tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77489818105440000492024-03-13T23:28:56.859-07:00The Short Fat Truck DriverThe Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-15042894354416980422017-03-11T20:54:00.002-08:002017-03-11T21:49:27.750-08:00A Question<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I got a call
today from a friend wondering if a person sitting back three car lengths from
the car ahead of them at a stop light was a bit excessive. Somebody’s pet peeve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Ok, three
car lengths may be excessive, but… Is it <i>really
</i>three car lengths, or does it just look like it? Some traffic lights are long enough that
maybe you could get out and measure. I generally
sit an extra car length back, with the distance I normally keep between me and
the next car, plus the distance from that car to the car in front of him, which
works out to two car lengths. With a car
length being about 15 feet, it’s a total of 30 feet. Yes, we actually measured it a number of years
ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So, here are
my reasons for sitting two car lengths back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">If there’s
a car in front of me at the light, I’m not going anywhere anyway. A couple of situations from here in Colorado:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">A)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Texting and driving is illegal in
Colorado, but people still do it. I was
in Denver not too long ago and when the light turned green, nobody moved; they
were busy on their phones. I love the
air horns on my trucks! So the “delay”
that may occur from an increased gap is exaggerated by people sitting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">B)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In Fort Collins I pulled up to a red
light behind some cars. There was a set
of railroad tracks immediately in front of me so I sat back off of the tracks, behind
the crossing arm, about three car lengths from the car in front of me. The SUV behind me started honking and gesturing
for me to move forward. If I did that I
would have ended up stopping on the tracks under the front crossing arm. I wouldn’t do it. We weren’t going anywhere anyway. You should NEVER, EVER stop on railroad
tracks. Never. Period.
I saw a Ft. Collins police car behind said honky, and went back to talk
to the officer. As I walked past the
honky’s SUV, he started to get out, yelling and cursing at me to move my
vehicle. A few moments later he was chatting
with the police officer and had to sit through a few light cycles. Impatience never pays.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: -24px;">Assaults or hijackings. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Sitting back from the car in front of me, it gives me room in </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">case I’m attacked. Not all cars have automatic door locks, so if somebody tried to </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">jerk the door open, I have room to pull forward and somewhat evade the attacker. If he were to come after me, I then have room to back up and smack him with the door. This is the first and fastest option to protect myself. I carry a can of pepper spray with me, which is totally legal in all vehicles in Colorado, but with my luck I’d spray myself. A gun would be a last resort in close quarters like that; too much chance of an innocent person getting seriously hurt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Getting hit from behind. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -24px;">Too many cars sit right on the tail of the car in front of them. If the last car in a line gets hit, the domino effect would cause all of the cars to hit each other. I’ve seen that a number of times. If a car came up from behind and hit the car(s) behind me, with my foot on the brake of my car, it would lessen the likelihood of my hitting the car in front of me. Unlike a Newton’s Cradle, cars have crumple zones that would absorb much of the impact force. I am counting on that and physics to keep me from hitting the car in front of me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Maybe there’s
other reasons for a car to be sitting back three car lengths: They’re talking
to the car next to them? They don’t want
to block a driveway? The driver is
really olde and can’t see the car in front of them? (Don’t laugh, you’ll be olde one day!) Maybe they know it’s YOU and know it’s a pet
peeve of yours? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Considering the
world we live in, is it <i>really</i> that
big a deal? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And just so
you know, my pet peeve is people who don’t turn off their <u>auxiliary</u> driving
lights on their vehicles. But let’s leave
that for another debate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Take care
and keep the rubber side down. </span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-69089463428204088392017-03-09T00:01:00.001-08:002017-03-11T21:50:58.032-08:00It Finally Happened.<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Well, it
finally happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Back in
1982, after a car crash, I was diagnosed with a broken neck, or what they call
"The Hangman's Break", which is between the C1-C2 vertebrae. Consequently I had surgery which has held up
very well, thank you for asking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">However, the
doctor told me that there was some damage done to the disc between the 5<sup>th</sup>
and 6<sup>th</sup> vertebrae. There wasn’t
anything that he would recommend doing at that time, but, he said, it wasn’t a
matter of “if”, it was a matter of “when”, that disc would cause problems. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In October
of 2016, as I was getting into the company truck, a Mack, I smacked my head on
the upper door frame. Normally I have
enough clearance, but since the company mandated we wear hardhats on company
property, I didn’t have enough clearance.
Ouch! The impact gave me an
instant sore throat, such as what strep would feel like. Normally when I get hurt the pain subsides; on
this day that was not the case. After a
couple of deliveries I contacted dispatch and asked them if we could rearrange
my schedule so I could forego the last delivery and see a doctor. They decided to contact the safety dude, who,
long story short, took me up to the hospital emergency in Greeley. End result, no strep, and they couldn’t
determine what was wrong. Because of
that, workman’s comp wouldn’t cover any further doctor visits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">However, I
kept having problems, my arms were constantly hurting, and it became an issue. If I pushed too long and too hard, my arms
would feel like somebody doused me in gasoline and set me on fire. Horrible pain. So I took matters into my own hands, and went
to see a doctor on my dime and insurance.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I have
deterioration in the discs between the 5<sup>th</sup>, 6<sup>th</sup> and 7<sup>th</sup>
cervical vertebrae, arthritis, and bone spurs. The doctor put me on light duty and suggested
Physical Therapy. The company didn’t
have any light duty work for me, so they put me on six weeks of unpaid medical
leave until I could figure things out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The PT is
helping me learn to use the other vertebrae in my neck to offset the abuse the 5th,
6th and 7th vertebrae have taken. It has
helped, but, it cannot fix that which is already messed up. If I go back to driving, the abuse would
continue and my neck would only get worse.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I can opt
for surgery, which entails putting rods in my neck to take the pressure off of
the discs, but that would secure those three vertebrae together and limit the
amount of movement I would have. That
would basically make it impossible for me to turn my head to look out the side
windows of the truck at the mirrors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Either way,
I have to get out of trucking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My last day
at Pilot Thomas Logistics was March 2. There
were a lot of good people there that I will miss. Also, having to get out of trucking is like
losing a close friend of 35 years.
Tough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So my “if”
finally became the “when”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I have a
number of irons in the fire. I am taking
a Jewelry and Metalworking class at AIMS Community College in Greeley to pursue
my passion for bling. The class is
outside my comfort zone, which is good, because it means I am learning stuff
that I don’t know. I hope to expand that
to some level of a commercial enterprise.
