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NEW BUS TO WA
I've stayed away the
WA runs because the pay miles are three days and but the timing makes it a four
day run. I did try this run last fall and found the only way to make money on
this run was to leave at 3-4 AM.
BUT dispatch called and I needed to
work so I took the run, leaving at 8 AM, flying home on day 4.
Monday - 5/16/11
No work Thursday or Friday, then had a family thing
on Saturday and Sunday so it was a long weekend … Thursday and Friday I
was not feeling too good, weather was cold and wet so didn't do much. Sat-Sun
were OK, but I didn't sleep well at all Sunday night, seemed to be having a
recurring dream all night and would wake up every few minutes just to drift
back into my dreams.
Didn't call in sick, but did bring along my my
pillow and got the back seat of the van to myself. So I pretty much crawled in
back, laid down and went to sleep. Did get up at the halfway stop but then back
to sleep. Not sure how much I slept, but it was enough to get rid of the
headache.
This driver does a second stop at Ada and today ? Olga's
taco's ? was there. Not sure of the exact name, but it's a Swedish name of a
taco joint. I remember seeing it at this stop other years, but this time there
is a sign that says it's going to be there one week only.
Four of us
drivers today, two 40 foots are ready two 60 foots are not. But we still have
to wait for our permits, even when I get mine it is still wrong so I'll be
getting an amendment. Oh that's right …
On Friday I had asked
dispatch to put my check in with my paperwork as I knew I wouldn't be home to
get my check in the mail on Saturday. Instead I would stop by on Saturday AM
and cash it on my way out of town. My paperwork wasn't in the drop box, wasn't
there yet on Sunday PM so I had to get it Monday AM with no time to cash my
check.
AND at the office is when I was told that my bus had already
been sent out three times and had 'issues,' and been sent back. So dispatch is
having problems getting permits, some states limit a vehicle to three permits
per year.
And this was part of the problem with the amendment of my
permit, the states don't like to clear the prior plate and user info when
issuing a 2nd and 3rd permit. So now I will have to stop en-route and get my
amended permit, 1st I have to wait for the permit, then make an extra stop for
the amendment. This is all cutting in to my driving time.
My bus is
low on coolant so the other driver gets ahead of me, but a few miles down the
road he is on the side of the road. Never did find out why but he pulls back on
the road in front of me and I follow … past my usual shortcut (I've zoned
out) … through town and until he stops at a rest area a few hours down the
road. I had told him that I was going to try to make this trip in three days,
until it got to a point that the math no longer worked.
… yes, I
was sort of zoned out. I forgot that we have to do a ½ hour tire
cooldown every four hours … I forgot to figure that into the math :. I was
going to stop at the bank somewhere on this trip, but as I watch the clock I
check with my wife and we can get by without getting it into the bank this
week, it is not the end of the month.
It starts coming back to me
… I know there is a ½ way point between the pickup location and
Glendive, MT but don't remember the town name correctly until I see the sign.
Steel, ND. There is a little truckstop there that will do for my cooldown, and
a fuel stop. It's rare for these buses to have fuel gauges, but these do. It's
located next to the fuel cap, but mine has so much condensation on it I can't
read it. And I didn't think to look at another unit to see where 'E' and 'F'
are so for me it's just another run without a gauge.
I don't normally
eat during the day but now I'm hungry, it's about 5 or 6 PM and all there is
for food is 'shelf food' at a truckstop. I get a chicken sandwich, they don't
have Mayo so I'm stuck with using sweet and sour sauce instead. And … so I
don't eat in the bus I go over by ½ hour by a few minutes, doesn't help
my pace any.
The other driver has said he was stopping in Bismarck,
I'm still planning on Glendive … except for having to stop for that
permit. And another driver warned us to call ahead because of all the oil
exploration in western ND the motels are often full. So when I get to Beach, ND
I stop first at the motel to see if I can get a room … all they have left
is a smoking room, I take it. I was down to just enough time to make Glendive,
IF, if I didn't get stopped at the weigh station. If it got stopped I'd be over
hours so I was glad to get a room.
