Did I mention that I'm a truck driver??

I know this is a long post, so if you don't have time to read it all, at least read the blue part.

Last summer we had our family reunion in Myrtle Beach and as part of the "entertainment" several of us talked about our jobs and how we ended up in that field. Kirby and I were talking about the speech I made the other day and I realized several people who read my blog didn't get to hear me talk about truck driving, so here's the speech my family heard last year.

When Kirby and I moved to WV, the job he had lined up didn't work out, so when he had an opportunity to attend a truck driving school I encouraged him to do it. He was convinced that he would never be able to learn all the information required to pass the written tests, but I promised I would help him study. He passed everything and after the 4 week course, he got a job driving for a tanker company out of Charleston. It wasn't long before he started seeing a lot of husband and wife teams on the road and he got the idea that I should get my license. After several months of discussing the pros and cons, I enrolled in the same school that he had attended.

The first week of the 4 week course consists of classroom work, reading handbooks, and taking written tests. I ended up taking a written test for general knowledge, air brakes, combination vehicles, tankers, and hazardous materials, as well as memorizing the 50 or so items that you have to check on a pre-trip inspection. I was not the least bit worried abou all this because I have been a straight A student all my life, and besides, I had just learned all of this information when I helped Kirby study for the same tests the year before.

Week 2 of the course is the beginning of actually driving the truck. Now I'm getting worried. I knew how to drive a standard transmission car, but the truck has 10 gears and you have to double clutch to change gears. In other words, you have to push in the clutch, pull the shifter to take the truck out of gear, release the clutch, then push in the clutch again, put the truck in the next gear, then release the clutch again. I spent a few sleepless nights wondering if I had made a big mistake signing up for truck driving.

During the time that I was in driving school, I was also doing a Bible study in the book of Psalms. I know you don't know where this is going, but hang in there, it is relevant. On the Monday morning of my first day behind the wheel of a big truck, when I was worried sick about double clutching (see above paragraph if you skipped to the blue part), the Bible study verses were in Psalm 121. The first verse of Psalms 121 says:
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help."
The second verse says:
"My help cometh from the Lord, which made Heaven and earth."
So far, I'm just reading along, and it's pretty typical praise language for the book of Psalms. Then I read verse three. I don't even know how this verse got in there. It doesn't seem to fit with the rest of this Psalm, but isn't it just like a loving God to throw in a message written thousands of years ago that became so timely on that Monday morning? Verse three says:
"He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber."
If that isn't a promise about double clutching, then you don't know how to read the Bible.

Needless to say, I learned to drive the truck, and we've been driving together for 10 years. It isn't all fun, but some of it is. We've been to all 48 contiguous states, and more WalMarts than I can count. We've been to Disneyland and many other landmarks over the years. We get to visit family members who live thousands of miles away on a fairly regular basis. And we've eaten at more dives than Guy Fieri.

Most people consider the CB radio as a "must have" for truck drivers. We got our first radio shortly after we started driving, and when you talk to other drivers, they always ask who you are. Every driver has a "handle" or name they use on the CB. We were talking to some people at a truck stop and they asked Kirby what his CB handle was. He had told me several times that he was calling himself the dragonfly because our truck drags up hill and flies down hill. After he told them his handle I could tell the guy was turning to me to ask me what my handle was. I almost never talk on the CB, but I didn't want to ruin their image of truck drivers and CB talk, so I said the first thing that came to mind when he asked me my handle, without missing a beat, I said, "They call me the flyswatter."

So, the next time you're doing double nickel on the five & dime out in shakey town and you're dodging gators with a smokey on your back door, praying that chicken coop is locked up, and you get your doors blown off by a blue and white pipeline on wheels, put your ears on and say hey to the dragonfly, but he's gonna have to catch you on the flip side cause he's got the hammer down, he's got mama riding shotgun, and he's gone.

And just in case you are tempted to get yourself a CB, the term "good buddy" is no longer used by truckers because for some reason it now refers to a gay man.