I also have a storage facility full of thick cut lumber for tables and
furniture which I have been working. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Wish me luck,
keep me in your prayers, stay in touch, and if you need a custom piece of
furniture or jewelry, give me a shout. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In the
meantime, keep the rubber side down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Take care
and God bless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-61029661761844632702015-04-14T22:48:00.001-07:002015-04-14T22:49:19.621-07:00It's Been A Year...Since "IT" happened, April 7, 2014. <br />
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I had a load to Avon and head west on I-70, and above Georgetown there were scattered snow showers but no accumulation. I had checked the CDOT 511 road conditions hotline to see if US-6/Loveland Pass was open. If Loveland Pass was closed, as we say in the trucking industry, I would have to "go through the hole in the wall", which is Eisenhower Tunnel. But since Loveland Pass was opened with no chain restrictions, I got off at exit 216 to "go over the top",<br />
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<div>
As I turned the corner on US-6 at the Loveland Ski Area, the snow started falling hard and fast, almost white-out conditions. It was a heavy, wet snow, with the temperature sitting at 26 degrees Farenheit; not a good combination. Warmer, and the snow would melt as you drive on it. Colder, and the snow would be light and fluffy, easy to drive on or through. But under these conditions, the snow packs under the tires and turns to ice. Very difficult to get and maintain traction. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next sharp curve was Cabin Corner, where supposedly there was once a cabin, hence the name. Since it is a hairpin corner, I had to drop my speed. After I made the corner, the road conditions and traction really went to the dogs. I was about halfway from Cabin Corner to the Windy Point hairpin when I lost all traction.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of "tricks" that we can use to maintain speed and traction, such as slowing down and using lower gears, driving on the shoulder, and kicking in the "power divider", which is the trucking equivalent of four-wheel-drive. I must know something about what to do, because in the 10 years of driving a fuel tanker, I've only had to put chains on the truck tires eight times, and two of those times were to get out of a customer's parking lot in Keenesburg, which is out on the plains. He didn't believe in plowing his lot. I stopped the truck and decided that it would be in my best interest to put on chains, or as we say, "throw iron". <br />
<br />
While moving, the truck tires generate heat, and when you stop on snow or ice, the tires will sink down into the ice. This can be a bad thing, like when you stop in a parking lot and the tires melt down into the snow and you can't get out of the holes the tires created. Or it can be a good thing, such as sitting on the side of a steep slope, your tires create holes in the snow, and the truck doesn't slide. However, at that moment, that was not the case. <br />
<br />
The snow was loose and slushy enough that the truck started to slide backwards. <br />
<br />
When a truck slides forward, the driver may have a chance of being able to steer the truck and work the brakes to keep the truck on the road, or at least where it goes and how fast. This has happened to me many times. However, when a truck starts to slide backwards, other than prayer, the truck and driver are at the mercy of gravity, road conditions and the slope of the road towards the shoulders. On Loveland Pass there are only two ways to go: in towards the mountain or over the edge. <br />
<br />
By the Grace of God, the truck slid backwards towards the mountain and into a small cut-out gravelled parking area. The gravel helped the tractor and trailer tires to grab and stop the backwards slide. Total distance was about the length of the truck, which is 65 feet long. <br />
<br />
I sat there for a while to get my wits about me. The memory of losing a co-worker a couple of years earlier in a fiery accident that claimed his life was very prevalent in my thoughts: that's not the way I want to die. <br />
<br />
It was still snowing and blowing hard, with poor visibilty. I bundled up, dragged my chains out and chained up the four outside drive tires. Normally it would take me about 20 minutes, but this time it was closer to an hour. In all the time I was there, not another single vehicle went by me. <br />
<br />
I got to Avon, made my delivery, and head back towards Denver. Loveland Pass was closed due to adverse conditions, so I had to "go through the hole in the wall". I reloaded the trailer, made my last delivery, and went home. <br />
<br />
God may have given me this job, and He may very well have been protecting me all these years, but I am not one to tempt fate. I am resolved in not driving the mountains again professionally. And I haven't.</div>
The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-45171407770219313962015-02-18T01:40:00.001-08:002015-02-18T01:59:19.221-08:00The Best Vacation EVER!The Emerald Princess, our home away from home for a week!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gptr55ykgFo/VORGbNfuh4I/AAAAAAAAAHo/sfIZsEGk_JQ/s1600/EmeraldPrincess1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gptr55ykgFo/VORGbNfuh4I/AAAAAAAAAHo/sfIZsEGk_JQ/s1600/EmeraldPrincess1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Length: 946. feet<br />
Breadth: 118.1 feet<br />
Draught: 27.8 feet (only!)<br />
Built: 2007 - Italy<br />
Max capacity passengers: 3573<br />
Crew: 1227<br />
Propulsion: Diesel electric!<br />
Max speed: 23.5 knots<br />
<br />
We flew United from Denver to Houston, and left from the Port of Houston on Sunday, February 8th, 2015 @ 4 P.M. <br />
<br />
Returned Sunday, February 15th.<br />
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<br />
I had roses delivered to the room and they were waiting for my Sweetie!<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x81F6nKq5bY/VORMfpxN0HI/AAAAAAAAAII/bW0oYk0ps7c/s1600/ShipFlowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x81F6nKq5bY/VORMfpxN0HI/AAAAAAAAAII/bW0oYk0ps7c/s1600/ShipFlowers.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGUsq62MYlg/VORNbjGTvPI/AAAAAAAAAIU/Zl02euubfgw/s1600/ShipUsPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGUsq62MYlg/VORNbjGTvPI/AAAAAAAAAIU/Zl02euubfgw/s1600/ShipUsPic.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
The first two days we were at sea, and they had a formal night, so we got dressed up. I was given a rose to wear in my lapel, and I was the <i>only</i> person that we saw that had a flower! We is a good looking couple! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFOFTkqb5q8/VORO-IVZVqI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Kgzj6U1_Q6A/s1600/TheCaptainAndI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFOFTkqb5q8/VORO-IVZVqI/AAAAAAAAAIg/Kgzj6U1_Q6A/s1600/TheCaptainAndI.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had a chance to chat with the Captain of the Emerald Princess and pick his brain about the ship. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3513I_5bQU/VORP2OCMCsI/AAAAAAAAAIo/4R7O5tA3fK4/s1600/RoatanFromTopOfShip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3513I_5bQU/VORP2OCMCsI/AAAAAAAAAIo/4R7O5tA3fK4/s1600/RoatanFromTopOfShip.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Roatan from the top of the ship! While there we went on an expedition known as the BOSS, which means something like Breathable Observation Submersible System. It was almost fun, but there was problems, and they tried to drown us. Well, me. But that's another story. <br />
<br />
It was amusing getting to the boat to go on the BOSS. We rode in two "large" vans, and went on the smallest, narrowest two-lane roads to get there. The drivers were crazy, and the neighborhoods were shacks. Poverty-ville. Thank God for our blessings.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MWuZ5lIu8Qs/VORRZitkgZI/AAAAAAAAAI0/bwaxdwKQeVs/s1600/Belize1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MWuZ5lIu8Qs/VORRZitkgZI/AAAAAAAAAI0/bwaxdwKQeVs/s1600/Belize1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next stop was Belize! <br />
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They don't have a deep water port, so we had to be shuttled from the ship to shore. The pic is the newest area of town. <br />
<br />
We went outside the secure port area and shopped around, getting Tee shirts and chatting with people. Had a nice conversation with a shop owner and her brother about beliefs and religious differences. Said a prayer with them before we left. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRJ7wl-2slc/VORS9puk_LI/AAAAAAAAAJA/5dd_Edsoq64/s1600/PuertaMaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRJ7wl-2slc/VORS9puk_LI/AAAAAAAAAJA/5dd_Edsoq64/s1600/PuertaMaya.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Next day we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. <br />
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You know the stereotypes about shop owners hawking their wares and trying to get you into their shops? It's true! <br />
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I did find two (2) matching rings with six-sided stones, and a really cool pentagon shaped ring! My Sweetie got that one; it's her birth stone for November. The two hex rings are going to be eyes for a silver dragon I've been wanting to build, but that's another story. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AciTqdaky2I/VORUcWBJWBI/AAAAAAAAAJM/dkKjDCtcjII/s1600/CozumelFuelTanker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AciTqdaky2I/VORUcWBJWBI/AAAAAAAAAJM/dkKjDCtcjII/s1600/CozumelFuelTanker.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The U.S. D.O.T would have "fun" in Mexico. Check out where the muffler is on this fuel tanker! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8KSfxsLpCmM/VORVip8244I/AAAAAAAAAJY/PYx7vN5XMX4/s1600/CozumelFidel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8KSfxsLpCmM/VORVip8244I/AAAAAAAAAJY/PYx7vN5XMX4/s1600/CozumelFidel.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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And of course you can get Cuban cigars there from our buddy Fidel! <br />
<br />
I don't know anybody who smokes cigars, so I didn't get any to bring back. <br />
<br />
I did find a couple of really cool switchblades, but also found out that, for the most part, are illegal in the U.S.A. So I decided not to tempt fate, get them, and possibly lose them. Later I found out they would have been confiscated before getting on the ship. Oh well.<br />
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I thought this fountain just outside of the port was pretty. <br />
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What a glorious day! The weather and seas the whole trip was fantastic. <br />
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Wouldn't have mattered much; the ship was so big and had gyroscopic stabilizers, we probably would not have felt anything anyway.<br />
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After we got to Cozumel, our ship, in the foreground, was joined by a Carnival ship. <br />
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Of the ships to the right, the left one, Allure of the Seas, is the second largest cruise ship currently sailing! HUGE! Can accommodate over 6,000 guests! That's way too big. <br />
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There was a "statue" that scared the willies out of unsuspecting guests. My Sweetie is hiding behind him in the first pic. The second pic he's holding me hostage!<br />
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The reason there are more pics of Cozumel is because there was actually more to see that was worth looking at. <br />
