Day 20

Ahhhh Kansas. Nebraska Jr. Flat flat flat flat…………..When I woke up this morning we were rolling through Kansas. First thing, of course, pit stop. We stopped at a dumpy little place in the middle of nowhere. When we came out, though, GOATS!!! There was a field of goats right behind our truck. I got Sparkle out and we headed over there. There were nannies and babies. They would come to the fence and eat grass from your hand but they did not want to be petted. Several were very pregnant and some were nursing still. If Sparkle came too close, they would put their heads down and butt at her. She was very perplexed about what they were. I enjoyed seeing them and feeding them very much.
Onward we rolled. I took some pictures of the flat farmland. I got a picture of a very pretty church along the way. As par for the course of this trip, more bad luck. Not seriously bad, just slowing us down bad. A Kansas state trooper wanted to visit with Bigfoot. This one was not to be deterred by his e-logs. He wanted to know all about them and give him written warnings about his e-log losing signal. We sat for about 30 minutes waiting on him to inspect the truck and do his little routine. I started to ask him if he was aware he was cutting into my allotted bathroom break time. Doubtful he would have appreciated it. Colorado, here we come!

Kansas.....wheat, I presume.

GOATS!!!!

LOTS OF GOATS!!!

More Kansas farm land.

A pretty church.

Denver turned out to be a let down. I was expecting beautiful mountains like in Utah and Montana but it was so much city that it was hard to appreciate them. It was disappointing. It is probably beautiful somewhere outside of the city of Denver, but we could not see it from where we were. It was much hotter than I expected it to be, too. I got the best pictures I could. We were not there long and we headed back to Kansas for the night.
And of course, in order to get the complete life on the road experience, I have a cold. Sore throat, headache, itching eyes, and throbbing sinuses. Woohoo!!

We are at a Pilot truck stop and we are calling it a night. I was promised Taco John's for supper, and I waited 400 miles to get it and we could not get a truck down where it was. So we came to the truck stop and were going to eat Wendy's, which is what Bigfoot wanted anyway, and they closed 15 minutes ago. So, we ate chips and salsa and I got the last burrito out of the warmer. Mmmm, mmmm, a truck stop burrito. Bigfoot got a ham and cheese sandwich. I know you are drooling on the keyboard at the mere thought of such delicacies!

Tomorrow, on to Kansas City. Don’t know yet where from there. Just glad to be done with this day!

Denver. You can just see the mountains in the background.

See the mountains?

Downtown Denver.

Headed back from Denver, I saw a little piece of rainbow. No rain, just the bow! Can you see it?

My butterbean.

Day 19

Woke up in Kentucky and went to the bathroom and then back to bed. Woke back up a little farther down the road in Illinois or Indiana and then went back to bed. Then got back up and we came into Missouri. We stopped outside of St. Louis at a very nice Flying J (my favorite) and parked. It is an absolutely gorgeous day, bright, sunny, and slightly COOL. Sparkle and I walked a bit while Bigfoot slept and it was so nice, I sat on the curb in the sunshine for a while and enjoyed the outdoors.
I fooled around with my foot pedal for a while today and actually got it to work for a little while. I got four jobs done. Just enough to be frustrating. I will be SOOO glad to get back to work. I never thought I would say that. Other than that, same stuff, different day……computer, phone, dog walking, sitting, napping.
I did meet a lady in a truck stop earlier this morning. We were swapping bad hair woes in the bathroom (mine is a big red tumbleweed!). She is 67 and said that she was doing her “Bucket List”. Her nephew is a truck driver and she wanted to experience trucking as one of the things on her list. She was from North Carolina and they had been out three weeks. She was also having a ball and enjoying her trucking experience and seeing the country. They were headed to Kansas.
While we were parked, there was a truck across from us and there was a little miniature pinscher just like Electra and MiniMe. It was so cute and acted just like they do. It was all up on the dash running back and forth, barking at me and Sparkle. Made me miss my little girls.
For supper, I made chicken flavored rice in my little pot and added some canned chicken to it. It was very good, surprisingly.
We left the truck stop and went right through downtown St. Louis. Because it was nighttime, I could not get good pictures of the arch. It was an absolutely lovely night and we rode for a while with the windows down. It was very cool and nice. Of course, I am going to sleep now and we will see where we are when I wake up!!!

Look very closely into the windshield.....see the little Min Pin?

Dinner is served! Chicken and Rice.

The best I could with the St. Louis Arch at night and from a moving truck!

Where are we now? (She's standing on the fridge, looking over the back of my seat!)

Day 18

This day started in somewhere North Carolina. It is a lovely state and we passed Pilot Mountain, which was pretty.

Pilot Mountain Virginia

Looks a little like a boobie.......

Then, we proceeded into Virginia. Our scheduled fuel stop was an error and there was no place for us to stop so we were dangerously close to running out of fuel and then we hit Fancy Gap Virginia. Bigfoot knew we would not make it through the hills with a heavy load of beer without running out of fuel, but he was wrong. We did make it.........barely. We got to the truck stop in Iamnotsurewhere Virginia and it was a madhouse, similar to the one several nights ago. However, we got a good, easy parking spot and stopped. My day went as usual, computer, phone, dog walking, sitting. Sure wish I could work. Sigh. I decided to try my hand at cooking again, so out with the little pot and dirty rice and this time I added cut up smoked sausage and it was DELISH!!! We scarfed it up!

The truck stop was right in the mountains so the air had some cool to it and the sun was bright. There was a HUGE meadow behind where we parked so me and Sparkle walked around back there a good bit. I know she enjoyed being out and about for a change. I try to walk around with her as much as possible when we stop. I am sure she gets bored, even though all she does at home is follow me around and nap in whatever room I am in. But still, fresh air is good and fresh mountain air is even better. Fancy Gap was beautiful, of course. I snapped some photos again, even though I had gotten some the last trip. Not sure how much ground he will cover during the night, so no telling where I will wake up tomorrow.

Fancy Gap Virginia

Virginia

Around Fancy Gap Virginia

Day 17

Now, this is more like it. Waking up in east Tennessee, Greeneville to be exact. Mountains out the window and a cool little breeze in the air. Very nice. Bigfoot went to sleep and again, I played on the computer and talked on the phone. When he got up, we got a snack from the truck stop and moved on. This truck stop had homemade baked goods from a placed called Mountain View Bakery in Chuckey Tennessee. They had all kinds of wonderful things, cookies, breads, coffee cakes, rolls, brownies, carrot cake, caramel apple cake, and a pumpkin roll. They all looked delicious, but I limited myself to just one and I "selected" Kentucky Derby Pie. It is a little mini pie that is sort of a cross between pecan pie, fudge pie, chess pie, and caramel pie. It is so sweet, it almost gave me diabetes, but it was so delicious. I still have about 4 bites of it left, and I think I hear it calling me now! While we were there, we got our next load information and our patience was rewarded! A pick up in Eden North Carolina headed to Golden Colorado with a load of beer! I have never been to Colorado before, so I am excited about the trip. We went down the road a bit and stopped at a huge Petro truck stop and took a much needed shower. It's just about the best thing in the world. We sat there for a while and I went to sleep. Bigfoot woke me up about 2:30 a.m. and said we were near WalMart, if I wanted to get groceries. So, into WalMart we went for a quick race around for groceries and then on about 20 miles to the Miller Brewing Company for our pick up. I snapped a few pics of Tennessee, including a rebel flag flying way up on a hill. Better scenery should not be far away! Stay tuned..........

She really likes this........honest!!!!

East Tennessee Mountains

This was a beautiful shot, but I missed it. There was a gorgeous waterway running through the trees.

Southern Pride!

