2021 is upon us. I don't know if it will bring a mutated virus, a continued political coup, or giant hampsters running amuck. But it is here. And that is okay. Those reading this survived 2020, and we can take on the challenges ahead of us. It is time that we begin to come together, and stop all this silliness.

The future of me

I have started to put together my plans for 2021, and they are ambitious. I have quite a few things on the list already, and it is growing every day. Of course, a move to the mountains is right at the top of the list. Right now, I am prepping for home-time, and then a 12-week tour, followed by a vacation to check out Trinidad CO., with the wife and daughter. With a bit of luck, this will become our forever home. I graduate in May this year with my new Master's degree and should have my project management certification soon after that. All fun times to go. I am working on two books, a few short stories, and a hell of a lot of continued education, as well as running my ass off around the country.

The school front

I have three courses left for my Business Organziation Master's degree. They are all in advanced project management. I did not do nearly as well in this Ethics course as I would have hoped, but I should still rock either an A or a B. I will take it. I just could not get into it for some reason. I am very much looking forward to the project courses. Then I have to figure out what is next. I have started working on the issue with the Strayer Federal loans, and that is slow going.

I am an idiot

I really have to get my head out of my butt and get into gear. This I am going to start tomorrow when I have to take 34 hours down, required by the Department of Transportation, before I head home for a couple of days. I have to bring my business skills into line and do some recruiting. I am going to check out pricing for Zip Recruiter and GlassDoor as well as a few others. I have to stop being a fussbudget about it and get it done. I am going to talk to Laura about pushing me on the issue. She pushes me, I will get it done, because that is the way that I roll.

The past and the future

If you did not get to read my last blog for 2020, you can still take a look at December 2020 and see my closing statements. I have not taken a new picture yet for this month, but I will on home-time, so no worries. There is no picture today because I have not set down for my break yet. I am in Kentucky, headed up to Indianapolis. Once I drop off, I will be out of time, then a break, then homeward bound. The wife bought me a new freezer for the truck, so I have some cooking to do, then I am ready for my new tour.

Let's all work toward a wonderful and calm year.

I was supposed to be home tomorrow morning, but that is not going to happen. I ran as hard as I could, but I wound up with about two hours left, just outside of Indianapolis, IN. But that is okay, I am not in a hurry this time, so it is all good. I will still make it home in about a day or two, just not when scheduled. For those of you that follow this blog for your curiosity about Variant, I want to make it clear that I let fleet know at least a week ago, that this was okay. I can use the miles, and my big thing about home-time this run is preparing for about 12 weeks out. It is going to be an interesting trip.

2021 Goals

The big thing is cementing in Colorado. After this next tour on the road, we are headed for a week near Trinidad to check things out. We should be able to make our final choice then, and we will see what we will see and be able to go from there. The other things for 2021 is fully updating and backdating this blog. If you link here from the main journey page at The Journey, you will see that I have added four years worth of pages. Granted, they have not been fully updated yet, but they are there. I will get to them as I can. It should be interesting. And, there are a few surprises.
I was interviewed today for an eerie stories podcast, but only a three minute spot. It should drive a bit of traffic here. We shall see. I have a bunch of short stories that i want to get finished this year, and two novels that I am working on. As long as I put in the time, it should be good. Finally, I am doing the education thing. Before mid-year, I should have my next Master's and a few certifications. Then I just have to figure out what I am going to do with them.

The Train Wreck that is the current situation

I think that people are finally starting to get it. They are starting to understand that those in power are playing a game. I would say that it is chess, but I really don't think that it is that sophisticated. More like a game of tiddly-winks. But the good thing is that people are starting to figure out these tactics and strategies. The question will be if the citizens of these United States are going to sit back and take it, or if it is time to them to plant their feet in the ground and say "NO MORE". Only time will tell. You can hear the anger and frustration in the talking heads. You can see it in their eyes. More than 300,000 dead Americans, and people are still crying hoax. More than 50 cases kicked out of court for lack of evidence, and people are still standing behind Trump. 1 in 6 children going to bed hungry, and people still beleieving that we are doing just fine. This lack of understanding and comprehension is an affront to the intelligence that we are supposed to have. Hopefully, this year will at least start to bring about change. Time will tell.

