Saturday Evening, Little Rock, Arkansas.
After the pay parking on Thursday, I made it to the plant in West Virginia around 5:30 pm on Friday.  It was interesting trying to get one of our new/much longer trailers in there, but I was very happy that they were letting me go ahead and make the swap after hours.

I think I might have made it 100 miles down the road, not very far.  I didn't have much hours left.  I got into this Love's Travel Center in Grayson, Kentucky, what a crap hole.  They have this tiny truck parking area and I mean tiny. Like maybe 40 spots at most and it's in a hole, dead end.  You aren't pulling in there and flipping a U-ey.  If you want to back into a spot on the right, you will have to turn around away from the parking area and back all the way in there.

It's very difficult to back into a parking spot like that on the blind side.  Highly not recommended unless you have a spotter - a good spotter.  Anyway,  I did get the trailer into a hole and there was, by chance, a Hardee's across the street! Yes folks, another lettuce wrapped bacon burger with cheese and no condiments and this time? They did it right! Absolutely delicious! 

I got out of there early this morning. Around 5 am.  The rain began some 100 miles down the road and it got worse as the day progressed. And people driving 45 mph in the passing lane because - excuses. Get the H*** out of my way.  Just move over! Dang.  It's unnecessary and it's stupid.  If you are afraid, stay in the slow lane and let everyone else pass!  Even truck drivers were doing this nonsense. 

Whatever.  I spent a while trying to decide whether I wanted to stop at a truckstop for the night or actually get a hotel.  I spent even more time lookiing for hotels in the region where I knew I would run out of drive hours.  I got tired of it, found a place that was probably not the greatest but at least has 10 parking spots. I decided on the Petro truckstop. I had to stop for fuel anyway, it would be easier just to stay there for the night.  Fueled up the truck and drove the entire parking area.  It was only 5:30 pm and the entire place - except - the pay parking spots, was full! 

Have you seen the news stories of ELD's - Electronic Logging Devices - causing truckstop parking lots to be full and drivers finding it difficult to find places to park?  Yeah, that's my reality on a daily basis when I'm on the road.  You can plan ahead all freaking day long - as these people advise you to do - that doesn't do anything for this dilemma that was caused when this mandate went into effect. But why should the people that made this law care? They don't give a shit.  It doesn't affect them, all they know is their numbers on a computer screen tell them this is what must be done, and right now!! 

Anyway, that was it for me. Economy Inn it is. There were crappy truckstops I could have stopped at, but I had already made up my mind to come here.  Enjoy being out of the truck, $45 - get what you pay for place - but they actually have Directv here.  Not bad for a place like this.  And very good WiFi.  Again, for this place, not bad.  I would have stayed at a better place  but just didn't have it in me to keep searching. The rain and foul driving conditions with idiot drivers just took it's toll on me, I made it almost 700 miles so I'm not going to complain too much.

Now, if this was a "normal" trip - normal now in this new truck I'm in - I would be pulling into the yard instead of being 200 plus miles out.  \

Rene. I'll give her kudos for one thing, that I really miss: She would send me videos and pics of the doggies.  I don't want to ask Maria to do anything like that, tho she did send me a pic yesterday of Addler passed out on her bedroom floor, on one of the much smaller dog's beds lmao. She is far better with the dogs than Rene was.  That's a fact. But, still, Rene loved those dogs.  She's high 24 hours a day now, so she says and I believe it, eating pot brownies.

I'll be getting up early - I think - and get back to the yard before too late in the day.  Or I'll sleep in and say screw it lol.  But if I'm out of here at 6:00 am, which is my current thinking, it's 4 hours or less driving from here.  Okay, so I don't need to get up too early! Haha!!! Just I want to be home before 2:00 pm.  Why? Because on Sundays, inevitably, invariably, the sleep button hits my brain around that time and it's time to doze. It's been that way for me for decades.  I can't explain it, it is what it is.  I'll pull over into a rest area and doze off for a half an hour and try to shake it off if I'm on the road, but if I"m home? I'll sleep for at least 2 hours. 

My new desktop computer came in, thank goodness. The new grass? Not yet.

However, home will be different.  Taylor is off on a business trip for a full week. She left this morning out of Shreveport.  That should be, I would hope, a nice diversion for her to get out of there and do something different.  I mean, company paid, flight, hotel, car rental, per diem. 

The other change? They have a friend that - found a job the same city where my yard is - but she can't find a place until she gets employed. She has 2 kids that will be there as well.  My interpretation? Wherever she was living before, she didn't have the money to pay for because she was broke and she can't find a place until she has the job and gets some money flowing in.  2 weeks? Highly unlikely.  More like a month.  She asked if it was okay with me.  Taylor you know me. If a person is in need and I can help, I always help.  It's not even me helping, they aren't taking over my bedroom. But they'll be in the house and I appreciate Taylor being considerate to ask me. And I've met this lady before, she's very cool and fun to hang out with. 

Well, I have been torn between buying a boat and just continuing to save for land. Taylor asked which one I would be happier with? Uhh, the boat lol.  But for the long run? The land.  Of course the land. but I'm not getting any younger and I want to have some fun on my time off.  The middle ground for me is getting my big ATV fixed and buying another one and at least having something to take off with and go vent life into the woods somewhere blasting down a dirt trail.  Why does that do anything for a person? Why does anything do anything for anyone? Personal tastes, likes and desires. Things you grew up with. Processes in the mind you have had and have been building over time. 

Do something different. Get out of the house.  Go somewhere, meet new people.  More to life than working and going home. I like going home but it's not enough for me.  Actually, I may just attempt again to figure out what's wrong with my ATV. I think it's a fuel problem. If I can't fix it, I'll hire someone who can.  I can take the dogs, go to the river and have some time away from everything.

With that, I'm outta here.  Bedtime approaches, I'm sure I want to leave early.  4 days out is enough.