Today, I got a bit of a shock when I checked out of my room, the phone bill was rather high. They charged a whole lot more than the place did yesterday, but it is all good. It is important to me to stay in touch while on the road, and for my friends and family to know that I am okay....just part of the trip costs.

I am once again staying at a motel on the old Route 66, and I ate at a Denny's which is also on the route. At least I can use some of the old roads, even tho it isn't what I had originally envisioned. While driving thru parts of Texas, I could only imagine and wonder what those folks of long ago thought about this part of the country. Nothing but miles and miles of flat lands going as far the eye could see, for miles and miles...:) :) And if they crossed in the summer, the heat gets rather unbearable too. Today, I truly hope to make it to CA....yeah....it might be a bit later in the day than I had originally planned, but to get there will be fantastic.

The first major city that I travel thru is Flagstaff....and that place is so gorgeous...I am already in the hills and mountains of Arizona, and there are so many pine trees, etc. all around me and even snow!!!! I got great video, but no stills yet, so I will have to show them to you all later in another format. You go up the slopes to get to Flagstaff, and then on the other side, you slide down. I believe we peaked at somewhere around 7,000 feel in altitude. They include the altitude on every city sign now...rather cool. I kept on trucking along until I came to Kingman, AZ, and needed to get off and get gas and some food. I got off at exit 53, the first one I came to that had gas and food advertising. I filled up, and then pulled across the street to go to Jack In The Box !!!! I have been patiently waiting to eat here again since my last vacation to CA...I LOVE their tacos (with no sauce please, too hot for me), and their potato wedges with cheddar and bacon bits are to great too. And the tacos are always 2 for 99 cents, so its a poor mans feast. After getting my food, I went back to my truck to get on the road again and decided to take a walk around the trailer. And I noticed that the passenger's side trailer wheel was leaning at an angle like a computer backslash..\... OH MY GOD.....I know that when I checked the truck out in the morning before starting the days travel, everything was okay. I immediately got my Uhaul paperwork and found a payphone and called for emergency service. Unfortunately in most of AZ Sprint has no cell service nor a reciprocating agreement, so my cellphone was all but dead unless I wanted to make a collect cell call...no thank you. My nightmare has now begun.

Without going into details, I spent the next 4 hours waiting around the parking lot of the restaurant, making payphone calls, etc. until I finally got the message that a mobile repair truck wasn't coming out today at all, and a tow truck service finally showed up on the scene.(I had a total of 15 calls logged between me and the road hazzard service customer reps !!!!) Uhaul expected me to stay in a motel for the night and they would fix the trailer in the morning. It turns out that the bearings were gone on the wheel and Iwas so very lucky it happened in this parking lot and not on the roads coming down the mountain....I could have careened off the cliffs very easily. My trailer got towed to a Uhaul dealer and I checked into the Best Western for the evening. I got myself some dinner and settled into the room, watching TV and working on the computer. This time, I got the phone card to work so Icould dial online without having unreal phone bills. However, Uhaul was paying for the room, so it didn't really matter. Now to get some good sleep, and be ready to get boogieing on the road in the am.

sweet dreams,   phyl  8=]

Wow, I managed to get up early today, which is good because I want to make some good mileage today. I would like to get all the way across Arizona so that I can arrive the next day in California with daylight left and possibly be able to turn in the trailer, saving me one day's rental.

I got checked out, paid the phone bill for my internet usage, then had a fairly quick breakfast at the local Denny's, got my gas, which has gone up in price, and hit the road. Mostly I have been paying $1.45 to $1.50 per gallon, but I know it will be more in CA...oh well, a necessary evil which will be offset by other things not costing as much, etc. I have rain again, which is a pain to drive in. It is misty-like, sometimes changing to a light drizzle, but nothing more so far, which is lucky. The panhandle of Texas as well as Oklahoma behind me have been having horrible thunder storms for the past several weeks, flooding out some towns. I have been lucky so far to not have experienced anything like that. I bought myself some yellow sunglasses at the start of the trip and they really make rainy days seem okay. They put a tint on the day that is clear and bright, not dull and dreary. The only downfall so far is that I find myself taking video of things that look really cool to me, only to realize when I take off the yellow glasses, they look rather dull and yucky. Wonder if I can get a yellow tinted lens for the camera? will have to check into that, could make some very interesting photography.

