Another year over and what have I done?

I may not get another shot at writing this before the new year, so as long as I have some down time, I'll take a brief few moments to review the year that was 2011.

The start of the year found me doing the job I hated doing but had no choice but to do, which was the accursed   home medical job.  My prospects looked dim, I had nothing lined up or even looking promising, and I was quite miserable.  The wonderful ice storm in February made things even better, as it turned my usual 2 hour commute to work into an 11-hour odyssey to get back home before major and important body parts froze and snapped off.

A transfer to a closer branch rounded out the spring months, amid major shake-ups from the top down.  Where I originally enjoyed not being on call, that was changed abruptly, and since the old liquid oxygen delivery driver was about to return, I figured he could have his route and I'd take the non-liquid route.  At least, from an on-call perspective, it would make things a little easier on me.

That feeling baked away as the summer wore on, and by the end of it, seeing no other alternative, I made the fateful call.  In mid-September, I returned to school and by the first of October, I had my Class A CDL and a job as an over-the-road trucker.  I (barely) made it through the first orientation, more due to personality conflicts with the trainer than my lack of skills, and the shorter three-week training cruise with a fellow student went a little better, though not by much.

So, here it is the end of December, and I am once again out on the road, this time as a solo driver, doing the best I can with what little I get in assistance from the home office.  I am sitting on a load that will deliver late if I have to run it all the way through due to my low available hours, I feel thoroughly disgusted and unsure of myself, I'm pretty much flat broke until the payment for the last two trips I did comes through, and I can only pray that I will make it through this and gain the experience that will help me get a local trucking job.

And with that, I will close out the ol' blog for 2011 and wish everyone that reads this a very happy and prosperous New Year.  And, if you could spare some good wishes for myself and Ms. Darkstar, I would be very appreciative.

Happy New Year, everyone.