PhotoCredit: Twisted Tea Advertising

The strangeness of the world

I entered into 2021 with hope, but that may be too optimistic. I listened to the news this morning, and Twisted Tea seems to be making headlines. Someone in the United States was saying things that were not agreed to by those around them. An onlooker, on video, bashed them in the face with a can of twisted tea. Of course, as it always does, social media pounced on this like a cat with catnip. Now there are MEMEs all over the place of this action, real and fake. In other words, those around the nation are condoning violence when the world does not agree with them. The world can be challenging in a society where hard-core believers are buying into the lies of those they are supposed to trust. In two separate incidents, the personal property of Mitch McConnel and Nancy Pelosi experienced vandalism. This is not a free and fair action of a stable country. These are the actions of the radical right and the extreme left, and it is unacceptable. In just three days, we have devolved even more than we had been. And there is no sign that this is going to change. We have politicians openly demanding acts of violence and the alleged “great” leader, unable to accept his loss, crying out for his supporters to engage in open acts of civil discord. This country needs a damn time out!

The Variant Angle

I sit just South of Indianapolis, IN., with under an hour until my timer expires. Thus far, I do not have an empty trailer assigned or a home-trip in place. In this area, open trailers are a bit of a problem, but this is a problem that all logistics carriers are experiencing right now. I am hopeful that a resolution will come about in the next hour, and I will head home for two days off. I am optimistic for the 2021 work year, and once I get back on the road, I hope that all will go well, and for the next twelve weeks, I will roll back to back. But time will tell.

Education and the Muse

I did not just sit on my butt for 34-hours. I used the time well to prepare for the time to come in the next twelve months. I set up my writing and my education, formal and informal. I did a lot of work on both Triumph Media and Ancient Pathway. If you follow these sites, you will see some changes immediately; others you will have to wait for as things progress. I almost forgot that it is time to go through my bookmarks for the year and validate them all. I did not use many of them this past year, and it may be time to streamline the process. It is going to be a challenging creative year.

PhotoCredit: Christopher Klein

Heading out

I have gotten two days at home and managed to get grounded and balanced again. The past few weeks were a bit rough, but I am headed out on a 12-week tour ending in mid-March. Once this tour is over, the family should be headed to Colorado to check things out for potential move to our forever home. But there is a lot of time between now and then.

The end of the world as we know it.

Great song, but sadly, a bit of the state of the nation right now. The war between a democracy and a dictatorship rages on, with idle threats being tossed around like water baloons. No one knows what is going to happen, but most people, with their social media credentials (obvious sarcasm) continue to spout their opinions. Today, there is a run-off election in Georgia, which will determine the party that controls the Senate for at least two years. And of course, everyone is up to their games.

The creative touch

I have my Roku stick now (thanks Laura) and my computer with about two dozen movies. But I also have my education, my Sax and my drawing kit. So hopefully, I will be able to make some good use of any downtime. I should be headed out to Orlando FL. in the morning, then we will see where.

I am trying to get my updates in every day, but it has been a bit of a rough start getting back on the road. I have a picture of my truck dragon that the wife made for me, but I have to get it off my phone, and time is fighting me like a herd of cats on meth. This post is a January update for the start of the year, and the dailies should start coming in soon.

So, the world has taken a bit of a left turn today. I mean that quite literally. As of 5:00 this morning, it is looking like the Democrats MAY have balanced control in the Senate. I am sure that before the end of the day, the conspiracy theories will abound about fraud, rigged elections and such, but for now, the world comes back into balance. Of course, this is going to be overshadowed as the (not so) righteous hoards descend on Washington D.C. to do the bidding of their lord and master. I am curious to see what the world holds a year from now.

I am back on the road until March. By that time, I should be down to two courses left to my next Master’s degree and some choices that have to be made for the future. A lot is going to depend on the next couple of months, how the routing and stacking goes, and of course, the trip to Colorado. Things are coming into view. Laura got me an excellent Tee-shirt with an image that says that the Mountains are calling. I think that I need to answer that call.