My Favorite Little Boys!!

Here they are - my two little grandboys! We were eating lunch with them in El Paso on Thursday and I couldn't resist taking a few photos. Aren't they the most beautiful little things you ever saw?

This is Maverick giving me a silly grin. Pop had so much fun helping him climb up the jungle gym and come down the slide, while carrying a beach ball. Maverick was determined to have the ball go with him when he slid down. And with Pop's help, he was able to do it. He is so sweet to hug and kiss on. Even if he's trying to get away while you do it.

This is Bailey being his silly self. He loves getting behind Grammy and putting his head under my shirt. I walk around saying "Where's Bailey?" to which he laughs and laughs. On this trip, he took my sandals off my feet and put them on. I chased him around trying to get them back, which he loved. Then he hid them under the chair in the living room. He had Jen and me both looking for them under the covers on the bed and in the closet, all the while knowing they were in the living room. He only has two speeds - a mile a minute or sound asleep!

It sure was nice to get to see them for a little while. Jen and Jake, too. Hope another west coast load comes up soon so we can pass through El Paso again.

To Texas and Back

I've been to Austin visiting with my son all week and we had a great time. All four of my step-grandkids were there for the whole week. We made chicken fried rice and chicken fried steak (not on the same day). We also made some fabulous beef & chicken quesadillas, which I'd never made before, but will definitely do again. And I showed my grandson Brandon how to explode a marshmallow in the microwave (on a smore). He was quite impressed.

We went to the Alamo Draft House to watch "Get Smart" and eat their amazing food, which they serve while you are watching the movie!! They removed every other row of seats from the theater and put a long wooden bar in their place so you can eat while you enjoy the show. Then they come and take your order and deliver your food just like a real restaurant. And speaking of shows, if you haven't seen "Get Smart" it's really good. I was such a fan of the old TV show and I was very glad that they retained so much of the original craziness and slap stick, but also added new updated special effects.

We celebrated the 14th birthday of the twins, Joy & Josi, with a slumber party. If your 14 year old twins want to invite more 14 year old friends over to spend the night, just say "NO!" Trust me on this. Actually, they weren't so bad once we got past the drama of who was dating whom. Plus, I wasn't the one who had to stay up until 5 a.m. to chaperone.

So, we stayed up too late and slept too late and played Apples to Apples and I finished reading three Lawrence Block novels from Half Price Books. We watched every episode of "Sports Night" (all two seasons worth) and decried the fact that such a wonderfully written and acted program was cancelled. We watched "Elizabeth" and "the Other Boleyn Sister" with Kayla and had no end of discussions about life in 16th Century England and the general mistreatment of women. We watched about a thousand episodes of "Sponge Bob." How many times a day does this show come on???

On Saturday, Todd and I made a trip to Waco and hooked up with some friends that I worked with over 20 years ago. Freddie and Pat were two of my employees when I managed a movie theater in Waco in the early 80's. They were part-time movie projectionists, part-time popcorn and/or ticket salesmen, and part-time baby sitters for Todd & Jen. What a fun time we had reminiscing.

Then I had to come back home, which means I had to fly from Austin to Houston, which is never a good thing. We were delayed for an hour and a half in Austin because the weather in Houston was so bad nobody could fly in or out. Thankfully, that meant that my connecting flight from Houston to Charleston, WV, was also delayed, so it was still there when I got there. I still had to walk 25 miles to the gate, and ride a bus part of the way, but at least I didn't miss the plane, which they said would leave at 10:15 p.m. from gate 60, but which actually left at 8:45 p.m. from gate 64. Never turn your back on those TV monitors because they change by the minute.

Alas, here I am back at home and back at my computer. Maybe my next trip will be to El Paso to see the little grandboys!! I miss all of you in Austin and Waco, and all of you in El Paso. Here are some hugs and kisses from Grammy - xoxoxoxo