3 days done and gone. Preparing myself for another 3:15 am wakeup call from mama Iphone.  I took the new ride on a mini road trip to see how it rides.  Very nice. A lot of buttons and switches on the console I don't even know what they are for.  I mean, it's like looking at a semi console excepting I know what all that stuff is for.

I'll eventually figure it out.  I just got the dogs in the back door.  I'm curious if the 2 seats there are removable.  I don't need them. The dogs could either sit on the floor there or they can get on the back bench. Yes, there are 3 rows of seating in this thing

Of course now I'm stuck with a monthly car payment plus increased car insurance premiuim. I knew all of this, I walked into this, I made the choice, hopefully it wasn't a bad one.

I'm not really proud of myself for this 3 days off lol. I accomplished much of nothing.  Just didn't feel like doing anything. Spending an afternoon at a dealership wasn't too much fun and negotiating the price and having to get up to walk out 4 times, well, it's mentally draining. I hate buying vehicles, I really hoped I could get it done at the first place I went to - and considering I had already looked at dozens and dozens of car lots on the internet - I pretty much had an idea that this was the place to go.

I didn't want the only truck they had in their inventory that met my needs and the SUV didn't qualify on my financing.
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Okay, I have been deficient on posting.  It's Saturday afternoon, around 2:30.  I went to a place in Houston yesterday to deliver a load of Ethylyene.  A facility I hadn't been to before, workers disgruntled with pay and wanting to get the thing unloaded and get me out of there. I'm not sure having disgruntled workers around a plant that could take out an entire city block if it blew up is a very good combination, so I didn't want to be there that long either. However, in terms of a one day trip, this is truly a one day turn around.  I got loaded, got down there, unloaded and back up with about 50 minutes to spare on the clock out of 14 hours. 

And I felt like crap, all day long.  Another 3 am rise and get to work thing to be on the scales at 5:00 am.  I actually was there around 4:45 am and they got me right on and started loaded right away. That's the only advantage of the first load:  you're pretty much in an out of there around 2 hours, instead of the 3 it takes (at least) at any other loading time.  I had 3 days off, btw.  I pay for those 3 days off every time.  My next load is in the morning - and yup - another 3 am rise.  I'm still not feeling all that wonderful from yesterday even tho I slept in this morning.

I just shrug my shoulders. It will be a long day trying to drive the 562 miles in one drive tomorrow.  It always is on those early loads.  I usually try to drive straight to Ganado, Texas, where there's a TA Truckstop (preferred truck stop of our company with fuel contracts), fuel up the truck, take my 30 minute break and sleep all of that break.  However, yesterday I didn't want to stop to fuel cause I wanted to get home and have some pool fun with the folks here. So, I'll hit Lufkin after I leave the plant, fuel up at Love's, but still try to make it to Ganado or thereabouts to take that much needed 30 minute sleep break.  I have found out that many drivers don't make it down there same day. They stop 150 miles out or so and sleep the night.  They make it a 3 day trip tho.  I only like it a 3 day trip if I"m getting detention time. Last several times down there that hasn't happened.

But I did do a hotel down there last time since I got there at 6 pm and had at least 12 hours to enjoy a hotel room and it was Father's Day.  I got the room cheap and looking at it now, those rooms are still quite low.  It's a pretty decent room for the price and if there is a trailer at the yard down there, I hook up and park at the hotel parking lot.  I may do that again if I make it there tomorrow - which I will definitely try to do no matter how crappy I'm feeling - and get a good night's sleep. I'll be there no later than 6 again since it's first load.

Onto other news. The "new" Cadillac Escalade.  Beautiful vehicle, shiny chrome, good paint, all kinds of bells and whistles?  The transmission stopped working on the way back home yesterday. I was passing someone on the Interstate going around 78 mph - 75 mph speed limit - and it just stopped working.  I was almost to my exit.  I pulled over. Put it in park and then back in gear.  It started rolling again, but only in 1st gear. I limped it the rest of the way home in 1st gear and immediately called the dealer, the salesman that sold me this thing.

Well, let me go talk to my manager.  Sure.  He comes back and says bring it in, if it's something minor we'll fix it.  Oh, I replied, and if it isn't? Well we're not going to replace an entire transmission. I blew a fuse, instantly.  They got premium price on that thing because of the excellent condition it was in and the fact that there was nothing wrong with it. I had put all of 220 miles on it, the transmission goes out and they are passing the buck to me? I don't think so.  I retained my composure on the phone but I was fuming.  I let him know about his claims of 11 years straight president's award and how wonderful the dealership is because their customers are all happy....

Caught him off guard apparently.  Well bring it in and we'll look at it, but the service department isn't open until Monday.  That's fine, my reply, I'll bring it in tomorrow (today) and leave it for you to have your service department find out what's wrong with it and fix it. He didn't reply with the "minor" stuff. I turned the thing on today and it drove just fine over there, but the engine light still on, at least it coded so they can retrieve the codes and see what happened - hopefully anyway.

It was a sigh of relief tho that the transmission acted like nothing was wrong.  That probably means something electric, electronic, something cheaper than replacing an entire transmission.  But, I am prepared to find a lawyer and take this to court if it is, indeed, a faulty transmission.  Not after the claims they made.  I am also prepared to call all the local news outlets around here and see if they will pick it up. And of course social media, where outrage takes off like a kite in a tornado. 

Today? Well, I stayed up late last night at the pool with my friends here.  I did that on purpose tho. I wanted to sleep through the night and I knew I could sleep in.  That's exactly what happened. I think I woke up around 6 am only to fall right back asleep.  They texted me at  10 am, are you up and out and about with the dogs? Umm, no, I'm fixing to get up.  They were shocked, lol. I don't normally sleep that late. 

Now, Donny and Rene are coming over in a bit to enjoy the pool and we're going to have some steak and potatoes.  Sounds good to me. So, I'm a bit more at ease about the Cadillac, I can enjoy the rest of the day, go to bed around 9pm - I'd go earlier but it doesn't work - get up early and deal with tomorrow when it gets here. 

As for right now? Gotta make a trip to the store. I'm buying the food, someone else can make it : )