The Scary Mountains

We are working our way east. We haven't been this direction in a while. It seems we get stuck in Texas or the midwest and can't get away from there. Anyway, I am driving and it is dark when we enter West Virginia. the more I drive the more mountainous and windy the roads become. I am not used to this. I have become a flat-lander, and I like the flat land! I can honestly say that these mountains now felt unusually scary to me. I know that I was driving under the speed limit and that alone is a big deal.
I could not wait until it was Pops' turn to drive. I just wanted to go to the bunk and cover up my head. I am not joking with you.
Once I woke up the next morning we were almost to our delivery in Virginia. Things didn't seem so frightening in the daylight and we were already on the other side of the Appalachian Mts. We made our delivery and then were pre dispatched on another load picking up in Virginia and going to Hazelton, PA. We were hauling mattress foam for Simmons Mattresses. Well, that was a quick and easy load and by morning we made our way to a nearby truckstop. It was the weekend again and I figured we would probably sit still for a day or two. We found a good place to park and settled in. The fall leaves in the valley here were so pretty. I could look across the valley to the mountains in the distance and see another highway coming down the mountains and knew that was interstate 81. It was very pretty and we relaxed all that day and through the night.
The next morning we decided to drive to a Walmart for some groceries. So we ended up clear across that valley and up the mountain on interstate 81. At the top of that mountain is the town of Hazelton and we found a Walmart there.
Where we parked in the parking lot was in line with the end of an airport runway. It was a small airport but we watched planes land and take off all day, swooping just over the top of us. It was cool.
A young man came over to us and was talking to us and wanted to know if we had any extra Fedex hats. He liked trucks and he collected hats, he told us. It just so happens that Pops did have an extra one so he gave it to the boy. He ran away so excited. It's funny how little it takes to make someone's day sometimes.
Late that night after we had already gone to bed, we heard Gypsy inform us that we had a load offer. It was a high security load for the department of defense. We would be picking it up at Dulles Airport in Virginia and taking it to Norfolk, VA. It paid well, too.
So Pops drove while I slept. By morning we were at Dulles and waiting for our contacts to come to work. They were german. We were hauling training materials for them to a naval base. All of the paperwork was in german. Well, that kind of made my job a little tougher. But I managed. So once we got loaded we took off for Norfolk.
I got my camera ready because we would be glimpsing the ocean. And we did get to see it. The day was beautiful and the weather was great and it was so pretty here.
We got to the naval base and waited for our contacts to meet us. There was a slight delay at the gates to the base because they are german, but we did get allowed in after a short wait. It didn't take too long for the men to unload the truck either and then we were on our way. (I did get myself in trouble with Pops here because I happened to mention how nice looking I thought the one german guy was. And that's all I'm going to say about that issue.)
I was hoping that we could stay at the beach for our layover. Just for a little while so I could read in my folding chair while Pops took a nap but we got another load right away.
Now we were heading back toward Washington, DC area for a pickup this evening which delivers to Illinois the next day. As I said, we have been busy lately.
This is twice in two days that we have been close to DC and I was getting a little worried that I might get to see the Capitol.
I want to go to Washington, DC. I have never, ever been there. Of all of the places that we get to go and see and I have never there. So my kids, Starla, Tom, and Drew are taking me there in about 2 weeks for my 50th birthday. So I am so looking forward to seeing it for the first time with them. I am just so excited about getting to spend the whole day with my kids. I really think that not too much of anything else in this world makes me happier.
So I didn't want to spoil that by getting there ahead of time and I didn't, I just came close.
Now we are on our way to Illinois.