French Camp, CA

The last three days have been quite a challenge, but I'm just off of I-5 just a bit south of Stockton, CA - home of University of the Pacific, Crish's alma mater - at a Schneider operating center in French Camp, CA. Tomorrow I drive the rest of the way to El Monte, CA. I'm hopting to be there by 4:00 pm pst.

Monday, before picking up my current load I was asked to pickup and deliver another in Seattle. That went well, but took up more time than I wanted. I did pickup the current load and got down to Portland in the early evening on Monday. I went to a Schneider operating center there and they needed to do a yearly inspection of the trailer I was hauling. What they found is that it wasn't safe to haul a load. They were afraid that the bottom might drop out of it. So, on ...

Tuesday, I needed to take the loaded trailer to another company and then bring an empty trailer there and they transloaded it (moved the load from one trailer to another). It took until 3 before I could get going again. In the meantime I had my notebook which was full of permits for traveling in different states looked at. Some of the permits had expired, in particular, the one for Oregon. They said if I was checked by the dept of trans I would have had to pay a fine of over $400. Well on my way south on I-5 I was checked and the new permit I was given was inaccurate. Forunately, I was able to call someone at the State of Oregon and get it straightened out. I drove until I was 150 miles from the CA state line.

Today, I started out later than I wanted to, but that was fortunate. If I would have started out earlier I would have needed to put chains on the tires at two separate locations in order to get over two high elevation mountain passes. As it turned out I didn't need the chains. It snowed from where I started out all the way to about 100 miles south of the state line. It was sloppy, slow and mountainous. I was relieved when I got to Redding, CA. The snow stopped, the road flattened out and I could see blue sky.

Tomorrow morning I'm planning on meeting Gene and Neil for breakfast. They live about an hour away and then leaving about 9:00 am.

After delivering in El Monte I may meet Grandma and Grandpa somewhere on I-10. It all depends on where I'll be sent next. If I'm sent back north they will drive to LA. If I'm sent east, I'll more than likely drive close by Phoenix and I can see them there. I'll figure all of that out tomorrow.

I hope you are all doing well. Jenna, Kathy's daughter, my favorite niece in Dubuque will be giving birth on Feb 12th, most likely. I was thinking if it is a boy they should name him Abraham Lincoln Mathew. Jenna wasn't to thrilled with that suggestion.

I'll keep in touch. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

El Monte, CA

It's been quite a trip so far. I made it to Arlington, WA on time, but had to drive through 200 miles of snow and snow-packed roads. Fortunately, I didn't have to use the chains. I wasn't traveling very fast in stretches (35 mph). One car spun out in front of me and almost got his car back under control, but finally landed in a ditch. Another car in Spokane pulled over in front of me after passing and his car stalled. I had to switch lanes quite quickly.

Now I head down to Kent, OR to pick up a load. Kent isn't too far from Seattle. I'll take that load to El Monte, CA, near LA. So, I'm heading south and I'll pick up yet another state. (CA). I need to be there on Wed 01/30 in the afternoon. They say it is about 1200 miles.

Tristan was in a BB tournament on Saturday. His 4th grade team played other schools. They won all their games and each member of the team received a medal. He was excited.

I'll let you know how the trip south goes. Hope you had a good weekend. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Livingston, MT

I spent the night in Livingston, MT just east of Bozeman. So far the driving has been good. However, today could be more challenging. I want to get as far as Spokane, WA. I'll be dealing with strong winds and wind gusts. And elevation. I'll be down shifting a lot because of how heavy I'm this time (78,000 lbs). There isn't supposed to be snow until tonight, so I might miss that.

The mountains remain impressive, looming on either side of me. The temps are quite mild compared to MN (in the 30's).

I hope you all will have a good weekend. I'll keep you informed about how it goes. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Arlington, WA

I'm just driving out of Blaine, MN and heading toward Arlington, WA (just north of Seattle). It is cold this morning (well below zero, possibly 15 below). The driver ahead of me plugged in the truck last night so it started right up. I guess the diesel fuel become like gel when the temp is below 15 degrees. Also if you aren't careful the tractor doesn't connect fully with the traiiler when it is cold. Some drivers have dropped the trailer as a result. I had to do some pounding with a hammer to fully connect the trailer I hooked up to.

