Atlanta, GA

I stopped in Atlanta this afternoon and will start out again tomorrow morning. I hope to get as far as Shrevesport, LA by tomorrow late afternoon.

I saw the photos of mom, dad, Kathy and their shoes on the 19th wheel Blogsite. I was blinded by their radiance. If anyone is interested, you can go on Nike.com and go to the NikeID section and design your own shoes. Frank and I have black and orange shoes. His are high tops. We're Bears fans. It is a fun thing to do.

I'm at a Schneider operating center in Atlanta. I took a shower, which I needed and washed a load of clothes, which I needed. So, I'm set for another week.

Currently, my home operating center is Green Bay. I just found out today that I will be transferred to either Des Moines or to Gary. It won't make any difference to me. There isn't much need to visit those places. Green Bay is going to primarily work with drivers who have 'dedicated' routes (they deliver for one company like WalMart or Proctor & Gamble, etc). Des Moines and Gary will work with drivers who drive nationally.

I imagine after getting to Dallas they'll start heading me back to the upper Midwest. But, you never know.

I hope you are all doing well! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Marge, Frank, Kathy... and SHOES

Garland, TX

I'm presently at a truck stop on I-95, just south of where it intersects with
I-40 in NC. I delivered my 12 tons of pine straw bales in Raleigh and picked up
my next load (38,000 lbs of crackers from Keebler). That is going to Garland, TX
which isn't too far from Kara at all. That load is due in Garland Friday morning
at 11:00 am. It will be about another 1200 miles of driving. So I'm racking
up the miles.

The temp today was in the 80's yet again. In Georgia I saw two references to
something called 'wiregrass'. Does anyone know what that is? I imagine it
is a variety of grass, but I wonder what it looks like. It must also be plentiful,
one hwy is called the Wiregrass Pkwy.

I'm going to take I-95 to I-20 to get to Dallas. I'll be driving through
Augusta (home of the Master's golf tournament) and Atlanta. It will take about
20 hours of driving. Hil, Wayne and Addie will be in Dallas this weekend. I might
be able to see them. Small world.

Tonight I'm going to watch the dvd 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' I kind
of think Gene, Kathy and Frank should be watching it instead of me, but oh well.

I hope you're all doing well and you had a good day. I'll let you know how
tomorrow goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Raleigh, NC

After my drop in Douglas, GA, I was sent down to Lake City, FL. About where I-10 and I-75 cross. I picked up 24,000 lbs of pine straw bales. I'll del that to a home & garden business in Raleigh, NC. I'll be traveling up I-95 through GA and SC. (Another state Kara). FL and GA were states I hadn't been in either. I should be in Raleigh tomorrow, Tues by 2:00 EDT.

I've liked what I've seen of both FL and GA. It continues to be warm. Mid-80's. Everything is very green. There are some neat houses and property.

Tonight I'll stay about 30 miles west of Jacksonville, FL on I-10. I picked up my new truck one week ago. I've out on 3200 miles since then. Over 4,000 since I started 3/16.

Hope your day has gone well. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Marianna, FL

I stopped for the night in Marianna, FL not to far from Talahasee. I need to get
up early to make the delivery in the morning in Douglas, GA. I have 250 more miles
to drive (4+ hrs).

Today I drove in parts of 5 states. (TX, LA, MS, AL, and FL). I stayed on I-10 most
of the way. The weather was nice. 85.

I'll know around 12:00 where I'll go next. I'm out for 20 days this
time, so I have plenty of time left to drive.

I have been in FL once before in my life. We vacationed there when I was quite young.
I think I was 8 or 9. I think Gene drove for the first time on that trip.

Hope you all had a good weekend! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Baton Rouge, LA

I'm stopped for the day. I was able to make my delivery in Belle Chasse (Neil,
Gene or Melinda how do you pronounce Chasse?) I got stick in rush hour in New Orleans.
I was heading east with the sun in my eyes.

