What’s the longest day you’ve worked?

I hope all goes well with your procedure.
I'll keep you in my prayers.
Those things can be mighty scary... I know.

 

Yes a touch of fear. It only means I am human. I do not like it at all. All or nothing. If I said I am not scared I would be branded as a steaming liar and a BS'iter. And they would be right. However that is one emotion that is opposite everything I am. Its part of being alive, being human and maybe just maybe driven by one particular thought. Ive got several people in life and if at all possible I will not die first and leave them in the cold alone.

The good side of the coin is that spiritually everything is settled a long time ago. And it will be a one hell of a eternal morning with no more pain, no more aggravating and a no more prison that my body had become in a way if it makes sense. So Ive already decided that if the Surgeon wants to have a go at fixing it, then he will have a go. Ive already told him that as long he fights well trying to physically fix the problem in the realm of medical and surgery and if for some reason I don't make it he is released from any problems on our end and not to worry. All of our days have number. A beginning and a ending. And there are all the days we are given in the morning because He sustains us when we sleep. To have a tomorrow is a gift. So many have no tomorrows or worse a tomorrow they would rather not have to deal with.

The one thing that upset me more than anything, this Echo is a simple procedure. Taking pictures and the technology etc is well understood and nothing there is a stressor. However the heart had a rather low pressure prior to it and a output that was adequate but not fully at full power for the day yet so to speak. (Cup of good coffee will take are of that after plus a decent meal) The Lady who was administering the Echo Scan was constantly assessing my GCS (Glasgow Coma Scoring) 15 being wide awake and running well mentally and physically 0 equals a rock, dead dead and dead. anything less than a 9 which I was at before is a denial of response to pain simulation on the body and a form of light coma or sleep that allows the hearing to work but everything else is essentially off line, asleep and approaching a more dangerous deeper coma. She was constantly being sure that I was back at 15 answering her questions before I managed to get to about 11 GCS so I can rest towards the end of the procedure. But to her, she needed me awake and maybe telling her some old trucking stories. So I came up with one which I thought was rather entertaining and took her mind off not being worried so much as it was with that pretty damning imagary in front of her.

The story was basic and taken from real life trucking. (Thank you Daffy Duck, wherever you are... must be 10,000 Daffys out there by handle on the big road)

We were in I-80 putting PA away having loaded machine parts, near West Allentown. There is a wonderful shipper who we would load once or twice a year after they have had a few dozen skilled people spend about 3 to 4 months of workdays fabricating special machines to order. Mine turned out to be a pair of lathes but also several other attached tool sets to it that were very precise. So you are not just turning a cylinder to spec, but also machining the aircooled fins to spec out of the forge for it. It was made for Wisconsin.

Anyway there is Daffy, number one with me number two with him westbound towards Exit Three on I-80 in PA. BOOM goes one of his covered wagon trailers tires. I was the other. So we both pulled into the Tire Shop in the truckstop off exit three. Not our ideal choice but any tireshop when you are flat is good news.

Can I help you?

Yes, would like a tire.

Which tire (As he eyeballs both of our rigs, identical twins outside his plate glass windows behind some pretty serious glasses and frames)

"The one with the flat"

Ok, what tire is the one with flat?

"It's a black kind of tire."

Hm. Black tire and flat. What else?

"Its round; but with the flat it's not round anymore, we need a round tire"

P A U S E.

"We need a round tire, black and without a flat like the others."

hm. Where is the tire? (There are two of us identical twins outside)

"The one with the flat."

S I L E N C E as he worked on this sequence of answers. Finally:

Why?

"Why? It's flat. Because no air is in it."

At that point he begins to change colors in his face, throat and so forth with blood vessals coming up in stress.

We waved him outside and asked him to follow us. Pointed at the tire that's black, round, has a flat on the truck that does have the flat. And not the other one.

":You have one like this to fix us soon?"

Yes.

"How much?"

don't know need to check and see about that tire. (Probably a bridge stone or some top retail brand.)

He put tires on in about over a hour. We paid the man and so forth. It was obvious he has had about enough of us and wanted the whole situation to be over with us and for us to be gone. Preferably never to see him again. (We didnt"

We were on a holiday situation so Fort Wayne in the old Toll Road 76 was the base for that time off during the holiday with delivery to Wisconsion to be made after that time period was done with. Essentially partying in the 76 there.

It would be one of the few times in the 76 we would tell the story, retell it as others joined for dinner and so on. I don't know how many of us were in that eating area what with the booths, tables and counters. But it was clear the people found it very amusing and peals of laugher rang through the place. Other story tellers got involved with their recent stories along those lines of real life in being funny. Or giving someone a little touch of a hard time etc.

I can tell you that combined with the Holiday (July 4th) time off and so on for many drivers there laying over and using the time to put together different situations to enjoy the time such as grilling steaks and so on. I remember a Memphis fast talking slower talking Houston and a silent Kansas City griller about his grilled chicken and ribs and so on.

The other two made a competition of it. Texas was generally a popular winner KC and Memphis was really good and no one could agree anyway who got what place on what food they built on their grills for some of us. I think the competition was less of a goal and the learning about the regional differences were a interesting attraction.

With all things considered that particular truckstop in that particular time in the early 90's was a VERY happy place. The staff did not complain much it at all. Some were able to enjoy the company of the people who came. Not just the drivers but also many locals.

I don't know about you, but when locals come to sit and eat in what is supposed to be a truckstop well... someone in the kitchen is doing a EXCELLENT job there. I can tell you that.

And thats the story I told to the Ultrasound Technician. And it was enough to pass the time on the scan and made it less of a problem for her seeing that the numbers came up and improved as I got into the spirit of telling the story but not garnishing it too much with BS or Lunch COunter because it did happen and that truckstop was in a very good situation towards the end of that time off and we all rolled out of there to hit the pike in good order.

I also think it was a beginning and also a beginning of the end for what it was once among us drivers and staff that fed and took care of us there. And what some truckstops have been destroyed in favor of some greasy self serve Subway or some stupid profit machining center instead of a formal truckstop.

It is my hope that a percentage of truckstops around the USA will remember what they are at a fundamental level and never abandon that trying to get a fast dollar off Subway or some BS franchise in a third lease situation.

Anyway there is that. I hope some of you enjoyed the flat tire story.

I hope to say that the Surgeon was able to physically and surgically repair and fix the problems permanently. Make me 18 years old again and ready to go back out into trucking with no medicines needed for BP or anything at all. Just a clear DOT 2 year card. It would not only save my life but also add potentially YEARS of very productive happy time in the future.

That I think is my hope. Fix what we can fix and not worry about the rest, leave it in God's Hands.

 

I believe it was Nancy Reagan that put a stop to those shenanigans. Ever notice how crowded the rest areas became after that?

 

I got stuck in mid-town Manhattan with an oversize load from Friday night to Saturday afternoon once. They were having trouble getting the crane up and running so I ended up with about 26 hours on the clock. Boss tried giving me grief about it and I asked him if he knew of a motel in Manhattan with parking for a big-truck. I have a son who lives in Manhattan, so paper log showed that I went to stay with him...

 

I'm invoking my 5th Amendment Right to not answer on the grounds of self incrimination.

 

Depending on the truck, some days were longer than others,,