I am actually feeling quite optimistic right now, I am just hoping that will hold. I did all my cooking while on home-time and I should have plenty of food for the next month and a half or more. I am already planning my dinner tonight of Tilapia and shrimp over potatoes with a nice garden salad as a side. And I have big plans to get things done while on the road. The fun times are beginning.

This update has taken a few days to get together and in place. It has been a rush rush rush time, but I think that I have things under control. It was just a bit difficult to get my wheels under me. My first run was from Tennessee to Texas, and even though it was a slow roll, I was not feeling 100% and it took me some time to get things in order. I have the new freezer in the truck and that is making a world of difference. Thus far, I have had chicken, hot sausage and my special sloppy joes. But I have been sleeping too much, so breakfast has not been happening. Much better today. I have finished all my requirements for the current course work at Arizona Global, and I have access to the next course, Advanced Project Procurement. I am excited. It is in a new format, so I have to learn the new interface, but there is a 608 page book, and I have downloaded it for offline reading. Fun times!

Right now, I am sitting in Lake Charles LA, getting ready to head to New Jersey. I am about 1420 miles from my drop, but if I run right, I may actually be able to set down in Tunnel Hill today and hit the company store around noon. We shall see.

Finally, I lost my XM radio due to subscription issues, and I am not getting that back, so I am not up to date on the news. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I am going to make it a point to find a good news reader, and a podcast player for the future. But right now, that is all on the back burner. Have fun everyone.

The State of the world

“Take a look around you, at the world we’ve come to know. Does it seem to be much more, than a crazy circus show?” A line that is in the War of the Worlds – Classic Rock version by Jeff Wayne. I heard this song when I was 16 years old, first living with my mother. And it holds so true today. I don’t have access to my news stations anymore, and I am beginning to think that may be a very good thing. I get my news feeds, and that is all. I have to rediscover my old feeds. I got rid of them when I gained access to Sirius XM. But that can wait another day. The election is over, the riots are over, and the world is settling, at least for now. I am watching my right wing friends give birth to kittens right now, with the loss of the White House and the Senate. But instead of doing what they told us four years ago, and watching to see what happens, they are fighting like wildcats, and it is starting to look like toddlers with pudding cups.

The Muse Cometh

Being back on the road on my last rotation before going to Colorado has my creative juices running. But since hitting the road again, I have not really had time to sit down and do anything. I have my saxophone, my writing and even my drawing stuff, but I have had little or no time to sit down with any of it. I have been doing “the Awakening” in my head, but I am so tired when I shut down for the day, that I don’t get it down in writing. Luckily, I have my notes, so that is something.

It’s a Variant Thing

Right now, I am set down in the middle of Virginia with a few extra hours to sleep before I head into New Jersey. And I really need it because I am tired as hell. I am rocking the good food though, and I have it down to a schedule so that as I eat one meal, I pull the next one, so there is always something ready to cook. I did forget to cook my fish, but that is okay, that is easy enough to fix. I prepped everything with Tilapia, shrimp, spices and butter in each pouch, so just a few minutes in the pan and Abracadabra, fresh cooked fish.

School…..

I am done with my Ethics course, and just waiting for my final grades. My advanced project procurement starts on Tuesday, but I am trying to get a jump on it. The books are in a different format, so that is going to make things a lot more difficult than other courses thus far. For the first thing, the book is 600+ pages long, and there is no audio version. So I have started to read that. It is a bit dry, but interesting non-the-less. I have eye-balled the six weeks, and there is an assignment for the first five, and then a project on the sixth. It will be a bit rough, but I have a jump on it. The discussions don’t look that difficult.

PhotoCredit: Christopher Klein

Amazing. To err is human, to really mess things up takes a computer. The truck loves to tell me when I waste money, but in this case, since a Freightliner burns about a gallon of fuel an hour when running, it thinks that I have not moved in the past 24 hours. Funny but wrong.

Ghosts, the real kind

I am traveling through New Jersey today and there are ghosts that haunt me when I am in this place. I am not talking about those boo types that jump out and pass through you. I am talking about those memories of someone that wore the clothes of a much younger person. Those memories that I have left beyond, long forgotten, and should stay that way. I passed close to my old house in Silver Spring Maryland. And I passed around the capitol beltway, right past where I chained up my bike when it blew a tire after I ran away at 15. I thought of Alex, the Amazon that I had the nads to date, and Sherri and Terri Allen, twins, born moments a part, that looked and acted nothing alike. It is amazing that 40 years later, these things still pull on those inner parts of me, best left buried to the sands and dust of time.