I was then sent to De Lisle, MS to pick up a load. That is about 70 miles east on
I-10. I'm taking that load to Houston, TX. It needs to be there by noon tomorrow.
It is a relay load. Someone else will pick it up there and take it to Mexico. Then
I pick up a load in Houston and start driving to Douglas, GA. I need to be there
8:30 Monday morning.

It was 80 today. I imagine I'll be in warm weather for at least a few more days.

New Orleans - what a fascinating and perplexing place. Water all around it. How
was it first settled and why? The landscape would have to be an acquired taste for
me. I don't know the terms for the different areas I saw. (swampy). I didn't
see much impact of Katrina until I was heading east on I-10 in New Orleans. Whole
neighborhoods to the south looked abandoned. Windows out, roofs damaged, no sign
of cars. That scene went on for miles. It was both low income housing and some larger
homes. Some large stores were closed. I don't think I'd like to deal with
a hurricane. It covers such a vast area. So powerful.

Well, I've taken a shower and now I'm going to watch a couple episodes of
Lost. I hope your days went well. Have a great weekend! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa
)

New Orleans, LA

I made it to New Orleans at 3:30 pm. 30 ahead of schedule. Now I have a short drive tomorrow to Belle Chasse. I have what is called a live unload which will take 2 hours. At least that's what they say. It usually takes less time. I should be on my way again at 10:00 am. I'll have about 4.5 hours to drive before I need to stop. I'll have 8 hrs on Sat and 9 hrs on Sun. Any guesses where I'll go next. All I know for sure is that I can't go south.

It got into the upper 70's this afternoon, but is a bit cooler now. In Arkansas I drove through a town that was hit by a tornado. Roofs torn off, some bldgs badly damaged or demolished. I haven't seen anything yet here. I imagine tomorrow I might.

Driving on I-55 south into New Orleans was strange. Most of it was over water. One long 20 mile bridge.

I hope you are all doing well. Some will be watching the NCAA Sweet 16. Most of my teams are out, but it will be interesting to see who advances.

James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Little Rock, AR

I stopped in Little Rock for the night. It's warm down here. Now the cab also
gets pretty warm. I have a little fan so the air circulates, but it takes awhile
for the cab to cool down. If it isn't one thing, it's another.

Tomorrow, I hope to make it almost all the way to New Orleans. That will be an interesting
drive. And New Orleans should be fascinating.

I'm at a small truck stop off of I-40. Just 3 or 4 other trucks. The truck stop
itself isn't in the best of shape. Older and not kept up well.

The grass is green down here, the trees are leafing out and the fruit trees are
blossoming. Very pretty.

I drove through Bentonville, AR the home of Walmart, but couldn't see any of
the offices from the hwy. Didn't see any WalMarts either.

Kathy, M & D, Jenna and Hil went to see the Cubs play today. They were all going
to wear Cubs Tshirts and Kathy, Mom and Dad were going to wear their new Nike shoes.
I hope they took a picture.

I hope you all had a good day. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes. - James
(Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Heading South

I'm heading south on US 71 traveling toward Joplin, MO on my way to Belle Chasse,
LA. I'll drive at least 450 miles today and the remaining 450 tomorrow. It is
overcast, 70 and humid. A nice change from the upper Midwest.

Remind me sometime to talk about the different types of Truckers (all the way from
the tall, good looking ones to the not so tall, not so good looking ones).

Does anyone need anything from New Orleans? Let me know. Enjoy your day! - James
(Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Belle Chase, LA

Well, the load I was to pick up in KC was short product and won't be ready until
tomorrow or later. They took me off that load and have me one to Belle Chase, LA
(near New Orleans). I pick that up in KC tomorrow at 9:00 am and it needs to be
del by Fri @ 8:00 am.

I'll spend the night at a truck stop in KC not to far from the company where
I will pick up the load.

I was looking forward to seeing Kara, but maybe after LA. It is interesting to have
my agenda mapped out for me and to be able to have it changed at a moments notice.
I don't mind it. I certainly can't be invested in driving to any particular
place.