Then I walk over to the Flying J to
get my permit and eat. Blahhh, the restaurant is now closed with a new Subway
sign up but the not open yet. So a second 'shelf sandwich.' This may be the
trip of junk food. Did find something new to eat on the road though. I love
seasoned almonds (even after they dropped my favorite flavor), today I bought
my first mini package of them, found out that I can eat them right from the
package so I don't spill any salt or crumbs. :)
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Buckboard Inn, Beach ND
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"Being the only
motel in town is not it's only draw ... it's a nice place" 3 of 5 stars Date of
review: May 21, 2011 - New
I've stayed here so many times I didn't
take any pictures thinking I for sure had done a review. It seems the same one
of the same two people wait on me every trip, PM and AM. No issues this time or
any time I have stayed here in the last eight years. They do still use keys, so
you need to remember to return those.
Making it to Beach is my goal when
heading west. This place has everything I need, it's clean, the water is hot,
the rooms are quiet and the price is right. (Cheap) WiFi is free and the
parking lot is large. Within a block there is also a rest area (not sure if
they allow overnight parking) and two truck stops with additional parking.
As of 2011, do call ahead. With the oil industry in western North Dakota
booming motels along this stretch do fill up.
Down side is that the Flying
J truckstop has now closed it's restaurant but the sign says they will be
opening a Subway. So food 'off the shelf' is all that is within walking
distance. AND this is the only motel in town, I think the next closest motels
are 20-30 miles in either direction so plan ahead.
* Reviewer ratings
for this hotel:
o 4 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Rooms
o 4 of 5
stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 3 of 5 stars Service
o
3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay: May 2011
* Visit was
for: Business
* Solo Traveler
* Member since: November 28, 2010
* Recommended by this reviewer? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tuesday - 5/17/11
I sat around for three days without
doing any computer work and yesterday I get a call that I forgot to do
something they had requested. Thought I'd have time on my tire cooldown
yesterday but that didn't work and didn't want to explain going over my 14
hours even though it is legal so I did it this AM. Another ½ hour delay
that is cutting in to my being able to deliver on Wednesday.
As I pull
out of the motel I see the other driver (driver 1) pulling into the Flying J
next door. Also a 2nd driver pulled in sometime later last night …
legal??? This 2nd driver calls as I'm pulling into the fuel stop and says he'll
be about 2 hour behind me.
I wasn't planning on getting ahead of
driver 1, but he's sitting in his bus when I'm ready to roll, so I roll. Pretty
un-eventful from there to Billings. Get the green light at the first scale, see
that the Motel 6 is now $59 in Miles City. Ouch, I might just have to try that
Ma and Pa place that has the billboards.
Until I get to Billings, I
forget that there is a 'new' Pilot across from the Flying J, it saves me having
to cross the freeway twice, and I'm about saving time. Here I can start the
pumps without 'pre-pay' so there is another time savings. BUT I forget to do my
walk around which will cost more time later. I get my receipts and pull my bus
to the other end of the truckstop by McDonalds hoping to pick up some free
WiFi. This location doesn't have it … but I do get more 'junk food.' Not
McDouble here for a $1 so I get a cheeseburger for $1.09 as I'm eating OUTSIDE
the bus, I do my walk around … opps. I'm low on coolant, sure enough as
soon as I re-start the bus the alarm goes off.
So into Pilot I go and
get a funnel, we already carry coolant (meaning it's not rare to run low). This
time it takes a ½ gallon so I don't buy anymore. And I don't see where
it is leaking ??? All this takes another 15 minutes and driver 1 that I passed
this AM has now passed me.
The other scales that are usually closed
were closed today, Billings was open and I was glad to see them just shutting
the door on one of the inspection bays, some else's lucky day, not mine. I get
the all clear here also … next fuel stop is Butte.
Coming down
the pass into Butte it starts to … snow! Lots of snow still on the ground
at the higher elevations but didn't expect to hit any, only a few flakes but
it's almost June.
As I'm fueling in Butte I see driver one pull into
the motel next door ??? I passed him again somewhere, and by the time my
½ hour is up and I'm pulling back on the freeway I see him pulling out
of the motel ???
Another hour down the road and he calls, guess I'm
still zoning out, I hadn't noticed that he is following me about a mile behind,
has been since Butte and hasn't been able to gain on me. We are in and out of
the river bottom and can't hear well so finally I just say I'll see him at his
next fuel stop coming up. I don't need fuel and when I see that it is 'pre-pay
only.' I don't fuel but do wait for him. I'm not sure if he wanted to share a
room but I said not today. I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep and …
and I was going to get going a couple of hours before him. BUT sometime today I
found out that we still don't have permits and now the office is closed so I
may as well sleep in. So now it's him that will be leaving hours before me.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Motel 6, Missoula MT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"If you like
Motel 6, this is one of the nicest" 3 of 5 stars Date of review: May 21, 2011 -
New
And the price is up there too, $49 single midweek.