Back to reality

I roll without daily news, unless I log in and look. And when I do log in and look, I think that I am happy that I don’t have the XM radio right now. The world has gone buggernuts. But what else is new? Today has not really been the best day for Variant. I was able to get to my drop about 90 minutes early, and then Fleet did the dance of getting me a load to round out my 70 hours. Chad called me and hooked me up with a Central Pet load, dropping tomorrow at a food warehouse and all was good. Until I got to the shipper and they had no idea what I was talking about. I headed to Bordentown Love’s and set down for 10 hours until they worked everything out. That Love’s is scary. It is small and cramped and the drivers simply are not nice. I heard them bickering on the CB about everything from drivers sitting on the fuel island while they took showers to bobtails parking in full spots. A reflection on the state of the Union. But I got a nice hot shower, made myself some noodles and ham, and got some sleep. The Roku is fixed, so I watched some cartoons, and then set up my Lucid dreaming music. But, back at the distributor, and more annoyances. This is a Coyote broker load. And the shipper does not load them during the night shift. So another 10 down, sitting by the side of the road. This is going to toss me 20 hours out of kilter for next week. But I am hopeful.

Colorado Bound

While I have been fighting with the Logistics Dragons, the wife has been planning and scheming. And things are coming into line. We now have a time-line for the Colorado trip, and it is just over two months away. The plans are underway, and Laura has started to book the fun stuff. I have this weird feeling that things are going to happen fast now. But time will tell.

Project Procurement

The new class starts tomorrow. I have my materials and I have reviewed most of the class requirements. It is going to be a bit of a bear, but I think that I am going to enjoy it. I have posted my introduction and downloaded my book. Sadly, no audiobook this time. I have downloaded most of the requirements for the discussions and reviewed them, and I still have to download the written assignments. It is going to be challenging, but I think that I can rise to the challenge. Then only two more courses to go.

PhotoCredit: Christopher Klein

Ah the picture

As you can see by the picture above, it has been a very interesting week. That minor damage to my 2021 Freightliner was caused by a young, new driver, that not only had problems backing, but ignored the significant rule that you never blindside when you don’t have to. He knocked me out of my bunk, and continued backing even after he had hit my retractable mirror. I give myself Kudos for not going off on him, even though our initial confrontation was less than nice. I called accidents and claims, got what I had to get done, done and went back to sleep. Of course, I could not sleep, but since I am on a slow roll to Tulsa OK. With 32 extra hours, it was not a big deal.

Education: Fun stuff

So, there was a little hiccup with the U.S. Xpress Free ride. Something did not get signed and dotted, and I got kicked out of class. I can get that fixed on Tuesday when I talk to Arizona Global, but for now, I don’t have to do school. However, I got my final grades on my ethics course, and I pulled out another A. So that means that I maintain my current 4.0 average going forward. Once I am back in class, I am working on my concentration, with 3 more courses to go, I can see the end of the tunnel.

The State of the country

The battle lines are drawn. I have a new subscription to Sirius XM radio, so I can get my news feeds again, and they are not promising. The big news of course, is that those that stormed the Capitol building are now crying that they were just doing what they were told by their president. You know the one, the President that lost to Joe Biden in a free and fair election. And of course, there was wide-spread voter fraud because he is so loved that he could not have lost. That is without any evidence, even though it was investigated by both sides of the political base. Now, these people that did open insurrection against the country are whining that they want pardons and they are not to blame. But it goes much deeper than that. Should these pardons be issued, I think that they should all be put into servitude positions, because they do not have the ability to think for themselves and should never be put into positions of power or administration. I have a little bit of venom there. I am concerned about the January 21 and the inauguration. We just don’t know what is going to happen. I am sure that there will be more on this as it unfolds.

