Work Work Work...

After our little break at Bethlehem, PA, Matt got sick and got another day off. Guess he got tired of watching me barf so much he had to do his own little puke-fest.

When that was over we got stuck with another stupid load to Canada. It went rather well and uneventful for the first two miles or so, when we got pulled off the scale at their weigh station. The guy with the reflective vest came out and told Matt he was going to conduct "just a short inspection" and then we'd be off on our way.

It was no short inspection, but a full blown one, where the guy slid under the truck and inspected everything there...and then under the hood, ...and then made Matt pump the brake thingy,...and show all his paperwork that I played with earlier. Good thing I kept the important stuff in proper order. Matt can count on me. Then after about 45 minutes he let us go.

Since Matt and his truck passed this rigorous gauntlet successfully he got a sticker in the lower right windshield thingy that I bump my head on sometimes, and a sheet of paper saying he passed the inspection. Matt said that was worth 2 good safety points from his employer (a good thing, I guess) and $25 from them, too. So Canada this time wasn't too bad.

Then we went to upstate NY on a bunch of winding, hilly roads with sharp turns that turned my tummy upside down. So I puked. Matt wasn't happy. Then we sat forever getting our trailer loaded and drove over a multitude of steep mountains through PA, WV, VA, and NC before flatter land in SC and GA. Then drove up to North East Indiana,...much calmer. But now we're sitting in Amarillo, TX waiting for our hours to reset. Then off to Albuquerque, NM to deliver. All this in just over a week. That's truckin'.

Been so busy lately and haven't had the time to post here,...or on Matt's blog. We're just driving all day with just enough time to eat and sleep in between.

Fred Thompson in Iowa

BUSTER: Is that Fred Thompson?

MATT: (nodding) Yup...in Iowa today making a speech at the State Fair.

BUSTER: He said he supports the 2nd Amendment.

MATT: (nodding again) Yeah.

BUSTER: He said he's Pro-life on abortion.

MATT: (nodding still yet again) Yes, he is.

BUSTER: He supports fixing Social Security and he likes the 10th Amendment.

MATT: (nodding and smiling) That's right.

BUSTER: I didn't hear anything about rights for cats.

MATT: Hmmm...me neither. Maybe he'll talk about that next time.

BUSTER: (shaking head) He never talks about that.

MATT: Just what kind of rights were you interested in hearing about?

BUSTER: The right to make you give me treats...and...and to let me go outside when I want...

MATT: (rears back in heavy laughter) Are you kidding?

BUSTER: (long pause...looking very serious) No...I'm not.

MATT: Look, Buster. There are many other issues more important these days than cat's rights. Not that I have anything against them, but our very existence as a nation may be in jeopardy in the war on terror. You need to wake up to reality and put things in their proper perspective. We need a President who will do that and LEAD the country in the proper direction.

BUSTER: And that's Fred?

MATT: That's Fred. Tell you what,...I'll let you submit a question to the Republican You-Tube debate if you'd like.

BUSTER: Oh swell!

Major Accident---Not For The Squeemish

I have no pictures to share of what happened a few days ago...and am glad of it, for the images were not pleasant, and will be burned in my little kitty brain for months to come.

But on the morning of the 9th after Matt and I left the Iowa 80 Truck Stop, rolling westbound, we came upon stopped traffic. It was a line of vehicles stretching only about 1 mile at the time, but would stretch from the 233 mile post back to the previous exit before we were allowed to proceed.

Matt turned on his CB radio to get information on the delay, and together we listened as the news came in piecemeal about the horrible accident that occurred less than 10 minutes prior. Seems that a Trans Am with two young females (found out later this was wrong, it was two older women and a 2yr old) had been traveling at high speeds eastbound and passing everyone in sight. Then something happened-- no one knows what, and the women crossed over the median and crashed into oncoming westbound traffic hitting two cars, a van, and a six wheel truck. There were several fatalities (again, only 3 reported so far by news accounts--never trust C.B. chatter!), including an entire family (with baby) whose remains had to be pried out of their mangled vehicle (again, not true by news accounts--the baby was the 2yr old in the Trans Am who was flown to the hospital).

There we sat on the highway...watching ambulances, fire trucks, state troopers, flatbed tow trucks, and then a coroner's wagon pass us on the right shoulder. Even a rescue helicopter paid the scene a visit, so not everyone involved had died at the scene, hopefully.

We sat for only an hour and a half, as the rescue workers have had much practice in their vocations, before we were finally allowed to drive through. And when we did we all moved slowly by on the right shoulder, some slower than others, as each driver had to see what delayed their travels.

Matt glanced only briefly, as he has seen many of these in twelve years of professional driving, but I had to look. Most of the vehicles had been removed along with most of the bodies, probably taken to Iowa City. There were two left: the remains of the Trans Am scattered all over the place and the car it first broad-sided. Two men were standing in front holding a blanket to obstruct the view from passers-by, while two others were prying out the remains of whomever was left in the car. One body off to the left was wrapped from head to toe in a shiny gray blanket and strapped to a stretcher in full view of everyone. Perhaps on purpose?

The looks on the faces of the rescue workers and state troopers were both angry and grim, so Matt wasted no time in getting by them...until the car in front of us came to a full stop to gawk at the carnage. With a pull on the cord, Matt blew the big truck horn and the line of traffic once again proceeded.

You can never be too vigilant out on the highways these days as lives can be snuffed out in a blink of an eye. And I'm sure that the accident we saw made an impression on many of those who waited and viewed. But to some, of course, it didn't. In fact, there were several who passed us at high speeds afterwards who were trying to make up for lost time. And so it goes...

Battle At Kruger

I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU PUT THIS ON MY BLOG, MATT!!! The one time you post a video on this blog, and it's big cats losing against WATER BUFFALO, of all things!

Sitting And Waiting

Thank God we ran out of Cat Lax. That stuff tasted like....well, dog spit...yes...that's it, DOG SPIT.

Now Matt's giving me something much better tasting called Laxatone, which is sweeter and goes down easy. No longer does Matt have to cleverly wipe the substance on my paws, forcing me to "clean" myself by lapping it up. Now I can't wait to lick it right off his finger every morning. And how regular I am these days,...like clockwork. No puking at all...well, mostly not.

Today we're sitting in Indiana, doing a 34 hour restart of our hours of service. That is, we cannot run anymore legally because we've run the limit. So we sit for 34 hours straight to re-set our hours to zero and then run like the wind tomorrow. Here are a couple of pics of me from moments ago.

You can hardly make me out in one, it's so dark. The other I have alien-eyes-syndrome. There is something about that laptop case I find appealing. But what's up with the bordello background? Matt, can't you get new curtains for your truck? Faded red is PINK!