Day 16

We made it to Champaign during the night while I was asleep and I woke up in the morning, parked in the parking lot of Kraft Foods. It smelled like they were cooking vats of old lard. It was a terrible stench. Bigfoot slept a good bit of the day and I played on the computer and looked out the window. The only positive was that there was a bathroom right outside the truck. The negative about the bathroom was that the light quit working as I was dashing in in a panic to pee. I could not get the light to come on so I had to wing it in the dark. We walked over there again later and left the windows down in the truck. When we came back Sparkle was sitting in the driver's seat with her little head poking over the window. She was looking very concerned that she was going to have to drive herself home if we did not come back. We sat at Kraft all day, into the late afternoon. We left there and went to a truck stop down the road, fueled up, and headed toward Abingdon Virginia. When we left the truck stop, a terrible storm was brewing with lots of lightning but gorgeous clouds and even a complete rainbow. Those were the only pictures I got of another boring day.
Hang in there with me, surely something better is around the bend!

Gorgeous clouds outside of Champaign Illinois.

A complete rainbow from side to side with all the colors visible.

Where are my people?

Day 15

OMG!!!!!! I may slip into a coma! Another boring day sitting in the truck all day. We parked at a truck stop in Indiana in the middle of nowhere. We got here about mid morning and Bigfoot went to sleep around noon. I sat and played on the computer and talked on the phone and walked Sparkle a good bit. She is feeling better. He got up around 6:00 and we got something to eat and wasted a little more time and left, going back to Champaign. Gross. He drops off and picks up another load at the same place and then its off to Abingdon Virginia. I am SICK SICK SICK of this side of the country. I am ready to go back west or southwest. He is hopeful that from Virginia he will get sent to Utah. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Also, please pray with me that something will work out that I can get my foot pedal soon. I am in a financial crunch without being able to work and it would help the idle time pass so much quicker if I were able to work.
We have become addicted (Thanks to Ronnie!) to a Facebook game called Farmtown. You plant your own crops and harvest them and tend to neighbors farms. It is VERY fun and addictive. Every time we stop, Bigfoot wants to take over the computer, which I let him do since he does not get to play on it very often. As you can see below, Bigfoot is all into Farmtown!

Farmtown junkie.

Sparkle died of boredom. Not really, just enjoying the A/C.

Day 14

The two week mark came and went without anything of interest. We sat at a Love's truck stop in Pennsylvania for our 10 hour break. It was awful. There were trucks everywhere, coming and going, trying to park, trying to get fuel, trying to leave.........you could see them yelling in their trucks as they went by. It was a nightmare. Thankfully, we got a parking spot early and with ease and were able to sit and watch the mayhem ensue. They all looked like ants on an ant hill. We just napped and watched and played on the computer. We walked across the street to a Stuckey's. Bigfoot has never been to a Stuckey's. He did not even know what they were. Unfortunately, it was being remodeled by a non-English speaking dude with a towel on his head. What is the world coming to when an American institution like Stuckey's is being run/owned/managed by a non-American. Jeez! Anyway, it was closed so Bigfoot did not get to experience Stuckey's or a pecan log. Maybe another time. While we were walking, I saw a girl with a Weimaraner that looked so much like Belle, I had to go over and see her. She had the same body shape as Belle and the little short nub tail. She was very pretty and sweet and her name was Annabelle. She was 3 years old. Sure did make me miss my Noogs.
There was a big empty field behind our parking spot so we took Sparkle back there and let her off the leash. She ran and ran and ran and played and jumped. She was very funny. She has had an upset tummy all day and I am just waiting for her to have an "accident" in the truck. That will be BBBBAAAADDDD!!!!!
Pennsylvania is pretty and the weather is mild and nice. We did get to pick up our load 20 hours earlier than our appointment time, which will mean we can delivery early, and hopefully get another load. Miles, miles, miles...........the name of the game. Unfortunately, we have to go back to Champaign Illinois, which is where we just left, so right back the same way we came. I am ready for something, somewhere different.
Til tomorrow................

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Sparkle peeking out from under the top bunk.

