Rolla,MO

Here we are in Rolla,MO. I have been having problems getting online and I am beginning to suspect that it is my air card. It doesn't seem to be getting a good connection to my laptop. Could be partly because when we set the laptop on the steering wheel it pushes it up some. Well, not could be, that is probably the problem. LOL Now I just have to figure out if it has damaged the air card or the connection in the computer.

We made it in to Carson,CA and killed a few hours at the truck stop before our delivery at 1900 local time. From there J headed back to the TA where we spent the night. I was so tired when we left the shipper headed back to the truck stop that I didn't even notice the crappy California roads. Also didn't notice when he pulled in and parked, got in the back and gathered up the laundry, left or came back to the truck. Good thing no one tried to steal the truck because they would have stolen me right along with it! I was beat!

I woke up the next morning, Sunday, to the Qualcomm beeping asking when we would be ready for a load. Umm, as soon as you send me one? The weekend guy said that he would try to get us something asap. I decided I would head in and grab some coffee then come back to the truck to sit and wait. Turns out I didn't have to wait for long. As I was walking back out to the truck my phone rang and it was him calling to tell me he had just sent me a load and to go over the live-load call stuff we have to do. The load didn't pick up until 1900 Sunday night so we still had all day Sunday to kill.

When I got back into the truck J had woke up so I told him about the load and then we went in to grab some breakfast. With nothing else to do after that, we came back to the truck and decided a nap was in order. It was raining there so that was the perfect weather to be lazy in.

We had talked to another husband/wife team that is with Prime and they were going to be to that same truck stop around 1300 so we figured we would take a nap and get up at 1200 so we could grab a shower. Of course when we got up and were getting ready to head in for the shower, they pulled in. Figures! But we still grabbed a shower before we had lunch, and I am sure they apreciated our efforts. It was nice to get to visit with Chuck and Lori. We ended up getting to visit until around 1700 local when we both needed to hit the road. Us to make our pick-up and them to make their delivery. So after saying goodbye, we both hit the road.

This pick-up they had us on was to a place we had been before and it was only about 18 miles from the truck stop. The appointment was for 1900 and by the time we got loaded and back to the truck-stop to scale it was around 2300. J made it to the last rest area in CA on I-40 where he called it a night.

We had heard Flagstaff was supposed to get snow on Monday, so I get up and head out right at 0300. The roads between Kingman,AZ and Flagstaff,AZ were a compelte disaster. I passed two Fed-Ex truck, daycabs pulling doubles, that had both lost traction and were stopped side by side blocking both lanes. Two state patrols were on scene and after downshifting to 3rd gear I was able to crawl by them on the left shoulder without having to stop. A little farther up the mountain on the westbound side, there was a semi completely off the road and on it's side. I FINALLY made it to the east side of Flagstaff where the sun was shining and not a flake of snow on the ground. I was really really really happy to see clear roads. I stopped at the AZ/NM border where J took over and drove all night to get me to the TX/OK border.

This morning I woke up in Erick,OK at the Love's at exit 7 or 8, I don't remember. Anyway, took off from there and made it into Springfield,MO right at lunch. Another driver that we know was at the yard there with his dad who was taking his CDL test, so we were able to meet him for lunch. This has been a week of meeting up with friends. I love weeks like this! We were at the yard for about 2 hours and I headed out at 1400. I went ahead and drove until 1600 today so J could get a nap since I woke him up for lunch. When I stopped, I stopped at the Love's in Rolla where we switched out.

While we were in the Love's, I was watching the Weather Channel to see what kind of weather we would run into on the rest of the trip up to Maine. It looks like from here on out we will skirt around the top of the store that is headed towards New England. What surprised me is what was BEHIND us. I drove through Oklahoma City around 0630 this morning. While I was watching the Weather Channel they were saying that Oklahoma City had a major tornado touch down. Lots of buildings were damaged with roofs collapsing or completely being pulled off of the houses. I am so glad that I made it through there when I did. It is a nasty looking storm cell that is running from OK down through North Texas and the Dallas/Ft Worth area. We have definitely encountered some wierd weather this trip. I am hoping the rest of the trip is smooth for us as far as the weather is concerned.

Not a lot else going on. I figure J will make it up to the Chicago area or somewhere up in IN tonight before he calls it a night and then I will take over from there. I will let you know tomorrow!