Tax Rates. Look....they go up, not down. Hmmm, maybe the problem isn't the tax rates. Maybe it is the spending. Nahhhh, I am just fear-mongering here. Trying to give the oil companies more subsidies. (Those do not exist by the way. Show them to me Mr. President. They get the same tax breaks ALL companies get, even GE, who paid almost NO Taxes last year. It is good to be F.O.O.)I recently presented these facts and figures to a liberal acquaintance of mine and the debate immediately switched from facts and figures to "I can't believe you conservatives actually stand up for the rich, who are destroying the middle class" crap. Don't let facts get in the way of a good theory.

I have said before and I will say it again, I would be more than willing to pay more in taxes if I believed that our elected officials would actually be responsible with the extra money and not be wasteful with it, like studying the habits of foreign prostitutes, or building treadmills for SHRIMP! (both of these were actual stimulus plan exenditures)

Wanna know how to pay off the deficit and keep the US at a Triple A credit rating? Balance the budget. Period. It isn't rocket science. Show you are serious about tackling the debt and keeping your finances in order, the rating will stay high. Keep spending and do nothing substative to tackle the debt, kiss the credit rating goodbye.

I guess what I am trying to say is this. Both sides got us into this. Neither side seems particularly anxious to get us out. Balancing the budget means no more "special" projects to win votes. Awwww, poor widdle politicians!

There is much more I could say about this, but I will leave it at this. Balance the budget you fools!

4th of July thoughts

I am thankful to live in this country. No other country in the history of the world has accomplished what the United States has in such a short amount of time. No other country is as generous as the United States. All because a few very brave men put their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor" on the line.

Right now we are in a "fight" for our financial life as a country. Politicians, whose only goal is to stay in power, have promised all things to all people, and now the american people, and their children and childrens children are stuck with trying to pay off their promises. Now we are trusting these same politicians to make the right decisions as to how to pay off this debt and put us on sound financial footing. Fool me once......

"I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and in our comforts, in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy." -Thomas Jefferson

On this Independence day, we have saddled future generations with enormous public debt. Most americans believe that our children will NOT have things as good as we do. This is the first time in our history this has been thought of future generations. I worry for our kids future myself. We are already taxed on our food and drink, necessities and comforts, our labor and amusements. What else is there? Higher taxes on these things? We can tax the "rich" at 100% and still not have enought to pay our deficit for one year. (the top 1% already pay 50% of the income taxes in our country. The top 10% pay 80%. I think they are already paying their fair share)

Raise the debt ceiling? Neither option will end well. Yes, and congress will continue to spend, plunging us deeper in debt, and trashing our nations credit standing. No, and deep cuts in all programs and services will need to be implemented, which will also cause pain for a lot of people.

As for me, I would rather have the pain now, so our children can enjoy liberty like we have, instead of being enslaved by crushing debt.

I do not have all the answers, but as I watch my son Jack playing on the floor in front of me, I pray that his generation will enjoy their liberty, and not have to ask us why we didn't solve the problem when we had the chance.

Why I consider myself a conservative

On what would have been the 100Th birthday of Ronald Reagan, I feel compelled to tell why I consider myself a conservative.

Now if you listen to many in the media, since I am conservative, I am automatically a racist, homophobic who beats people over the head with my bible while holding a gun on them as I take the food out of babies mouths that are being held by their grandparents, whom I want to die because we can't afford to take care of them. Oh yeah, I want big business to get all the breaks and I also want to destroy the environment by drilling for oil in our own country, Mother Nature be damned.

Now if I were to address those issues one by one, this would be a long post indeed.

"Not gonna do it" -Dana Carvey imitating George H.W. Bush

I will try to keep this short.

I am a conservative because I believe that man CAN rule himself. Do we mess up? Yes. Have we made mistakes? Yes. Will we screw up again? Yes. Can we learn from our mistakes? Yes. Our founding fathers knew this. That is why we have the ability to amend our constitution. We can not just take amendments out though. They are left in so we can see the mistakes we have made and remember them. Remember prohibition? .

I believe in a limited government, one that protects our borders, keeps interstate commerce fair, and gives us the opportunities to pursue happiness. Government can not guarantee results, but it certainly tries to do so. Failure is a part of life. A very painful part of life, but also a very motivating part. As someone who at one point in my life totally messed things up ( I spent one thanksgiving eating jelly sandwiches on stale bread while I was living in a 40' travel trailer), if I had not hit bottom, I would have never decided to pick myself up. If we never allow people to fail, then we may never see their full potential. Does that mean I want people starving to death in the freezing cold? Of course not. But how much should government actually do? Shouldn't our churches and other charities step up to the plate? Shouldn't WE step up to the plate?

I believe capitalism works, when government stays out of it. Do we need regulations? Yes, but over regulation hampers capitalism and growth. Take my industry for example. Truck driving is one of the most regulated industries in the country. They are trying to add even more. More regulations will lead to a higher cost of doing business. Do you think trucking companies, or oil companies just absorb these cost? Nope. They pass the cost onto their customers, who pass that cost down the line until eventually it reaches you and I. Less money in our pockets means less money to buy things we need or want, and less money to help our fellow man.

As a conservative, I find it amazing that the only people bringing up race are the people on the left who claim they don't notice it. I believe that ALL men are created equal. It doesn't matter race, creed, sexual orientation, or religion. Affirmative action sounds in practice like a good idea. But how is giving someone extra consideration because of skin color or gender really helping them? Isn't that just saying, well, you can't get this job on your own, so we will give you a little extra boost. Let me give you a real life example how affirmative action really works.