I usually
stay somewhere else when in town and will again next time. But this time I had
bumped into someone I knew a few miles outside of town and wanted to chat.
Others at our company stay here that night too (four of us that night, but not
traveling together), so I figured this place was OK and it is.
Staff is
pleasant, room was clean and quiet, water hot ... all I need ... except a good
nights sleep.
Something about the beds in general at a Motel 6, that I
won't stay at one if I really need a good nights sleep. Tonight I was lucky to
have gotten a room with two beds because half way through the night I had to
switch beds, I just couldn't sleep on the first one any longer. The 2nd one was
a little better, good enough to get me through the rest of the night.
The
beds are why I say ... "If you like Motel 6," because if you like Motel 6, you
know what to expect, and this is one of the nicest.
Food is across a
vacant lot, Cracker Barrel (I'd rather eat a 4-B's) other than that you have to
cross the freeway. Plenty of truck parking, separate paved lot plus the vacant
lot and street.
It's a Motel 6, same general layout so I didn't take any
pictures.
* Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
o 2 of 5 stars
Value
o 3 of 5 stars Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars
Cleanliness
o 3 of 5 stars Service
o 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay: May 2011
* Visit was for: Business
* Solo
Traveler
* Member since: November 28, 2010
* Recommended by this
reviewer? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Cracker Barrel,
Missoula MT <<<<<<<<<<<<<
"All
was good, just not my kind of place" 3 of 5 stars Date of review: May 21, 2011
- New
Not sure what it is about these places but they are not my kind
of place. I only ended up here because I wanted to chat with someone who wanted
to stay at the Motel 6 next door (another place that was not my choice)
Service was good, and service was fast, good crowd, plenty of help.
I had
the meatloaf with coleslaw and apple sauce. (I should know better than order
meatloaf here or anywhere on the road, but I keep trying) None of it was bad
food, the meatloaf just wasn't too my liking. I need to learn to stick with a
basic burger.
I had hoped for some soup (there is some great tomato soup
in this town, somewhere else), but tonight the only soup they weren't out of
was vegetable. The person I was with got a cup and loved it ... I don't like
vegetable(s) or vegetable soup.
* Reviewer ratings for this
restaurant:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Service
*
Date of visit: May 2011 * Member since: November 28, 2010
* Would you
recommend this restaurant to a friend? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ring, ring, ring ….
Huh?
At first I think it is
the middle of the night, it's not. It's 9:30 PM and it's the front desk.
Someone has reported that my bus is leaking oil, lots of it … back to
sleep (I wish).
So I get up and go out and look, it's not oil. It's
coolant and yes a lot of it. But dispatch has shut off the after hours line so
there is nothing I can do (except maybe move the bus to the dirt). The front
desk had called the other driver first so he's out looking too, I stop and tell
the guy at the desk we'll have to deal with it in the AM … now … back
to sleep.
Wednesday - 5/18/11
Even with 12 hours off it's
hard to get up in the AM. That was a much needed sleep … but should have
stuck with plan one, when I need a good nights sleep, do NOT stay at a Motel 6.
I get up and email dispatch and then go back to sleep, should have
emailed them last night when I was up. My next wakeup call is at 8:30 AM, it's
the other driver who is waiting on a permit, wondering if I know anything yet.
(Yes, I know I was sleeping)
Before I'm done talking to him, dispatch
is calling they have a few questions. That means it's time to get up and be
ready, by the time I'm ready dispatch is calling back. The Kenworth dealer will
be able to look it as soon as I can get there.
I'm ready so it's just
a matter of pouring coolant in and getting the five miles down the road. It's a
good thing that I grabbed the other drivers bottle of coolant last night (or I
would have stolen one from the 4th driver who is somehow already here). It
takes a gallon and a half to get it to show in the glass. As I'm pouring it in
I see a bus going up the ramp to the freeway. A 40 footer, guess the other
driver didn't get going so early ???
Kennworth is easy to find, not
sure why I didn't see it before, it's only a couple of blocks from the motel I
usually stay at. They get me in almost right away, I go and buy a couple more
gallons of coolant, but not quite the right stuff.
