Welcome to The Journey
An open book journey of Christopher William Klein
Greetings: April of 2021 is a post time entry added in October of 2023 from handwritten journals and a few other resources.
The Nightmare of a Trucker
Getting ill on the road.
April 1, 2021
Truck drivers are made of sterner stuff than many people. However, there are some things that we fear. One of those things is what happens when you suffer a physical ailment, on the road, far from home. And this is something that I have now experienced. While driving North through Tennessee, I developed serious chest pains. I pulled over, lay down for a bit, and it got better. But as soon as I started again, it was back, and worse. It got bad enough that I pulled into a Travel America and called an ambulance. The three days of this adventure were horrible. First, the EMT team took me to the hospital, 30 miles up the road, and dumped me into an emergency waiting room without letting them know I was there. I was in agony for more than an hour before anyone noticed that I was there. The next 40 hours were routine. I was poked and prodded, given some excellent class II drugs (Morphine) and remained in pain for about 32 hours. I could not take a deep breath, was not given food or water for much of the stay and spent the time in a miserable spiral. Luckily, all of the tests, including the EKG, blood work and an eventual heart catheter showed that it was just a muscle problem. A few new and modified drugs, and I was ready to go back to work. I was told to expect some random pains for a few weeks to a few months, but they are no longer debilitating, so that is something. I am not going to go into gruesome details, suffice it to say that I am still alive and kicking, and my eyes are still set on Colorado.
On the road again.
April 2, 2021
I am back on the road after a Lyft Ride 130 miles to get my truck. For some reason, the team had the truck towed 100 miles in the wrong direction back to the Tennessee Total yard. But I had a nice drive with a young lady named Morgan that told me her life story. Interesting young lady.
I am feeling a lot better, even though I still feel a bit of fatigue and some minor pain. But I was expecting that after the talks with the doctors. So I will muscle through. I held a nice long talk with Kristine (Mulligan) while I was driving. She was concerned about my hospitalization. It was a nice talk about things of the past, things of now, and things of the future. One of us is still in some pretty heavy denial about things that happened, but that is okay. I know which one of us it is, and it does not cause any problems.
I am back in school. This is already one of my least favorite courses. It is advanced project procurement. I have a lot of reference materials for it, but it is not my favorite subject. However, as soon as I finish this course, there is only one course remaining then it is degree time.
Trailer chases and Keely
April 3, 2021
Today was a bit of a long day. I wound up on a 160 mile trailer chase. I hate chasing trailers. But, I did get to talk to Keely. She is getting her CDL and I managed to hook her up with Connie in USX recruiting and she has been hired for the Dollar General account. I am very happy for her.
I am still not feeling up to snuff, but it is getting better each day, so that is something. I get tired easily now, but I am hoping that resolves with time. I cannot really exercise, and that is a negative, but I am back to eating normally.
A little bit normal
April 4, 2021
Things are coming together. I am delayed on this posting because I was running HVP, and we have to keep those private while we are in-route. But it is over now, and no one will ever know what I was carrying. Was in alien artifacts for Area-51? The cure for Covid? Small intelligent animals from the depths of the Earth? I will never tell.
The old chest and wrist hurt a bit, but other than that, I am working my way back to normal. I have not been able to reassert my creative juices, but that is on my agenda for the next week or so. It is a bit difficult without my external keyboard. But I am getting there.
Ugg Florida
April 5, 2021
I was able to make it into the Walgreens DC and get offloaded, and I even got some stray kitty time while unloading. It was a bit of a mess because the delivery appointment was wrong in the computer for some reason. This did not leave enough time to make it over to Westrock for my pickup. But it is all good. I talked to Keely and she confirmed that she has been hired, and I called Kat from Arizona Global to discuss plans for the future. Kat is in charge of the corporate scholarships, like the one from USX. After a long discussion, we agreed that for me to go after a PhD. would be nothing more than being a peacock. So it boiled down to another master's. Either in Psychology or Criminal Law. I am leaning toward criminal law, but I have to think about it.
