Champaign, IL

Well, it's been quite a day. I overslept this morning. First time in 6 or 7 years. I set the alarm for 2:30 am, but it either didn't go off or I didn't hear it. Anyway I woke at 4:30. I was an hours and a half late for the del. Fortunately, another Schneider driver was early. He took my spot and I took his.

After delivering in Lachine, PQ I was sent to Varennes, PQ, northeast of Montreal to pick up a load of Plastic Bags at Johnson & Johnson. The lady who have me the paperwork spoke to me in English, and when a french Canadian driver came in she spoke to him in French. She went back and forth between the 2 of us. Speaking English, then French. I was impressed.

I had to drive back through Montreal into Ontario and I crossed the border at Alexandria Bay, once again. Both border crossings went smoothly which was a pleasant surprise. I dropped off the load of plastic bags in Syracuse and am now at a truck stop in Syracuse right where I-81 and I-90 intersect.

Tomorrow I pick up an empty trailer in Syracuse and then drive east to Utica, NY which is about 50 miles away and picked up some vegetable oil (about 40,000 lbs of it) and head to Champaign, IL. This load needs to be dropped off on Monday. It looks good for me getting home on Tuesday.

I must say that reading the road signs in Montreal was an adventure. They were all in French. At first it was disorienting, but after awhile I got used to it. It certainly helped to have the little pictures alongside the French words.

Also, I bought coffee and some rolls at a coffee shop, paid with a 20 dollar bill and got Canadian money in return. Before I crossed the border back into the US, I stopped at a service area and bought candy bars with the Canadian money I had left over. The woman behind the counter thought I was nuts as I was figuring out how many bars I could buy. (6).

I will drive about 500 miles tomorrow, and drive the remaining 400 on Sunday.
I hope your weekend is relaxing and enjoyable. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )