Swift Academy - Richmond, VA - My Experience Begins

I'm still around.

Graverly, there are many blue Swifties out here. But I have been to that particular pilot a few times. Though not that day ... I think I was in Kansas or Missouri then ... I'll have to check.

Curb, welcome to the world of the Swiftie. Things will be a little different, but then much the same. You'll see what I mean.

Leather, you'll be happy with the Richmond. They're a little understaffed, but for the most part everyone has a good attitude.

I'll do a better update later, but for now...

The Court Case

While I was taking care of my Step Father, my wife took on a roommate to help pay the bills and such. This woman in turn became a heroin addict and then ended up stealing two money orders that were going to pay our rent. Ultimately we lost our place on Cape Cod, my wife had to quit her job and move to Virginia to stay with family while I was dealing with my Step Father's illness. This cause us to be effectively forcibly separated.

At any rate, the woman was charged with two counts of felony larceny over $250, one count of misleading investigators, and one count of attempted evidence tampering. After a 680+ mile trip (one way) my wife and I surprised the crap out of this woman and her attorney by showing up. It seems that they were counting on it being too far and too much of a hardship to get there for the trial and had a motion ready to file to drop the charges. Much to their chagrin, we were there. This caused a flurry of last minute legal wrangling and it ended up this way:

- She was charged with and plead guilty to a misdemeanor larceny under $250 but....

+ She has to pay restitution by December 1st
+ She has to do 840 hours of community service (1hr for every dollar stolen and 1hr for each dollar in court costs & fees)
+ She will be on probation for 9 months
+ She will have a record

If she fails to do any of the requirements she will be remanded to the Women's Correctional Institution at Wareham for one year with out time served.

We're happy with that. We got to hear her admit to what she had done, and we got to hear the judge pass sentence. It was a huge weight lifted and now that chapter can be closed. At first I was a little disappointed, I had wanted to see her in the greybar hotel, but we did get justice in that she had to admit to what she did in from of her parents, her husband and her daughter. That sort of black mark is better than making her a better criminal by going in for a couple of years training at the local klink.

I'm back on the road headed for Georgia ahead of this cold snap, but at the same time I'm fighting off the flu. Loads of fun to be sick and away from home as you all know.

I'll give you all a more complete update soon ... once I'm feeling better. Until then...,

 

I'm still around. Unfortunately my laptop was destroyed while rolling through construction in the Milwaukee area. Hoping to lease soon, I'll update again once I've replaced the laptop. Ugh.

 

I still haven't been able to replace the laptop, but I need to pass along some info to everyone.

Be aware that, due to Obama care, you need to be very careful in choosing your insurance. I bought into the exaggeration they like to sell students that we make 800 - 1000 out here weekly. My wife and I have some minor, but chronic, medical issues and so I got the good insurance. It's costing me about 300 per week. Since we literally live on the truck I thought it was the best way to go and that was before I was on my own out here. Since I've gotten out here that insurance payment, and the fact that I'm only bringing in between 300 - 400 after taxes has caused 7 $0 pay checks. It has also caused us to be stuck in the advance dependency rut. We're hungry tonight. And with no load we're likely to be hungry all the way to Tuesday. We've fallen behind on car payments as well.

So, thanks to the changes in health care (Obamacare makes it so you can't make ANY changes to your insurance until open enrollment) my wife and I are living like we're homeless mostly because we don't know where our next meal is coming from and not because we don't have a typical home. We live on the truck and we like it that way. But we'd be better off in a tiny apartment or motel room and working at a gas station.

So, be warned, as a new driver if u pick the wrong insurance you can literally starve out here. Tonight we're looking at Sunday and Monday with no food.