So, I'll watch another movie and read a book and take it easy. Hope your day
has gone well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Highlands, TX

Just a quick email. From Topeka, I was sent back to KC, MO to pick up a load and
then take that to Highlands, TX (near Houston) Del is set for 3/22 at 8:00 am.

I'm in KC waiting for the load. They are short product. I don't know how
that will impact me, yet. More to come.

James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

New Truck

I received a message from my Team Leader this morning saying I was due for a Truck
upgrade. So he had me stop at the Indy Operating Center and exchange my truck for
a different one. It looks just the same, but is nicer. 380,000 miles instead of
580,000 miles. Everything is cleaner and looks newer. It's a 2005. The other
was a 2002. The transmission is tighter. It shifts nicer. Not as much play. It sounds
different. It has a cab heater, which I can run without idling. I'll never be
cold again.

It took me three hours to check out the new truck, transfer all my stuff from the
old truck to the new and then clean the old truck. I'm a pack rat.

I also had a decision to make today - Take a shower or buy more air freshener. I
took a shower.

I'm now back on the road again heading toward St. Louis. Because of the new
truck my delivery time was pushed back until noon tomorrow.

At the operating center they had brand new trucks. Black ones with orange trim.
They looked really good. Much better than the orange. That's what I want next.

Kathy, Hil & Addie, Jenna & Elias made it to Sun City this afternoon. They
will be there until thur.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Topeka, KS

My next load goes to Topeka. I need to get it there by Tues. Finally, heading west. I'll be in Bedford Heights at 1:00 pm EDT. I then need to go to Akron, OH. to pick up an empty trailer. I take that to Canton, drop it and pick up a trailer at Frit-O-Lay filled with pretzels. That goes to Topeka. Snacks! First beer, then pretzels. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Bedford Heights, OH

Well, I'm not heading west just yet, but rather east to near Cleveland, OH. I should have that delivered tomorrow midday sometime. The weather is nice for driving. Clear and in the 40's.

I had dinner once again with Erika and the girls. Sydney was very excited. We had out milk shakes and had to go wake up the truck once again. On the way in they got to see me drive the truck and park it, so that is a first. We also made a conference call between Kathy, m & d and us. I had Erika do most of the talking.

Dad got his shoes yesterday. Nike (cubs colors) with uffda3/19 written on the sides. So Kathy, mom and dad will be parading around Sun City in their custom designed shoes. Watch out, Sun City. Sun glasses required.

I'm moving down in the WP NCAA tournament rankings. I'm now 7,000. I still have a ways to plummet. And, I'm close to the cellar in the Orinda contest (so is Crish). Oh well.

I'll let you know where I'm headed next. I'll probably stop somewhere in western OH for the night. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Manteno, IL

I'm picking up a load in St. Paul, MN and del it to Manteno, IL which is a little south of Chicago on I-57. I'll deliver it tomorrow by 10:30 am. I'm still waiting to be sent west. Maybe from there.

I'll have to listen to NCAA all day. Is anyone doing well with their bracket? In the Washington Post contest I'm 6400 out of 8700.

My days off were good. Now I can relax and get rested. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Red Wing, MN

I arrived in Red Wing about 5:00 pm today. I came in with an empty trailer behind
me. Greta picked me up and I'm now in my apt watching ESPN.

I spent most of the day in Eau Claire. What I thought would be a long unloading
process only took 45 minutes. I've never seen so much beer in my life. The warehouse
was full. I'd hate to have a drinking problem working in a place like that.

Now I'll be off until Friday morning. I hope you all have a good week. - James
(Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Schneider Operations Ctr. - Gary, IN

Osseo, IW

I stopped in Osseo, WI for the night. It is about 20 miles from Eau Claire. I'll
make the delivery at 10:00 am. Driving was fine today. Roads were clear and the
truck ran well. I stopped in Madison right off of exit 132 and met Erika and family
and also Kathy, who drove up from Dubuque. I've seen them more often since I
started driving.

