The older I get, the worse even a common cold's effect has on me. Especially the junk that gets into my respiratory system. It just flattens me.  I can go for chunks of time, but rest is necessary at some point and nothing will replace it.  I got back here at around 10:00 am, got some stuff done and then came home, sat my happy @$$ down and haven't moved since.  Dogs in tow of course, had to go get them.

I did stop by the used car dealer lot, but they had nothing I wanted. At least not in my price range. I'm not agreeing to 30k for a 4 year old truck.  It was a nice truck, yes, but not worth that much money to me.  I told him what I want, he suggested a car, no thanks. I want a truck, I'm not buying anything else.  Well that's not totally true If my current car totally broke down and I need a replacement, I could get one for 2 grand - cash.  No car dealer needed.  In fact I have found several trucks at cash pries that could work, but they have ultra high miles on them.  Real roll of the dice buying something with over 200k miles on it.
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Well, it's Friday, didn't have to work today.  Don't know about the weekend.  I'd like another day off for recovery, just won't know until later on today what, if anything, I'll be given for the weekend or Monday.  It seems to just be a coughing cold with flu like symptoms.  So, I'm not doing anything today excepting I put a roast in the crock pot  I didn't feel like tending to the smoker today.  It's not that much work but I don't want to be outside much today.  Just sitting around in my room lazing around with the dogs.

But my roast should turn out excellent : ) I got a recipe off the internet including cream of mushroom soup,  worcestershire sauce, dry onion soup mix, etc etc.  I think it should be very good. Slow cooking all day, I'll find out later.

Some high level drama here last night, nothing that involved me fortunately, but still.  It isn't anything I want to go into on the internet since some of it is pretty personal stuff, it was quite divisive and people ended up leaving all pissed off.  I decided after having sat and listened to it for a while to disappear into my room and actually go to sleep early.

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I started this post days ago. Been too sick to do much of anything.
I got the run for today on Friday and wondered, last night, how I was going to do this.  The steroid shot sort of worked this time. The inbaler I have been using sparingly but it works when I use it, sort of.  The cough medicine I think has codeine in it and I don't want any of it.  The antibiotics, who knows.  It's only been since yesterday morning. 

I didn't sleep much last night as coughing was keeping me up.  So when 4:30 am came around, I just got myself up - was already awake anyway - got busy with the day.  Figured I would pay hell for the night's lack of sleep, but, not the first time I've driven on 3 hours of sleep.

Got to the plant with the truck and the operator was in a talkative mood, which I was not, but I entertained him anyway.  He wanted to know what my answer to school shootings were. I gave him a detailed layout of how I think it could be curtailed and then asked him his?  Give them allll guns.  Who? Everyone that comes through the school door.  Everyone has a chance to protect themselves.  He was serious, too, it wasn't a joke.  Lol, I had thoughts about that but decided not to get into it, I just was too out of it. He eventually got up and went outside to check on stuff, I went to sleep.  Unknown amount of time later, he came back in, I was startled awake, he gave me the truck key. 
After the scalehouse I was out of there.

I dreaded the drive.  But, as the hours wore on, I was amazed at how awake I was and not really even feeling that tired.  I drove 5-1/2 hours straight, pulled in to a TA truckstop to get fuel, decided to take my 30 minute break there as well. Fell into a deep sleep.  I mean, like deep sleep lol.  The alarm went off, I bolted up right and got with it.  260 more miles, I figured I could cut that no problem.  Well, it was sort of a problem, but I managed to get down here and...find...one of our trucks waiting in the yard. 

Yayyyyy!  No empty trailers! I knocked on his door.  He confirmed it. He said there ain't gonna be no trailers here tonight.  Yayy again! I'll get at least 14 hours of detention pay out of this, possibly a lot more.  That was my ticket to get out of that yard - after turning in my paperwork of course and legitimizing the beginning of the detention pay clock - and heading a mile away to the nearest hotel, an America's Best Value Inn. This one is pretty nice for the money.  It's amazing how some of these low end hotel chains are upping their game at least in some areas.  Hardwood floors, king sized bed, marble topped counters, 44 inch flat screen, huge room nicely decorated and in  great shape.  Free wife of course, mini fridge and microwave.  $57. 

That's not even 3 hours of the detention pay and I gladly took it.  I figured I could try to get a good night's sleep in here tonight versus the truck bed.  It's okay, but the mattress isn't thick enough so my bones hit the wood underneath.  Most times I have waited I'm there til noon.  That would be 17 hours of detention minus hotel pay, I'm good with that.  Even better if they don't show up at all tomorrow.  It's happened to other drivers many times, sitting there for days.  This is one of the places I like waiting, just because there is a lot to do around here, tho I have no desire to do anything, it just fits well.  You get paid, there are restaurants all around me and I don't really miss home in an environment like this.

Now, that Cheneire place, different story. No hotels, no stores, no nothing.  You are stuck in your truck.  That nonsense no thanks.  The detention pay is nice but they should at least have a store or something on site?  Vending machines? Something?  Well whatever. I'll be sent down there again, I'm sure and I'll hate it again, I'm sure.  And oh well.

Well, that's that.  I mean, that's the end of this day.  Depends on when a trailer comes, but if it's too late tomorrow I wont' make it home tomorrow night, but with enough DT I'm not concerned about that.  I'll get up around 7, cruise over there in the tractor and see if there's anything there. If not, I'll come back to the room and hang out until check out.  Usually there's someone there during the week and you can ask them when a truck is going to show up. They have phone numbers for the drivers but they can't always get through to them.

At home, James quit his job. I can't hardly blame him. He worked 15 days straight with no days off in site. The owner of the place is eccentric and - weird.  He told him he would work 3 months straight and then time off. Instead, the guy had a large number of crates full of the bolts brought in yesterday and that was when James said enough.  He won't give a day off per week, he won't give a day off - anytime.  You can't work 7 days a week forever, especially a married man with 2 young kids.  He's going to hit the job trail hard this coming week, I'm sure he'll find something.

I am sitting idle at this job for now.  I really need at least a year's experience in this field for my resume.  I wouldn't mind being shipped off to other places to learn other chemicals.  No Pennsylvania to Massachusetts runs in a blizzard tho, thanks. 

Anyways it's past 10, I'm getting sleepy, going to see about a night's sleep here.