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When we got back to Houston, we went to the Johnson Space Center and looked around. I liked it because I like that kind of stuff, but it really wasn't worth the price of the ticket. <br />
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For Valentine's day my Sweetie got the ring, and she surprised me with an Amish quilt for my bed!<br />
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The pic doesn't do it justice. It's about twice that size. <br />
Beautiful! Hand stitched, very intricate design. <br />
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She spoils me! <br />
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Well, that's all for now. The vacation is over and I have to go back to work Wednesday night.<br />
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Keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your ... tail. <br />
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And keep the rubber side down. <br />
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The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-74150306862816421262014-10-26T11:44:00.001-07:002014-10-26T11:46:59.251-07:00Making a Difference<span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
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<span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">I had gone this morning with my Lady and friends to the breakfast buffet on
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<span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">While cruising the line for food, a young lady popped up into my field of
vision and asked with a big smile on her face: "Remember me?" She proceeded to
tell me that she was part of the group the Drive Smart Weld County coalition presented to at
Valley High School in Gilcrest. I chatted with her for a couple of minutes and
she told me that we had been quite an influence on her and her classmates. She
then referenced a lady standing there and said: "I've gotten after her about
some of the things she does!" It turned out to be the young lady's Mother. Mom
told me that the girl had made her change some of her habits! </span><br />
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It's a start.</div>
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Drive Smart Weld County is a group of people, or coalition, from various organizations that give presentations to High School Freshmen and Sophmores (and other groups) who are either going to get their driver's license or already have. We tell them about the dangers and pratfalls of being a driver on todays roads. My being a Professional Driver with oodles of years and miles, I give the presentation of "Driving and Surviving Around Big Rigs". </div>
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Over the years I have admonished a number of people about their reckless driving, although I do try to be civil. </div>
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One guy, a fuel tanker driver, told me, in no uncertain terms, where I could go. A couple of days later the same guy came walking up to my truck at the loading dock. I figured "Oh boy, here we go", expecting the worst. He told me that he had been thinking about what I had said, and wanted to thank me for probably saving his life! He shook my hand and walked away.</div>
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Another person I had admonished got me a ticket for harassment! </div>
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But I won't stop.<br />
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I had read a book called "The Five People You Will Meet In Heaven". The
gist of it was that we may never know the impact we have had on a person's
life. <br />
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It's good to know that Drive Smart Weld County is making a
difference!<br />
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Have a Great week and keep the rubber side down.</div>
</span>The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-76372279406924168532014-10-22T01:22:00.002-07:002014-10-22T01:22:36.051-07:00It's Been A WhileMy daughter, Tanya, text me the other day and asked if I had not posted since February, or if she had missed getting the blog notifications. I told her that I had not posted. <br />
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Life has a way of getting in the way. <br />
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At my job as a Fuel Tanker Driver, I work long, hard hours. Then, with having a house to take care of, there is always something that needs to be done. Top it off with being in a FANTASTIC relationship with a FANTASTIC Lady, well, when there is available time, I'd rather spend it with her than doing much of anything else! As I have said, I waited 35 years to find her, and she has been worth the wait. <br />
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So let me update all y'all with what happened today, and work my way backwards. <br />
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This time of year is great, what with being harvest time, et al. The local apple trees are shedding their fruit, and I, being a Professional Scavenger, look for the opportunity to gather the apples for cooking and eating. Now I digress a bit. <br />
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My Lady didn't have much of a childhood, and you can read about her melodrama in her book:<br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">FATLASH! Food Police & the Fear of Thin</u> So when I told her about taking my kids, Tanya & Terence, when they were young, out to the parks and gathering apples with them, she was intrigued. The kids were small and nimble enough to be able to climb most trees without hurting themselves. But there were many apples that they couldn't reach. And besides, other kids had the same idea. So I had made an apple picker with two pieces of aluminum tubing so that one slid down inside the other for easy transport, but had a reach of about 15 feet. Add that to my height, and there were a lot of apples that we could get. When I unhooked the apple and it fell, the kids would try to catch them. Great eye-hand coordination exercise! If you didn't catch the apple, you got bonked on the head. Hmmmmm, that explains a lot..... So I made another one on Tuesday, and My Lady and I went out apple gathering. I have apple butter simmering in a crock pot as I write this! <br />
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For a couple of years now, Gray Oil Company has been wanting me to go to work for them, but I've declined. They run bobtails, or as we call them, "short trucks". As the joke goes, I used to have to ride the short bus to school, so why would I want to drive a short truck for work? Well, they merged with Rex Oil in May and had a transport, or tractor-trailer combo, come available, so they asked me to go to work for them. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse! So I put in my two weeks notice with Brad, and started working for them. <br />
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I took a week off before starting with Gray Oil to build a shed that we desperately needed for storage. Since I had built the "chicken coop from hell" at the ranch, I had a good idea what to do. We had checked in to buying a kit from the big box stores, but then you had additions such as paint, shingles, floor, etc. For what we would pay for a kit, I built ours from scratch using steel siding, such as they use on big industrial buildings. There was/is a concrete slab which I built upon. It's a combination quonset hut and conventional steel building. <br />
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I decided to take my years and miles of driving experience and put them to good use, so I joined a coalition called <a href="http://www.drivesmartweldcounty.com/index.html">Drive Smart Weld County</a><span id="goog_238500675"></span><span id="goog_238500676"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> Just click on the link and it will take you there. We go to schools and give presentations to the Freshmen about the dangers and pratfalls they will encounter when they get their Drivers License. Since I am the Professional Truck Driver, I get to tell them about the etiquette of driving around big rigs. <br />
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Then, before all this came down, I acquired a '98 Jeep Wranger!!! I missed my Jeep of yore.<br />
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Back in February, My Lady & I went to Florida to visit my Sister, my Nephew and his wife, and to thaw out. While there I was able to eliminate one of the items on my "bucket list"; we went deep sea fishing. Caught lots of fish and had a great time! Had a wonderful visit. Always too short. <br />
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I have pictures of most of what I've told you about, but for some reason they don't want to download. If I can get it done, I'll update the blog. Or E-mail me and I'll do what I can to send them to you. <br />
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In the meantime, keep the rubber side down and your head up!The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-52955049796296309332014-02-04T22:15:00.002-08:002014-02-04T22:15:39.107-08:00The DietAt 250 pounds, I should have been about six-foot tall instead of my 5 foot 9 inches. Or as I’ve heard, “I’m not over weight, I’m under tall!” Regardless, news came out that the Department of Transportation (DOT) was going to pass regulations for truck drivers to be height-weight proportional. So I started praying for help. <br />
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I’d been stable at 250 pounds for years, and an attempt at losing weight failed miserably. I went on a vegetarian diet for thirty days. At the end I had lost a grand total of two pounds! I went out and got me a Big Mac.<br />
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I considered myself healthy. My job wasn’t sedentary and I was otherwise active. I thought I ate well, and drank lots of tea that I heard was good for me. My blood pressure was a bit high, but my cholesterol was excellent. So the DOT news didn’t really faze me. But, getting up in years, it probably wouldn’t hurt me to lose a few pounds. <br />
This isn’t the first time: a number of years ago a doctor told me that I had to lose 125 pounds. The divorce was almost painless! (joke!) <br />
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For the past couple of years I would occasionally have what felt like gas, with gut pressure that wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. But after a few hours it would, and all would be well again. Then one day it all came to a quick halt. <br />
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It was a Sunday in October, and I had gotten up at my usual late afternoon time. The night before I had the gut pressure while working and had ignored it. As I was coming home I ate the raw carrots that I had with me. But when I got up, I felt worse than before, and it quickly escalated. There were three indicators that I was in bad shape: I didn’t want to cuddle with my Lady, I was considering going to a doctor, and was bad enough to call in sick. With no immediate care center open at that hour, I opted for the hospital emergency room. <br />
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I don’t know about anybody else, but my opinion of a hospital is that when you go there, they are supposed to help you feel better. That’s not what happened; the things the doctor did to me made me feel worse, and I even told her so! My apologies to women, but I felt like I was giving birth, to something. <br />
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Eventually the meds took effect, I calmed down, and the doctor figured out that the half-inch-size gallstone didn’t cause the pain. <br />