We all went to a restaurant called Potbelly. (I don't know if we went there
because of the food or to remind me what will happen if I eat too much) We ordered
wonderful sandwiches and got a milk shake for Sydney & Elsa. It sure was a good
time.

As usual Sydney & Elsa were very cute. I got them a Schneider soccer ball and
a frisbee. And I got more stuff for Erika, Pat and Kathy. I'm keeping the Schneider
store afloat.

We took a couple of photos with Erika's camera and she'll be sending them
to Crish to put on the Blogsite.

I always tell Sydney that the truck is sleeping and that we have to go out to it
and wake it up. So, she sits on the bed in the back of the cab with Erika and I
start the truck. Then I have to turn on the cab lights.

After unloading tomorrow I may be heading to Red Wing for 3 days off, or I could
be out driving for a day or two more. I'm only a couple hours away from home.

I hope you all had a good day. I'll keep you informed. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa
)

Gary, IN

I'm at the operating center in Gary, IN all day. I don't have enough hours
to drive today. I start out again tomorrow heading for Eau Claire, WI. I'll
be stopping in Madison to visit Sydney & Elsa (Erika and Pat, too), and hopefully,
Kathy. She might drive up there to meet me. On the agenda: chocolate milk shakes.

Today, I'm going to read, watch DVD's and take a shower. Life is tough.

It is a nice day. Clear and, I think, in the 50's. Maybe warmer.

I'll take a photo of the operating center, or as much of it as I can get and
give you an idea of the number of trucks that use this facility. It is a sea of
orange.

Hope you all have a good day! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Buffalo, NY

I've got the beer and I'm outside of Buffalo. However, I'm running up
against the regulation of only working 70 hours over a 7 day period. If I drive
10 hours tomorrow, I will be at 70 and will have to take a 34 hour break. This load
is scheduled for delivery at 11:00 am 3/10 (sat). Either I'll need to del it
3/11 (sun) or arrange for someone else to take it to Eau Claire. I'll call tomorrow
and figure it out.

I'm at a rest stop where there is no idling of the engine. So, I'll be snuggled
in my sleeping bag with the mattress pad heater on high.

I-87 is a pretty spectacular rte. It's a north/south highway. I drove from Albany
almost to the Canadian border. Most of the way I drove through the Adirondack Nat
Park (6 million acres). Lake Placid is up there. It was the site of the 1980 Olympics.

NY state is big. I figure when I leave it tomorrow, I'll have driven about 900
miles in the state since Wed.

Well, I hope your day went well. I'll keep you informed. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa
)

Baldwinville, NY - Eau Claire, WI

After dropping off the trailer in Plattsburgh, I pick up an empty trailer and drive
to Baldwinville, a suburb of Syracuse and pickup a trailer loaded with beer at Anheuser-Busch
(45,000 lbs) and drive to Eau Claire, WI.

I woke up to snow this morning and it was slow going for a couple of hours, but
now the sun is shining and the roads are dry. I have 85 miles yet to drive.

Happy Birthday yesterday to both Aunt Marge (Grandpa's sister) and to Tom, Greta's
husband. Also March 19 has been cancelled for this year. So, grandpa weill remain
88.

James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Carlisle, PA

But first, Julia!



Just got into Carlisle, PA where I-81 and I-76 intersect. I'm at a Schneider operating center. I tried to stop closer to Norman's house, but the truck stop near there was full. Tomorrow I travel up 81 into NY and then east on 88 to 87 and north on that to Plattsburgh. I have about 500 miles to drive tomorrow.

I, finally, was able to meet up with Marc and his family. We had breakfast this morning at an IHOP in Charlotte. It was a lot of fun. Little Julia is quite a talker. Marc commented that she reminded him of Jenna. I just had to agree with that assessment. I gave my assortment of Schneider gifts (trucks, duct tape, hats, cup holders, etc). Julia got to sit in the driver's seat and looked pretty cute. I honked the horn for her and startled her in the process.