Many years ago, I took a test to become an Air Traffic Controller. The test was difficult, time consuming and kind of overwhelming. It should be. Air Traffic Control is a very stressful, overwhelming kind of job. If you can't handle the stress of taking the test, you certainly can not handle the job. Well, I passed with flying colors. Not to brag, but I showed that test who was boss. On straight score, I was informed that my score was in the top half of the top one percent. My score was 98 or something ridiculous like that. HOWEVER, I am a white male. I did not get to go to training because I didn't get any of the bonus points. See, you were given points for being of ethnic decent, for being female, for being a vet, for being disabled. All of that sounds good, until you realize that people who scored less than I did are the ones actually landing your planes now. Now that is not to say they are not doing a fantastic job, but why can't we just ignore all the race, gender, religion, orientation crap and just give the job to the most qualified person, regardless of all that other stuff.

Are there racist employers out there? Of course there are. But if you are a minority, do you really want to work for someone who would judge you simply because of skin color? I would rather know about those businesses, so I can choose to spend my money elsewhere. Same thing goes for restaurants, bars, gyms or any business for that matter. If you don't want to serve someone because of their race, I don't' want to spend my money in your establishment. That is how capitalism works. People and businesses like that would not last very long. So, at first blush, being anti-affirmative action sounds racist, but it is not.

Lastly, I am conservative because I do not believe that government is the answer, or even has the answer to all our problems. Man has the ability, when left alone, to rise above it all and excel. Men do make mistakes, and many times greed gets in the way and mankind loses it way. We always find our way back though.

NO government program can do that

I could go on and on. It is hard to explain conservatism in just a few words. I don't think liberals are bad people who want to destroy the country, although there are some out there who do. Look back to the 60's. Many of those people are in power now. Most of us want the same things, we just have different ideas how to get there.

White Collar Truck Driving

I woke up this morning to the sound of my cell phone alarm going off. Time to start another fun-filled day of white collar truck driving.

My commute to work is not a long one since I live in my office. It is kinda cramped in here, but I always have everything I need within easy reach. Tylenol, contact lens solution, butt wipes, Kleenex, toothpaste and toothbrush, water, food, and a bed are always within reach.

So I shut off my alarm and leave my house/office to go use the potty and get myself a cup of coffee. I must make sure I do this in proper order though. I don't really want to take a cup of coffee into a restroom that may or may not have been cleaned within the last year.

Brush my teeth, put in my contacts, throw on a hat and I am ready to begin my day. Today is not one of the days where I am lucky enough to grab a shower. Too many people waiting and I have to be to work on time. Oh well, no one else will be in my office today. It will just be me and my radio.

So I start my day. Now my time clock is a little different than most white collar workers. Once I start working I only have 14 hours to complete my 11 hours worth of work. "That should be easy to do" you say? We shall see.

My clock starts promptly at 7am today. Time to inspect my office and make sure all is in working order. All I need is for an equipment failure. That will surely chew up my 14 hours. It may also result in a tragic office accident. I don't need a copy machine blowing up and taking out a co-worker.

All my equipment seems to be in fine working order. 15 minutes or so are already taken off of my fourteen hours. Not to worry though, I still have plenty of time. Time to "clock" in. Now I can start earning money.

The first couple of hours go by without much fan-fare. Everything seems to be going as well as can be expected. Every once in a while someone will show up and slow me down a bit, but I keep plugging away. Then it happens......

My keyboard starts acting up and finally stops working. I can't do any work without the keyboard. Dag gum it. I need to call IT, but first, I have to clock out. See, if I am not working, I am not getting paid. While this joker takes his own sweet time figuring out the problem and then eventually fixing the problem, I am not getting paid. However, my 14 hours are still burning off of the clock.

Finally, 2 hours later, my keyboard is fixed. I can now clock back in and start getting paid again. My report is a little behind now, but if I work diligently and not take any breaks, I can still complete it on time. To be late with this report could get my boss in a little bit of trouble. If it is too late, it may cost him money or even loss of a very important account.

So I bust my butt and get the report done just in time. I didn't even stop to pee or anything. That's OK though. If I have to stop and go potty or even grab a bite to eat, I have to clock out and not clock back in until I go to work again.

I go to turn the report in, but before I do that I need to clock out again. 14 hours are still ticking away. I hope my boss doesn't take too long to check over the report.

No such luck. 4 hours later, my report is finally approved and I can get back on the clock. Only 2 hours left on my 14 though. Not much time to earn any more money.

14 hours goes by and my day is done. 14 hours and only 8 hours pay. Oh well, at least I can relax now for my mandatory 10 hours off before I must begin another day.

So I clock out and begin to take advantage of my downtime. Watch a little TV, play on the computer, talk to the family, grab a bite to eat. But my office is in New York. Since I am done working, I must shut off my air conditioning or heat (depending on time of year) or face a hefty fine from the local authorities. What do they care? They can keep their offices at a comfortable temperature year round, whether they are working or not.

My office only has a couple of windows. I had to buy screens for them myself. It was either that or get eaten up by bugs while I am trying to sleep. Open windows are of little use tonight though. It is warm and muggy with no breeze at all. Nothing I like more than sweating to death while trying to get rested enough to begin my next 14 hour day.

I awaken the next day and complete the report I had started the day before. Finished without a hitch in just a couple of hours. I call my boss and ask him what he would like for me to do next. "Nothing to do right now. Clock out and I will let you know as soon as some work comes up" 14 hours are ticking away quickly.

With 1 hour to go, the boss calls up and informs me there is more work to do. "Since you already have 10 hours off, looks like you can start another 14 hour shift. I hope you don't mind working all night, but this report must be done by 1st thing in the morning." So now I get to work all night after being up all day. This is gonna be a long night.

Oh well, at least the view from my office window keeps changing. That is the only thing keeping my sane!

This is what most truck drivers deal with every day. The only time we get paid is when the wheels are rolling. If we break down, or stop to go potty or grab a meal we are not getting paid. If we are held up at a shipper for hours, we are not getting paid, even though we are on the clock" When we are finally done, many times, either by government regulation or company policy, we have to shut off our trucks and swelter in the heat or freeze in the cold. Imagine if you have to do that at your job or in your house.

Drive safe out there!

I've got a big rear end.....

And I know it.