The creative bug

I am working on The Awakening. Currently I am writing the prolog, where an outcast Lilith, kicked out of Eden with her brood, approach Osparia, leader of the Fae, seeking sanctuary. I had a bit of a problem with Osparia, because I could not find the words to describe her as she appears in my mind’s eye. But I think that I have it down. I may post the prolog here when it is done just as a tickler for what is to come. We shall see.

PhotoCredit:Positve Change Advocates

In the news

The most significant news is on the political front. There have been big changes. Donald Trump has retreated to his property in Florida while Biden and Harris took their oaths of office as the next President and vice President of the United States. I want to make it clear, I really don’t like Biden. But he is growing on me. Unlike the previous administration, the team came out of the gate running. Instead of pompous parties and outlandish galas to say “look at me”, they got right to work. Biden signed 17 executive orders, many of them undoing the atrocities of the Trump administration. They also put out good speeches, and potential for the future. I am willing to give them a chance, just like I did with Trump. The difference is, that I think that they will be able to do at least a lion share of what they want to do.

Notable

Sometimes it is the little things. During the inauguration, the entertainment was Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez. Both of these stars are known for their outlandish dress and actions, meant to draw as much attention possible to the self. But with these two in this situation, there was a noticeable difference. They were well toned down for the event, letting the new leaders of this nation have the spotlight. Change is in the air.

Where am I?

I am taking a 34-hour break in Hagarstown Maryland. I hit here last night to Tractor Supply and bobtailed over to the Love’s. I was in a cruddy mood, but I think that it is getting better now. I finished my Facebook Palmistry project and did a little writing. I have everything that I need for the road for the next couples weeks, and I did a truck inventory, making plans to make sure that I can make it to vacation time without going shopping. Laura suggested inviting Rachel on our vacation and I told her that it would be a good idea. The worst that would happen is that we would have another moving member when we come down to the big move. I think I actually dreamt about that before.

Speaking of Dreams

I have been having some really weird and negative dreams lately. Of course, I still get intrusions by Winona Ryder (the young version) and Lindsey Lohan here and there. But lately, they have been more obscure with things like winning the lottery, currently at close to a billion dollars, and then losing it. Or having my truck stolen and getting picked up by a crazy cat lady in a pickup truck with a full bed of cigar smoking babies. Weirdness. I really think it is because I have been working the prolog for “the Awakening” with Lilith and Osparia and it is tossing me into really strange tracks of thinking.

The state of me

I have been a bit of a mood swingy freak for a few days now. But I think that it has finally come to a head and is under my control. I am at a Tractor Supply store in a backwater area of Pennsylvania near Kenneth Square on an extended wait. I drove three hours to wait for 19, and then off to who knows where. But this extra time, after a 34-hour break has given me time for reflection, exercise and meditation. So I think that the old grey matter is finally under my control again. I think that I am existing in a pseudo-realism view of the world. Things are going really well, and Colorado is coming into view, first the vacation and then the potential move. I just always have this feeling that when things go well, the gods need to toss a monkey wrench into things. But, in retrospect, I burned off a lot of Karma in the past few years. And since I lived with that level of negative Karma for so long, it is possible that I am just in balance now, and I need to stop waiting for bad things to happen. It is just difficult. I ask myself what I would say to me, if I was asking myself for advice. And I would say to suck it up and enjoy the ride. And thus, that is what I will do.

The Variant thing

So, last week was pretty good and they managed to sneak in an extra run onto the paycheck. Right now, going into the weekend, I am sitting at about 500 miles for next week. I don’t know what the next few days is going to bring, but I am hopeful. I have a 19 hour wait at my second stop for the week, and I am just coming off a reset-break, so it is going to be a push push push type of thing. I did jump on a random facebook chat with the developers and we got to chat about things like the new Driver Tech system, and the problems with the Roger app. The developers do say that there are good changes coming, and I am hoping that they are right. Hope abounds.

The attack of the muse

I have been working on the prolog for “the Awakening”. So far, I have written it and deleted it three times. I am on try number four. I just cannot get the dynamic between Osparia and Lilith to work the way that I want it to. But with every iteration, it comes a bit closer. But, to take a break and clear my head, I have broken out my drawing stuff. So we shall see what happens. I am not ready to share yet, but soon I hope.

