Taking a "Break"

DATELINE: NEW CANEY, TX, 6:23 p.m. CST

Miles Today: 324

I've decided to make today a short work day, even though it consisted of 6.25 nearly continuous hours of driving (2 quick stops: for breakfast and a "bio break" as a friend of mine calls them). My route was familiar, yet new. I headed up US-77 and US-59 in eastern Texas, the route Bruce, my trainer, and I always took for our regular runs down this-a-way. Hence the familiarity. What was new was that: A) I was driving this stretch northbound, and B) it was daylight. During my training period I always drove the night shift, and southbound during that interminable stretch between Houston and the Rio Grande area. (During the daylight northbound trips back, I was always sleeping while Bruce drove.)

Anyway, I stopped at the Flying J in this town for lunch, then decided that I may as well stay here for my 10-hour break. Reasoning:
1. I had worked 4 straight L-O-N-G days and needed the rest,
2. I'll be taking this load to our West Memphis terminal since I can't make the entire trip to its destination without violating my 70-hours-in-8-days limit (right now I have 18.5 hours left for the next 3 days), and I can reach West Memphis from here in one 10-to-11-hour drive,
3. If I drove my entire 11 hours today, I'd get about to Texarkana, at about 8:00 p.m., when it would be difficult to find a spot to park for the night. Since I stopped here shortly after 2:00, that was not a problem,
4. I was going to stop here regardless to use their shower facilities (as well as fuel up the truck), so if I was going to have an extended stop here anyway, I figured I might as well make it count,
5. If I drive to West Memphis overnight (I'll leave here precisely at 1:00-ish a.m.), I'll have very little traffic to contend with, always a plus,
6. I have driven the stretch from here to West Memphis overnight several times, so I know what to expect. Heck, I can do it in my sleep (and probably will). ;-)
7. Whether I take the 10-hour break now or later, I'll still get to West Memphis at the same time,
8. On the downside, I still haven't seen the stretch from here to Texarkana in the daylight. That'll have to wait for another trip, I guess.

Good enough reasons? Worked for me--but I'm good at rationalizing my way into or out of things.

So today was a short work day, and tonight may be tough since it's hard to get much sleep so early after last night's good night of sleep. But I am a bit weary, so I'll give it a go, anyway. I'll have a bit of downtime in West Memphis, so I can rest there. As for now, first a quick bite to eat so I'm not going to bed hungry. Have a good night yourselves, dear readers. Thanks for your readership and commentatorship, and keep up your truckin'ship.