The Slow Roll
April 6, 2021
Today was a very long day. The health is about the same with some minor improvements. I still feel a bit f fatigue, but I am sleeping much better. Too much in fact. I used to be able to live and function on 4 hours of sleep. But I have finally gotten to where I need close to eight hours. Ouch.
I was able to pick up and drop off at Westrock even though it was a back roads slow roll. I even managed to talk the receiver into a live-unload because they did not have any empty trailers. Of course, this meant that I had to set down at the site instead of in a more convenient place, but these are the prices that we pay.
A world of Frustration
Subtext Information
April 7, 2021
It is possible that describing my job and current life as a "world of frustration" is a bit arrogant. But it is my world right now, so deal with it. (big grin) . I am doing my best to keep in a positive frame of mind, but I am losing that battle right now. This may have something to do with the new meds, or the situation, or just a mood. You never know. But I am still moving forward, and that counts for something, I think.
Okay, so the frustration. I was dispatched for a run from Georgia to California with an in-route 34 hour reset. It was a prime run and I was very excited. I arrived at the shipper, dropped my trailer and walked into the shipping office. The run was cancelled about 30 minutes before I got there. Disappointment. But the frustration was when I went to get my empty trailer back and found the yard mule hooked to it. He was very reluctant to return it. I had to use a bit of an aggressive posture to get it back and he was not happy about it. I managed to retrieve it and was dispatched on a short run to Ohio. But when I got to the loading dock, I found that I was twentieth in line and it would be hours. I had to leave my trailer and come back for it. See? Frustration. When I returned, 11 hours later, I met Gabby, the guard who talked like she had never seen another human being. Interesting person.
Back on track
April 8-9, 2021
And now we enter into normal things. I finally got my loaded trailer for a run to Ohio and only had a few hours left on my hours of service. I headed into White House TN and set down for 34 hours. A shower, some good food, and life returns to normal. Now I can start doing the entries as I am supposed to. The break was relaxing, but not fulfilling. I caught up on school, watched a movie and some Simpsons. And things return to an even keel. I am still feeling a bit of fatigue, and my creative muse is in hibernation. But I think that i can get things back to some level of normal soon.
We now return...
April 10, 2021
Skelly
PhotoCredit:Christopher Klein
Normal achieved
Yesterday I dropped off in Groveport OH. I have been here before and forgot about the weird truck route. But I got dropped off and managed to set down in a rest area, half-way to Lima to pick up a PG load to Lousiana. Not the greatest situation, but better than I expected. I was not overweight, and that is saying something. I am feeling a bit better physically, but the mental situation is degrading. I am finding a lot of negative in the world, and for now, I am choosing not to dwell on it. Instead, I will focus on the positive. I was able to get the issue with Regions and Liberty Mutual resolved with a one-hour phone call, Laura took care of the fountain, and she is in control when it comes to the pests in the attic. So there is a lot to be positive about. I don't like being in a dark mood, but i am dealing.
Colorado
The picture above is from Main Street in Trinidad. I think that it is great that the city appears to be art-driven, but the fact that the shops and vendors get into the act is amazing. There is a lot of art and sculpture through the town and there is a reflection of the attitude with the shopkeepers. I did get a bit of disappointment. A realtor contacted me about a 137 acre property with a home for about 40K. Sadly, it was supposed to be 440K. Yeah, not spending a half a million. But we will get there.
A dad thing
While I was in military prison for passing a bad check (though I should have had the money based on the Military promises), my dad died. I was unable to attend his funeral. In fact, I don't even know where he is buried. Kristine is trying to find out for me.
Normal is overrated
a two week catch-up
April 11-24, 2021
Trinidad Sculptures
PhotoCredit: Christopher Klein
A positive note
One of my favorite things about Trinidad is that art is everywhere. They are often monuments or exibits, but many of the sculptures appear to be simply without purpose. This shows a great artistic influence in the area. Shops go out of their way to be interesting without being over-the-top and I think this says a lot about the people.
