Swift - Starting the New Year training with Swift 1/7/13 - A long read...

Oh, this one will work out no matter what. I can't go thru this again. I should only have a few more weeks and be done so there is no option for another mentor. I have heard of trainees having 4 mentors before but I don't want to be there.

That is an accurate picture...

Exactly. Those things by themselves weren't too bad but when considered altogether, let's just say I'm glad he threatened me to get out in El Paso because it gave me the excuse to do so.

He threatened the same thing once before earlier last week. He had been complaining about me leaving the drivers side window cracked. He said the noise kept him up even though I left it at about 1/2" open for some fresh air. No big deal I thought but if we are on the subject of things keeping us up I would mention his loud singing and whistle descriptions on the phone when I was sleeping. Everything he described on the phone somehow culminated in a loud whistle for description, not sure why. Then he would do this fake crying thing to be cute with everyone and it was loud. I felt like I was stuck in a bad outtakes episode of Sabado Gigante.

So one morning he asked how I slept and to be honest, and since we were on the subject of things that wake us up, I mentioned the whistling noises and loud talking (more like yelling into the phone) had woken me up that morning prematurely. I usually can sleep though anything, including pretty loud music, but whistling and the fake crying thing/loud talking did actually wake me up. When I mentioned it to him it must have hit a sore point with him because he said, quite literally and not joking, "if you don't like it you should find another mentor". I thought that was a little excessive and I just closed the privacy curtains and went back to sleep without saying anything right away. The next day, to avoid any more discussion on it, I just said go ahead and talk loud, whistle, etc. if you want I'll deal with it. The point being that he had already thrown it out there that I should get another mentor and so this second time he said it this past Sunday, I took him up on it.

Thanks for the offer, I appreciate it anyway.

I did take the cab. The cabbie had to go inside to sign the voucher and although his meter read something like $37.50 the voucher he signed was made out for only $22. Being an ex-hack myself, I was a little embarassed and ashamed that the fare he was getting paid for was less than the meter since he leases the cab but I also understand that the cab company has something worked out with Swift for these bus station to terminal runs. I paid him a tip out of my pocket because I kind of felt bad that there was no tip incorporated into the voucher. I know when I was cabbing I hated getting stiffed since we somewhat relied on a tip to get by, especially after handling someone's luggage.

I like thd Colorado Springs area. We actually swung thru there on the bus last night for a stop. When I lived in Colorado about 13 years ago I used to take my motorcycle down to the Airforce Academy and take my own little self tours. The only thing back then that was required was wearing a helmet on the base. Then after 9/11 that all changed as it did at West Point in upstate NY.
I loved hiking around and photographing Garden of the Gods and then eating lunch in Manitou Springs. Some days I would finish the trip with a ride up on Pikes Peak. Back then part of the road to the top was still dirt and gravel. I hear now it is all paved. Another fun little jaunt was a trip out to Canon City to do my own little prison tour. I remember riding up to the gate at the Super Max prison where Ted Kazinski is held and asked a burly corrections officer at the gate to take a tour of the prison. He didn't find my quite serious question entertaining and promptly pointed me to turn around and go no further. I guess my knowledge of the supermax will be kept to MSNBC specials.

 

Wednesday...

I'm at the Four Seasons run hotel near the Denver terminal. My student coordinator insisted I am supposed to be in a Red Lion chain but this one does not state anything like that. I'm sure I'm in the right place based on the description they gave me and based on the fact that they took my hotel voucher at the front desk. Either way I am here enjoying their in-room refrigerator and microwave.