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I was put on “the diet”. No red meat; drink juices, no soda, caffeine, tea; no greasy foods like potato chips and no popcorn; no spicy foods; nothing with tomatoes, such as Italian and Mexican food. The objective was to avoid foods that would irritate my stomach or were acidic. I should eat chicken, turkey, fish, and pork sparingly, with lots of veggies; no onions, peppers or carrots. <br />
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I told my Lady to “Shoot me now and get it over with!” <br />
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The first four weeks I lost 20 pounds! “At five pounds per week”, I proclaimed, “y’all would be rid of me in less than a year!” My Lady didn’t think that was funny. <br />
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I then had to get my DOT physical. My blood pressure was perfect, and I felt good. My pants were baggy, but that’s what belts are for. <br />
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Then phase two of the diet kicked in: I got the flu. That week I lost another ten pounds. I have no butt, which is a blessing in disguise. While delivering a load of fuel, I had made a customer mad because I was blocking the driveway with my truck. He threatened to kick my butt. I grabbed the back of my pants and told him: “I’ve lost 30 pounds in the last two months. I have no butt for you to kick!” He just walked away shaking his head. When life gives you lemons…<br />
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I now weigh 220 pounds! I haven’t weighed that since third grade!<br />
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I hadn't intended to be so compliant, but God had other ideas!<br />
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(Submitted to Prairie Times & Rejected!)The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-16964355975019093422014-01-28T00:42:00.000-08:002014-01-28T10:00:21.718-08:00Drivers License Renewal<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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It's that time again where I have to renew my Drivers License. </div>
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Having a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) means that every four (4) years I have to jump through the hoops to get 'er done. It probably wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have the Hazardous Materials (HazMat) endorsement on my license. But, I do, so let the games begin. <br />
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First off, I had to go online and register with the Transportation Safety Administration, or TSA. Here is where the fun begins. There are two, count 'em, TWO websites! The olde one and the new one. The olde one is supposed to direct you to the new one, but it doesn't. They ask all kinds of questions and for $86.50 give you the right to then go down to one of three fingerprinting stations in Colorado: Denver, Colorado Springs, and someplace on the Western Slope. </div>
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Part of my frustration is the fact that the rules have changed, which the olde website doesn't reflect. Case in point: they require two forms of identification; I chose to use my Drivers License and Birth Certificate. Nowhere in the olde site does it stipulate that on the two forms of ID the name has to be EXACTLY THE SAME. That wasn't an issue four years ago, but it is now. </div>
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So after paying my $86.50, I drove my personal vehicle down to Denver to do the fingerprinting. I was denied, because my two forms of ID didn't match, and they advised me of such. So back to Greeley I go to the Department of Revenue to get things corrected. I actually did that a couple of days later because I was so mad! </div>
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At the Department of Revenue, I decided that while there, I would also take the HazMat written test. This has to be done to renew said Drivers License also. I missed four; not bad for not having studied! Considering what transpired at the Fingerprinting place, they were somewhat stumped as to how to give me an updated Drivers License with the correct information. It seems that there are a lot of considerations that have to be dealt with to accomplish what I needed done. BUT... They did. </div>
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The next day I drove to Denver early with the truck, had a friend pick me up and play chauffer, and got the fingerprinting done. <br />
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Considering what I went through, it is no wonder that so many drivers are giving up their HazMat endorsement on their Drivers License. For many, the hassle just isn't worth having it. <br />
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Oh yeah! I forgot! I've got hair! There's a story behind it. You want the long version, the short version, or the Reader's Digest version? How about the latter: It's warmer and I can! The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-13131754164091528392013-12-10T20:46:00.001-08:002013-12-10T20:47:56.766-08:00Holiday Decoration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't agree with the commercialization of Christmas.<br />
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My Lady is Jewish.<br />
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We both don't like Christmas decorations and light displays because many are just plain obnoxious. We do like the Holidays in general, since between the two of us there are quite a few! So we decided to put up a "Holiday Decoration" of our own! Singular. Uno. One! <br />
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This is also a carry-over from the previous blog post about the church. <br />
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So now this is our new Christmas tradition! <br />
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Happy Holidays!The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-53644532373907833902013-11-06T03:45:00.000-08:002013-11-06T03:46:47.357-08:00House Hunting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My Lady decided to get out of Denver City and County due to all of the political wrangling that was going on. She was looking from Texas to Wyoming, and many places in between. <br />
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I off-handedly suggested she check out Greeley and vicinity. <br />
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One day while delivering a load of fuel to a gas station in Gilcrest, I read the local real estate magazine and noticed a church for sale in Gilcrest. The next day I was off work, and while chatting with her about local houses, told her about the church. She mentioned that she had also seen it listed. With that she called the realtor and requested to see the property. When he asked her “When would you like to see it?” she told him “Now!” So off we went to Gilcrest to look at a church, at 5 P.M. <br />
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It was in need of some work. There is a wide ramp and double doors for access, with little to nothing on the main floor. Behind the dais was a small walk-through room. At the other end, near the entrance, is a coat closet on one side, and two confessionals on the other side. This was a Catholic church! The basement had a kitchen, the bathrooms, and a couple of classrooms with some marginal cabinetry. Basically it was an empty shell. As a tinkerer, I could have been in pig heaven! My Lady asked me questions about this and that, and I briefly explained to her the way I would fix or upgrade it. She was impressed by my “Can Do Attitude”. <br />
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Afterward we went and looked at a house that was totally stripped and trashed. Whoever had been in it had taken the wiring, plumbing, and heat ducting out and probably recycled it. It was a bit pricey for being trashed, but the real killer was the room layout was not convenient and the rooms were small. <br />
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So back to my apartment we went. That was about 10 P.M. We finally went to bed about midnight, and laughed and giggled until 3 A.M. about the church! I told her we had to get to sleep, since I had a headache and bellyache from laughing so much. She concurred. <br />
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The next day, while I slept, she was out and about looking at houses again. There was a HUD home that was just put back on the market; the previous buyers had backed out. She went and looked at it, and about that time I awoke. She called me and told me to get over there right away. It turned out to be about six blocks from the apartment in a very nice neighborhood. As I walked in the front door, looking around, my first comment was “Oh my!” She told me that was exactly hers also!<br />
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<br />
She put a bid on the place, it was accepted in short order, and she requested a quick closing. The end of April she bought the place, and I moved in the end of May. Had to give my apartment manager 30 days notice. She moved in a couple of months later. <br />
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She went from living alone in a spacious house, to moving in with somebody with less than 1100 square feet of space. She got rid of a lot of stuff. Since I work nights and sleep days, we organized the house so that she has her bedroom and I have mine. That way we can move about in our respective time zones without disturbing the other. <br />
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I had to rebuild the kitchen floor because it had a slope in it from the weight of the refrigerator and water heater. Older house, what do you expect?!?!? Well, "had to" is subjective. We could have lived with it the way it was, with two layers of vinyl flooring, a layer of warped plywood, and the other stuff that was there. But I made a judgement call and dove in. I installed an I-beam under the floor and lifted it up about an inch. From there I finished leveling the floor and installed 16” ceramic tiling. What an educational experience! <br />
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The house had been empty for about a year, and previous occupants had made “improvements” that need fixed. Slowly we will get it done. <br />
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As for my being a “tinkerer”, I’m in hog heaven! <br />
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The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0Greeley,Colorado, USA40.380028402511854 -104.721679687538.825286902511856 -107.3034666875 41.934769902511853 -102.1398926875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-92189360319495055972013-04-20T04:58:00.000-07:002013-04-20T13:20:43.635-07:00Old GloryWhile delivering fuel to our store in Keenesburg I decided to clean my windows. This was somewhat of a daunting task in that I had been up in the mountains earlier in the evening and it had snowed, and CDOT used Magnesium Chloride (Mag) on the roads as a de-icer. Mag is oily and greasy, and very difficult to clean off of windows. Many paper towels later I had somewhat accomplished the task.<br />
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Being a conscientious individual, I took my dirty towels over to the dumpster to discard them. For whatever reason something caught my eye and I turned my flashlight on to see what was within. <br />
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There, lying amongst the discarded boxes and bags of trash was “Old Glory”. Upon further examination I determined the reason She was in there was because the wooden standard to which She was attached was broken. <br />
