Repairs!

We found out that the shop needed to order the part that we needed and it would take 5-6 hours minimum. When you're sitting on an expedited load you can't wait like that. So after assuring us that it was safe to drive and locating the part for us at the other end of our trip, we took off. We lowered the drop axle which helped to level our box a little and the ride was pretty smooth.
Everything was going well we had only lost a little of the spare time that we had.
It was a very nice trip down through New York and into Tioga County, Pennsylvania. It is such a scenic drive through there. The mountains are windy and steep and the forests are thick and lush. There is a huge lake and river that runs through the area. It is used as a water resevoir, very, very pretty.
As it started to get dark I was driving along side the Susquehanna River through Lewisburg and Sunbury. After many miles, I crossed over it and then followed it back up along the other side. That, too is a very scenic drive. That is absolutely the best part about this job, getting to see so many beautiful places and really enjoy the land that God has given us.
Pops woke up about the time I reached Harrisburg. There is a lot of construction going on in that area and it is rather bumpy. We needed fuel, so we stopped to get some. It took a long time at that stop because there was only one cashier and the place was incredibly busy. Pops was growling because of how long it took us in there. Oh, boy.
We got moving again and cruised along pretty good. Pops was driving now and intended on gaining back some of our spare time. We were trying to listen to the radio but for some reason there was a classical music station overpowering everything else and that was all we could hear. No Thanks! I don't mind it sometimes but not now and I think it was about to make Pops grouchier.
Oh no, what is going on ahead? Traffic is stopping! It was at a dead stop, for as far as we could see, nothing was moving. I started texting Starla and Drew. We were having conversations back and forth and before I knew it an hour had passed. We were still sitting and hadn't moved an inch. Traffic started coming along our right side. What? Where were they going? I watched them until I saw that they were riding the berm up to the next exit and getting off. Other cars started to come up along our left side and cross through the median and go back in the opposite direction. It was about that time that I realized that traffic wasn't moving in the opposite lanes either. That meant that this accident or whatever was so bad that it stopped all traffic in both directions. I began to pray. Whatever was happening it couldn't be good and probably meant that from this moment forward some people's lives would never be the same because of it. I prayed for people I didn't even know. I prayed for families that would never, ever know I prayed for them. I prayed for the impatient people waiting here while something horrible was being cleaned up. And I prayed for my family that God would let me see them again soon.
We have seen so many accidents in the last week or evidence of accidents. It is hard to believe how unaffected people are to and by these things. Oh God, don't people have love and compassion anymore?
After two hours our side began to move. After about 2 miles we saw where the accident had occured. It looked like a tractor trailer had crossed the medien and hit another car and possible rolled over because there was a very large fuel spill that had been cleaned up. It was hard to see what was going on an the opposite lanes. They were still sitting still and not moving at all.
Finally we were moving and making pretty good time. I needed to sleep so I went to the bunk and Pops kept us moving. I felt us stop along the way at least 3 times. But I went right back to sleep.
I woke up just after we passed Lake Norman in NC. Pops said he wanted to wake me up to see that. He said that they had all the docks, boats and houses all lit up and decorated for Christmas and it was pretty. He knew that I would've liked to see it, but didn't want to disturb me.
We got to our destination shortly after that. We were running about 2 hours behind but they were expecting us and glad to have their shipment. It was an easy offload and away we went. We drove straight to Freightliner to pick up our part for our repair and then to Walmart for groceries.
I bought another set of rugs for our "home." After spending time in the snow up north I realized that one set was not enough. I couldn't keep them clean or dry and can't stop for laundry that often so I figured if I got another set I could just switch them out when I needed to.
While I was in Walmart, Pops got our water going again. He is thinking that when we add water to the tank it causes an air lock which is why our pump doesn't seem to work. Well, now, that is good to know. And it's good to have water. And he thinks he has it figured out that maybe it won't happen anymore, that is better yet.
I put a beef roast, potatoes, and carrots in the crockpot. Pops took a nap and I wrote some checks and paid bills. Then I read my book for awhile. He slept really soundly even if it was only 2 hours. When he woke up we went back into Walmart. I saw some boots in there and wanted his opinion on them. (Just in case we go back up north.)
He didn't like the ones I saw. He said they looked like old lady boots. They did. I thought that too, but it's better than cold feet, isn't it? "No," he said. "We'll wait and get them at Cabela's or Gander Mt."
Well, alright, but I at least bought a pair of merino wool socks. I hate cold feet. Of course it is 52 and sunny right here, right now.
We decided to get moving to the truckstop but before we moved we got a load opportunity. It was a short run leaving right now and delivering on Monday. No way was we going to sit on a load over the weekend and possibly miss out on a load for today or something longer. After sending in our refusal, we realized that it delivered real close to where our preacher and good friend Wayne and his wife, Nadine had just moved to. Wouldn't it have been nice to get to visit them at their new church? Oh well, Maybe the load will come back if no one else takes it. I would've sat on the load all weekend if we could've visited with them.
That load didn't come back, but another short run load did. It was a three hour trip all in the same evening. That would still leave us available for a weekend load opportunity. So we took it and off to Rutherfordton, NC we went.
It was about an hour away, in the foothills of the Smoky Mts. in North Carolina, how pretty. The sun was beginning to set and the silhouettes of the mountains and the rural area was something that Pops and I both took a liking to. Wow, I could live here.
Our pickup was so easy to find and get into to. We were there just a short time and then back to Greer, SC. That is almost the same place we had left from. We had a load that needed to be on a plane asap. We drove into FedEX airport in Greer, off loaded and away we went, back to the truckstop. That was easy. I like those kinds of loads.
Pops went into the shop to see when they could do our repair. We thought it would probably be the middle of the night but they told us to bring it right over. While they did our repair we got our showers. After our showers we went back to the truck for supper. The roast and vegetables sure did smell good. And it tasted good, so good in fact that I ate too much or too fast or both and ended up getting really sick. I haven't been that sick in awhile. Okay, no more pot roast for me, now what do I do with all those leftovers?
We thought that maybe now would be a good time to do laundry, better than in the morning so 12:15am we hauled 2 large bags (clothes and rugs) of laundry in and got busy. It always feels so good when the truck is clean, the laundry is done, your belly is full and you are freshly showered. Oh yeah, and the Christmas tree was lit. Perfection.
When we woke up this morning at 9:30, it was already 58 degrees and sunny. Oh yeah! I love it down south. Did you know that?
I took the dogs out and informed Pops that I wanted a bowl of oatmeal. We went in for breakfast and wouldn't you know it, while in there we got a load opportunity. It was going to Texas! Yeehaw. I love Texas. But the pay rate was low so we refused it. Then we got another going to Joliet, IL. I just saw on the weather channel that Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota all had a huge snowstorm. No thanks. We refused that one as well. So here we sit on layover, trying to be patient and wait for a good load with good pay. It will come. And if we are still here in the morning, we will be going to church at Westview Christian where we went last Sunday. I kind of hope that is the case. I liked it there.