No matter what I do I can not make it smaller. Maybe one of those mirrors with the words "Object in mirror may be closer than they appear" would do the trick, but alas, it would only be a trick.

I know a lot of truck drivers that have big rear ends. In fact, most of them do.

Now there is nothing wrong with a big rear end. They do serve a purpose, but sometimes they hide the problem that is laying in wait. Sometimes whole cars disappear behind my big rear end. When that happens, that can lead to a whole slew of problems that I hesitate to even go into here.

Why do I want to talk about my big rear end? Because it can affect you too.

Of course, those of you who have visual contact with me know I am not talking about ME. I have no butt. If I were skinnier I would look like a frog forced to stand up and wear clothes.

I am talking about the rear end of my truck. You have all seen them. They get in the way on your highways and streets. They make it impossible to see around and they ALWAYS seem to slow you down. Yet so many people seem to want to ride right behind them, as close as they can, because that is the best way to get around them........I guess

However, when you are that close to one, the driver can not see you. Seeing what is behind us helps us to make better decisions as drivers. I would think not following too closely would help people in cars make better decisions too. How can you make a good decision driving when you can not see what is ahead of you? Seems to me you are putting a whole lot of faith in the driver of the truck in front of you to make good decisions. I don't trust anyone that much.

Another problem could come in the form of mechanical failure. A blown tire or brake chamber could really put a crimp in your day.

One more thing about big rear ends. Don't try to squeeze between them and the car or truck you are trying to get in front of. Many time I have been just clear of the vehicle I just passed when someone will jimmy themselves in between me and the driver I just passed and then pass on the right. Bad Move!

Just because there is room to squeeze in there does not mean you should. Most truck drivers are waiting to clear the vehicle by a good margin before they pull back in front of it because that is the safe thing to do. When you "thread the needle" so to speak, and pass us on the right, for a few seconds you become invisible to us. Ever see a truck move over to the right hand lane and almost, or God Forbid, actually run someone off the road? More than likely it was because he could not see the other vehicle. If you must pass on the right, do it quickly. Don't just mosey on along.

That is really all I have to say about big rear ends for right now. All of us with big rear ends out here thank you.

Keep on Truckin......

Dashing through the snow.......right into a ditch

So, this won't be a long post, but certainly one dear to my frozen, truck driving heart.

This past week in Iowa there was quite a bit of snow. Some, including the National Weather Service, would call it a blizzard. I would call it "Look at all the idiots drive" snow.

A foot or so of snow combined with 40 MPH winds make for white knuckle driving at best and deadly driving at worst.

After the storm, Interstate 80 looked like a demolition derby. Semis and cars were everywhere. In Ditches, in the median, in the woods in all sorts of positions. On their sides, tops and some were even still upright.

One type of vehicle I noticed a lot were four wheel drive SUV's and trucks. Why is that? 4 wheel drive is supposed to give you better traction right. I think they may also give a lot of drivers a false sense of security. Just because you have 4WD does not mean you are impervious to accidents.

So remember these tips when driving in snow and ice REGARDLESS of vehicle type.

1) SLOW DOWN!- That about says it. I don't have anything else to add. Don't go out if you don't have too. If you do have to go out, slow down and leave plenty of space between you and the other fella. The "stay home" part may be inconvenient, but it a much better option than the "End up in the hospital" option.

Be safe Ya'll

Not much new, but plenty to say

I haven't posted on here lately. Lots of driving and heavy eyelids have made it kinda hard to do. Well, that and I have to keep up with my farm, my apartment, my fish tanks, my cafe, and my amusement park on Facebook. Being a restaurant owning, fish tank cleaning, amusement park running farmer takes a lot of work. All of that while being stranded on an island really takes it out of you.



But I wanted to update this with something that really irritated me this last week. I know it wasn't one of you, but maybe we can all learn something together here,



Earlier this week I was assigned a load picking up in Iowa and delivering to Laredo Texas. 1100 miles give or take. A nice little trip that takes a couple of days.



What made this load special was the cargo. I was given the privilege of hauling flammable resin. 26,000 pounds of a highly flammable chemical, packaged carefully in 55 gallon drums, bound to pallets and nailed and strapped into my trailer.



You have seen HazMat loads before. They are marked on all 4 sides of the trailer or tanker with placards that let Emergency responders know what kind of chemical is on the truck so they know what procedures to take in the case of an emergency.



As a HazMat driver, I also need to know what to do. I need to know how far downwind to keep people in the case of an inhalation hazard, or what to use to out out a fire in case one breaks out. Some of these chemicals are even more explosive when they come in contact with water, so knowing whether or not I can use water in kinda important.



Hazmat loads are also not permitted to travel certain roads. For instance, Fort Worth and San Antonio Texas do not allow hazardous materials to go through town, so you have to go around. As the driver, I am required to know all if this.



I am also not allowed to leave the vehicle for any extended period of time. I can go potty. I can grab a bite to eat. I can not watch a movie in a truck stop, or even eat a meal inside for that matter. If someone backs into the trailer and it starts to leak, the hazmat driver needs to be on hand to handle things until first responders can get there.



So I have told you all of this for a reason. There is a lot of responsibility in driving a HazMat load across the country. In addition to the careful manner I usually handle my truck, I also have the added responsibility of making sure this dangerous load gets where it is supposed to be without blowing up.



As I stated before, Hazmat loads are marked with placards on all four sides of the trailer. On this particular trip, my placards were bright red and read "Flammable" in big letters. When I see these loads I typically give the driver a little more room and try to get distance between us if I have to pass.



However, I can not tell you how many times I had drivers cut me off, or tailgate me, or ride next to me for extended periods of time. It is bad enough when people do these things to a truck with a normal load. To do it with a truck hauling flammable chemicals is just plain stupid.



So please remember these few suggestions when driving around ANY truck.



Give them plenty of room-We take longer to stop, longer to start, longer to change lanes, and can roll over very easily.