There is quite a bit of traffic thru this stretch of I-40 West, so many trucks on the road. I have a thought that if someone could figure out how to make rail travel affordable for shippers, with faster, and more trains traveling with truck beds, etc. on them, we could save millions of barrels of oil and crude......I have never ever seen so many trucks on the road as I have in this trip. Imagine all the diesel we could save by just using something else??? I know that it would cost truckers jobs, but the short haulers will still have to pick up the load at the rail yards, then haul it to the destination, then pick up the new load and take it back to the train....and so on. Additionally, truckers today just aren't the same quality and caliber of drivers that were on the roads 20 years ago. The courtesy seems to have slipped away, and I actually was almost run off the road by one truck, Covenant (owned by a church no less, according to one trucker I was talking with) who decided to come back into the right hand lane before he got completely past me !!!! unnerving to say the least. For the most part, the speed limit on the Interstate highways is 75, and that means the trucks were traveling at least that if not 80, so when they pass you, they are "hauling ass" if you excuse the expression. And since I was only traveling speeds between 50 and 60, they just blew by me, sometimes 5 or 6 trucks in a row!!!! wow.

I did manage to drive part of Route 66 in Texas, the motel, restaurant and gas station was on the old route, so that's cool. I managed to make it across the state line and into Arizona, but only as far as Holbrook. It appears to be a nice sized town, and I got a room at a Days Inn. Lots cheaper than the last state, only $29.95 plus tax tonite compared to $49.95....those texans, eh? It was very cold, down into the upper 30's when I checked in, could see my breathe and all. I got settled down in the room, went to go online and check email, but didn't have my glasses, I had left them in the truck. I thought that I could do without them, so I didn't have to get dressed again, but that was impossible. So, I put on some clothes, and trudged back to the truck (which had to be parked at a lot at the end of the hotel due to the trailer on the back), and I had left my dome light on !!!! so my guardian angels were on the lookout for me, and forced me back to my truck for glasses so I could save my battery....I am sure glad too.....wouldn't have wanted to find a jump in the morning, especially since I don't have any cables...put that on the "wanted" list, phyl :) :). The rest of the evening was uneventful, got a good nights sleep and feel good.
ciao..........phyl......+=]

OK, Day 3 on the road....Today, it was cool and cloudy when I got up and started driving. I soon picked up misty rain, and it stayed with me all day. I drove all the way thru the state of Missouri, and into the state of Oklahoma. I made it thru Oklahoma and into Texas before I quit for the night. I have gained an hour by crossing into Central Time Zone, and that always helps. I drove a bit later than I thought I should, but wanted to try and make the trip shorter on the back end, by driving more on the front end. The rain did end just west of Oklahoma city, but it looks to be starting again.

I have had a phone call each day from Dan, which is great. He has then sent an email to my sister to let her know how I am doing, where I am, and so on. Thats great cause last night, when I tried to call my folks, their line was busy. So, I called Jan, and got her voicemail, and left her a msg and told her to make sure she called mom and dad. Well, turns out they were all talking to each other and Jan didn't get my voicemail until the next day, so everyone was a bit worried about me. The email helped a bunch, and Jan called my parents to let them know I was alive and doing well. first thing thursday am.

Today, I didn't take any still photos, only the video. The scenery is fantastic, and its rather easy to take movies while driving, etc...except for the darn rain drops all over the windows. The trucks are still driving me crazy...I have never seen so many of them. And with other states having the speed limit of 75, you can only imagine how fast they are whipping by me as I drive my little ole 55 ot 60...sometimes slower even. It is a bit intimidating to say the least. Again, I had misty, spitty rain most of the day. I have managed to drive on a part of the Motherroad every single day so far, mostly by accident. I will get off to get gas, and that happens to be part of the road. I am driving I-44 west, then I-40 west, and will finish up with I-15 south in CA to I-8 in CA. for the most part, Route 66 is the foundation for our Interstates and so they parallel sometimes, and other times were built right over the old road. There are times when Route 66 has veered off by several miles to where the towns are actually built and the Interstate bypasses these towns...the nature of the beast. One time I got off onto the South Side Access Road for gas and bfast, and that happened to be original Route 66. It just has a special feel to it, but I am afraid that too much commercalizing will be its ruination....there will always be the spirit and all, but too much commercialization will suck.

Tonite, I stayed in the Irish Inn in Shamrock, TX, a bit of a landmark. It was really nice and the best sleep I have had in a while. I had to park a bit far from the room due to having the trailer at the end of the truck, but all is well. I had a nice hot roast beef sandwich for dinner (made with pot roast meat...yum), and a piece of lemon meringue pie for dessert (actually had the pie for bfast). I got online for the first time in several days and had a mountain of email to read thru. I couldn't find any local access numbers for Shamrock, se levie....managed to get some updating done, but not all. Got to bed a bit late, but thats okay. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Looks like rain in the forcast again. yuck.

