The “hurricane” was kind of a bust. If you were up there in the rain and wind getting a load, I applaud you. Maybe the place you were at had a backup generator and continued to work. It doesn’t appear as though what was left of the storm lasted long. As soon as the “thing” blew over Washington DC, the news sent out bulletin, texts and tweets about Syria. Syria? Can’t they do better than that? I said before, nobody cares about Syria.
There are a whole bunch of people who lost power. What else is new? It happens in the winter as well. Put the power lines under the ground already. Being up with there with the old telephone wires is so fifties. A bunch of power trucks from here in Florida headed up to the “effected” areas to help out. These guys make about $25/hr. straight time – one of them informed me they’ll make about $4000 over the next ten days before they come back home. Not a bad gig if you can get it.
Speaking of gigs, there was a big truck show in Dallas this weekend. Plenty of shiny chrome. Lots of big shots and the trucking media. Life On The Road, to my knowledge, wasn’t invited. None of our writers are on the press list. Challenge Magazine was there. OOIDA was there. NAVISTAR was there. Booth #6049. Their top sales and marketing executive was there. Even Karl Rove was there.
Can you imagine what they paid him? More than any of us makes in a year. Rove doesn’t do anything unless it has six figures attached to it. There’s a “social media” thing going on in October. I don’t think we’re invited there either. Having been to hundreds on conventions and trade shows over my 30+ years in business, never fear, you’re not missing anything.
In fact, I have a much better idea what to do with your time. It’ll be a lot cheaper too. When you have some down time this week, park your rig at a movie theatre somewhere. Take in the early show. AMC theatres has dropped the price of a ticket to $4, if you go before 4PM. You can see the show and be back to your shipper before the load is ready. It’s a perfect movie to take your wife or girlfriend. The popcorn and drink might set you back more than the flic, but it’s better than waiting in your truck watching an old Nascar race. You already know what happens with that.
I’ve wanted to see this movie even before it was released. There were lot’s of places I loved going to on the road, and others I detested. Oklahoma and Mississippi were and are still on the bottom of my list. I had a really bad run in with the MS DOT once. It cost me several jobs and almost lost me my CDL. Thanks to one of the drivers prepaid legal services, it all worked out. But that incident and a few others in Mississippi gave me a real bad taste in my mouth about the place.
“The Help” is a 2009 novel by Kathryn Stockett. The story surrounds Black maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s. The novel is her first. It took her five years to complete the book, which was rejected by 60 literary agents. The Help has since been published in 35 countries and three languages. It has sold five million copies and has spent more than a 100 weeks on the The New York Times Best Seller list. I saw the movie a few hours ago. At the end, three weeks after it’s opening, the crowded theatre applauded.
(Wiki) USA Today called it this "summer’s sleeper hit". An early review in The New York Times notes Stockett’s "affection and intimacy buried beneath even the most seemingly impersonal household connections" and says the book is a "button-pushing, soon to be wildly popular novel". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said of the book, "This heartbreaking story is a stunning debut from a gifted talent".
I personally don’t go by what critics or reviewers say, preferring to make my own judgments. I recall the sixties very well thank you and understand and deplore the role Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and other states had in their disregard for the Constitution. The same with the Church. All part of our rather distasteful and disgraceful history of human rights. This movie does an excellent job of reminding us how it was. Take the kiddies – they need to learn about those times – because with certain politicians in office (TX Gov. Perry) one can’t count on the truth being told anymore in schools.
You’ll have no trouble parking your rig – bobtail or not – if you do as I suggest and take in an early show. Forget later in the week or on weekends. If you’re scheduled for home time, as I said, make it a date. You can make it an affordable evening by going to CiCi’s for under $15 (that’s for two) including drinks – non alcoholic that is. Enjoy and let us know what you think.
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