Don't ride beside us-If you are next to a truck, get around them or get back behind them. We may not be able to see you. We may have a tire blow out. If that happens you may end up with a blown tire flying through the air and hitting your windshield. I saw that very thing happen in Chicago and the driver of the car lost control and hit the jersey barrier in the median, causing extensive damage to his car. It could have cost him his life.



Don't tailgate us- If you are less than 100-150 feet behind us, we may not be able to see you. If we can't see you, we can not compensate for you being behind us. Why would you want to follow a truck that close anyways? You can't see around us, so what are you going to do if we have to slam on our brakes? Will you be able to stop in time? Hopefully, but why take that chance?



Most importantly, at least in my opinion, Don't cut us off- We can not stop as quickly as you. If we are fully loaded and running at 60 miles an hour it is going to take us more than a footballs length to come to a stop. You should give trucks about half that distance before you pull in front of us. If you can't do that though, at least make sure you keep your speed up, and don't slow down. Our brakes do not engage the second we hit the peddle like a car does. They take a second before they begin working.



Most truck drivers are courteous and concerned with public safety. Some are not. If you see one of these drivers tailgating another truck or car, or weaving in and out of traffic, get away from them. They are dangerous. Don't try to "Show Him" and cut him off or intentionally slow down in front of him. Stay out of his way and let him go on. You will lose any fight you pick with a truck.



Here is an interesting statistic. 80% of all fatality accidents involving a tractor trailer were caused by a non commercial vehicle. Think about that next time you want to squeeze in between that truck and the car in front of him.

safe driving ya'll

Time to hit the brakes, OH WAIT...THEY DON'T WORK

So I haven't updated here for a while. I have been waiting for something to hit me(not literally of course) that some people may not know about trucks.

Well, this week it hit me. Driving around Atlanta (by the way, did you know that trucks are not allowed to drive through Atlanta, causing us to drive 30 miles or so out of route. Hmmmm, great thought. For all of my global warming friends, that should make you mad. That's a lot of trucks burning extra fuel) I realized that most people don't have a clue about how much it actually takes to stop a truck. I know this because if they did they wouldn't keep cutting trucks off in heavy traffic, or ever for that matter.

Let me start out by explaining a couple things first.

1.) Trucks are heavy. They do not stop on a dime. Duh, right? Then how come so many people cut us off. I know that space in between the truck and that car in front of him looks very inviting, but there is probably a reason that space is there. I will get to the reason in just a bit.

2.) Trucks brakes operate differently than cars brakes. This is where I think I can give some insight. Without getting all technically on you let me explain it this way. Most cars, vans, and SUV's have hydraulic brakes. You step on the brake and fluid is forced to the brakes, making them work. Big Rigs, some school buses and motor homes have Air Brake systems. They work basically the same except with air instead of hydraulic fluid. HOWEVER, when a truck driver steps on this brakes, they do not engage right away. It can take up to a full second for them to begin engaging. Not a long time, but at 60 MPH, this comes out to 88 feet, or almost a 3rd of a foot ball field.

3.) Most truck drivers try to manage their space. This means we are constantly checking our mirrors so we can keep up with the ever changing conditions around us.

So when you see a big ole space that your vehicle will fit perfectly into just remember that truck you are pulling in front of will take a little extra time to slow down.

Also, when you cause a truck to slow down, it takes longer to get going again. Then all the cars behind him have to slow down and so on, and so on. Wanna know why traffic always backs up at merge points? It is because everyone thinks if they can get "just one car further ahead" they will get home quicker. Guess what, if everyone merged when they saw the merge signs , including the people already in line, traffic could keep moving and everyone would get home just a little bit earlier. But because of a few selfish people, everyone suffers.

So when you see a tempting space, think twice before you just jump in there. Remember the truck may not be able to slow down in time and you are just taking your life in your hands.

Please be safe out there.

How a shed prepared me for life!

When I was growing up in Kent, Ohio we used to have the remains of what used to be a shed attached to the garage. The "Shed" or as I like to call it "Fort" faced Mr. Diamacone's back yard. Now this was the old guy in every neighborhood that all the kids were afraid of. We just knew that if a ball or Frisbee ever landed in his yard, it was gone forever. One time I got brave when it was dark and crept over the low hedge that separated our yard and got one of the Frisbees that landed over there. I was the neighborhood hero for a day anyways until everyone started making fun of me again because I was a dork, but that's another story!



Anyways, back to the shed. This shed was very small as sheds go. Hardly big enough to stand up in. The roof was mostly gone and the hole where a window used to be was empty. But I tried to fix it up anyways with junk I found in the shed. It was my Fort. I spent many hours playing in that thing, whether it was hot or cold. Even in the rain it offered some sort of protection. It was very small however, and if you were claustrophobic, there is no way you would want to spend any time in there.



Fast Forward 30+ years. I find myself living in pretty much the same size box. Oh the roof doesn't leak and there are windows, but it is still just about the same size, maybe even smaller. However, unlike my "fort", the government has a huge say on how I live in this box.

Some people say government regulation is a good thing, and some regulation is good, but as far as regulating my home when I am on the road I say nay nay!

My home while I am on the road is basically a metal box. It's kinda like living in a very small railroad car. Now I drive primarily days, so when I am trying to sleep at night it is cooler outside and the "Box" is not quite as hot. However, one night I finished my day in Yuma, Arizona. When I went to bed that night it was 105. When I woke up the next morning it was 95. Why is this a problem? Well in this particular case it was not. I ran my truck all night so I could keep the air conditioning running. If I had been in California though, government regulations would have told me to shut my truck off or receive a very hefty fine. After all, we chose this life style so we just have to deal with it, right? Weird thing though......in California, if you have a pet with you, you can idle your truck because you can't be cruel to animals! How messed up is that?

The same thing goes for the cold. A lot of companies have restrictions as well. Those companies expect us to be well rested and ready to put in a long, safe day, but don't expect us to be comfortable while we are getting that rest. I bet the people that make those rules wouldn't go home after a hard days work and turn off their air conditioning or heat would they?