Hard to believe that it is already November of the year 2000!!!! It was only yesterday that we were worrying about the end of the earth at the start of the millenium. I got to sleep in a bit this morning as Mom and Dad had a dentist appointment, and I wasnt leaving until they got home. I was packing when they got home, we went over stuff, got my truck all loaded up, and then they cooked me breakfast, fried eggs and toast...a favorite of mine.

My original plans for this trip were to travel north from Cheboygan, thru the UP of Michigan and visit some lighthouses, then go south thru Wisconsin and spend a day with my sister, her husband and her daughter. However, once I had to add the trailer to the equation, I ammended that plan. From my parents, I would take a southernly route thru Michigan and then cross the state to just south of Chicago, IL and pick up I-55. I would have to limit my stops along the way at Route 66 type places also due to having to lug that trailer around behind me...but when I could fanagle it, I would take in some of the things the Motherroad has to offer. However, if time becomes an issue, I will just drive the freeways west, and make a 'true, real Route 66" trip in the future.

So, I hit the road for the start of the long trip west. The weather was a bit nippy, but sunny, no sign of rain. I had been having trouble with my cellphone since my arrival in Cheboygan, and I had called the Sprint people who checked the phone and they said it was working. It wouldnt ring, but go right into my voicemail, and people could leave a message, but without ringing, I couldn't answer !!!! I kept getting a message that something was wrong with my phone and contact the cell provider. We decided that I would wait until I can try the phone in a digital area ( I am always in analog roam in Cheboygan.) to see if that was the problem. Last week, I had my software version updated for my phone so I could pick up all new towers, etc...but maybe that changed something.

I hadn't gotten back any service by the time I reached Lansing, so I tried to find a sprint store there, or someone who could help. I got the phone reprogramed, and it is working great again. But, it was now 5pm, and I decided to just stay in Lansing for the night and start fresh in the am from there. I got a room, and spent the evening watching the redwings game and turning in for bed early. Here is what my truck looked like all loaded up for the trip. I had filled every nook and cranny with stuff...and the trailer was a bit heavy, but the trip up from Pontiac went fine, so I was feeling okay about it. And the drive down to Lansing also went well, so that helped to alleviate my fears of travelling 3000 miles with the trailer.

Click for larger photo
ciao,     phyl :)

OKAY !!!! the big day is here, I am up and working on my cab at 8:30am….and it takes me until 11am to get it almost finished. The weather is cold, we had a hard frost overnight, and with each breath I take, my chest hurts a lot. So, I carry some stuff out, then sit and rest. And so on and so on. Dan got to my house at 11:00, and he tied my bike on top of the topper and finished off the packing for and with me. We got our final goodbyes, and we put the trailer onto the truck……..but, as in the fashion that has been happening, my left rear truck tire is too low!!!!!!! I have had a valve stem leak fixed three times, but it looks like it is happening again. We unhitched the trailer, went and got air in the truck, and then hitched it up again. And I finally took off for Owosso at 12:45pm. The truck seemed to drive okay, better than I had thought, which made me feel a bit easier, and it took 1-1/2 hours to get to Aunt Marcie’s house instead of the usual 1 hr and 10 minutes or so….not too bad. We went right out to lunch, which had horribly slow service, but good food, and then back to her house to work on the computer for a while. I pulled out of her house at 5:15pm headed for my folks house in Cheboygan. This time, I was able to drive a bit better and was more comfortable…driving between 50 and 60…a couple of times, I even got over 60!!! but I backed it right down….didn’t quite feel right with that speed. I got to my parent’s home at 9:30pm, and just unloaded a few things for the stay, had some cold turkey to eat, and went to bed by 11:30. Tomorrow will be a busy day for me. Stay tuned to see why…( ciao, phyl :+]

Happy Hump Day!!! everyone. I got a phone call from Uhaul at 8 am to say there are no trailers available for pickup in Pontiac, but I can get one in Troy. So, I agreed to that, went downt to Ferndale, got my girls, then headed to Maple and Crooks to get a trailer. It took a total of almost 3 hours!!!!! to get this thing rented. I had to have my truck wired for the hitch (took 35 minutes for a 10 minute job), I had to wait for the men to mess around with lots of other stuff...and other customers, then finally, they gave me a clipboard to go out and check the condition of the trailer (which turns out to be a 4x8 !!!)....after jotting down a few dings and missing letters, etc., I find the left tire is BALD!!! so I had to request a better tire, and it took them another half hour to replace both tires with new ones. So, needless to say, it really took a bit out of my packing time, got us all out of the mood, and just was a yucky day. The up side of the day was spending time with my girls, talking and getting caught up, etc.

Once we finally made it back to my apt, Kim and Steph were surprised at the state of affairs. They thought I was all ready to go....NOT...anyway, they both pitched in and helped me a big bunch packing some boxes and dresser drawers, etc. At 3pm, they left with Aunt Jan to go to the Detroit Redwings game at the Joe, and I just kept plugging away. I had a friend helping me and we got my wooden book cases taken apart, and some other things dismantled. We have an area in my living room measured off to the specs of the trailer so we can see where we are heading and that helps....I can see the light at the end of this tunnel, and it is growing brighter...yeah !!!!!

I quit at 7:30, went upstairs to Jan's place to raid her refrigerator (my food was all packed up and mailed out), but after I ate, I fell asleep on the couch for most of the first period of the hockey game. I woke up for about 10 minutes, then fell asleep again, until the 3rd period, and then slept thru most of that one. I came home, checked email and went straight to bed by 10:30pm....I slept 6 hours straight without even moving in bed !!! which, by my standards is great but highly unusual. After that, I just kept rolling over and going back to sleep. I am still feeling more comfortable all curled up in my bed...I must be stressing out big time, eh? Time will tell.     see ya tomorrow  phyl   8=]

Again, I slept in a bit late, it is getting harder and harder to wake up and get moving each morning. I get a lot more things packed up today, but came to the realization that I need to either rent a trailer or pay a fortune shipping too many boxes via UPS. After spending some time evaluating what exactly I still have left in my apartment, I decide to price out and then rent a 4x6 trailer from Uhaul. I got one reserved online, and will call first thing in the morning to make sure it is really available. Because of this decision, it means that I am going to be here in Michigan a bit longer, so I take a few hours off to relax and watch some tv. I am also burning FamilyPhoto CD's as I work each day, and I only have 5 more to go...but the labels don't want to print correctly, so I will have to do that once I move and then mail the cd's out to family members from CA.....it will give me a way to send them my new address too !!!

I got a call from Steph, and she and Kim want to come out and see me Wednesday, help me pack and be here for Aunt Jan for the hockeygame they are going to Wednesday night. I make arrangements to pick them up at their dad's house at 10 am. Cool deal.
phyl :+]

Okay, so the blue guys won yesterday, at least Tiger Woods has the USA in the lead in the golf championship right now.

Jan, a friend and I went to Joe's CrabShack for lunch today, Sunday, and it was a really cool place. I had eatten at one in San Diego, but they are all around the country, a division of Landry Restaurants (yes the football coach launddy family) We all had fish and chips, with an appetizers of Onion Rings. There was a seasoning on the fries that also carried over to the coating on the fish. And I had a bad reaction to the seasoning. I got a bit wheezy at the restaurant, then got a headache. By the time we got home, 20 minutes later, I was a walking sleep person, so I laid down and slept for a couple of hours....and then felt lousy. Also had stomach discomfort, and pee'd a bunch. needless to say, I got no packing done, I went to bed early, and slept most of the night. This has then set me back an entire day in my plans. I am now going to puling out of Pontiac on Wednesday, and then out of Michigan on friday. But all is well with the universe.

And with that, its nighty night for me :)   oh yeah...the redwings won their 2nd game in a row tonite too....yippee !!!!

Go Green !!!! The big game is this afternoon, UofM against MSU. I don't really hold any hope for the green, they are rebuilding and not doing too well.

Today I got a lot of computer work done, burned several more cd's for the Family CD Set, and also packed up a bunch of boxes. It is slowly coming together. I wandered around on the net, checking out Route 66 websites, etc. trying to plan some kind of action for the trip. Because I have been delayed a few days, I am not going to be able to see as much of it as I had wished, but seeing any of it and partaking in the emotions, etc. is enough. I got a new tape for the camcorder that is of high quality, am anxious to see if it is really much better than the usual stuff. This digital 8 camera is really nice, other than the annoying humm that will be fixed once I reach CA.

I did a bunch of shopping with Jan, and then by myself, trying to get a cable to connect my cellphone to my cell modem, but I ended up ordering it off the internet and having it sent to my parent's house...I will test it there and then hopefully be connected while on my journey. I also watched the RedWings win!!! in OT, but they are not looking as sharp as they need to be, it will be a long season.

over and out .......... phyl   :+]

Today, I took boxes #2 thru #6 to UPS and posted them off to CA !!!! so I am truly on my way. Phew.....so much weight. Then I got a few errands completed, and had a nice long afternoon lunch with my friend, Marilyn, from Realcomp. We got caught up on all the things happening there at the office, good and bad, and on my plans, and trip, etc. It was very enjoyable, and fun. I will see her one more time before I get on the road officially to give her my printer which she bought from me.

Then I went to WalMart to get a voice activated tape recorder for my trip so I don't have to remember everything I see, etc....the old mind just doesn't work like I want it to sometimes :) :) but they were out !!! I just will have to keep looking. I spend Friday night going out to dinner with Jan at our favorite Mexican restaurant for the last time and then trashing some more things around the house, in preparation for packing tomorrow. Sat and sun will be "the days" for packing. I am ready. Oh yeah, I also emailed back and forth with my friend, Mark Blair, and he finally got a new job, will be leaving the Kmart hell he has been in for the past several months.....congrats Mark....additionally, Angie Cavanaugh, another friend from Realcomp, quit her job during this week, and Friday was her last day.....contrats!!!! I don't know what she is going to be doing yet, but she does have another job. :)

over and out .......... phyl   :+]

Another beautiful day in Hockeytown...(game is on tonite..:) Today, I got the backend of my pickup truck all cleaned out with the help of a friend. I had 4 bags of Killy litter still in the backend, part of last years winter weight for my axles, and still had several stones and patio brick there too. And, one of the other kitty litter bags had broken open and litter was scattered through out and over everything. Went to the quarter car wash....geeze, those things cost a small fortune these days!!!....and got it completely washed out, including the rubber floor liner too. It is just waiting for those boxes to fill the space. We grabbed some quick lunch at Arby's, and checked out a few websites, then I settled down and watched hockey with Jan for the rest of the evening.

I did have a gentleman call me from Chrysler about some of my things for sale, and he came over at 3:30 to check them out.....he said he loved the glider rocker, and possibly the washer, and would call me later that night, but he never did. I also had another call about the furniture for sale, but the cellphone lost the call and that gentleman never called back. So, I still have most everything waiting for someone to buy it....I guess my donation fo the Salvation Army is going to be a big one this year.

ciao.......... phyl   :+]

Wow, the weather sure has turned nice again here is Michigan....gotta love it. The day starts off cool, bt ended up in the 60s. I took the time to go to the two new casino's in Detroit, The MotorCity Casino and MGM Grand Casino. I won $18 at the first and lost $20 at the second, so if you are going to go to either, try the MotorCity first...:)

I did get another box packed, and found a bunch more magazines to trash....geeze, I didn't realize I had accumulated so much crap in just the year I have been at this apartment, but then some of this stuff I moved with me from the last place...you know, I was always saying I would take the time to go thru them and take care of old stuff....but I just never did it. Now is that time tho, gotta trim the ole travel baggage down.

Lyn was in town for work, and I met her and Jan at Sommerset Mall at the California Pizza Kitchen for dinner. They got there ahead of me and did some shopping, and had their dinner ordered when I got there. We moved to a larger table, and I got myself an hawiian pizza which was really good. Then I rode home with Jan, and chillled out the rest of the night. Toomorrow will be a good day, I can tell already. good night,   phyl ;)

Good morning all, its Tuesday, and I am out of motivation. I goofed around onine for a while, chatted with both my daughters and got caught up with stuff, and went with Jan to look at several houses. For those who don't know, Jan is trying to buy her first home, and it is a challenge in today's market, but she will persevere. Then I ended the day watching the Detroit RedWings win a game, woo hoo!!! Didn't really accomplish much else. Better days are coming, I am sure. see ya, phyl :)

Today was fairly busy. I got to my credit union and made a withdrawl that will allow me to repay a friend who loaned me money to get by until I got the buyout checks. I then went to the Farmington Hills side of town, had lunch with Patrick, a former co-worker. I shopped at WalMart, Circuit City, Best Buy and ended up at Sam's Club. I renewed my membership, got some tapes for the camcorder and headed home. I was tired when I got here, but didn't take a nap. I also had a phone call from someone at Chrysler who is going to call and come by my house tomorrow to see some of the things that I have for sale....I really need to get rid of some of the furniture and large house plants, know anyone that would like these items for a cheap price?? they are really cheap to anyone who can or would want them. I wish I could take them all with me, but it just isn't possible.