In about 15 minutes
they have my bus fixed … but it'll take another 1-1/2 hours to find and
get the correct coolant. Once I see them bringing in six gallons of the correct
stuff, I go and return the two bottles of the stuff that was 'not quite right.'
And then buy the extra three bottles they have left over. Not sure why three
instead of two or one, but I did.
Rolling and still no word on permits
… but a few miles down the road I get the word. There will be no permits
today, tomorrow we try plan 'B.' So I drive the 180 miles to Post Falls and
meet up with the another driver … driver 5 for this trip.
ID has
a 'weigh station' midway through the state that I've never seen open, but it
was today … for boats. I like that … checking for 'aquatic invasive
species' … great use for a weigh station.
Somewhere in route I
call driver 1 and find out that he did leave at 6:30 this morning ??? so now
there are six of us ???
I know where the motel is, I've seen the
billboards for years but liked staying at the Quality Inn as it was close to
lots of food. But now their price has changed, and this driver checked out
places last night and came up with this one. I pull in and realize that I can't
pull around the building … without jumping the pool. So I go and check in,
ask where to park and then do.
The other driver needs to do his
banking and he's going to walk so I ask if he wants company … I'm feeling
better today, need the exercise and have lots of time to kill. Good thing I
have time … it's 3-1/2 miles to the bank, same distance back. Plus we stop
and look at the falls. It does take him about an hour at the bank so I got a
needed break there, just sat in the shade of a tree and sat … hadn't
planned on being gone this long but he'll only be another minute or two right
… :
Walking back we notice a new memorial next to a tree, with a
picture, teenager … it's been nine plus years since we lost our son in a
car accident and I still can't spend too much time thinking about it and hold
myself together.
We walk past one of my banks, but I had already
decided not to deal with my check until I'm back home. It's getting warm. I had
thought I was going to stop at a convenience store a block from the bank but I
guess we got talking again. For a while a gal pushing a stroller was walking
near us, I should have asked directions to the park … we see her there
later.
The other driver and I can't agree where the park should be so
I decide to go into a convenience store, use the restroom, buy some juice and
ask. I was wrong, the other driver was right. So we backtrack and go his way, I
tell him his way is still wrong but I was wrong before so follow. He's wrong
too … we finally find it. Not so much falls as a big dam, he asks how it
compares to Niagara Falls, I say about ¼. (I haven't checked to see how
close I was)
Long walk back, he later tells me he wore holes in his
socks on that walk. He's hurting enough that he doesn't want to go to eat so I
go alone.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - The Cabin,
Post Falls ID <<<<<<<<<<<<<
"Great food, but you have to know where it is to find it" 4 of 5 stars Date of
review: May 21, 2011 - New
The place sits back off the road in a
mostly vacant outlet mall. I was there shortly before close on a Wednesday
evening and the place was fairly quiet. Food was good and prompt. I had a salad
and French Dip, both were good. Lots of other choices on the menu.
It's
within a block of both the Sleep Inn and Riverbend Inn, hope it's still open
next time I'm through that way
* Reviewer ratings for this restaurant:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Service
* Date of visit:
May 2011 * Member since: November 28, 2010
* Would you recommend this
restaurant to a friend? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Riverbend Inn, Post
Falls ID <<<<<<<<<<<<<
"The new
best place to stay in town" 3 of 5 stars Date of review: May 21, 2011 - New
When I used to come this way a few years ago, I would stay at the
Guest House a few miles away but their price has gone up.
I found out that
someone else from our company had already checked the prices in town and found
this one to be the best. Good enough for me.
No complaints at all on what
they have. Do wish they had a larger parking lot. As long as it's not too busy
there is room for a couple of trucks, but no real truck parking.
Room was
clean and quiet, water was hot ... four bars of soap ??, shampoo, and a couple
of other things. Not much for breakfast, but it did include hard boiled eggs,
sausage patties, yogurt and a few other basics.
"The Cabin" across the
street in an almost vacant outlet mall is the closest sit down food, Zips and
Subway are both within a block.
The only place cheaper in town is the
Motel 6, and as you can see from the pictures, these rooms are just a little
bit bigger than those at the average 6.
* Reviewer ratings for this
hotel:
o 4 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars
Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 3 of 5 stars Service
o 3 of 5
stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay: May 2011
* Visit was for:
Business
* Solo Traveler
* Member since: November 28, 2010
*
Recommended by this reviewer? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thursday - 5/19/11
Another call after I'm sleeping last
night, this time from driver #3. The guy who had to wait for his bus at pickup.