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To my shame, with all of my American ingenuity, I could not figure out a way to get Her out of that despicable predicament. I could not find a way to climb into the dumpster, and if I did, how would I get back out? I am no longer a “spring chicken”. The tools that I had available could not snag or grab Her to hoist Her out. <br />
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Alas, Old Glory was destined to be buried unceremoniously in an unmarked grave. <br />
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Today, 9-11 still weighs heavy in my heart. Add to that two major situations this week, the bombing in Boston and the explosion in Waco, and then to see “The abstraction of the Union… that millions of people would fight for, and many thousands die for”, “Old Glory”, so carelessly cast away, grieved me so. <br />
<br />
When a flag is so tattered that it can no longer serve as a symbol of the United States of America, it should be destroyed in a dignified manner, preferably by burning. The American Legion and other organizations regularly conduct flag retirement ceremonies, often on Flag Day, June 14. Also, modern nylon or polyester flags should be recycled due to hazardous gases produced when such materials are burned.<br />
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<br />
Is this what our great country, the United States of America, has become? To not give an iota as to the relevance, the power, the symbolism of Old Glory? To just cast Her away with the daily garbage? Have we finally lost complete and total respect for the oldest and most beloved Veteran of our country that we cannot give Her a proper and respectful send off? <br />
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Not knowing how “Old Glory” got into that predicament, I cannot cast stones at anyone. But I will ask any and all that, from this point forward, if you are an American citizen or if you love this country, if there is an American flag that has seen better days, please treat “Old Glory” with respect and have her properly retired. <br />
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You wouldn’t want to end up in a dumpster, would you? The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-59260901981591424312013-04-03T01:14:00.003-07:002013-04-03T01:14:51.727-07:00The New LookIt started out as an experiment a couple of years ago. I drive the Colorado High Country on a regular basis as part of my job delivering fuel to mountain locations. Without getting too carried away with all of the aspects of the job, it can get darned cold at times! So I decided to let my hair grow out "a bit" for extra insulation. <br />
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IT was all well-and-good until one day Bill, another fuel hauler, made a comment about his hair, or the lack thereof, to the effect that "it is what it is". And so I took his word for it: I decided to let my hair grow, and it would be "what it is". <br />
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Sometimes a person gets a vision as to what they think they "should"<em><strong> </strong></em>look like. I had just such a vision. Thanks to my Lady Friend, she was able to get a pretty good representation of my vision: <br />
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I think I look good! Coulda done without the Bluetooth in the pic. My Sister will definitely have something to say about this. <br />
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Anyway, I've cleaned up a bit since then. May wash the coat some day. It's a work coat and gets grungy quickly, and I don't like to wash it often since it's waterproofed. As bulky as it is, it's too hard on the dryer. The hat is leather; standard work fare for me. Guys at the rack don't recognize me if I don't wear the hat! It's water proofed and keeps the snow and rain off of my face and from going down my neck. <br />
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Real difference between this one and the blog profile pic. Guess I'll have to update it. <br />
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Ok, as my Lady say, "Enough of me talking about me. How about you talk about me for a while?"! <br />
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Until next time, keep the rubber side down. The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-21952439138146770112013-04-03T00:36:00.002-07:002013-04-03T00:37:33.354-07:00Vacation 2013Busy is good, but too busy may not be. I went to Florida the middle of February and only now am getting around to blogging about it. <br />
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Since Mom died last year, I don't need to go to Florida in June to celebrate her birthday any more. My Sister's and my birthdays are in February, so I decided to split the difference and went between the two dates. <br />
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I had purchased the airplane ticket at least two months in advance of going, and had a red-eye flight. Big mistake. Long layover in Charlotte. However, the redeeming part of it all was the fact that there was two(count them, TWO!) major snow storms to hit Colorado and the front range while I was gone. The first hit the same day I landed in Florida. Broke my heart! The sun was shining, the birds were chirping... Ah, it was almost heaven. <br />
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I had forewarned my Sister that she would probably not recognize me. While waiting for her to pick me up at the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, I walked across the "road" to chat with a traffic cop that had to keep chasing people out of the no parking zones. Small airport: the loading/unloading of passengers are the same areas. So when I saw her driving down the road towards me, I stepped out from the curb and proceeded to wait for her to stop. She did after she had run me over two or three times. The look on her face was priceless. <br />
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The story of the "new look" will be the next blog, or thereabouts. <br />
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She did pick me up, and we had a wonderful week. <br />
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Since the Daytona 500 was running that weekend, we decided to go visit my Aunt Audrey first. <br />
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She is 90 years olde and doing very well!<br />
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Then, since I had not been to the farthest south-eastern point in the United States, we went on a boat trip to Key West. The wind in our hair and the sun on our faces left a lasting impression; we both got wind and sun burned! But it was worth it; I <strong><em>finally </em></strong>got there! <br />
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A picture is worth a thousand words! AND I got to see mile "0" on highway 1: <br />
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And of course, I ate a lot. One of my favorites was the Key West Key Lime Pie:<br />
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You can just see the sunburn at the hair line where I didn't get any sunscreen. <br />
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I want to thank my Sister, Connie, for a wonderful, warm, eventful, relaxing, and fun vacation. I also accomplished a lot: she let me tinker around her house, fixing things that needed to be fixed. I so very much miss that, and do really enjoy it! Hopefully, in a near future blog, I'll be able to report on my being able to sate my 'tinker-itis' here in Greeley. <br />
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In the meantime, keep the rubber side down. The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-6809011966761852512013-01-19T10:19:00.000-08:002013-01-19T10:25:37.240-08:00The New BookWell, it's "finally" done! Or so I hope.<br />
<br />
Pyro-Vortex is now available as a paperback. Here's the link: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pyro-Vortex-Fire-Tornado-Scott-Murray/dp/147525430X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358618383&sr=1-1&keywords=Pyro-Vortex">http://www.amazon.com/Pyro-Vortex-Fire-Tornado-Scott-Murray/dp/147525430X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358618383&sr=1-1&keywords=Pyro-Vortex</a><br />
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Literally, it has taken about 15 years for the book to finally 'materialize'. Yes, I had the E-book available a while back, but it's nothing like being able to hold a "real" book in your hands. I guess I'm olde fashioned, in that I like the feel and experience of holding and reading a book that is in my hands. <br />
<br />
There's a glitch in the CreateSpace formatting, where the template we use to build a book doesn't convert cleanly to their PDF format. I tried to communicate that to them, but... Once I was able to determine what the glitch was, I was able to adapt accordingly to make things work. <br />
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Frustrating. <br />
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But the end justifies the means. <br />
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And it's so cool to be able to tell people that I just ordered 25 of my books!<br />
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Now to market the book. <br />
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I took a class this past week on Public Speaking, offered by Joe Sabah of Denver. He's been holding these classes for over 30 years so I hope he knows what he's talking about. So with this new information I will be able to start doing some of that. Most places do not pay for a speaker, but we get "paid" by selling our book(s). And of course, the more speaking you do, the better you get, and the more you are in demand. That is, of course, if you've got a subject that interests your audience. Time will tell. <br />
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I'm also going to set up a Facebook account. Pray for me.<br />
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Y'all take care and keep the rubber side down. The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-12654258290572930202012-12-23T01:03:00.001-08:002012-12-23T10:42:15.314-08:00Four Carot Diamond RingI am sure everybody has heard the olde cliche's about "Love at first sight", and people going gaga, falling in Love over the holidays. Well, maybe I'm not as unique as I thought I was. Or, maybe I am. <br />
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I gave my Lady a Four Carot Diamond Ring for Hannakah. <br />
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Ok, call me crazy. Just don't call me late for dinner! <br />
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The cute little pooch is a Skye Terrier. He LOVES playing rope! He also approves of the ring! <br />
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That's all for now. Too busy to blog, but got this out! <br />
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Merry Chirstmas and Happy New Year to y'all.The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-67910150713888493022012-10-30T12:23:00.001-07:002012-10-30T12:23:26.523-07:00BigotryI like to think of myself as open minded and not a bigot, although there have been moments...<br />
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I have a Lady friend that is Jewish; for the sake of this blog I'll call her Gretchen. Very intelligent woman, educated, accomplished, and I think, cute! <br />
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I also had an Egyptian friend who is Muslim; for the sake of this blog I'll call him Hansel. <br />
One day Gretchen came to Greeley and we decided to go out to dinner at a soup place I like called Pho Duy on 23rd Avenue in Greeley. Earlier in the day I had talked to Hansel about the possibility of us having dinner together. He really likes Pho Duy and stated that he might be able to meet us there. <br />
