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

Can't wait to get that midterm out of the way. Hopefully early next week I'll have it completed.

I'm already at the "what the heck have I gotten myself into" but I love it regardless. It has always been my experience that those most trying times, those times when I think things are rough, that I look back upon pretty fondly, even if I don't see it at the time it is happening. I try to keep this in mind.

I have been sending out the Swift telepathy to that guy blocking you in but apparently he is busy texting or something and it is messing up the signals. I'll keep trying tho...

ht

Great instructors make it a better experience. Weigh your options and do what is going to benefit you the most. Keep doing your research and you will be living it soon enough!

Yes, don't block the pumps!

 

A few days back I was heading east through Nebraska on I-80 on my way out to Denver. My mentor was back in the bunk and I was alone driving, doing what I love and living the life. It's always quiet since I don't have the radio to use and the CB remains silent per the mentor's request. That is ok as these times, just like riding my motorcycle alone with my thoughts in my helmet, are genuinely golden.

Without the distractions of artificial radio, cellphone or CB noise I am left alone to reflect and slow things down. I was heading west on I-80 and as I passed scattered ponds to my right I noticed that they were colored in with continuous specks of white interspersed with spots of black. The snow geese were coming back from the winter retreats and they literally filled the ponds with their color. I couldn't believe how many would squeeze themselves together, huddled wing to wing. As I looked up I saw other flocks, thousands it seemed, flying towards another unseen pond somewhere. It's corny but I was awestruck. I pointed it out to my mentor when I said an "oh wow" out loud and he seemed unimpressed. Unfortunate for him as I was awestruck.

My head was clear and I was soaking in Nebraska in the near spring. It was one of those moments where everything in life seemed to line up just perfectly - the flocks, the fields where the cows were released to graze on winter's dead crops, the large rolls of hay and the sun setting to my left forward of my windshield. Not to be cliche, but sometimes not too often things just seem to be near perfect without distractions when we can break everything complicated in our overly complicated human lives into simple, reasonable parts. Canadian geese were starting to stake their claim to other ponds and I noticed that the ponds would alternate between those claimed by the Snow Geese and those claimed by the Canadian Geese. It was a perfect moment and I was happy to recognize what it was at that time.

As I was observing the setting sun's focus on these rolls of hay, something caught my eye as a US Express rig began to pass me. As I maintained my Swifty 61.5 mph I saw something flapping off in my peripheral and it distracted me enough to cause me to look over at an otherwise routine passing truck. My eyes followed the flapping distraction to see it was attached to a dogs head. Now I don't know if dogs do in fact smile but, if they do, this dog was smiling the biggest grin as his head was sticking out the passenger window of this US Express truck, the window rolled two-thirds of the way up, just enough room for him to squeeze his head out and stare back at me ears flapping wildly and his brindle-colored head contrasting the color of the cab. I reached for my cell camera, wishing I had the Canon in my backpack close by to snap what would have been a priceless photo. It would have captured him perfectly had I planned ahead for something so unexpected and wonderful. I'm sure I won't get that same opportunity but I'm glad that I saw it at least and have the memory.

I don't usually like crossing Nebraska as I usually get bored after hours of driving across the state. But that night was different. I felt like I saw Nebraska differently, maybe I saw something that captured the attention of all those native Nebraskans who settled and raised proud Nebraskan families. Perhaps I was let in on their secret the same way most of us covet our home states with that subjective love, the same way I will always see Jersey differently than a non-native. Now, for this moment, as the sun slowly set in front of me heading west on I-80 I was in on something special. I raced to get to the next reststop, somewhere west of Brady, Nebraska to capture the last light with my somewhat adequate cell camera. I did snap off a few including a few panoramas. As an always amateur and sometimes professional photographer I know how quickly that perfect light will elude you and I was lucky enough to pop out the air brakes in time at the rest stop to jump out and capture that moment where the bottom portion of the horizon was still aglow in deep reds working its way up to purples and then deep blues terminating at total blackness above with moon and stars shining. I just made it and everything was perfect. I relaxed for a moment without my focus on the camera and photographs and just let is soak in as night came and the last colors of sunset disappeared under the horizon. Thank you Nebraska for a memorable drive.


My mentor formally and officially quit being a mentor today and let me off here at the Columbus terminal. I'm at the motel 8 and waiting on a new mentor tomorrow morning whereby we will head out to some city in Colorado and drive teams. My old mentor had had enough this morning and called it quits after a little argument we had about me finishing my hours before his next hometime. We ended things with a handshake and an honest commitment to talk again soon. We will. It was meant to be. I'm currently at about 175 hours of my required 240 so slowly, ever so slowly, I'm getting closer to finishing. I have about 24 backs of my required 40 and I have been on the road 5 weeks this coming Tuesday.

 

I should say that despite all the negativity and thoughtless people we sometimes encounter there are some genuinely good people out there. Something outside of the driving and traveling aspect of this job that I enjoy is meeting all those people from different lifestyles from mine, different aspects and outlooks and experiences as varied as the diversity of life.

I was at the terminal window tonight getting my hotel room voucher when I was told that there was only the one gentleman on duty and that i wouldn't be able to catch a ride to the motel. Rick, another Swifty, overhead and offered to drive me bobtail over to my motel. I offered to grab a cab but he wouldn't have it. With a thick Florida accent he showed me how to fill out loaded calls on the Qualcomm, taking the time to pull over outside the entrance to the terminal to school me. What a gentleman and great guy. He told me about trucking the oil fields of North Dakota and driving over mountain passes. I love the stories from those I meet, it keeps me charged. He dropped me and all my bags off at the motel and would barely accept my thanks. I hid a ten in his dash for some coffee later since I know he wouldn't accept it. People like this redeem all the negative. Thanks Rick!

 

Thanks!

It has been quite the experience, both the good and the bad. I guess one way to look at it is if there wasn't the bad then maybe it would just be mundane and less memorable. I really can't believe how I'm going through so many mentors. I'm the common denominator unfortunately. It doesn't sit well with me that I was my mentor's last student and somewhat pushed him into changing. Although he was already considering it after his last student got off the truck at a warehouse I am definitely that straw that broke the camel's back here. It's unfortunate but I also think it is a good thing as he needs to be solo I think. He likes his privacy and everything undisturbed by the presence of some newbie trainee so I think this will be better for his mental health. And mine. Thanks for the prayers!