I had thought about calling him earlier and now would have slept better if I
had :
He's wanting to know if it's me at the Motel 6 near delivery. So
I tell him my story and suggest he does NOT call driver #1 until the AM. Let
him sleep. Driver #4 that caught up to us last night tried to stay at a
different Motel 6 but couldn't fit the 60 footer. Even though I'm half asleep I
remember the street he's going to the next morning. Good info, I would have
gone to the one that didn't fit the big bus.
He's had issues and there
is not driver #6. His 60 footer never got ready so it was him that I saw in
Missoula when I was pouring coolant in. All four of us had been at the same
motel. Yes, I was zoning out … it didn't register that the other bus in
the motel lot in Beach was a 40 footer ??? and I knew it was him because I was
talking to him when I was still there.
He had left Beach on time,
fueled, made it as far as the entrance to the freeway and he lost air pressure,
cost him a few hours. Then today, Wednesday, he lost coolant in Spokane and
more hours.
OK, that was all after I fell asleep the first time …
now for Thursday AM.
Fedex says they'll have our 'care package'
delivered by 10:30 AM, I'm hoping for 8 AM so I'm up and ready by 8. I even eat
a rare breakfast … one small yogurt. Then the other driver shows up and we
talk, finally I head back to my room to do my paperwork so I am ready to walk
out the door. We have decided not to cross at the same time, just in case plan
'B' doesn't work, not sense in both of us getting tickets.
The front
desk calls, the package is here, I'm rolling.
No one watching the
first scale, the 'ahead' sign is on and no one is at the desk … whew.
Details, dispatch didn't tell us that these things are overweight. I had
planned on fueling last night and got one last call from driver #5 telling me
not to. So today I have to spend time fueling instead of rolling. Flying J in
Spokane. The one by the airport, small, card reader doesn't work. I buy my DEF
there and will pour it in later, still haven't used 10 gallons but are to leave
it full.
Scale two is closed, scale three is open but with no one
watching, scale four is closed. Good news for me, but we still don't know if
plan 'B' really works.
One person ahead of me at the truck wash, so
only a short wait. They want to wash with soap … how many of these have
they done? No, no soap. "But, but …" No, no soap. Once they are done I use
their latter to pour in my DEF.
There was snow yesterday on Lookout
Pass on the MT/ID border, and today Snoqualmie Pass still has snow, some of the
ski runs are still completely covered. Need to scale at the TA at North Bend,
right before the last scale so am going to be overweight if I have to cross. I
fuel … typical TA, crowded with a line. I fuel then scale. We get the
certified all done right and after I pay I'm re-checking the VIN and see that
… Opps … this ticket says I have three axles. Re-weigh, I must have
had my rear tire right on the splice, good thing I caught it. $1 to re-weigh.
Traffic, Seattle. Knew it was coming. I have time to kill so I go with
the flow. Last night made a list of the exit numbers so I knew when I was
getting close. This route takes us right past the drop so I know what to look
for in the AM. Nice big lot at the motel. Good choice.
I check with
the driver I'm now running with and he's an hour or so behind me, he does want
to eat so I'll wait for him.
I'm almost done with my paperwork when I
realize he should be there by now, he is so we chat a bit. Another driver is
there too from another company but almost the same bus. He wants to get settled
in so I say I still have paperwork to do … I finish and finally call him.
"I'm hungry."
It's after 10 PM our time by the time I get back to the
motel … 8 AM drop tomorrow.
>>>>>>>> TRIP
ADVISOR - Buzz Steakhouse, Everett WA
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"The food is
great" 3 of 5 stars Reviewed July 1, 2011 NEW
(It's been over a month
ago, but to the best of my memory ...)
I know the food was great and I
couldn't eat it all. Had a chopped steak, baked potato and salad. All good, so
good I ate more than I should have.
I can't figure out how a baked potato
can be so good some places, like here, and blahh other places ??? It's a baked
vegetable.
Since this meal I have kept my eyes open for other locations,
have seen some but not at meal time. So yes, I'll be back. I may even pick one
motel over another if it's close to a Buzz Inn.
* Visited May 2011
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Service
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Motel 6, Everett WA
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
"Now here is a
Motel 6 that I plan on coming back to"
3 of 5 stars
Date of review:
May 21, 2011 - New
(OK, the biggest reason is location, location,
location)
But the price, even at $49, is also right. Plus nine marked
truck spots plus room for that many more on a slow day. AARP is the only
discount they allow.
