The Plan

In the moment

 I am not going to go over all the reasons for this new path. The past is just where it needs to be....in the past. Kristin, my wife, and I have these really smart sons/step-sons that deserve a college education and I need some meaningful work.

 Right now I have a pretty good list of items that I need to gather up and pack in two bags so I can board a Greyhound on Friday morning and travel to Salt Lake City over the weekend and be ready for class on Monday am. I also have to be sure Kristin has any passwords she will need to run our Household. Then, I am going to meet with some of the fellow leaders from our little church and be sure they have a way forward in my absence.

 Greyhound station at 5:30 AM Friday. I have a number that I suppose I use to get my ticket when I get to the station ( where the heck is the Greyhound station in ATL ?) ...this should be interesting. The last time I rode a Hound...I was 14 years old. My mom took me to the station and I rode from St.Pete to Tallahassee to visit my oldest brother George and his wife Becky. As I remember it, is was pretty cool getting to go through all the little towns that dot US 19 along the route to Tally. I am hoping I get to see some towns ...but not quite so many ....or it will take weeks to get out west.

The plan is to take a class and pass a test to get my Commercial Drivers License. My new employer advertises that they will train,test and train some more so you can know all the rules and know how to drive a big truck. This is good because this industry thrives on experience , training ,equipment and lots of rules.

Once I arrive at the training center I am to bunk with 7 other guys ( this should be different and surely much blog fodder ) and all I have to pay for is food. Of course there are some questions like...will there be smokers ?, they said bring a sleeping bag...am I to sleep on a bed?, food ? we'll see.

How bad or how good will it be? What is it like driving something with 18 wheels and a 10 speed manual transmission? What will it be like driving into a big city like L.A. with a load ( a city I have never seen before) and finding a warehouse or a terminal ? What is a good Tattoo to get as a trucker? An American flag, a picture of a big rig or just MOM ? How can I keep up my exercise and eating program in this new situation?

So, lots of questions, staying in this day, in this moment...more later