Rain? Up North? In EARLY FEBRUARY?

DATELINE: BEAVERDAM, OH, 7:45 p.m. EST

Rain, rain, go away, come again...in smaller quantities, please. Man, rain all day; much of the time quite heavy. And it even started late yesterday afternoon! Fortunately it let up almost completely when it was time to get out of the truck to deliver our load (in Temperance, MI) this morning and pick up our next (in Wyandotte, MI) this afternoon. But we're still roaming around in damp clothes this evening.

Anyway, we started out at 5:00 this morning from Walton, KY, where we had reached after an all-day drive from Commerce, GA. Well, along the way yesterday we did stop by Piedmont, SC to pick up that load we took to Temperance. And we had a chance to swing by our Spartanburg, SC terminal so John (my student/trainee/apprentice) could check out those digs (not to mention learn how to get to it when he's on the road in his own truck). But the driving went fine today, despite the weather. I drove the first 3 hours, then let John take over. I need to get him 50 hours behind the wheel during the 7-to-10 days he's in my clutches--er, capable hands.

By the way, I've coined a new phrase that'll soon sweep the English-speaking world (with your help, by the way). It's, "Fluster Bomb": that which happens inside your head when unexpected/unwelcome circumstances cause you to lose your focus, concentration, and normal capabilities. As in, "After that fluster bomb, I just couldn't remember how to tie my shoelaces." Whaddaya think? Is it the next big, overused piece of jargon to enter the lexicon?

But back to trucking stuff. We're taking our current load to Ansonia, OH, where we're due to deliver it at noon. But we're checking on the possibility of delivering it a bit earlier, since it is a short trip. We're spending the night at the Pilot here in Beaverdam, and it sure has gotten windy down here. The truck's really swaying to-and-fro from the "breeze".

Well, it has been a long few days, and I haven't been able to get quite enough sleep, so it's time for me to wrap this up and hit the sack. Thanks for your loyal readership. Please add "loyal comment submitter" as well, and keep on truckin'.