Day 13

I woke up today in Breezetown Pennsylvania. It was quite pretty here and the temperature was mild and pleasant. I had every intention of photographing my surroundings here at the very nice and big TA truck stop and did not take a single picture. I took one driving in of the sun coming up, but nothing else. Oh well.........

We did get laundry done, which was not near the drag I had thought it would be. We played a few video games while we waited and then took a shower. After showers, we ate dinner and headed off to York for our delivery. Our next load stinks. We pick up in Allentown Pennsylvania and then back to Champaign Illinois. It wasn't that great the first time, so I doubt a revisit will be much better. Miles are miles, though, so off we go.

The sun coming up in Pennsylvania.

Day 12

Another boring, uneventful day spent in Champaign, Illinois. We slept in a good bit and then left out going to Kraft for our pick up. That took a very long time, so we were there most of the afternoon. I decided to experiment with my culinary abilities and available equipment. I made some dirty rice, which we love, in a little pot that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It turned out perfectly and has given me several ideas for future meal planning. Photo ops were again slim to non-existent so I have two that I took inside the truck, which by the way, I think is getting smaller........

I spoke to Jocelyn (the babysitter) today while she was at our house. She put me on speaker phone and let me talk to the birds. She said that Rio got very excited and flashed his eyes while I was talking. I whistled to Beebe bird several times and he started whistling back to me. She said that she had been trying to get him to do it and he wouldn't. I think he liked hearing my voice. I sure miss them. She is enjoying them and taking good care of them. I am very lucky to have such a good friend.

We are headed to York Pennsylvania with this load. I think we will go through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and into Pennsylvania. I slept most of this evening and missed most of Indiana and all of Ohio. I woke up in West Virginia for about 5 minutes and saw the entrance into Pennsylvania. We are at a HUGE TA truck stop in Breezewood Pennsylvania. I think it may be almost as big as the Iowa 80. Hopefully, we can get showers and do laundry here before we have to leave tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks for following along!!!

Sleeping beauties.

Look at my beautiful rice!

Good to the last grain! Don't you love my fancy cookware!

Day 11

Another IT finally happened. I got a migraine, a really bad one. I stayed sick all day today with a terrible headache and sick to my stomach. That is all bad enough in itself, but combined with the jerking in this truck and just the movement, I have been miserable all day. We are between Champaign and Normal Illinois in a town called Le Roy at a Pilot truck stop. We have been here since midday yesterday. I slept most of the day. We drove to a couple of Kenworth dealers to have an adjustment made to the truck, but the one that was open 24/7 closed at 5:00 p.m. and was closed on Sunday. Not sure how that falls into the "open 24/7" schedule, but that's the way it is. A lot of driving for nothing and I was feelilng so great, I thoroughly enjoyed the riding. We drove past Chicago and I got a couple of pictures, O'Hare Airport and these neat little things called an Oasis. They cross over the Interstate in different places and they have all kinds of little fast food restaurants in them and you sit in a clear tunnel over the Interstate. Not exactly sure of the purpose, but not something we have at home. Of course, the one I took a picture of did not have much in it.

We came to the truck stop and they had a little local restaurant across the street called Jack's Cafe. We decided to give it a try. Very nice little place. Of course, Bigfoot had an omelet and I had a taco salad. It was all very good. Though, to add to my misery, some family came in with a screaming 2 year old and they just let him scream at the table. Sigh.

We set up the Big Rig Cineplex 1 again and downloaded a movie from Netflix. The Netflix "watch online now" selections were pretty slim. We decided to watch Superbad. Should have been called Superstupidwhatawasteoftimeanddatatransfer.

Bigfoot took a few pictures while I was out with Sparkle. They are pretty bad, but I include one here just to prove that I don't sleep constantly. I also snapped a couple of Bigfoot and Sparkle.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be better all the way around. We are leaving around noon to go to Kraft for our pick up and then off to Pennsylvania.

O'Hare airport in Chicago

An Oasis in Chicago

Bigfoot and Sparkle, the navigator!