Where you been buckwheat?
Have I lost interest in this blog? Nope! Have I been so bogged down with work or school that I don't have time to write? Nope! World come to an end and we failed to notice? Possibly, but probably not. The issue is a bit more sinister than that. I have been riding a very dark wave since I got back on the road. My attempts to drag myself out of a small toilet in the seventh level of hell were, for a while, unproductive. But I am pretty sure that has now passed.
It all started with a run from Georgia to California. The run that never was to be. As I was rolling up against my 70 hour limit, the optimizer found a sweet run, 2200 miles for me. But when I showed up to pick up the load, it had been cancelled. Since then, it has been a series of puddle jumper runs with misinformation and extended waits in docks, between runs, and delivery delays. I mean 72 hours to go 400 miles type of delays. It is irksome. And then on Monday the 19th, everything came to a head. I dropped off my load, late and there was no preassignment in place. I waited and waited, and then ran out of hours so went to sleep. The next morning, I was told to head to the Shippensburg PA terminal for Preventative Maintenence. My appointment was the next day, but maybe I could sneak in early. No such luck. I arrived and started a downward spiral that is still in place.
Once they got the truck in, and took care of the normal stuff, replaced a windshield and inspected for any other problems (there were not any) it was time to deal with the Elephant in the room. A few months ago, someone backed into me in a truck stop while I was sleeping. They broke the plastic on my mirror, that the shop replaced, and they also put four small dings in the sleeper. This must be repaired, according to operating procedures. I am sure that this is a business decision based on insurance requirements. Sadly, it can take seven days or more because it must be outsourced to a body shop. I kicked, I screamed, I pouted, but to no avail. The final determination was that I would be re-seated into a new (to me) truck. V10380! A pristine machine that has no problems. And the roller coaster begins.
A shiny new truck
So, they re-seated me into the new truck and it had a few problems. First, it smelled like old dog and there was spoiled food in the refigerator. Not great, but nothing to stop the Earth from spinning. But the more important problem was the Dclimate controls were inoperable. They would not even turn on. Back into the shop, and about eight hour later, they had no idea what was wrong. We go into today, and first thing in the morning, the Gurus got it up and running and all is good. But, nope, that is not the answer. I took about three hours and moved my stuff from one truck to the other, and within 30 minutes, the climate control went out again. I JUST got the answer - A high pressure condensor hose is leaking, running into the control panel and potentially short-circuiting the system. That is why it is not working. Okay, replace the hose? Nope, can't do that - it must be outsourced locally, Monday or Tuesday, for repair - so....I have to be reseated again. But is there a truck available? I don't know yet, so time will tell. I am awaiting an answer.
A Rant about power
It is important to understand the measure of power. For many years of my life, I was a manipulator. I could bend people to my will, but at a cost. I don't think it was the cost of my soul, but I am sure that it took a few hits for the way that I used to act. Those that have intent can push people to act in a certain way. This is psychology and in small doses, harmless. But in business, those in control have a outcome that they want to achieve. They use their communication skills, their learned talent, and often brute force (take it or leave it) to get what they want. It sucks to be on the wrong end of this type of relationship.
A silver thong
When I was much younger and much prettier, for the Halloween season, I dressed in nothing but a silver thong and painted my entire body, including my very long hair, sliver. I spent my evenings wandering up and down South Street in Philadelphia handing out flyers for a costume shop. Ironically, because it was South Street, most people didn't even give me a second glance.
A little bit of weirdness this month
NOTE for April of 2021
Okay, I have taken the hint. More than 100 direct messages, quite a few emails and a few phone calls. I got behind. Since the trip to Colorado last month with Laura and Willow, I have not had the time to get things updated. And I thank all of you that have contacted me to find out what the problem is. To be honest, since I got back from that trip, I have felt like I was driving a jeep through a bog and unable to make headway against the mud. But I am back now. It has been a weird three weeks that include someone trying to commit suicide by truck and a short stay in the hospital with Angina. If you have never experienced Angina, I do not suggest that you add it to your bucket list. It is unpleasant. So, you will notice that I did not re-update the right sidebar. I will get to that when I can. Right now, I am just backdating the blog from my journal. There are not a lot of pictures, but the information and experiences are there, and I will get back to normal as soon as I can.
