Visited the King

This week, I was able to work in a quick driveaway trip. It was a short week since Monday involved counter top re-installs and Tuesday was bus duty taking the girls softball team (one of my favorite sports) on a long trip to Alleghany.

But first, a brief note on my wife's and my most exciting trip to Nashville last weekend to visit our son. He moved down there about a year ago, and since then he seems to have made himself a good home, carrying on his own graphics business, making alot of great new friends, and drumming with several good bands. We saw one of his latest bands on Saturday night and really enjoyed them. During our visit to Nashville, he also took us downtown to take in the sites, the honky-tonks, and the Country Music Museum. A really enjoyable weekend.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

I was lined up to drive 230 miles to Shelby, NC, where I would pick up a Southco chipper truck destined for King of Prussia (thus, the visit to the King), PA to a tree service there. I got an early start in my toad for the drive to Shelby and arrived there by a little after 11:00 AM. I found the nice, new IHC 4300 with automatic already staged in their bullpen, and with a quick pre-trip and hook-up of my toad I was off. Since the trip to King of Prussia involved traveling within 5 miles of home, I decided the round trip of about 500 miles to/from Shelby would make a good day's work and I'd just come by home for the night rather than staying in a motel. I got permission from the manager of the local Food Lion to park the truck there for the night. Unhooked my toad and was home for the evening by about 5:00 PM.




Thursday, May 10, 2007

I wasn't sure when I left home that morning whether I would be able to make the 375 miles to King of Prussia and whether I'd have another truck lined up or return home. But while hooking up my toad, I managed to wrench my back again for the umpteenth time, and as I headed out I knew it was going to be a long day no matter what I did.


I had an uneventful trip up through the Shenandoah Valley and across PA. It was a beautiful day, the truck drove great, and it had a 72 gallon fuel tank, which meant I only had to refuel one time. I arrived at the tree service in King of Prussia around 2:00 PM, where the owner was anxiously awaiting his new truck. He had another in route and was anxious to find out where it was, but dispatch doesn't fill us in on those sorts of details, so I didn't know, but was able to find out that it would arrive in about an hour. One more happy Spirit Miller customer.


Dispatch did not have another truck available that would get me home by Friday evening, a requirement in prep for Mother's Day, so with my ailing back I started the 375 miles home. I seemed to be spaced out enough, for some reason (no drugs other than Ibuprofen), that I was able to drive the whole way with one stop, and was home by about 9:00 PM. I say I was spaced out, because at the one stop, I filled up for gas, went in to the fast food next door, ordered a taco salad, which they didn't have, ate the Southwestern Salad, then ordered a Frosty, before I realized I was in a McDonalds, not a Wendy's.


So, today, I'm nursing a sore back, and trying to figure out what I'm going to do for Mother's Day. And also starting the prep for something I've looked forward to for a long time - the graduation of my third, and final, child. My wife and I have put 5, counting ourselves, through college - a goal for which we are very proud.


Next week, I may work in another quick driveaway trip before heading to Richmond for Caitie's graduation. She's worked hard and I hope she enjoys herself.