So after waiting almost all day long, I finally got a text - no more phone calls lol - from the manager.

Your flight leaves at 6:30 am - sending me the itinerary that will take it more than half the day to get there with 2 layovers, one of which is over 3 hours long.  I will be getting paid a minimum $300 a day guaranteed plus $40 per daily allowance for food - keep receipts.  It's only supposed to go on for 3 days tho.  That's kind of messed up.  What on earth could be so important that we need to fly out there for 3 days? lol seems like a waste to me. 

So, I am going to treat this like the last time I did this and pack for at least a week,, the manager also suggested that.  I had asked how long, he said that and then I laughed and said last time I did this they didn't want me to leave.  His reply was "When they get a taste of Texas work ethic they are not going to." 

"I dunno how we stack up", I replied.  He had already looked into it and said "at the bare minimum you and Ricky like money. Some of the guys up there don't even appear to be motivated by that".  

Well geeze, get rid of them and get new people, I thought, there are plenty of drivers out there that would love the opportunity to make this kind of money.  When drivers are sitting around from the various companies at the scale house where we get loaded and bring up pay, they are literally shocked at what they are paying us. I guess the difference is that they aren't doing cryogenics and they aren't interested in it. 

Whatever dudes, I wasn't thrilled the first time I hauled the first load out of that plant and it took a while to adjust to it but it didn't take long to love the paychecks. Tho, $300 per day is lower than what I normally make driving out a 600 plus mile day, that's why I'd like to stay up there a week.  Then I'm getting some decent money out of it plus eating for free.  

Anyway, I leave GGG at 6:30 am, arrive DFW shortly after that - a pretty short jump - there for an hour and forty minutes, arrive at PHL at 1:22 pm, wait there over 3 hours, head over to BTV, arriving there at 6:14 pm and then - I have no idea, no further information was given lmao.  Hopefully not go straight to work, I'd rather do that the next morning but I'm down for whatever they want us to do.  Oh, this is Thursday, this little adventure starts tomorrow morning.  I'll get to fly over some interesting terrain during the daytime so that will be fun if I can get a window seat.  Hmm, I wonder if I can preselect a seat?  

I am SOOOOO glad I wrote this entry and it prompted me to look up the seating info.  I have no need to sit next to that other driver all 3 flights, I want a window seat and I wasn't assigned one on any of them.  That has been changed on all 3 flights for free.  The first flight, the jog to DFW - is almost full, but there was on window seat left.  The second flight however is a half empty airplane. Ohhhh if it will only stay that way! The last 10 flights I've taken anywhere the planes are jam packed. The rear of the aircraft is virtually empty besides us back there.  But still, I have zero desire to be sitting in  a middle seat.  Looks like first 2 checked bags are free and I can bring my laptop on the plane for free with me.  

I don't go on trips like this without my laptop. If I'm out longer than expected I want access to the internet. Yes my phone works but that's such a small screen, no keyboard, I like to have the option.  

Ok, that off my mind, now it's just re-doing my bag.  I packed enough in there for 12 days when I thought I was going to drive up there, I'm going to unload that down to about 7 days worth. I have to go over to the yard - 70 miles round trip driving - and get my PPE bag.  Can't do any of this stuff without the fireproof suit, the "oven mitts", steel toed shoes and hardhat with face shield.  Oh, and the AC off of my mind as well. My son is dropping by the cash for Mark to pay the guy behind us.  Mark had originally wanted to not go with him because "he's getting old", not taking into account that this guy fully knows what he's doing and the fact that he'll do it far cheaper than calling out an AC company.  In the end I was prepared to call whoever out there and get it dealt with, but let's try the cheaper route first?

When Mark gave me the total bill, I was relieved and told Mark how much it would have cost to have a company come out - more than 4 times what he's charging us. "Ohhhh, I didn't even think about that".  "Yes", I replied, "that's why I pushed you to see if Sam could do it".  At this time of year, the AC companies are all busy and they usually won't get out to you the next day anyway.  Mark doesn't have any business kind of mentality, he just thinks in terms of getting things done without taking costs and other factors into consideration. Which is fine, he does a good job of running the house but I have to keep on top of him sometimes.  

So, off to the shower and off to the races.  I want to get my PPE this morning while it's still early and get that over with.  Do some final touches on my room before I leave, someone will definitely be staying in here with all of these people in the house tonight, grandma is showing up. The 5 year old's first day in Kindergarten is today, he's there now.  He was excited about it - and then he didn't want to go.  I had a good conversation with him about how fun it will be and there is nothing to be afraid of.  Well, okay, there could be, lol, I still remember my first day of school because I got into a fist fight with a black kid. Racial tensions back there bled down to even the little kids.  I didn't start the fight tho, that kid pushed me.  I pushed him back and it was all on.

G'day.