Snackbar is chillin'....at Shaffer

Being out in the Northwest, my chances of a short run are more limited than if I was east of the rockies. The runs I usually get out of the area I am delivering to are usually 2000+ mile loads. And since I've only been out around a week, hometime wasn't an option.

 

File this experience under 'well, at least they tried'. My current load delivers at 20:00 tomorrow. The backup crew for my AM sent me a preplan with lots of miles...that live loads at noon tomorrow...so, the only way I could pick it up was to find that 'time machine' button most op's people believe exist. Then, while I was miles from civilization, going up US-97 in OR, I get a message suggesting I was ignoring them. The bear has been poked. When I finally had a chance to refuse the load, I also reminded them that they were lucky I had Peoplenet signal, let alone cell signal and that when in the middle of nowhere, on a 2 lane road, there isn't always a ready place to pull over and chat unless they just want me to stop in the middle of the road...

 

Weee bit of a change of plans. On the way up to the Love's 10 or so miles from my delivery tonight, I get a message from Ops...my live unload of ice cream has been changed to a drop/hook, and then a preplan. Selah, WA to Garrett, IN for Wednesday morning (live load and unload)...so I hussled up to my drop, and I am now sitting at the dock of my shipper waiting for my apples. If they would have set it up like this with yesterday's preplan, there wouldn't have been any issues with me getting to that shipper and picking up the load...and would have let grumpy bear chill....but noooo, they have to do something to raise my BP. About the same miles either way, and since they add the miles for the load to the monthly/quarterly total at the beginning of the run, this puts me at or just over 10k for May, with a week at home.

 

Mr. WA DOT pulled me into the Tokio scale shack for a quick level 3. Probably one of the most friendly DOT officers I've ever been stopped by. Passed with flying colors. Of course, it could have happened on a day where I wasn't gonna push my 14, but he was quick and I made it to Post Falls before all the parking spots filled up. Now, 3 long days and I will be at my next delivery. Not sure if Creaffer pays us extra for a clean inspection(since it is our job to be legal) but it would be nice if they did...I wouldn't refuse the extra moolah.

 

My apples got unloaded fairly quickly this morning, then down to Lebanon, IN to pu a load going to Clarksville, AR for Friday. My hours are getting thin, with this load I will have 3700+ on this weeks miles after a 3300+ last week which ain't bad... especially considering I borked my lower back somehow Sunday. Went to bed Saturday night, felt fine. Got up Sunday, felt fine, but between Post Falls and Billings it got so stiff I could barely get out of the seat, and Monday morning I thought I was gonna have to sit down in the middle of the parking lot on the way to my morning download at the porcelain interface terminal...then, it took me 10 min to get out of my seat and get my duffle bag packed for my 30 min break/shower in Beach, ND. I did get a couple pops out of my back yesterday, and it's feeling some better today, but every now and then, I get a muscle spasm that take you by surprise when you try to move out of the seat or climb out of bed...but it's fine as long as I am driving, so it looks like Goodie's back and body, and ibuprofen are my 2 best friends right now.