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Well, Gretchen and I got to the restaurant, ordered, had our meal, and Hansel showed up with his wife and her daughter. Since the table we were sitting at was small, we decided to get a bigger round corner table to accommodate all of us. I made introductions and we moved to the bigger table. <br />
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We sat there making small talk, with the little darling being a pain in the arse, but that's another story. This was shortly after the Egyptian elections with the Muslim Brotherhood taking control. <br />
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Gretchen asked Hansel about the turmoil in his homeland. His answer was almost mechanical, "I don't know what's going on over there. All I want to do is work, make a living and take care of my family." As soon as I heard that, warning bells started going off in my head. Gretchen continued to try to engage Hansel in friendly discussion, and whenever she asked a politically weighted question, he would answer, almost word-for-word, "I don't know what's going on over there. All I want to do is work, make a living and take care of my family."<br />
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Gretchen also tried to ask Hansel a question in Arabic (?). When she did, he looked at her like she had sprouted a couple of heads with horns on them! Gretchen was married at one time to a man from the Middle East, who was Muslim, and had learned a fair share of the language. At his lack of response, Gretchen got up from the table to use the restroom. I could tell she was getting agitated with Hansel. <br />
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While she was gone, Hansel turned to me and asked me, "What the F*** are you doing dating a Jew?" I didn't think I heard him right, since he was somewhat whispering, and my brain didn't want to accept the question, so I asked him, "What?" He repeated himself, and I "got it". <br />
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When Gretchen got back to the table, I had had enough. I turned to Hansel and told him in so many words, that I couldn't believe that he didn't have an opinion about what was going on in his home country, since we had talked about such things, even the previous week. I didn't appreciate him lying to Gretchen and I, and acting like such a dumbass! With that I turned to Gretchen and suggested we "partake of our abscence", meaning, leave. <br />
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I waited until we were out in the car and had left the parking lot when I told her what Hansel had said when she was in the bathroom. She was livid, and rightfully so. I was too, but controlled myself. <br />
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Now a few points to make. <br />
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When we were talking and Hansel answered with his stock answer, I "heard warning bells going off in my head" because of some of the E-mails I had gotten about the "Muslim Threat" and Sharia Law. I TRY to take all the E-mails I get with a very big grain of salt, meaning that I don't necessarily buy in to whatever they are promoting. Some of them had been about the "Muslim Threat" and Sharia Law being forced into our laws, with one stating that radical Muslims, if threatened or "cornered", will say, "I don't know... All I want to do is work, make a living and take care of my family." It is a stock line that they are told to use to disarm their opponents. Word for word, this is the answer Hansel had given us. So now I wonder if he's a radical Muslim. <br />
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The next point is: No matter what you think of a man's girlfriend, you don't say <u>anything</u> about her! I could be dating a hairy circus midget covered in tattoos, but you don't diss on my woman! Hansel broke that rule big time. <br />
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Finally, I wonder: What was Hansel thinking? He knew I was dating a Jewish woman. If he was so bigoted, then why did he agree to meet us for dinner, albeit late? If he has so much hatred towards Jews, why did he show up? <br />
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I haven't talked to Hansel since that day. I told my boss about what happened, and he said that he never did trust Hansel. He also stated that if he sees Hansel again, he'll give him a piece of his mind, and he's not welcomed down at our shop; he'll call the police! <br />
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I know a couple of Muslim Fuel Haulers, and they're very nice, hard working men. I also know a few Muslim store owners who wouldn't give me the time of day. <br />
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Fortunately, this one incident hasn't made me Muslim-phobic. <br />
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It has, however, made me very aware. The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-71214099200312808652012-10-03T02:03:00.000-07:002012-10-14T21:08:47.661-07:00I Killed Bullwinkles WifeI really didn't mean to.<br />
She just, kinda, came out of nowhere. <br />
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I was heading west on I-70 in the mountain town of Vail, going to our store in Avon to make a delivery.<br />
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My truck was fully loaded with 8,000 gallons of highly flammable liquid, specifically, if memory serves, 6,500 gallons of Unleaded gasoline, and 1,500 gallons of #2 Diesel. Gross weight of truck: 80,000#<br />
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It was a bit drizzly, but visibility was good. Just then, in front of me, appeared a large animal going from my right to the left. It had just about cleared the path in front of me, to the left, so I wiggled the steering wheel a bit to the right to avoid the animal. At that same instant another animal was there, in front of me, to my right. I again teased the steering wheel back to the left to avoid this animal, and was almost successful.<br />
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In a fuel tanker you can't jerk the steering wheel to avoid a collision as you might in an automobile. The liquid basically stays in one place when the vehicle is moved suddenly, and sloshes back to the other side of the tank when you correct, thereby possibly causing a roll-over. So any movement has to be quick and limiting, or just smooth and graceful. The front of the tractor can be wiggled from side-to-side without affecting the trailer, and that is what I was trying to accomplish.<br />
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Just about as I was passing it, through the windshield, I saw the animal rear up on its hind legs, looking like it was trying to avoid hitting my truck. I didn't hit it, it hit me. Just behind the passenger door, missing the hood, fender, air cleaner, windshield, mirror assembly, and passsenger door. Instead it hit the exhaust stack, denting the stack cover, which is stainless steel, the aluminum step handle, and the bottom of the exhaust stack. It then hit the fuel tank, denting it. It also took the cap off of the marker light, sparing the bulb! The animal spun around and hit the trailer fender over the drive axles, mangling it. <br />
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I saw the animal, after it had hit the drive axles, spin away off to the shoulder. I immediately hit the brakes and brought the truck to a not-too-casual stop. Looking in my rear-view mirror, I could see the animal laying along the side of the highway, not moving. <br />
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I immediately called the police, reported that I had hit an elk, then went out to inspect the truck for damage. <br />
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The last elk that I had hit came out of the woods and ran in front of me in full daylight. I was empty, just having made a delivery in Fairplay. I tried to miss it, but didn't have enough room on the shoulder without going over the edge. That accident caused $15,000 worth of damage to the truck. The elk paid dearly with its life. <br />
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The Vail Police showed up almost immediately, back behind me where the animal lay. And there they sat. I was getting impatient waiting for them, when they finally came up to my truck. <br />
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The Officers I dealt with were very polite, courteous, almost to the point of being friendly. Yes, I know, "Police" and "friendly" in the same sentence is almost an oxy-moron. But I've dealt with many of the Law Emforcement Personnel in that area over the years, and have to admit that they are some of the nicest people around! <br />
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As I found out, it was a small female moose that I had hit. Somebody guessed it to be about 800#. I got lucky; not so much the moose. The impact had broken all four of her legs, and the delay of the Police to get up to my truck was because they had to euthanize her. Bummer. <br />
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So, that's how I Killed Bullwinkles Wife. The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-55679290150464077322012-07-31T02:43:00.003-07:002012-07-31T02:44:31.243-07:00Writing and my booksWhere does the time go? <br />
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I was on my vacation the first part of June to Florida. It was Great! Having just gotten back from vacation, I didn't take my usual day off. Then it seemed as though, no sooner had I gotten back, it was time for my son, Terence, to get married. That weekend was used up with the festivities, et al. The Boss made a deal with me: If he covered for me to spend time with the family during that week(end), then I was to cover for him while he took a "vacation" and went camping. That worked for me. <br />
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Now I used the term "vacation" because even though the Boss was gone, he was still having to dispatch the loads. So even though he was miles away, or so I believe, he still had to put up with me every day and tell me where to go. Busy week. <br />
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But this week I have Monday and Tuesday nights off. This is basically only because our day driver is quitting the end of the month (7/31) and then it will only be the Boss and I, again. So I'm taking advantage of still having another driver to help cover the loads. <br />
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You can't blame him for leaving, what with all the fires we've had in the High Country up by where he lives, and he does have a construction company. So he's going to go work for himself helping to rebuild that area. <br />
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So I get to do some blogging tonite, and work on my books.<br />
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<u>Trucker's Tales</u>, <em>Semi Non-Fiction</em> is now an E-book available on Amazon.com for Kindle, or your computer. It has been and will continue to be available in paperback and audio CD.<br />
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The latest book, <u>Pyro-Vortex</u> (Fire Tornado) is an E-book available on Amazon.com for Kindle, or your computer. I intend on getting the paperback version done these two days off. It's a daunting task, in that I really don't know what I am doing, but having an IQ greater than that of a small soap dish does help get things done. So by the Grace of God and a little bit of luck, I'll get it done. <br />
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Please check out and purchase my books, and spread the word! <br />
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I have a list of things that need to be done before I go back to work on Wednesday. I'm going to be busy! <br />
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Keep the rubber side down and I'll catch you next time.The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-12992474508783034372012-07-04T21:23:00.003-07:002012-07-04T21:23:58.592-07:00Mom is goneJune 9, 1926 to May 16, 2012<br />
We were expecting it, but that doesn't make it any easier. <br />
It amazes me the memories that flood one's mind when "the news" is broken. <br />
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We did not have a funeral for Mom, because she did not want one. Mom was creamated and my sister, Connie, got me a Silver Cross that was/is made specifically to put a dab of ashes into, and then sealed. We were hoping to go out into the Gulf on a friend's boat and scatter part of Mom's ashes, and that would probably have been the memorial. But due to the weather, that idea has been postponed.<br />
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I have a canister that I took on the plane with me that has the other half of Mom's ashes. Some are to be placed on my Dad's grave, and part scattered in the Colorado mountains. <br />
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I am fortunate that I did have 40 more years to get to know my Mother than my Dad. Having had time to get to know my Mom is very fortunate, indeed. <br />
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Even after this time, and knowing what was to come, it doesn't lessen the heart ache and sense of loss. <br />
It does give me more of a sense of Family. <br />
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Tell your family (and friends) you Love them the next chance you get. You never know; it may be the last chance you get! The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-9640648209627431392012-06-08T06:18:00.000-07:002012-06-08T06:23:39.431-07:00Florida Vacation 2012, Part 2, MondayConnie took the week off, but because of her work, still had things that needed to be done at times. Monday was open. Neil had to work, but Marisol was off, so we three decided to go visit my Aunt Audrey, my Mother's sister, over by Daytona.<br />
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We took the long way out, going SR-40. It went through one of the various forests. Pretty drive. <br />
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When we got to Audrey's we were greeted by Barb, her daughter, and Barb's husband Lou. It was good to see them again! <br />
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Connie had planned on us going to "Over Under Sideways Down" for lunch, but due to circumstances and time decided to go to "Pickles". "Over Under Sideways Down" is what Connie called the place, since I don't think she can actually remember the name of it. Pickles was cool. They have a salad bar with quite a variety of pickles. The meal was excellent, and the portions were HUGE! Great place to eat. <br />
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Audrey had asked Connie for something of Mom's that she held near and dear to herself. Connie and I wracked our brains trying to figure out what to take to Audrey. A sweater? No, Connie had told the nursing home to dispose of all of Mom's stuff. A book? The Scrabble game? We had even considered jewelry, but Mom wasn't one to wear much, if any. There was nothing we could think of. So at lunch Audrey asked Connie again if she had brought something of Mom's, and Connie told her "Us"! What else is there? Audrey looked forlorn, but I piped up and told her that Connie had intended on leaving me there with her. That broke the mood, at least for the moment. <br />
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Barb and Lou had to leave, and we did shortly thereafter. We drove out to the beach in Daytona, and I went wading in the Atlantic. I wanted to go swimming, but we didn't have time. We then went back to Audrey's and visited for a while, looking at olde pictures of her and her sisters. The older sister, Flo, died a number of years ago. Now Mom. Audrey is the last one. <br />
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Audrey has a cat, Tootsie, that she dotes over. "I brush her every day", she proudly told us! Cute and soft, a real companion to her.<br />
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We had to go as it was getting late, and Connie took us back via I-4. Lots of rain along the way. <br />
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The visit was nice, and we fulfilled our family obligation, so to speak, but bitter sweet. I couldn't help but notice how lonely and sad Audrey looked as we drove away.The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-80880529131970672212012-06-08T05:47:00.004-07:002012-06-08T06:25:02.653-07:00Florida Vacation, June 2012, Part 1I had scheduled my vacation WAaaayyyy back in February, to be in Florida for Mom's Birthday June 9th. And of course while there visit my Sister Connie, Nephew Neil, and his wife Marisol. When Mom passed away on May 16th, since she didn't want a funeral or memorial, we decided not to change the plans. <br />
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I got into Florida Saturday afternoon and was met at the Sarosota/Bradenton Airport by Connie and Marisol. From there we went to Neil's and Marisol's new place, where we had a barbeque and chatted about family and what we were going to do Sunday.<br />
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Sunday we got started somewhat early, and head down towards the Everglades. Along the way we detoured to a back road that led us into the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. From what I understand, it is the longest and widest Cypress forest in the United States. Neil and Marisol had been on a hiking path that led way back into the olde forest and persuaded us to take a hike. It was Beautiful! Lots of animal life and heavy growth. The path at a couple of points had boards laid over cinderblocks to traverse marshy areas, which made for a fun obstacle course. We used a full container of OFF mosquito repellent! <br />
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From there we went down to the Everglades where we went on an airboat ride at Wooten's Everglades Airboat Tours. What a kick! Captain Scott is obviously somebody who really enjoys his job! It was only half an hour, and I say "only" because it went too fast. Pun intended. Next time I'll opt for the hour tour. We had gotten a package deal that also included a (?) swamp buggy tour of the Cypress swamp. It was interesting, in that our guide knew his stuff, but slow. I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe it was a let down after the excitement of the airboat ride? <br />
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While waiting for the airboat ride, a very LARGE alligator came up to the airboat docks side, and just laid there in the water glaring at us. I was thinking about tossing Marisol in to see who could swim faster, but she was being nice to me so I didn't. On the other side of the ticket office was another inlet where we were feeding some fish. Some of the fish were over three feet long! Big Fish! All of a sudden an alligator came splashing up out of the water towards us! Scared us! Then he just sat there glaring at us. We were told that since we were feeding the fish, he wanted fed also. Just so you know, it's 'legal' to feed the fish, since they have a dispenser there where you can buy fish food (cat food) to throw to them. It's like a candy machine at a grocery store, where you put in 50 cents, turn the knob, and the food falls out. It was fun. <br />
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From there we went to the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk. It is what the name implies: a boardwalk into the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. There were signs along the way explaining some of the various things that you can see. From one end to the other it's 3/4 of a mile long! Nice walk. Big Trees! <br />
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After we got back to the car, my sister had to wait for another tourist to move his car out of our way. She then said, "Look Scotty, an alligator!" I looked out on the road thinking it was a Colorado 'gator', that being a tire tread from a truck. I didn't see anything. She then mentioned that it was behind us. Duh me! I was wondering why there was a tire tread behind us! Then she told Neil and I to get out and take a look. I noticed she didn't invite Marisol to go...! So Neil and I got out, and Lo and Behold, ther WAS an alligator about ten feet behind the car! He was about eight feet long. Too big for me to want to go and wrastle with, but Michael might... After a couple of minutes the gator moved up and slowly worked his way into the water alongside the road. <br />
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I cannot figure out the fascination about alligators. Is it because they're living dinosaurs? They're deadly nature? They make great boots and handbags? <br />
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We then head back towards home, found a Chinese buffet, got stuffed, and waddled our way home. After a shower to get the bug spray and sunscreen off, I slept good.The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-48770936750777600972012-02-29T00:43:00.003-08:002012-02-29T01:05:06.211-08:00Ramblings, 02/29/2012Happy Leap Year!<br />My Daughter, Tanya, was married on Leap Year 2008, so today is her anniversary. Yay! Her FIRST anniversary. She did that so that What's-His-Name could remember, and would only have to buy her one gift (instead of 4). Isn't that wonderful! Lol Robbie is a Great guy, and I am proud that he is a part of the family.<br /><br />Moving: ugh! I moved from a studio apartment into a two-bedroom mansion! Well, it's still an apartment, but it's SO much bigger than the other place. Had to move; the owner was making life unbearable, with bugs, safety issues, over charging, etc.<br /><br />Thank God for friends! My boss and friend, Brad, helped me move, as well as my son Michael. I did hire movers to move the big stuff, since I'm no longer a spring chicken, and I didn't want my new queen sized bed to get dirty on the floor of the other place. The movers did a great job, too.<br /><br />I've let my hair grow out since September of last year. It started as an experiment to help me stay warm in the cold Colorado winter. But I've gotten so many positive comments about it, I've decided to let it grow. I am thinking about going back to Ohio this summer, and letting my daughter cut and color my hair. Whatcha think of that idea? I had forgotten how much fun long hair was. I now have to deal with hair in the sink, shower drain, floor, etc. My blue tooth doesn't fit well if my hair gets too long.<br /><br />In my journeys up to our gas station in Avon, I have gotten caught in two blizzards so far this year. Yes, I said "So far". I do expect more. I had a panic attack a few weeks ago about driving a fuel tanker in the snow, but by the Grace of God I've gotten through that and can deal with it now.<br /><br />Brad and Troy helped me yesterday to move my crate out of storage and up to the new apartment. "Helped" is a misnomer; they did almost all of the work! Thanks again guys. The crate contains three cut and polished pieces of rare marble that's pinkish in color, with white and black through it. I got that marble 30 years ago, and am only now able to have a place to set up my coffee and end tables. So if anybody tells me I don't have patience....<br /><br />I got my newest book cover prototype back yesterday. Charity did an EXCELLENT job of photoshopping! I have the manuscript done (?) and will be getting it in E-book format soon. After that, then the printed book. Hopefully by June.<br /><br />Terence is still in the Army, doing well. Can't say much about him due to security issues.<br /><br />And, oh yeah, almost forgot: I finally hit the speed limit for trucks in Ohio, as of 2/11/2012. I don't feel any different now than I did a month ago, but my kids seem to think I'm getting olde. What do they know anyway?<br /><br />Keep the rubber side down and the bugs off your windshield.The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-47466957239068238672011-12-14T01:33:00.000-08:002011-12-14T01:48:02.527-08:00Florida Vacation, 2011I was able, by the Grace of God, go to Florida for a short vacation. This was precipitated by the news that my nephew, Neil, was going to be graduating from college. It was also a welcomed respite from the Colorado cold and snow!<br /><br />Neil graduated from the University of Southern Florida with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. I told him if he needed a job I'd teach him how to drive a truck.<br /><br />His lovely (and especially rambunctios) wife, Marisol, is expected to graduate in May from USF as an RN.<br /><br />Of course, while in Florida, I got to see my dear olde Mother. Nursing home living does not do a person well. She has dropped in weight to under 100#! It's no wonder that my Lady friend took care of her Mother at home for the last few years of her life. But, it was good to see Mom again.<br /><br />My other nephew, Stephen, was in from Columbus, Ohio, along with his lady friend. And the boy's dad and his wife were there also. At the graduation party there were about 20 family members and close friends of Neil's. It was nice. The balloons sucked.<br /><br />The weather was warm, in the 70's all week, down in the 50's at night. Got to go down to the Gulf, had lots of great food, and went swimming. All-in-all it was a great week.<br /><br />On the way home I got to see, from the air, Anna Maria Island, Rotten Ralph's restaurant, the pier, the Sunshine Skyway bridge, Tampa, and St.Pete. The airplane back to Denver circled around downtown Atlanta, so we got to see it from the south, east and north. There was some turbulence coming into Colorado, but nothing the pilots couldn't handle.<br /><br />Now I get to go back to work. Goodie.The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-50987149283027349192011-11-16T00:13:00.000-08:002011-11-16T00:26:09.029-08:00Abraham's Sacrifice“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good”,<br />1Thessalonians 5:21<br />“Question everything”, Einstein<br /><br />It started out as a curiosity.<br /><br />You may know the story, but follow this compendium as it is written to get the full impact of the point I wish to make.<br /><br />I remember reading in my Bible in the book of Genesis about Abram wanting a son by his wife Sarai, but because she was “barren” she could not bear one. So she reasoned that if she was going to have a son, that maybe she could have one by her Egyptian handmaid Hagar (Gen 16:2). “…And gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.” So Abram went in to Hagar and she conceived.<br /><br />Then, because of strife between Sarai and Hagar, Hagar fled from Abram’s camp to get away from Sarai. Resting by a fountain of water in the wilderness, an angel of the Lord had an exchange with Hagar, and told her “Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.” (Gen 16:9) “And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.” (Gen 16:10)<br /><br />Hence Hagar bore Abram a son, and they named him Ishmael. Abram was 86 years olde.<br /><br />“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram…“ (Gen 17:1) “And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” (Gen 17:2) “…my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.” (Gen 17:4) From that point forward, Abram was called Abraham.<br />“As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah (princess) shall her name be.” (Gen 17:15) “And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations:…” (Gen 17: 16)<br /><br />So when Abraham was 100 years olde, Sarah bore him a son, and they named him Isaac.<br /><br />This is where my curiosity started. In the process of researching this subject I came across lots of interesting information. In the end I didn’t get the answer I was looking for; I got something better!<br /><br />There are going to be overlaps, so I will take this part by part.<br /><br />In Genesis chapter 22, God calls to Abraham to take Isaac to a designated mountain and sacrifice him. For Abraham to take his son and sacrifice him would set an undesirable precedent: that is being human sacrifices. So then, “why would God "test" Abraham to sacrifice Isaac while prohibiting child sacrifice to the god Molech?” (ref 1) Which begs the question: “Why did God punish the Canaanites for child sacrifice, when He personally ORDERED Abraham to do it?! See Glenn Miller” (ref 2)<br /><br />One of two things would have to happen: either God would intercede and the son would not be sacrificed; or if Abraham did as he was told, then God would raise the son from the dead. As you probably know, the former occurred, for if the latter had, that would have justified the Canaanites child sacrifices, and lessened the impact of Jesus’ Resurrection.<br /><br />Ishmael was Abraham’s firstborn. God always demanded the first fruit of the faithful’s labors. So I wondered, if Ishmael was the first-born of Abraham, why didn’t Abraham take him to sacrifice?<br /><br />I was talking religion with a tanker driver trainee, Marwan, who is Muslim, and he told me the story about Abraham’s sacrifice as he knew it from the Quran. Abraham heard God, and went to Egypt to get Ishmael for the sacrifice. Abraham did this because Ishmael was the firstborn.<br /><br />Here are John Gill's comments on only son: "thine only son Isaac; for, though Ishmael was his son, he was a son by his maid, by his concubine, and not by his wife; Isaac was his only legitimate son, his only son by his lawful wife Sarah; the only son of the promise, his only son, in whom his seed was to be called: " (ref 2)<br /><br />But in Genesis 16:2, it says: “…And gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.”<br /><br />This got me wondering about the veracity of the King James Bible. But as Glenn Miller put it: “Actually, you are missing what we ALL are – most of the story!<br />“The story in Genesis 22--The "Binding of Isaac"-- is a classic case of a narrator selecting ONLY the details needed to make his point--and ONLY addressing his own authorial question. The passage is so focused on the teeth-gritting commitment of Abraham and his absolute confidence that he would NOT lose his divinely given son Isaac, that the explanatory details are stripped out of the bare events to drive his point home. There is virtually NO dialogue or background given in the passage--highly unusual.” (ref 1)<br /><br />The Answer: Muslim, Christian or Jew, the story of Abraham’s Sacrifice is NOT about which son was sacrificed, but God’s covenant with Abraham! It is about God making a promise to a man, and keeping it! It is about a man, Abraham, having faith, listening to God and obeying what He tells him!<br /><br />The Better Answer: God made a promise to our Forefathers that they would get their religious freedom in a land that would become the United States of America!<br /><br />From the Declaration of Independence:<br />We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—(ref 3)<br /><br />Bill of Rights, Amendment I:<br />Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; (ref 3)<br /><br />The point here being, considering the condition of our country at this writing, “We The People” need to accept the Gift that God has given us, that being our country, and the freedom and blessings associated with it. He upheld His end of the deal to allow us to live where we can have religious freedom. Now it is up to us to uphold our end of the deal and exercise our right to religious freedom.<br /><br />Muslim, Christian or Jew, we are all descendents of Abraham, united by faith in the one God. All persons that believe in God need to unite together in prayer and ask Him to correct the mistakes that we as a country have made, and to restore that which He meant for us to have. We need to humble ourselves before God.<br /><br />Statistically, 84% of our country believes in God; that means 16% don’t. So why are we, the majority, succumbing to the rantings of a overly-vocal few? We have bent to the will of man, instead of obeying the Will of God. We have allowed God to be removed from our public offices and schools. We have turned our back on God! Politician or commoner, it is high time for us to obey God’s commandment(s) or face the consequences. Ever hear of Sodom and Gomorrah?<br /><br />As Abraham had faith in God to fulfill His covenant with him, “We the People of the United States” need to be like Abraham, to have and exercise our Faith in God.<br /><br />And pray that we aren’t too late.<br /><br />Addendum: Wisdom that was left off from the original.<br /><br />Part of the problems that we are experiencing in this country is because the people that we have elected into office over the years are more interested in fulfilling the wants and needs of either their peers, or of their constituents. They have forsaken the teachings of their parents and of the Bible to satisfy their own cravings.<br /><br />If decisions by the lawmakers were based upon Biblical teachings, then we would not have Roe Vs Wade, welfare, and a slew of other undesirable after-effects of their actions.<br /><br />The politicians that are running our country need to now embrace the one true God. The time is coming that those who shun God will have to answer for their insolence.<br /><br />“We The People” need to elect only those who fear God and will act accordingly. Beware the decisions you make at election time.<br /><br /><br /><br />References:<br /><br />1) http://christianthinktank.com/qkilisak.html<br />2) http://www.apocalipsis.org/Abraham.htm<br />3) http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7748981810544000049.post-48404205314115994342011-09-14T03:56:00.000-07:002011-09-14T03:58:23.111-07:00Gary is goneA tribute to Gary Agee<br /><br />Way back when, the Boss told me that he had hired a new driver, Gary. I almost never get to see the day driver(s), so I thought the Boss was yanking my chain about hiring a new guy. A figment of his imagination, if you will. Eventually, Gary appeared. He was real!<br /><br />As I understand it, Gary had worked with the Boss at another company years ago, and then later worked for the Boss. He then went to work in the oil fields, hauling crude oil. Eventually he got tired of that, we needed another good driver, so Gary came to work for us.<br /><br />He was a driver’s driver: confident around trucks, willing to learn, and very capable.<br /><br />Then his son-in-law died. About a month later the family all decided to go up into the mountains. The stress of his son-in-law’s death, smoking, and the high altitude probably all contributed to Gary having to be rushed down out of the hills to a hospital. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. He almost died.<br /><br />Seven arduous weeks later, Gary was permitted last Thursday by his doctor to come back to work. Yay!<br /><br />I caught up with him at one of our stores and he sounded and looked good! Optimistic and happy to be back at work. I encouraged him to enjoy being back, and to take his time until he got back into the swing of things. I also told him that God had given him a second chance and to not blow it. He agreed.<br /><br />Sunday evening, according to reports, Gary was north-bound on I-25 when he exited to US-34 east-bound. It is said that he took the corner too fast, the truck flipped on its side, exploded and burned. Gary didn’t make it. Makes me wonder.<br /><br />Fuel Haulers mourn the loss of another one of their own.<br /><br />We’re going to miss you Gary. Take care and God bless.The Short Fat Truck Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02794890339108140460noreply@blogger.com0