Back on my A game
April 25, 2021
Foodies - really?
PhotoCredit: Christopher Klein
First, I want to say that I really dislike foodies. I follow quite a few people that have to share everything that they eat, regardless of what it is or for what reason. But once in a while, I will be swept up in the torrent of food appreciation. Such is the case today. Here we have some fried Haddock with mashed potatoes and broccoli. The broccoli was a bit over cooked but the rest was excellent. You will find out where I got this monster meal just below.
Update So, things did not exactly go as planned. Yesterday, I got my replacement truck, but by the end of the day, there was nothing that they could do. The DClimate system is fried. There is a leak on the high pressure condenser pipe and the shop cannot fix it, so it has to be outsourced. As it is the weekend, we do not have an equiptment manager available, so I am stall until Monday morning at least. Laura in Ops arranged for a hotel in Shippensburg PA. I walked the 1.7 miles over to the Clarion Inn and Suites, which houses the University Grill. The grill is a very overpriced place with really bad live music, and good food. And that is where the above picture came from. The Haddock was excellent. The music, however, wasn't. There was nothing wrong with the singer, but he was trying way too hard. He tried to switch between some good old classics like the Beatles and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and then popped into "The Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. He was an okay singer, but did not have the range for this transition. But it was good to see some live music again. The funny thing was the patrons, when the singer would finish a song, they weren't sure if they should give applause or not. It was amusing.
Where is the muse?
Since this roller coast ride of negative events started about two weeks or so ago, I have had so much downtime. Sadly, I could not take advantage of this because the situation put me in a negative mindscape. I would sit and listen to music, or try (failing of course) to meditate, or stare off into space. I finally kicked that pig and I think that I have found the muse, hiding, cowering under the sofa. But we shall see if that holds. I am a bit pensive about the coming week. That will be one week down, and I am not confident that Monday will bring a solution. But you never know.Misconceptions
Shippensburg PA is a college town for Shippensburg University. This morning, once I got in motion, I wandered outside to assess the day. I stood for about twenty minutes on Kings street and had a fellow human being staring off into space just a few feet away. After about 20 minutes, they struck up a conversation. I am a student, what are you, I am a truck driver, etc. etc. Then it got weird. They were off from school today - duh, it is Sunday and are really homesick. They wanted company and to see where it leads. I explained that I was flattered, married, and straight. They looked at me with daggers in their eyes. I first took it as "how could this old dude, far from home, reject such a choice piece of student boy meat". My misconception. What pissed them off, and once I took a very long look, it made sense, was that this was not a young man that I had been talking to, but a young lady. She was the definition of androgynous from her haircut to her build and voice. Further, the "whatever" she was talking about was a gaming cafe nearby, nothing more. We laughed, both apologized, and went on our way. But both of us made misconceptions.
Mountain Dreams
The one good thing about the old mental state is that, for the most part, my dreams are doing their best to maintain my sanity and mood. I get to have a least one mountain dream each night, and I get to remember it. Last night it was working in the yard with a massive peak in the background. I like those dreams. Now I just want them to become a reality.
Street Racing
When I was very young, I lived in Barrington NJ. On the weekends, I would take my 1965 Mustang to Front Street in Philadelphia and street race. I was pretty good. Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. There was no NOS or things like that. Just kids doing the kid thing. It ended when I rolled that pretty little Mustang about a dozen times. My only major accident ever.