Sparkle checkin' in.

See, I do wake up!

Day 10

Today started in Rockford Illinois at about 11:00 a.m. We made it as far as Troy Wisconsin, about 30 minutes away and had to stop because they would not take our delivery until 3:00 a.m. So we have been sitting in a Road Ranger truck stop since about noon. It is now about 10:00. We are leaving here about midnight to head to Sturtevant Wisconsin to FINALLY make this delivery. We then pick up in Champaign Illinois for a delivery in York Pennsylvania. Not terribly exciting, but at least we will be moving.

We spent the day blogging and cleaning the truck. Bigfoot put his new Kenworth mud flaps on and cleaned at the outside of the truck. We decided to have a movie date, so we put up the new black curtains (LOVE THOSE!) and set up the laptop and watched Step Brothers with Will Ferrell. It was pretty funny and just nice to do something relaxing. After that, we took a shower in the nicest shower ever. Brand new with lovely new clean ceramic tile. Gotta be grateful for that sort of thing out here.

I did not get any pictures of landscape today, but I did get some pictures while playing with the camera.


Grease Monkey

Playing a video game on his phone.

Playing a video game on his phone.

Sparkle hanging out, feeling better about trucker life.

Big Rig Cineplex 1

Day 9

Snooze............Nebraska, Iowa, and into Illinois. Photo ops were slim to none, so this day was really boring. Nebraska had corn.

We spent the night near Rockford Illinois. We missed our delivery for 3:00 a.m. because we ran out of hours and had to stop here. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. I don't know if we will continue on to our delivery or if another driver will pick it up and finish it, called a re-power. We are very close to the Wisconsin state line, so maybe we will have some more photo-worthy views.

Nebraska

Nebraska

Day 8

It finally happened. I got behind blogging and now I can't remember squat. We left the Central terminal in the morning, headed toward Wisconsin, through Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and then to Sturtevant Wisconsin. Today, we covered Utah, Wyoming, and into Nebraska.
On our very first trip out, we saw a caution sign warning about the risk of a big truck tipping over sideways. We laughed and decided if that happened to a driver, he would have TWO accidents........the one with the truck and the one in his pants. So we termed the sign the Turd in Pants sign. Every time we see one, one of us will say, "Uh oh, Turd in Pants!" We think we are very funny!


Somewhere in Utah.

Somewhere in Utah.

Somewhere in Utah.

Somewhere in Utah.

Somewhere in Utah.

Somewhere in Utah.

The clouds obscure the top of the mountains above these homes.

Parley's Canyon Utah, I think?

Uh oh, Turd in Pants.

Next, Wyoming. Just miles of beautiful scenery. Bigfoot keeps saying it gets boring after a while, but I have yet to be bored with one inch of this part of the country. But, Nebraska is next so I think I better enjoy it while I can.

Somewhere in Wyoming.

Somewhere in Wyoming-another postcard view!

Somewhere in Wyoming.

Somewhere in Wyoming.

Somewhere in Wyoming.

These are everywhere out here, prong horn I think they are called.

Somewhere in Wyoming.

Somewhere in Wyoming.

Somewhere in Wyoming.

Somewhere in Wyoming. See the windmills?

We got into Ogallala Nebraska to spend the night. We decided to splurge and eat in the truck stop. I had a patty melt, which was good, and soup. My soup choices were Beef Rice and Cheese Normandy, aka Broccoli Cheese. I decided Beef Rice sounded good, so I helped myself to the self serve soup bar. The Beef Rice "soup" was the consistency of mashed potatoes in the bottom of the vat. I passed on that and went for the cheese soup, which was slightly more soup-like and somewhat tasty. Bigfoot got his old standby, ham and cheese omelet. It came out and looked like something I will refrain from stating. It was thin, pale, and transparent, with the filling visible through the egg film. It was slightly less than appetizing, but he said it was okay tasting. Ahhh, date night on the open road!

We head out in the morning, still heading for Wisconsin.