I talked to Jason last night, he was hoping I'd drive close to NYC, but I mentioned I was driving further west. Maybe they'll send me by there after Plattsburgh. Have you seen how far north Plattsburgh is? My goodness, it's almost to Canada. I wonder what tha roads will be like as I go further north. Erika, it's even further north than Burlington, VT.

Well, I'll let you know how this next leg goes. Hope you all had a good day. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Delay In Greensboro

I'm at a US Postal Service facility. I got here at 4:00 pm right at shift change.
The problem is they don't start the next shift until 7:00 pm. So I may not get
out of Greensboro until 8:00 pm. And then arrive in Charlotte at 9:30 pm. That messes
up dinner with Marc, Rachel and Julia. I'll try to have breakfast with them
in the morning.

My next run is to Plattesburgh, NY. 884 mi from Charlotte. I have no idea where
it is. I'll have to look it up on a map.

Well, I'll let you know how the evening goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

NC

I'm driving thru North Carolina. I have 2 more hours until I reach Greensboro.
I-40 from Knoxville, TN to Asheville, NC is beautiful. The mountains are spectacular.
Have any of you driven that? My goodness. The rivers rush down the mountains. Lots
of rapids. In a truck it is slower both because of steep inclines and steep declines.
I lost some time, but it was worth it. Temp is 65.

I should be to Charlotte by 6:00 pm. I'll meet Marc et al at 6:30 pm. That'll
be fun.

I hope it is warm where you are. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Georgetown, KY

I stopped last night in Georgetown, KY. Today I need to drive 420 miles before
I get to Greensboro at 3:00 pm. I'm planning on having dinner with Marc, Rachel
and Julia this evening before I make another dropoff in Charlotte at 9:00. I'll
be sure to take some photos of them.

Yesterday I needed to have some more repairs done on the truck. One of the fan belts
was loose and cracked and needed to be replaced. A front marker light was also out
and needed to be rewired. And a 12 volt receptacle in the cab was disconnected and
needed to be reconnected. All of this took 3 hours so I needed to drive until 9:00
pm last night.

This morning the skies are clear. The roads are clear. It should be a good day.
I have my coffee and 2 Vienna Cream Danish rolls. (Erika said she cringes when I
talk about these sweet rolls. They aren't the healthiest, but, boy, they're
good) So I'm set for a while. Kathy bought me a big box of KitKat's and
a box of candy bars and a box of chewy granola bars which I value highly.

Well, I'll let you know if I make it. And if I get to see Marc et al. Have
a good day! James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Madison, WI

I made it as far as Madison, WI today. Tomorrow I'll drive 9 or 10 hours and
then drive the remaining miles on Monday morning. All told, I'll drive about
20 hours from the Twin Cities to NC. The roads have been clear so far and I imagine
they will continue to be.

I was able to have dinner tonight with Erika, Sydney & Elsa at McDonald's.
Sydney had a chocolate milk shake again and I introduced Elsa to milk shakes also.
As you can imagine, she liked them also. Sydney had to get in my truck again and
we were able to take some pictures which I sent to Crish to put on the Blogsite.
They are cute kids. I had a great time with them.

I hope you all are having a good weekend! - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Greensboro/Charlotte, NC

I'm just about ready to set out. I have to pick up a trailer in Woodbury, MN
and take it to Rogers, MN to pick up a load and then off to NC. I drop half the
load in Greensboro and the other half in Charlotte on Tuesday aft. and eve, 3/05.
Hopefully, I'll be able to see Marc, Rachel and Julia.

It is clear and cold this morning. I get to drive in the aftermath of the storm.
I don't think it will be bad at all. We received 12-20 inches of snow in the
Twin City area. Tristan didn't have school thur or fri and spent the time with
me. We had a good time.

I'll let you know how it goes today. Maybe I'll be able to see Erika tonight.
- James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )