Hmmm, What Would Be A Good Title for Today?

DATELINE: BETHEL, PA, 3:00 p.m. EDT

Miles Today: 331

Just another easy drive today between USA terminals. Roanoke's setting is wonderful--green mountains on the horizon in all directions. Bethel has some of that, but not as much. And the facility is small, with no drivers' lounge to speak of. But it's in a rural area and very quiet out here.

My delivery tomorrow morning is in Newark, NJ, which is about 140 or so miles from here. Since my appointment is at 9:00, I'll have plenty of time to get there if I leave here around 5:00 a.m., which is when I like--well, "prefer" is a better description than "like"--to start my workday. The roads in and around Newark are--based on my one trip there so far--confusing, congested, and chaotic, so I'm not really looking forward to that part of the trip. But it will just add experience to my driving career. Be sure to check back tomorrow when I report on that experience and let you know where I'll be headed next.

Time now to catch up on some reader questions I've neglected recently. Reader Dennis the Accompanist queried a while back about what I wear while on the job, whether I can wear shorts in this summertime weather. No.

Oh, you want me to expand on that answer some? OK. USA has a dress code for drivers that forbids shorts, though quite a number of drivers do ignore it. I normally--actually, always--wear jeans while driving or at customer sites for two reasons:
1. Because of the dress code, and
2. To keep the sun off my legs. Remember, I'm blonde; sun and blondes' skin don't make a favorable combination.
In addition to the jeans, when I'm driving I usually wear a T-shirt and a long-sleeve denim shirt to keep the sun off my arms. I'll take off the long-sleeve one when I get out of the truck, 'cuz it's just too durn hot these days. My truck's air conditioner works just fine at keeping me comfortable while I'm driving and wearing the heavy clothes. When I'm relaxing in the truck or at truck stops or terminals, I do switch to shorts for the comfort factor.

Reader mrr asked if kids on the road give me the "horn sign" and if I accommodate their requests. Yes, I do get the signal quite frequently (though certainly not every day). And no, I do not toot my own horn for them. Horns on the roadway are for alerting drivers of "situations", and I don't want (or need) to startle anyone with mine for some adolescent's entertainment.

The inquisitive mrr also asked, "With all the sitting, and eating in restaurants, are you packin' on the pounds?" I've been very conscious about the possibility of poundage packing, so I have (usually) been very stringent about how much I eat. Not always so stringent about the healthful content of that food, but certainly about the quantity. Besides, I can't afford enough food to drive up my weight. I have been maintaining a fairly steady weight since I've been on the road--in fact, when I was driving with my trainer late last year, I did drop 5 to 10 pounds. However, I do have a tendency to eat too much when I'm home.

And responding to reader nancyr's correction, of course I did mean Coconut Shrimp instead of chicken in yesterday's post. But I imagine the dish would still be dee-lish with chicken instead of shrimp. And maybe scallops or crabmeat, too.

That's all I can come up with for today's report. Thanks for checking it out, and keep on truckin'.