A momentary lapse of reason

Sunday, March 4^th, 2012

      Well, it seems I did not write yesterday. Perhaps the job is getting to me. Or maybe it was the 3 hour long nap in the middle of the day that totally messed with my head. Suffice to say, I made it to the Edwardsville terminal, just outside of Kansas City (both of them).

      One of the main reasons for me to get down here was to have the shop fix my fuel gauge. Well that and the door. I got here sometime around 1030, I took my time and had a nice leisurely drive, because I could. It feels really nice to be able to relax and not be on a schedule. I drop my trailer and bring in the paper work for someone else to haul it away. I wash my hands of it. I scanned in the scale receipts for reimbursement, and they totaled to just under $50. Hehe. Ah well, at least I'll see that all back again.

        The next order of business was to check in with the shop. Well, it seems that a few techs called in sick yesterday. They were already short handed as it is. There is a flock of trucks waiting to be looked at. I took my nap in front of the garage doors waiting for the initial inspection. Apparently i really fell asleep, long enough for the shift to change. I had no idea how tired I was. I suspect not having coffee in the morning may have contributed to this. It is for the best really.

       The door is more or less fixed, but it seems the hinges are warped enough for them to want to replace them. The big issue is the fuel gauge, which will involve taking the whole left side apart and turning the tank around. I can honestly say that I do not understand it. Oh, and they won;t be able to even consider doing it until Tuesday. Guess I'm laid up here for a while. The upside of that is that once I am fixed, I'm sure to be moving right along with a load to some place far away, in any direction. That's the best part of being in the middle of the country. Stuff is going wherever you want to go.

      While they were looking at my truck, I spent my wait time talking the ear off a couple of other drivers who were in the garage as well. For the life of me, I can not recall what the hell I was saying, but I'm sure it was rather light and banal. Fun talking. Making silly jokes about nothing in particular. Small talk about being broken down and such.

      The terminal is a different story. I have only now escaped what feels like the crushing despair of the drivers' lounge. It is a low energy kind of place. Even the shop is. I wonder if the terminal manager knows anything about this. Each terminal has a distinct energy which I readily pick up on. I am glad for my banjo and my best friend to talk to (and the bears too!). In fact, Barnaby wants to hear some more banjo.