Do The Hustle

I have a big load.  It's being spread out over seven stops, of which my first is in Mississippi tomorrow afternoon.  I left my shipper early this morning and made it to Arkansas by noon, which is where I'm writing this post.  I guess the naps I had over the course of the day yesterday right up until it was time to leave weren't enough, because as soon as I got back to the truck after lunch, I crashed for a couple of hours.

My income tax refund came through earlier this week, and I got paid for the partial Arizona run I did, so after I got bills paid (couple of credit cards needed tending to) I splurged for a small vacuum for the truck and over the past couple of days I've been restocking my pantry with ramen soups, snacky-type foods, drinks, water (for the soups, of course), and whatever else I have the chance to get.  I must remember the next time I go back to the truck from home time, I need to pack some other spices.  Salt and pepper are fine, but the ramen needs more of a kick to it.  Oh darn, I guess I'll have to go to Penzey's and get some small jars of stuff.

Restocking is usually done when I have the money to do so, and lately that's been tough to manage.  In addition to personal things, I also have to buy things for the truck, like oil, coolant, antigel for the fuel in the colder parts of the country, and scale tickets (when I weigh on a certified scale away from the shipper to insure the load is of legal weight and distributed properly).  I get reimbursed for these things, but not until I am able to submit the paperwork and receipts, and after that there's usually a three-day lag until I get paid.  It makes managing things a bit tricky, and at times it's downright frustrating.

In contrast to the last time I was in these parts, today was a beautiful day.  The winds were a little fierce but it wasn't too cold and the sun was out.  I took this picture right around sunset.  I'm in the same truck stop I was in the last time I was here, because it has two things I look for in a stopping place:

• Plenty of parking, so even a tired, strung-out idiot like me can park the truck without hitting anything; and
• A restaurant that serves things other than disc-shaped patties of ground beef between buns with fries and sodas.

I'm feeling a little bit of a headache tonight, and I'm guessing it's because I had no coffee today and my caffeine level is getting low.  I've had food, so I'm sure that's not the cause.  I'll take some pain relievers before I go to bed and I should be okay in the morning after I have some coffee.  It's about four hours to my first stop on this load, so I don;t have to rush off right away and can actually get a decent breakfast in the morning.  If I'm lucky, I might be able to get a shower.  I only say that because they're remodeling the showers and don't have a lot available like they usually do, so even though I'll be up early, I won;t be rushing right out to the highway.

Have a great weekend, in case I can't get back online then, and be well until next time.