Tired does not adequately describe how I feel right now.  Exhausted is a much closer word.

I started early this morning, there was an empty down there last night so I hooked up to it - last night - and got it ready to leave this morning.

I was 100 miles into the trip back when the manager called. Was E005 there, it wasn't supposed to be? He must have been looking on GPS and knowing I was heading north.  Yup, it was there. 

200 miles later he calls again. Im going to try to sell you a pitch here.  What on earth, I thought.  Drive to the other side of the world was my second thought.  I wasn't far off.  He had checked every available driver's hours on the 70 hour clock - I had the most.  That was easy,  all the other drivers started the day before me after their 3 days off.  Mine just happened to start the next day.

I had 55 at the time- I'm down to 48? I think.  He went on about a trip to Palm, Pennsylvania.  I was not necessary happy to hear about that, but I kept my chin up. That trip is a waste.  You drive 2 days and a couple of hours the third day, you sit around for nearly 24 hours and then you go unload.  They won't unload you early, a waste of time to even try.  PA is veritably shut down right now the last I heard - COVID19 - so there isn't any thought about doing anything. 

I listened to him throw out his sales pitch, he gave the odds of anyone going actually making it back without having to take a 34 hour reset.  I didn't look at my available hours, but its around 1,400 miles one way.  That will eat up - 25? - hours of the one clock going up.  Off duty for however long waiting to unload - that doesn't count on the 70, any off duty time - then 4 to 6 hours to unload and then head back.  I'm figuring 55 hours of on duty time approximate - there is no way I'm making it back to Texas without having to take a reset.  I figure I'll be somewhere in either Mississippi or Louisiana and will have to sit for 34 hours. 

The good thing is that they have to pay a hotel - that is why they don't want to have on-the-road resets, especially now that the company is broke. They have clamped down on everything, but I will absolutely insist on a hotel and a decent one at that.  That's well off into the future.  But something I need to give consideration to.  I can tell you this: I can make more money in two runs to Brownsville, if at least one of the runs has overnight detention pay - spending 4 days than spending 7 days - or 8 if a reset is needed. 

It isn't exactly a waste trip, it's still decent money but it's much more out on the road that I prefer.  I haven't been there in what, a year? So I'll eat it without complaining.  Some drivers love this trip.  I dunno if we're out of the 3 day off funk, so perhaps it's good I'm getting something. No-one is home to boot, they're in Colorado at the moment.  I can tell ya, tho, being home alone is fine by me.

Whatever the case, get back to the yard, unhook the truck, hook up to the trailer for tomorrow, do my paperwork and send it in, off to Kroger's, over to Maria's, get the dogs, home, cook and prepare for tomorrow, check the cats, their dog and throw out old trash, finish cooking, fill up the dishwasher, pack my bag with a lot more clothes - enough for at least 10 days - find the cat watering bottle stuck closed - cats were rather thirsty, the bottle wasn't letting out the water, fixed that, cats went crazy on water - thank God found that before I left - finished cleaning the kitchen and now - just waiting for cooked food to cool down so I can put it in the refrigerator and then go to bed.

That's a 16 hour day going now.  I'm going to pay for this tomorrow, nothing new.  Drive dead tired for half the day, take a 40 minute nap - I'll pass out on that one - wake up feeling much better and drive out the day and then go to bed shortly after tomorrow driving is done.  Goal: as close to 700 miles as I can get.  Goal next day: same as first day.  Goal 3rd day: get near destination. If early enough, get a cheap hotel .  No sense sitting all freaking day long in a truck.  It's going to be at least 9 straight days on the road including this Brownsville run I just got done with, I'm going to want a full sized bed out of a truck and relax. 

Well that's been today.  The drive to Brownsville was uneventful - the the amount of road construction is still increasing.  At the rate they are doing this Interstate project it may be that we won't be able to make it down there in a day.  And then, that run becomes much less desirable. 

Both Taylor and James made it to their destination in Colorado today.  They are driving separate vehicles.  Taylor sent me a pic of a party - lots of people there. Taylor grew up there, everyone knows her.  She is, however, probably exhausted and ready to go to bed lol.   The boys are doing fine - that would be expected, grandma definitely coddles them I would have to say after watching the interaction many times over.  But whatever, that's what grandma's are for.  At least, that's what I remember about my grandma when I was young.

Okay I figure another 15 minutes and food can go into refrigerator and get - 6 hours of sleep lol.  Just gonna try to get a good attitude about this one and get it started - and get it over with.