*March 30th*
Colorado to Kansas. Not a long trip. I think I scored maybe 6 driving hours. Some are better than none I suppose. I enjoy driving out here. It's calm...flat...peaceful. I'm basically being paid to sit on my ass and hold a steering wheel. Not a bad gig. I really earn my money in the mountains and in the Northeast. But out here its enjoyable and beautiful. I imagine I'll be in heaven when I'm out here as a solo driver WITH satellite radio.
As we take the small 2 lane highways, which I now enjoy, we pass through small towns every 30 minutes or so. They all have boarded up BBQ joints that didn't survive due to lack of population. Each of them have a single gas station. Atleast one very operational liquor store and even bar. (We went through one town in Texas that had nothing...except 3 bars on the same block!) But they always seem to have, and usually operating, antique/junk store. I'm a sucker for these places. As we pass by them, I almost look out the window to them with puppy dog eyes and just assume that THAT particular antique store has $3 Ramones records, bad ass guitars and amps for the taking, and all other manner of 60s and 70s pop culture goodness that I'm attracted to. El Hadj doesn't have time for stuff such as that. While I admire his skill and rare work ethic, I think it's important to stop and smell the roses (or Kiss records with all the inserts...or Elvis "Moody Blue" on rare black vinyl..or.....)
We got the word: Colorado to Kanas, then onto Oakland, California. By my calculations, this should give me all that is required to leave the training phase and be a solo driver. It'll also mean I'll be heading back to Kakalaky in about a week. Within one week, I'll go from the barren cornfield waste land of rural Kansas, to the rough world renowned streets of Oaktown, and back to my front porch in Concord. I haven't enjoyed every minute of this. But I can't claim it's ever been boring.
*March 31st*
Not sure where. I'm not driving. I THINK Oklahoma. We should be making our way into New Mexico. I should be driving as well. SHOULD...is the operative word here. I shouldn't be that way. El Hadj isn't stingy with the driver's seat. Hell...why would he be. He gets paid for the miles I drive. On a good day...I earn him $180. Not a bad deal for a trainer.
I often think about what life would have been like as a trucker 30 years ago. Cell phones and GPS navigation has completely upgraded the profession and industry. Perhaps for the better but probably also for the worse to some degree. Luckily, I made my bones (Godfather reference..Moe Green!) reading maps as a kid on road trips to Indiana and when venturing out after I hit 16 years old. My employer wants us to know this stuff so I'm already set, and have proven it. In our trucks we have navigators that tell us where to go. We really have no choice if we wanted to. But I've made most of my trips just by maps and written direction. Plus...smart phones. We really have minute by minute communication to our homes. 2 decades earlier, I imagine truckers lined up at the pay phones with a handful of quarters. I can't say I look down on this aspect of modernization.
Speaking of back home, I'm looking forward to reconnecting with friends. I have been chatting with a few of them when I can. Some are recording records. Some quit their long overdue shitty jobs. Some are waiting on me get back so we can play music again. Most are living life like always, except they wonder when we can get up for some fellowship. Their texts and messages have kept me afloat at times I didn't even know what state I was in or what day of the week it was. I haven't always made the best choices, except when it comes to who I pal around with.
*April 1st & 2nd*
In Berkely, CA on my way to San Francisco. Antique stores are weirdly not opened on Sundays. But the world famous Amoeba Records is. I just left the location in Oakland and now heading to the bigger spot in SF. Uber style. I think if I had to visit any place in California for leisure , it might would be here. That's if I had the desire to be here in a non-working capacity. Which is doubtful. But..it is nice.
I'm doing my first real touristy activity in over a month. We got to our destination a day early and I told El Hadj I was getting away from the truck for a few hours. Giving him a break as well. I know I'm such a delight to be around 24/7.....but everyone has their limits. I'm out here now on the West Coast with a somewhat better attitude. 3 weeks ago when I was here..I was still adjusting to being away from home. I should be seeing my wife in about a week or less. So now I'm a little happier.
I'm now in the countdown phase of my training. Ready to go solo. Ready to move on and ready for the next 5 months to come and go so that the REAL reward for all of this to appear. I enjoy driving and I think I'll be even happier when I'm doing this with my routine. I'm gonna stop this for now so I can look out the window as I go over some famous bridge into SF. My buddy Jason Griscom wouldn't forgive me if I ignored it. In the spirit of my current location, peace maaaaaan!
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