More and more companies, and local and state governments are making regulations that don't make sense to an over the road driver. Idling the truck is just one of them. Recently the company I drive for informed is we can no longer use the Illinois toll system. When I questioned one of the guys at work that was in charge of this idea, he told me to look at a map. He said there were a lot of ways around the tolls that were just as quick. "Just look at it on the map" he said.
I didn't need to look at the map. I ran through Chicago twice a day at the time. Those "other routes" that he was talking about are all commercial areas. Sure, they are 4 lane roads, but they are full of stop lights, shopping centers and traffic. A trip that normally would have taken 5 and a half hours would quickly turn into an 8 hour odyssey. I guess my time as a driver doesn't mean anything, right?

I do not mean to rip on my employer. However, some of these regulations are made without talking to, or taking into consideration the truck driver. I guarantee the people in government who make these absurd idling regulations have never spent a night in a truck. I think before one of these regulations are put into place, the officials should spend a couple weeks in my "fort". No heat, no air conditioning, little air movement and oh yeah, for good measure, lets put a cattle truck next to them that has a full load on it.

Although, they should be used to the smell. They sure do shovel enough of whats inside that cattle truck!

Wonder Woman and her invisible Jet

Remember the show "Wonder Woman"? I always liked that show. The stories were well written, the acting was top notch, and the special effects were spectacular. OK, that is all a bunch of crapola. Let's face it, Linda Carter running around in a swimsuit........That's what "Wonder Woman" was all about.

Besides the swimsuit though, I always like her invisible jet. Remember that thing? She would jump in it and take off, flying all over the place and no-one could see her. Don't think about the fact that she wasn't invisible. After all, we needed to see the swimsuit, I'm just sayin.

Well last week, something happened that made me think about this invisible jet. NO, I was not looking at Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit edition. I was doing what I do every day. Driving.

Last week I got to take a break from my normal route and head south to Louisiana. Roberts and New Orleans to be exact. Most of the way down there, and most of the way back I had what we truck drivers like to call rain. Sometimes heavy, sometimes light, but always wet and always a nuisance.

I noticed something as I was driving along I-55 that I guess I noticed before but for some reason I felt I needed to share it with you. You see, there were more cars and trucks than I could count that were driving without their lights on. I can not understand this, especially in a busy interstate with lots of cars, buses, trucks and mist coming off of every one of them.

I know some people think that they don't need to turn their headlights on because it is daytime and it doesn't help them see any better, but the point is not to necessarily help you see the road better, it is to help other people see you!

See and be Seen. How many times have you heard that, and yet some people do not grasp the concept. In some states it is the law. In ALL states it is a good idea.

At one point there was a car that was riding beside me that I did not even know about. Now I check my mirrors regularly, so I know this was not a car that crept up on me. She was caught in the spray of my truck, with no lights on and I could not see her. Good thing I didn't need to change lanes.

And it's a good thing Wonder Woman wasn't flying around in her invisible jet or I may have run over that poor lady anyways.

When 2 shall become 1

Sometimes I wonder where people learned how to drive. Well, not sometimes, ALL THE TIME!

Today is no different. I only had to drive 100 miles today. Only 100. Not the 500 - 600 I usually drive. Only 100.

528,000 feet.

6,663,000 inches.

Sounds like a lot, but in my line of work, it is a Sunday Drive.

Coincidentally, today is Sunday. A day of rest and worship. A day to spend reflecting on our lives and our blessings. For me, a day to drive 100 MILES!

Do I sound perturbed? Maybe a bit miffed? Well, today I am.

One thing drivers learn to do when they are taking drivers education is the art of merging. You know, when a driver COMING onto an interstate blends in with the traffic that is already ON the interstate?

It is a relatively simple process I thought. When a driver enters the entrance ramp, he looks down onto the interstate as soon as safely possible and either accelerates or decelerates to match the speed of the vehicles on the interstate and MERGE in with the families and freight already on the highway.

But let me tell you what I am seeing more and more. Today, 3 times today, cars coming onto the interstate did not perform the art of merging, rather they waited until the last second to see what was going on and then tried to make a decision.

I watched them come down the ramp, la la la, and then check their mirror at the bottom of the ramp. At that point it is too late to make an informed decision, so something awkward and potentially dangerous will unfold. Often in the blink of an eye.

As a "professional driver", I am paid to not only drive my truck, but to pay attention to all that is going on around me, so I can make a decision at any moment that will protect the motoring public. Today, these 3 vehicles are lucky that I was doing my job.

In all 3 cases, I watched these cars from the time they entered the entrance ramps. If possible, I try to move over so the merge can go smoothly. But there are some times that I can not. For example, if there is a car next to me, or one coming up so fast that moving over may cause an accident. In those situations, I will maintain my speed so the drivers trying to merge can try to get ahead of me, or slow down a little and pull in behind me.

Remember, it is the vehicle on the ramp that has to perform the merge dance, not the people already on the highway.

Well, when I saw these 3 vehicles coming on down the ramp and not paying attention, I backed off the fuel to let them accelerate and get in front of me. Well guess what? In All 3 cases the person driving had no idea I was even on the highway until they were almost at the bottom of the ramp. Now it is their turn to panic. Well, all 3 of them just kept right on coming, expecting me to slow down so they could "come on down".

If you read my first post, you understand that these trucks DO NOT stop on a dime. I could not stop, all I could do is slow down and let them keep coming. Well at the last second, all 3 of them decided they couldn't get in front of me so they slowed down. Now we are both slowing down. Refer to my first post again. These trucks aren't exactly quick on the pedal.

Well, in the end I won because I am bigger. These people ended up stopping on the entrance ramp. How hard is it going to be to merge now?

My point is this I guess. When you are merging, do not wait until the last second to check out the traffic you are merging with, regardless which part of the equation you are. Merger or Mergee. It is the responsibility of the person on the ramp to match speed and merge, not the people you are merging with. Start looking at the top of the ramp, not when you get to the bottom of it.

