On Monday morning We got a dispatch that would pick up in Louisville later that afternoon and was going to Oceanside, CA. So I took advantage of the time by doing another load of laundry. Then we went to Waffle House for breakfast.
We picked up that afternoon and began our long trip. It was well over 2000 miles. I started out driving and drove until after dark. We were almost to St. Louis when we stopped to switch over.
It was dreary and dark as we came around St Louis and we could barely see the buildings and could not see the arch at all. So I went to bed.
When I woke up, we were already through Oklahoma City. Pops had driven 700 miles. Wow.
I started to drive then and it was such a peaceful and scenic drive.
I love when you get west of the Mississippi River and you can put your vehicle in cruise control and drive for hundreds of miles without touching your brake pedal.
I drove the rest of the way through Oklahoma, the panhandle of Texas, and all of New Mexico and just crossed into Arizona when Pops took over. I drove 660 miles. We were a little ahead of schedule now. We were due to deliver the next morning in San Diego.
When I woke up the next morning, it was still dark because of the 3 hour time difference. So I drove from Barstow, CA to our delivery. We beat the early, Rush hour traffic. But it was still early here and the business wasn't open just yet. So we waited patiently.
After making our delivery we drove to a favorite rest area outside of San Diego. We love staying there. We can't get too close the beach because it is military land. But it is breezy, warm and a gorgeous waste of time.
Toward evening, at least by eastern time, we got a load picking up in Los Angeles at 4pm local time and delivering the next morning in Oakland, CA. We declined the load at first, until pick up time was changed to 9pm local time. We DID NOT want to go into L.A. During their rush hour.
So we stayed by the beach a little longer than headed into the city.
By that time of day traffic was much, much lighter.
We picked up 1 pallet of boxes from Fedex Office. And off we went, heading north on I-5.
I went to sleep. When I woke up we were sitting alongside the curb of a street, but not just any street, Broadway; the city center of Oakland.
There were tall buildings all around. Pops was not in the truck. It was just getting daylight. And this is what I saw when I looked out the window.
I saw people lying on the ground, near and under benches in the little park near the square. They were sleeping or just beginning to wake each other up. I will never get used to seeing that.
Pops came back and I found out that our delivery was inside the city square, about 2 blocks away, and this was as close as we could get. AND, AND, we could not take our pallet Jack back across the tile in the "square." So that meant that we would have to take the pallet apart and take as many boxes as we could, at a time, on the dolly.
Our dolly was strapped in, BEHIND THE PRODUCT. Ugh!
A very nice Fedex Express man in a small van came by and overheard our dilemma, so he kindly offered his dolly, telling us we could leave it at the Fedex Office store when we were all done. How awesome was that? He didn't even know us.
Ok then.
I will help.
Each box weighed 50 pounds and there were 34 of them.
Pops broke down the pallet and carried each box to the tail of the truck. I lifted them down and put them on the dolly. We got 12 on the dolly.
Then pops climbed down, shut and locked the doors, and off we went, 2 blocks. Then once inside we had to unload and stack up against a wall there.
We did that 3 times. Whoo! What a sweaty workout. You can tell that we don't ever have to touch freight.
After we finished, we walked around the city square, which actually is like 4 city blocks with a boardwalk type setup in the center, with a few Square areas of parks, an upper and lower levels, and an actual center with a sculpture.
Then we drove out of the city to a superb and found a Walmart.
Ah, San Francisco Giants souvenirs were everywhere to be found. I spent a lot of money. Oh well, we got paid pretty good for the additional work that we just had to do, unexpectedly.
After spending the night at Walmart, in the parking lot, we got a load picking up and going to Indiana. So early Friday morning we loaded and was now leaving the west coast. But we had a long way to go before leaving California, so I enjoyed the scenery on the way out. The nut trees were in full blossom. That meant honey bees were all over the place. I hit so many bees. The orange trees are loaded and being harvested. The date trees are, well, very well hung. And the California poppies have the hillsides arrayed in Orange. It was a beautiful day and a great ride.
When we got to Barstow, the deserts edge, Pops started to drive and I went to bed. When I woke up we were just inside the New Mexican line. Pops slept as I drove. It was another scenic drive and although we've seen these sights, they don't get tiresome.
The Tohajiilee Indian Reservation, (pronounced toe-hoj-ii-lee) is a non-contiguous section of the Navajo Nation, west of the city of Albuquerque. The name comes from the Navajo phrase tó hajiileehé, meaning "where people draw up water by means of a cord or rope.
Well working again on the weekend meant not being able to find and attend church. But we did plan our work break to coincide with a live stream service.
Sunday afternoon was a baby shower for Tom and Sophia. It was a coed shower. Starla organized and set it all up. She had a lot of help from Mary Shaffer, Bill P's mom. It sounds like everyone had a good time, especially during the dirty diaper game.
This is Tom and Sophia. Tom is holding Addilyn, my nephew's daughter.
Amanda, Levi(nephew), Addilyn, Sophia, Tom
Our son, Frankie, his wife Melynie, Sophia, Tom, and grandson, Zachary.
Sophia, Tom, Mary Shaffer(Bill P's mom) and Starla
I sure hated missing the baby shower. I was so sad all day. When it was over I talked with Tom and Sophia. They are very grateful for what was done for them. Pops and I found out what was still needed and went online and made some purchases which will be sent directly to them.
I am so very much in love with this little boy already. I can't wait to meet him. It won't be long now.
Please, keep Tom and Sophia in your prayers as the due date gets nearer.
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