If you hear of any bad weather in the northern plains or the Pacific Northwest in the next few days, be sure to let me know. I've got the chains for the tires in case I run into snow.

I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. I hope this past week was good for you. Mine was good and busy. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Indianapolis, IN

I'm currently in Indianapolis. I delivered a load of paper rolls here early this morning. I brought them down from Quinnesec, MI (Upper Peninsula) yesterday. I had to drive about 600 miles. Part of the way it was snowing. It is pretty up there. I drove through Norway, MI.

Now I'm doing a short run from Indy to Lebanon, IN and back to Indy. I only have 7 hours I can work today so I'll bei stopping soon. Hopefully, they'll send me back toward MN tomorrow.

I was 2 for 4 with my picks this past weekend. How did the rest of you do? My son-in-law, Pat is a Chargers fan and he was elated. He'll be wearing his Chargers jersey all day today. Jason, my nephew from NYC is a Giants fan and I imagine he is pleased with yesterdays games. My picks for next week are the underdogs again, the Chargers and the Giants. I'll be able to watch those in the comfort of my living room while eating pizza and having a couple of beers.

I hope your weekend went well. Did you know 1/7 of your life is spent on Monday? I used to dread Mondays when I was young. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Menomonee Falls, WI

Before I talk about driving, I need to mention one birthday that I forgot. Little Elias Mathew turned 1 on December 30, 2007. He is a cute little boy. I've been looking for steel-toed boots for him, 'cause all guys have a pair of steel-toed boots. But I haven't found any his size. A belated Happy Birthday, Elias.

I dropped off the load in La Vergne, TN at 6:00 pm last night and picked up a load at the same place which I need to deliver to a Kohls Distribution Center in Menomonee Falls, WI which is near Milwaukee. (about 600 miles)

I've been a bit under the weather the last couple of days. I have a sore throat and have lost my voice. I hope it comes back in the next couple of days.

Today I'm listenning to the Seahawks victory and the Jaguar victory on radio. I had been listenning to presidential politics, but I get weary listenning to the pundits put their spin on what's happenning. The media can really shape and sometimes distort what is happening in the world. Both by what they emphasize and by what they leave out. Anyway, it's football today.

I hope you have a wonderful winter weekend. I'll let you know where I'm heading next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

La Vergne, TN

I'm currently waiting for a load in Romeoville, IL. This trip is different from the others. I have to pick up loads at 3 different locations near the Chicago area. They'll all fit in one trailer. I'll take them to La Vergne, TN. The first load I picked up was in Aurora. The second one is here and the third load I'll pick up in Monee, IL. That is just south of Chicago on I-57. I should be able to get to La Vergne by tomorrow afternoon sometime. It is close to Nashville.

I delivered my previous load this morning at 11:00 am. Crossing the border yesterday was pain free.

Driving from De Kalb into Chicago I noticed a sign for Blackberry Farm. I immediately thought of my Blackberry and wondered if that was where old Blackberry's went to die.

There are a lot of birthdays in Kathy's family this month. Below is a list of name date, and how they are related. I think it is interesting how many of them are gathered together. I believe Ben and Rachel were born in the same year as well as on the same date. Happy Birthday to all of you.

Wayne Denny 1/6 - Hilary's husband
Ben Mathew 1/14 - Jenna's husband
Rachel Van Dine 1/14 - Marc's wife
Kathy Van Dine 1/15 - The Matriarch
Marc Van Dine 1/18 - The only Son
Jenna Mathew 1/26 - the middle Daughter

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! My picks for the NFL games this weekend are the Chargers over the Colts, the Jaguars over the Patriots, the Giants over the Cowboys and the Seahawks over the Packers. I've picked the underdogs.

James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

DeKalb, IL

I'm sitting at a dock in Concord, ON waiting to be loaded. I'll be taking this load back to DeKalb, IL. It is due tomorrow sometime.

I made it through customs very easily this time. There weren't long lines and my shipment wasn't inspected. I didn't expect to deliver the load until this morning, but they asked if I could deliver it last night. I arrived in Etobicoke, ON about 8:00 pm.

The weather changed last night. It was warm and raining last night. Storms came thru with lots of rain, high winds and much lower temps. The truck was swaying as I was sleeping. The winds are still strong today.

I'll being going through customs again tonight. I'm going to try to make it 2 for 2.

I hope you are all having a good week. I'll keep you informed about where I'll be headed next. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Etobicoke, ON

I'll be heading into Canada next. I'll be delivering furs right in the Toronto area. I'll need to be there sometime Wednesday. It is 620 miles away. There are forms to fill out. Different than before. And, I'll have to go to 3 different offices before I'm given the ok to cross. I may not be able to cross at Detroit/Windsor. I may have to go up to Port Huron.

Currently, I'm in Janesville getting the trailer unloaded. I pick up the furs in Stoughton, WI which isn't too far away.

Erika and the girls drove down yesterday from Madison and met me in Janesville. We had a milk shake, and went to Target to pick up finger paints and water colors. They have a new easel. I can just imagine watching them do their thing. On their way back to Madison they were stopped for quite awhile on I-90. There was a series of accidents involving 100 cars and trucks. 2 people were killed. There was a dense bank of fog. Cars braked suddenly and it started a chain reaction. I'm glad Erika wasn't involved in it.

It remains warm and foggy here. I'm sure that'll change soon. I hope you are all doing well. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Janesville, WI

I think I'm experiencing a slight slowdown in the trucking industry. It may be due to the economy or just a holiday phenomenon. I delivered the load to Yoder, IN at 11:30 am, but waited in the truck until 4:30 pm for my next load. I picked up a trailer in Fort Wayne, IN and will be taking it to Janesville, WI. (260 miles). It doesn't need to be there however until Monday around noon. So, I'll have plenty of time between now and then.

I forgot to mention that I'm driving a different truck. It only has 400,000 miles on it instead of 600,000 miles. It practically brand new. I must say it looks the same as the other one. It does shift better than the previous one.

It was a dreary day in IN. Near 40, overcast and drizzling. But it is better than freezing rain, heavy snow, etc. It sounds difficult out west with all the rain, high winds and heavy snow in the mountains. Gene and Neil still have power at their home in Orinda, CA, but it sounds like a million customers nearby don't.

I hope your weekend is going well. I'll let you know where I'm heading next when I hear on Monday. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )

Yoder, IN

Finally, I'm back at it. I started again this morning and was sent from Blaine down to Eagan to pick up a load bound for Morris, IL. However, when I got there they had no record of a shipment going to Morris. After 2 hours of calling Schneider and talking to the Shipping people it was indeed determined that there was no load to ship.

So, I went to the nearest truck stop and waited for another assignment. I received one an hour later. I was to pickup a load in Glencoe, MN (west of the Cities) and take it to Yoder, IN. The pickup time is tomorrow morning and the delivery time is Sat morning. Having received this I settled in for the night.

At 8:00 pm I received a request to deliver a load to Bayport, MN (east of the Cities) by 11:30 pm tonight. I had to go to Blaine and pickup the load and take it to Bayport. I'm currently in Bayport with the new load waiting for it to be unloaded. I'll still head to Glencoe in the morning, but won't be able to get there as early.

I need to find a place to park for the night.

I had a long and busy Holiday break. From Sunday 12/23 thru 01/02. I spent time with Greta and her family, Erika and her family and I flew to NYC to spend time with brother Frank and his family. New Years Eve was spent with Tristan, as well as New Years Day. We went to a movie on the Eve and in the afternoon on New Years Day.

I hope your Holdays went well and that you haven't found it too difficult to get back to your normal routine. I should be driving until the 16th and will be sending updates on my travels. - James (Jibs - Dad/Papa )