I spent some nice time with Jan this evening getting caught up on her house hunting, and what was happening around the town and apartments the past several days Then I came back to my own house, remade my bed and soon I am hitting the sack. I got the air mattress pumped backup and ready for a good nights sleep. On that subject, I am so much in love with sleeping on air that I priced air mattresses out today at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They sell them for starting prices of $700 for a full size bed. YIKES...so I have several ideas obout a new bed for me once I move to CA. (note: today, I extended my departure date until 10/24 due to extenuating circumstances).

Tomorrow will be a day of packing, and organizing, that's for sure....so time to go....adieau, phyl ;)

BRRR....Woke up this sunday morning to 39 degrees...yikes!!!! Managed to get ahold of the Shepler's Lighthouse Tour people and found out they ended the lighthouse tours on 9/14....so will save it for my next visit in the area. And with that decision out of the way, we had a great bfast buffett at the hotel, then hit the road for Cheboygan. We stopped at 40 Mile Point Lighthouse, and it was actualy open for tours, so we climbed the tower, and I got some great video. It was 45 degrees outside with about 25 mile an hour winds....so cold. We walked on the beach for some water-side pictures, and then got back on the road. We walked the beach and the pier at the Cheboygan City Beach :+} but before we could get zoomed in on the 14 Foot Shoal light, the misty rain clouds rolled in and kept covering up the lighthouse. I got a quick shot at least. We then got pictures of the other lighthouse that is up the channel near the Bois Blanc Island Ferry.

From here, I showed my friend the Dam and Docks on the Black River...thanks to my parents who showed them to me a few weeks ago. There were salmon running upstream and there must have been 40 people around the basin fishing, some even in the water in hip waders. We got to see them catch a couple of fish, they were dark and fairly large. Then we headed back down US23 as the day was getting short and we wanted to see a couple of other lighthouses and take some pics of a totally awesome stone house in Alpena.

We managed to get some nice pics of the stone house and just made the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse in the twilight of evening. The park was closed, but we wallked down on the beach and got some pics from the water side. The wind was a bit warmer here, but still very strong, and consistent. It went right thru the lightweight coats we were wearing. I got home sunday night at 11:30 and collapsed into my bed. I totally enjoyed the weekend. Great diversion from the task at hand.

YIKES....I went to the bank and found out that due to my pension check being from out of state, it has to be held for 3 business days !!! and since that ends on Friday, the money won't be available until Monday...oh my. I then went up to Flint, to see my friend, and get some work done on my truck. The a/c doesn't work right and there is a good, reputable place up there to have it worked on. So, while they were working on the truck, we went running errands, etc. We went to PHillips Topper World and found a great used topper for the truck, $175. I put a deposit on it, we will come back once I get the truck. Then we went to Birch Run, I got another camcorder battery from the Spiegels Outlet for a steal of a price, we had lunch at Long John Silver's, a favorite of mine, but all the stores in the Detroit area went out of business, so I eat their food when I am in Flint. We went to JCPenneys to shop for me, found nothing, and went to Sam's and the day old bakery. We also mailed out my first box of belongings at the post office!!!!!! talk about high prices, there shipping rates have gone up and it cost $1.50 a pound to ship!!!! outrageous. So, I checked and UPS/FedEx is $1.00/pound and a freight drop would be $1.10/pound...so I gotta get rid of some more stuff, and be more careful what I send and what I haul with me.

My truck turned out to be fine, just needed a pound of charging, $55.08 total....yeah!!! and then went over to the topper place and bought myself a topper for the truck. It is the older style, but an almost new unit. It is white, which is okay with my maroon truck, has levered windows on the side and has a top rack as well. It is cool. Jan says it makes my truck look old, which it does, but the functionality is great. Its hard to get used to not being able to see around the back of the truck as well, and I will really have to learn to use those mirrors !!!! I can see myself now, throwing down a blowup mattress, grabbing my camera gear and hitting the desert!!! watch out world...:)

Anyway, the day was good, got home in time to watch the home opener game of the Detroit Redwings, (I listened to pregame on the radio, but Jan taped it for me and the kids in CA), and hit the sack around 1am...phew...a very full day. Maybe I can be back on schedule afterall. :)