If you are the one on the highway, pay attention to the person coming down the ramp. Move over if you can safely do so. If not, try to adjust your speed slightly, but remember, you have traffic traveling behind you too and they may not be paying attention either. Don't slow down too much, you may create an even worse situation.

Happy Driving.

38,000 pounds of tampons and a change of underwear

I have hauled many different commodities in my short career as a Commodities Relocation Specialist. (that means truck driver). I have hauled cottonseed, diapers, fruit roll ups, dog food, laundry detergent, and fabric.


I have hauled REAL pig skins (A.D.D. moment here. did you know the pork rinds you buy at the store are actually made with pig skins. REAL pig skins! I did not, but now that I do, I will never eat them again) and frozen chicken. I have hauled bottled water and Pepsi.

I have also hauled Hazardous Chemicals and baby powder. I have carried a load of beer from Milwaukee to Georgia, with a quick stop at my house. Well, I didn't really stop at the house, but Joanne sure was trying to talk me into it.=-)


One time I hauled a load of cigarettes out of California with so much security you would have thought I was carrying nuclear secrets or something. These cigarettes did not have the tax stamp on them yet, so the government wasn't taking any chances on losing that revenue. (Another A.D.D moment. Cigarette smoking is so bad for us, so why doesn't the government just make them illegal and stop subsidizing the tobacco farmers? Then they could also stop spending millions of dollars on Stop Smoking PSA's , save even more money on health care because we are told that smoking is one of the leading causes of health care costs rising, after obesity. Think of all the money we could save.....hmmmmm. We probably make more on the cigarette taxes though, so lets play both sides of the issue and get as much revenue as possible and then say it is for the children!) Sorry for the tangent, I just get sick of our government talking out of both sides of their crooked mouths.


I even hauled a load of Tampons from somewhere in Missouri to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Well, almost to Green Bay. I ran into a little problem along the way.


I spent a lovely May evening somewhere in southern Illinois at a Shell Truck Stop. After doing my pre-trip, I headed up the road on my way to Wisconsin. This route took me past my house, so I decided to stop at home and visit with Joanne and the kids, and the yet to be delivered Jack.


After a lovely lunch at Hardee's, I headed back up the road on my way to deliver all 38,000 pounds of tampons in the trailer.


As I headed up Route 151 in Sun Prairie Wisconsin, I accelerated from 55 to 63 and set my cruise. Just as I did this, a gust of wind pushed against my trailer, trying to gently push me to the right. (these trailers are like big ole sails out there. High winds are especially fun to drive in) As I gently nudged my steering wheel to the left, a funny thing happened. The truck did not respond. There was no pressure against the wheel.

For a second I thought "That's odd" until I realized that what this meant was that I HAD NO STEERING!!!!


That is right boys and girls, my steering had ceased to function. Without getting all technical, the hoochamajiggy came off the thingamajig, literally disconnecting my steering wheel from the wheels. (For you mechanics, I know you understand what I am talking about. Some mechanic said the pitman arm came off the steering box and I was like "Yeah right, you weren't there, how do you know?)


So, 63 mph. 38,000 lbs of tampons. 1 split second to make a decision. What do you do wise guy, what do you do?


First, i think I may have cursed out loud. Just a little bit, but I am sure I used every word I could think of and then I made up a few, just to make sure I had my bases covered.

Did i mention I was on a bridge? Oh yeah, and that there was 4 lanes of traffic. Oh yeah, and that there was an 80 foot drop to my right? (That is where the change of underwear comes in. I really could have used one)


Well, the Lord had his hand on my truck that day, kind of like a child playing with a toy truck. The wind that was annoying me, actually pushed me into the jersey barriers on the right. Why is this good? If my truck had gone to the left, I would have gone across 3 lanes of traffic and a pretty nasty median. By going to the right it allowed me to stay on the road until I was across the bridge. Then I went down an 80 foot embankment and came to stop on the entrance ramp that lead up to the highway I just came off of.


The truck did not roll over thanks to the soft ground and God's will.


It is funny what you think of after a stressful situation like that. After I knew I was OK, and that no one else was involved in my accident, I went to the bunk of my truck and checked out the TV/DVD combo we had purchased not too long before. I heard it hit the floor of the bunk as the truck rolled down the embankment, and I wanted to see if it still worked. After all, what would I do without entertainment? So before I did ANYTHING else, I plugged it back in and turned it on. Guess what? It still worked!


I called my company to let them know what had happened and waited for the police to show up. I called Joanne to let her know. It was then that I realized what had really just happened and how close I came to something really bad occurring. I had almost left this earth without seeing my son. I would have missed watching his little newborn eyes trying to focus on my voice when I spoke to him for the first time out of the womb. I almost missed seeing him born. (OK, i just put that in there so you guys will think that was special for me. It was really kinda gross. lol) I almost missed hearing him say he was daddy's baby.

I almost missed the rest of my life with Joanne and the kids. I almost missed all the fun I have out here on the road. I almost missed the Indians winning the World Series and the Browns winning the Super Bowl! (I am the eternal optimist. I am a Cleveland fan, what can I say?)


I also almost missed out on all the memories I have had since then, and that I will have in the future. Don't take safety for granted. Some things are beyond our control, like that steering breaking. Some things, however, are not beyond our control.

We can drive safely. We can not tailgate. We can do the speed limit. We can pay attention while we are driving. (I saw a woman yesterday reading a report or something she had placed on her steering wheel, talking on the phone, and drinking something with a child in the car. I hope she made it where she was going for the child's sake.)

We can be patient. (I have a hard time with that one). We can be tolerant without being hateful.
(politics included in that statement)

And when we come upon one of those things we can not control, trust God, pray, and sometimes, you gotta just hang on for the ride and hope your TV/DVD combo works afterwards.

Drive safe. I want you to read my next post.