Work life imbalance

I am really annoyed with work right now, but it has nothing to do with Variant. It has to do with the money making machine that is big industry. You would think that these giant plants would have shipping and receiving down pat, but that is not the case. Yesterday, I popped in to pick up a live load at a pet food manufacturer and it took well over four hours to get out of there. The kicker is that I only have 23 pallets on the truck, about half what I can carry. The dock is so busy that their production cannot keep up with the demand, and it is the drivers that pay the price. I talked to a few other drivers that were there and was told that the dock was actually running FAST for that day. Usually, drivers are able to get a 10-hour restart. That is not a professional dock in my opinion.

Colorado Dreamin’

I am ready to make the move to Colorado. I really hope that things go well in March when we head there for our check-out-the-area vacation. But I have a feeling that everything will be fine. I am not really sure why I am so transfixed on the issue lately, but there it is, so I get to deal with it. I even have the acre size garden planned out. Oye. I need therapy. The time off will be nice, but I get this really weird feeling that the move is going to happen quite fast. I am not sure why I am getting that feeling, but I am starting to trust when I do.

Here comes school

By the end of this week, in about five days, I should have access to my materials for Advanced Project Management, my next course. I am looking forward to it. I want to be ready to hit the gate running and plow through the course. I have already taken project management, and I have gathered resources for reference, so I anticipate that the course will be a refresher. But that is okay, when I am done school, I want to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam. This course will be an excellent way to study for the exam. Then, there are just two more courses to go.

PhotoCredit: Christopher Klein

The month continues

January of 2021 is one hell of a month. It is cold and snowing across the country, President Biden has finally taken his role as leader of the United States, and battle lines drawn across the country, cause tension. This is a scary time to be alive in the land of the free. But we go on.

The State of Me

I am holding my own. I run hard, but I am not getting anywhere. Some issues with short, puddle-hopper runs intrude on my peace of mind, but that is under resolution as you read this. I am back in school, I have my new XM radio subscription, and I am back on track to get things accomplished. The worst news of the month is potential exposure to Covid-19 for Willow and Laura. That weighs heavily on me, but we are dealing. It is tough to be away from home in times of need. Today marks about six weeks until the Colorado trip, and then everything may change. Time will tell.

Time for reflection

This week has been a bit rough on me. Being out of school for a few weeks has forced my attention to face inward. Sometimes, this is a good thing, but in this case, it is not so good. I work on “The Awakening” and “Fixing America”; however, it is not enough of a distraction to keep my mind from wandering into shadowed places. Thus far, I have control of the issue, but it could easily spiral to a negative place. Luckily, I can access school now, and I can place my focus on project management. I am looking forward to this course and the two that follow to the conclusion of my degree.

The Political State

I am unsure what is happening in the world around us in the United States right now. Social media, plagued with posts about the incoming administration, is now a battleground with lines drawn by both the left and the right. QAnon activists calling for directed violence against their liberal opponents hold seats in the House of Representatives. Their political base, the Republicans, embrace them instead of condemning them for their actions. Kevin McCarthy, attempting to get back into the good graces of Donald Trump, visits Mar-a-largo. The visit shows that Trump is not losing power but gaining it. The rise of the radical, white-supremacist right is very dangerous to this country. Open calls for violence are commonplace, and some answer that call. The question becomes one of if things are going to get better or worse. Time offers the answer, but we have to wait for it. So far, Biden has kept his campaign promises and drives forward with his plans. But will the center hold?

The Musings of the Muse

Both of my books are coming along nicely. I do my best to use my time in docks to get a few paragraphs done. I posted part of the prolog of “Fixing America” to Facebook, and it was well-received. I do a little drawing every day, but so far, I toss those away with the daily trash. I am just not happy with them. However, I do think that I advance with each try. I play my sax at least every other day, and I am working on an advertising campaign for Variant. If I could get the latter into motion today, things may change for the positive quickly.

A Final Note

Today, I am doing an inventory of the truck to see what I have left for the next six weeks until I go on vacation with the wife and daughter. I want to get by Wal-Mart and pick up some fresh and frozen goods, but I am unsure when that will be possible. My next run is down into Florida, and then who knows where.