Just a quickie Today
A False Start
April 26, 2021
Okay, we are into a new week here. The 24 hour diner on King Street at Earl Street is not a 24 hour establishment. So I have been able to get my exercise (I hit the gym this morning) and my meditation done. I got a nice hot shower and a cup of blueberry tea, and of course coffee. But I have to wait for breakfast. Then I will be contacting operations to see if I am sitting on my rear end, or heading over to the terminal to wait to see what the great trucking gods are going to do with me today. In short, my first truck has a boo boo and has to be outsourced. My second truck as a worse boo boo and has to be outsourced. So that leaves me truckless, at least for now. We will see what the morning brings. But because I have about 45 minutes before I can fuel the body, you get to have some words of the great sage. Nah, not a great sage, I was just trying that on, and it is well beyond what I am. But perhaps the jester can amuse you.
Stephen King: Author or Prophet?
My experience here in Shippensburg PA gave me pause. I met some interesting people, but they also popped me back to some old ways of thinking, and this took me to Stephen King. I should mention that King is one of the reasons I write. Between him, Asimov, Poe, and a few others, they were the beginning of my journey. But I think that Stephen King, one of the great masters of horror, may be more prophet than author. Walking through Shippensburg brought these random thoughts into clear view. In the novel "The Dead Zone" part of the sub-plot was the rise to power of a madman and his eventual fall from grace due to his actions. In other words, a mirror image of the great Orange one. In the novel "the Stand", a virus wipes out a large portion of the population of the planet. Enter Covid-19. But what really gets me is a theme that crosses many of his stories. The phrase "The world has moved on". It is in quite a few of his stories.
I travel the country, and often, I get to drive through some small, and forgotten towns. They are often in a state of decay. And walking through Shippensburg yesterday, this became very obvious. The town is in a state of moving on. The buildings look ill, there is a scent in the air, and a feeling that I cannot explain. But the people, they are oblivious. They give off a vibration of darkness and depression, even when they are smiling. But that could be a reflection of my own mood, but I do not think so. I think that it is possible that the world is moving on, and we do not see it.
Words of wisdom
Positive action leads to positive motion. So my mantra for today is a five-point thought First, I will learn from the past, the good and the bad. Second I will give my energies to being productive, not being busy. Third I will remain organized in mind, body, soul and space. Fourth I will be efficient and avoid time-sucks. Finally, I will understand that there are times that I can let things be less than perfect.
More Waiting
But not more guarding
April 27, 2021
"More guarding" that comes from movie "Magickal Land of the...". Oh, nevermind, you either get it or you don't. The new truck is finally done, and I will be back on the road tomorrow. The highlight of the day was a nice, long talk with Douglas and some serious writing. I will count it as a good day, but it is time to get into motion.
What doesn't Kill you..
You know the drill
April 28, 2021
Back on the road today. I bobtailed into West Virginia, and then picked up in North Carolina, heading for good old California. I am not sure if I am excited or dreading this run, but time will tell. I had a good, long talk with Shea, the Variant Ambassador lead. It is a lucrative thing, but I really think that it is a bad business decision for the company. That many trucks, that many seats, that quickly? Baaad business.
Wagons West
Into the vast unknown
April 29, 2021
Okay, so California is not actually unknown, just unwanted. The next few days are going to be boring as hell, but it is a long, decent, run, so I am not going to complain about it. Cali-runs are a bit of a stick in the craw. You get excellent miles, but only for a time. If you are on a drop-and-hook, you get to the other end, and there are no empty trailers. And even if there are, or you are a live-unload, there is nothing coming out of the West Coast, so you sit and wait. Ah, to face the unknown future.
Already Tired
...and it is just starting
April 30, 2021
I have started the West Coast run, and it is already causing me issues. I lost an hour in an accident around Little Rock, AL. but I made it into Oklahoma. It should be smooth sailing from here on out, at least until I hit the West Coast and the speed limit drops to 55mph. I am not looking forward to that. But that is a few days away. The day ended with a Zoom meeting about an Ambassador trip to Cancun as a prize for recruiting. Business, Business, Business. Don't people think these things through? It is like those up the ladder are using the program to get what they want, a trip to Mexico. But I am not in the chain-of-command, so I am going to sit back and do my thing.