Room is the basic Motel 6, not very big and I did
have to pay extra for WiFi (still a sore spot with me). But it was clean and
quiet. Water was hot, shower only in this room. This is only the third motel
I've stayed at in the last year (in motels <> 3-4 night a week) that has
called to confirm the room is OK.
The motel does have a pool, closed for
cleaning the day I was there ... and yes, people were working on it, there
wasn't just a sign saying that.
This Motel 6 is also plugged into
www.orderinn.com, something I hadn't heard of before. Closest food is the Buzz
Inn Steakhouse a 1/2 a block away. Good food, good value.
It's a Motel 6,
so no pictures. I've you've seen one you've seen them all.
* Reviewer
ratings for this hotel:
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars Rooms
o 4 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 4 of 5 stars
Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay: May 2011
* Visit was for: Business
* Solo Traveler
* Member since: November 28,
2010
* Recommended by this reviewer? Yes
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Friday - 5/20/11
The other driver was so concerned about
being overweight that he didn't pour his DEF in, left it over the front axle
and now wants to borrow a latter from the motel. They can't for 'liability
reasons.' Someone offers their pickup tailgate but he decides he can reach, he
does spill a bit of it.
We roll, my gauge doesn't even register a mile
and we are there. And I call right away but my contact is 'off site' and it is
a while before they show up. My unit checks clean and we take care of the
paperwork, after the other driver is done one of the guys asks about a second
envelope that is supposed to be in the units. I haven't seen it so I walk with
him back to my bus and … there is my license plate. Ouch. That could have
been a big one to have left that behind. We did find his paperwork so all was
good.
The driver I'm with still isn't sure if / where he's (coming or)
going, but finally decides on going to the rental car place and will deal with
things from there. I debate to ride with him or stick with a sure thing, the
customer. I think we have plenty of time so I opt with the other driver to save
the customer some time. No one else knows where the rental place is but I've
seen it both times between the motel and drop. Not sure why but the customer
was in the wrong lane when we went past it and missed it … all this time
adds up.
Enterprise, not my favorite place but it's his car. He goes
over it closely for all the nicks and scratches. Finally rolling, then we stop
back at the motel so he can check out. Not sure what his plan was, as it's
almost checkout time anyway.
I recognize the bus station, we used to
stop here coming down from Canada … and once parked I see across the
tracks were the 60 footers have been going. I have no idea what the timing is
on the trip to the airport, just that I 'should' be able to get there from
here. I find a sign that says 'Downtown Seattle' and go to the end of a long
line.
The bus gets here in about 10 minutes, it's full, hes running
about a half hour late so he's getting a lot of the next routes passengers. AC
is not working so he stops and pops the escape vents. Sounds like there was a
big accident this AM that locked things up good.
Once we are downtown
and most passengers are off I ask where to get off, I have two choices, I take
the second one, next time I'll take the first. Less likely the underground
train will be delayed than a bus. At the train I have no idea where I'm going,
end up in a building and ask, then I see the ticket machine and stairs. In less
than 10 minutes the train is there.
As I'm waiting someone asks me for
directions … sorry. No idea how to get to Portland via Amtrak from here.
It still seems like I'll have plenty of time but time ticks away. And
why is it that they put the trains so far from the ticket counter? Isn't mass
transit supposed to speed things up, make things easier?
At the
airport I get to the kiosk with an even hour before flight time, I forget to
key in my points code … oh well. I know I have to keep moving now, lines
aren't long but it all takes time and by the time I get to the gate they are
already loading. I haven't eaten but don't dare take the time to even get a
to-go order. I do take time to do a quick restroom stop and then I'm in line.
First I pick one wrong seat, then another … finally. But I'm stuck in a
middle seat so no computer work, just hug myself and try not to bump the
others.
Rough ride, worst I've been on I think. I knew it wasn't any
better when partway through the stewardess came through row by row checking to
see if everyone had their seatbelts on. Then we went into a holding pattern
because of the weather at destination. Good thing my wife has a phone where she
can check flight status, she went and parked.
I hadn't eaten since 10
PM last night and it was now after 8, I had a Charley's. Maybe they taste good
anywhere when I'm hungry enough … Mmmm … Zzzzz |
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