Turn signals and you

We've all heard the joke. A blond has her boyfriend change a turn signal light bulb because her turn signals stopped working. He changed the bulb and then asked her to go to the back of the car to see if it was working. He hit the signal, asked her if it was working and she said "yes, no, yes, no, yes, no...." Funny when I was fourteen. Now.....not so much.

We all have seen a "seasoned driver" driving down the road, with the left turn signal blinking and blinking and blinking. I am sure they will make a left turn eventually, just maybe not today.

For those of you who have ever visited Chicago, or live there, you know that turn signals do not work there. Drivers in Chicago use ESP (Extra Scary Possibilities) This means that the possibility of the person in front of you making a erratic turn or lane change to the right or left is at any time possible, and if you are not alert, it will scare the bejesus out of you. If you have never experienced this, I highly recommend it. It will give you a new appreciation for life, liberty, and the pursuit of clean underwear. (A little known line in the bill of rights)

Turn signals are a necessary tool for safe driving. So easy to use, and yet so under utilized. I know it is a lot of work to push that little lever up or down. Thank God they return to a neutral position most of the time, or they would NEVER get used.

But don't let them scare you. They can be our friend. You have probably seen a truck driver going down the highway with a line of traffic next to them and their turn signal on like one of those "seasoned drivers" There is a reason for that. Wanna know what it is? Well, I am going to tell you anyways!

Truck drivers not only use them to let you know what they are planning on doing, we use them as a clearing device. Let me explain.

As I have written before, the sight lines of a truck are limited. Even with all the mirrors we have, there are still several blind spots. There are tricks to seeing these vehicles, such as looking for shadows, or reflections of light under our trailers at night. But these blind spots make changing lanes an especially dangerous task. So many drivers use the ten second rule.

First you turn on the turn signal. for the next 3 seconds, we look in our mirrors and "clear" them. All this means is we make sure that there are no vehicles next to us. Then we take 7 seconds to change lanes. At least the considerate drivers do. 18 wheelers have a very high center of gravity, and changing lanes too quickly could cause the trailer to flex and force the truck into a very undesirable position. That is also why we take exit and entrance ramps slower than a car. Rollovers are never good and can put a crimp in an otherwise really good day.

So, while we are making this lane change, we are looking in our mirrors, 90% of the time, glancing forward occasionally to make sure traffic is still moving in front of us. We do this because many times, impatient drivers will try to scoot around us even though we have clearly stated our intentions with the use of that pesky little turn signal. We need to be ready to change lanes back at the drop of a hat AND make sure we do not do it too quickly because of that whole rollover thingy.

So, if you are next to a truck and you see that turn signal on, don't panic and think he is coming over right away (Although some drivers do because they are only worried about themselves). Just accelerate and get out of his way, or if there are too many cars in front of you to accomplish this, slow down and let him over. Remember, he may not see you, and that few seconds you may save by getting in front of him is not worth the risk of being run over.

You may have noticed a theme in some of my posts. Give trucks plenty of space. Most truck drivers try to manage their space safely. Some do not. I do not want to see anybody stuck next to one of those drivers when he decides to change lanes.

And if there are any of "those" drivers reading my little ole blog.......CHECK YOUR MIRRORS AND SLOW YOUR BUTT DOWN. THAT MIGHT BE MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS NEXT TO YOU. I WATCH OUT FOR YOUR FAMILY, PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR MINE! (yes, I was yelling there!)

Drive safe ya'll. See ya out there.

WHAT THE?!.......Did I just see that?

There are 2 ways to "See" things in my way of thinking? You can actually take in a sight with your own eyes and have that image embedded onto your brain OR someone can describe what they have seen and create the image in your mind for you.

The first one is, of course, the easiest to take in. The second one is sort of what I try to do in my own little way with this blog.

So today I am going to tell you some things I have seen. Not all of them from the seat of my truck, but all with my own little near sighted, contact lens wearing, slightly astigmatized , blue eyeballs.

The most beautiful and at the same time disturbing thing I have EVER seen was the birth of my son. For the first time, I actually saw this little dude I had been having conversations with and dreaming of meeting for the last 9 months. As all parents think, but I actually know for a fact, Jack was the most perfect baby ever born! I know, I know, you guys all think your children were the most perfect, but I am here to tell you that YOU ARE WRONG! =-) He had a perfect head, perfect little mouth, perfect hands and feet and a perfect little body. Sure, there was some kinda gunk all over this specimen of perfection, but we will blame that on his mommy, cause I know I didn't put it there!

However, while a beautiful thing, it was also "kinda" gross. I do not need to go into the details here. Joanne was a trooper through the whole ordeal even before MR. Epidural came to help out with the event. As this event was going on, after this event was finished, and even to this day, her beauty comes in at #2. How she does all that she does and still remains upright and breathing amazes me every day.

I have seen a 10 foot snow bank next to me in the Rocky Mountains, even as I was taking off my sweat jacket because it was getting too hot.

I have seen the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, and set over the fields of Kansas with a rainbow of colors painting the sky.

I have seen the Northern Lights in Alaska. They were so vivid it almost seemed like someone had taken a can of translucent green spray paint and covered the sky with it. They were so intense, I did not realize for a minute or so what i was actually looking at. They moved and shimmered like they were alive.

While in Alaska, I watched Bald Eagles perched on a light post on Douglas bridge for days on end. They were watching the waters of the inside passage, waiting for the right fish I guess. I saw Cruise ships with thousands of people come to see the beauty I had the privilege of seeing everyday.

I have seen numerous car accidents, truck accidents and one bus accident. Many with fatalities, most with just damaged sheet metal and rising insurance premiums.

In Northern Indiana, I got to see an Amish teenagers buggy! How do I know it was a teenager's? Well, I drive through Amish country every day. At night, since they are all painted black, they have flashing lights on them so people will see them BEFORE they hit them. Some of them have only 2 amber lights on front, and 2 red lights on the back. Others put "running" lights on them to make them a little more visible. The teenagers buggy however, also had NEON lights underneath. I kid you not! If I had a camera with me, I would show you the proof now, but alas, I did not, so you will just have to take my word for it.