I got to the terminal this morning after about 13 hours on the bus last night. I barely slept on the bus due to my seat neighbor, whom was about twice my size - and I'm not small - using me as his pillow or favorite nighttime teddy bear. I know it wasn't intentional so I didn't get rude or anything about it. I was hoping to get a smaller female seat mate but it was not meant to be. I didn't buy the bus burritos for sale and our one stop at some gas station in New Mexico (I think) was run by a clerk that looked like the bartender in Dusk to Dawn. The meager selection of frozen breakfast sandwiches there was overpriced so I stuck with a Coke Zero and continued my service as a pillow to the neighbor. I tried subtle ways to get him off of me as he was slouched over in his seat and would lean with all his weight on me when we turned in those directions. I kind of poked him a little, tried to gently jab my elbow into him to wake him so he could shift his sleeping position, but it was to no avail. I was utterly smashed between him and that little emergency window release bar to my left as I tried to get whatever reception I could on my phone to continue watching Alaska Troopers or The Lorax. Boost Mobile has not been my friend.

By the time I caught the cab among the fake gangsters waiting outside the Denver bus terminal, I was starting to get cranky from no sleep and not having eaten since those 3 burritos from earlier the previous day. I left some bags at the terminal and walked myself to the hotel.

The only rooms they had available, to the apologies of the desk clerk, were some handicapped rooms.

Now, let me say this...based on the desk clerk warning me that previous hotel guests that were not handicapped had not liked staying in a handicapped oriented room and the fact that the shower was different, I was somewhat apprehensive over my room to be. But...
I have never known the joy of having a sit down shower until today and it is something to be treasured, at least every once in a while. Granted, I don't need all the extra grab bars and railings present but sitting there in a shower of warm rain has its merits. Sitting down in the shower, I had never known how nice it could be. There is a special shower head as well that makes the experience that much more pleasant. I think I sat there wasting hot water for over an hour. No complaints over my handicap accessible room. Now if they would only hook me up with one of those special chairs you ride up and down alongside the stairway things would be golden.

I spoke to my new mentor for about an hour. He sounds cool but regardless, this has got to work so even if he didn't sound cool it wouldn't make a difference. I just want to get this done. I still need to find out about my midterm test since I don't have the required 20 backs completed. We will work it out my new mentor said. I told him I had two previous mentors when he had asked but I felt weird in doing so. I'm sure he's thinking that I must be a problem student. Hopefully, if he does think this, I can prove him wrong.

I think he is calling me sometime in the morning and letting me know when to pack up my stuff and walk back over to the terminal. Tomorrow is a new day so looking forward to it. New mentor is out of the Michigan terminal and has some hometime coming up this weekend. So, maybe more hotels for me and handicapped sitdown showers in my future.

 

Thanks. Yes, I could get used to the sit down shower. It's not something you think about until you actually do it.


I just need to knock out the backings and get it done with. Like you said, in a parking lot or at a shipper over and over. I haven't been remembering to send in my Qualcomm message for every previous back, actually I've probably sent in 2 or 3. I just haven't thought much about sending in a msg every time I back up but I need to start doing that more often. Hopefully they are not keeping track of all the ones I missed.

lol, that's some funny #### right there. I love it - a traveling trucker detective. I may have to see if I can get in touch with my ol' good friend Marky Mark (oh, wait he doesn't like to be called that anymore) and see if he would be interested in playing the role of the traveling trucker investigator. Mila Kunis can play any part she chooses if it's up to me.

 

Hell. On. Earth.

Just realized that this Tuesday will make it one full month of OTR training and I'm just over half way done....

Why do u spite me god of trucking and freight?!?

 

If there is a God somewhere he is punishing me for not paying attention enough in church. Hell. On. Earth. Did anyone know there is such a thing as Attention Deficit Angry Disorder? Seriously. This is what my NEW mentor takes medication for according to him. This new one u wouldn't believe...

Think very angry, impulsive, compulsive, OCD...

and to "release me" to drive I will be required to swerv down the highway to some song that, in part, sounds like this "to the left...to the left... to the right....to the right". Anyone know this song? No? Me neither but it exists and I must make my Swift truck dance to it before being cleared

More to come this weekend as he takes hometime and tries to.get me to pay for my own motel room. I fear I may forever remain in a state of Swift trainee purgatory...