But there is one thing I saw with my own little 2 eyes that have made one big change in the way I drive, whether in my car or truck. Hopefully, I can paint this picture so you might make the same decision.

On the Indiana toll road, about the 28 mile marker, traffic came to a stop. It was backed up on both lanes as far as I could see and it did not make me happy. Some idiot had undoubtedly caused an accident and had the road shut down, making me and everyone else on their way to wherever late! I was ticked.

I jumped on my CB trying to find out where the accident was and what had happened so I could let my dispatcher know what was going on and when I might be expected at my destination. My load was HOT, you know. But nobody was talking. Lots of people were asking the same thing, but nobody ahead of us, and nobody coming from the other direction was responding. This was making me even angrier. I was becoming more impatient as the minutes rolled by. We were moving, but at a snails pace, and I am only allowed to be on the clock 14 hours in a day. This was going to ruin my weekend! All because some IDIOT DRIVER WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION!!

Finally, I could see some flashing lights up ahead. There sure were a lot of them. But there were no tow trucks, only ambulance lights and firetruck lights. "A truck must have caught fire" or something like that I thought. "Some dumb driver probably let a seal go without repairing it and caught his truck on fire. Great, Just great!"

Once I got to the scene of the accident though, I realized why everyone was so quiet. There, on the side of the road, was a body covered in a blood soaked, white sheet. A young man leaned against a car parked on the side of the road, obviously distraught. Another car was parked behind that one with the flashers on. State troopers were taking measurements. One officer was talking to a car that was parked about 500 feet in front of the other 2. I made the rest of my journey in deep thought.

Coming back through that area the next day, I found out what had happened on the local radio station. A car had a tire go flat as it travelled down the road. The young man driving the car pulled off the side of the road and called home to ask his father for help. As most fathers would, this man went to help his son.

As the father worked to get the tire off his son's car, his hands slipped off of the tire iron, and he fell back into the roadway. At that very moment, a car crossed the line and hit him, killing him instantly.

How many lives were changed at that second? A father, husband and son would never come home again. A son, would never get to talk to his father about anything. A driver who had no idea his life would change that day, was suddenly responsible for taking the life of a man, whether he was being negligent or not. I am sure he is still haunted to this day.

Why did I feel the need to share this "Feel Good" Story? Simple. When you are driving down the highway, and you see a vehicle, pulled off to the side, please safely move into the other lane. If you can not do that, at least slow down. It is the law in most states, but besides that, I would not want any of you do have to deal with ANY of what those individuals had to deal with on that day and will deal with for the reat of their lives.

Ten Bolts

Ten Bolts. Hardened steel, approximately 2 inches long 3/4 of an inch wide.


Ten Bolts, running through 4 holes on 2 pieces of steel.


Ten Bolts with a nut on the end, holding the 2 pieces of steel together.


Ten Bolts, day in and day out, doing their job.


Ten Bolts that handle an extreme amount of pressure.

Ten Bolts, that demand my attention every day, several times a day.

Ten bolts that I hope YOU will pay attention to as well.


I check these ten bolts every day. I inspect them closely, looking for cracks or any part of them that might be shiny, for shiny metal means newly exposed metal, and THAT is one thing I NEVER want to see from these ten bolts.


Ten bolts that stand between you, me and a potentially really bad day.


Why do I obsess about these ten bolts? Well, let me tell you why I care so much about these ten little bolts.


Ever seen a truck without a trailer driving down the road? See that big Horseshoe looking plate on the back of it. That is called a 5th Wheel, and that is what holds a trailer onto a truck. This 5th wheel is attached to the frame of the truck using just ten little bolts.


An empty trailer weighs around 17,000 lbs. Fully loaded, it can weight 63,000 lbs. Imagine if that fell off the back of the truck while the truck was traveling down the highway at 65 miles per hour. It happens, I have seen it happen , and it scared the poop out of me.


The first thing that happens is the brakes lock up. When the trailer disconnects from the tractor, it rips the airlines off. This releases the air from the brakes and they immediately lock up. So not only has the trailer decided to go for a ride, but it has done it while screeching to an out-of-control stop.

And guess what. IT does not stay in a straight line. It will slip, slide and bounce every which way! Never good at highway speeds!

Now if this trailer is fully loaded, the momentum that this thing has will carry it quite a way in whatever direction it has decided to travel. Hopefully, straight into a ditch and not into a family on their way to Wally World!

That is why before I start my day, and periodically throughout the day, I check not only these ten bolts but also my tires, my brakes and anything else that I feel may affect my ability to drive safely down the road and protect the motoring public. The list of things I am mandated to check before I start my day is fairly long, but I do it every day to help assure the days safe completion. But even the closest inspection does not mean a disaster will never happen.

Let me tell you what happened to my one evening in Des Moines, Iowa. I hooked up to another trailer after dropping my load in the specified dock. I performed what is called a tug test, where once the trailer and the tractor are connected you put the truck in gear and PULL against the pin that holds the trailer to the tractor. I also visually inspected the connection, and those pesky ten bolts.

After performing a few other tests which I will not bore you with, I began my journey to the gate leading out to the main road. I reached the gate, made my right hand turn, and watched my mirrors in horror as the trailer STILL came off the 5th wheel. The cause was probably the rough parking lot I had to travel through to get to the gate. Who knows? It was secure when I pulled from the dock and it was NOT when I hit the street. Fortunately I was moving slow and saw the trailer coming off before it was all the way off. Tragedy and a long, long day were averted.

So I have said all that to make this point. The next time you are passing a truck, and you decide to take your time, or maybe even just hang out there for a while, think of this.....

Ten Bolts........how comfortable am I with my life in the hands of this truck driver I do not know, and those ten little bolts?