Got another week in the bag-went back to Neville Island, Pa. with a load of beams in the Conestoga, just 30 footers, after I got the truck out of the shop. Then I loaded at Butler of course and went to Chesapeake. Stayed at home Wednesday night, then went to Orlando Thursday. They had loads going to Pittsburgh and Butler loads back to Chesapeake, but I opted for the Orlando on my flatbed, even though it's a long ways on Thursday, rather than a Conestoga and another load out of Butler. Everybody hates AK Steel at Butler. Everybody hates AK Steel everywhere really. Middletown Ohio is the worst, Ashland Ky. is the best, and Butler falls somewhere in between. Everything about AK Steel sucks, to the very highest level of suctivity. You go there and wait all evening and half the night to get loaded, then drive all night to Chesapeake to wait there all the next day to get unloaded.

I unloaded in Orlando about 9:30 Friday morning and had to be in Statesboro, Ga. by 3:00 to get reloaded with lumber- 318 miles. I pulled in at a quarter to 3. Then the engine light came on -yes, again- a little South of Rock Hill, S.C. Back to Cat...that's OK-i'm on vacation this week anyway.

random thoughts-

been watching "Ice Road Truckers"-is that Lisa smokin' hot, or what?..geez!

Hugh's still "the man"

That haul road is just scary looking-I wouldn't want to drive it in the summer! 25 years ago maybe, but as I might have mentioned before i'm not nearly as brave as I used to be!

Watched 2 good movies on TV this weekend- I missed the first hour of both of them, but "Blackhawk Down" is one of the best movies i've ever seen. Very intense, and very moving. Today I watched the last of "Into the Wild". Kind of hard to follow if you didn't see the beginning, but I knew the story from Jon Krakauer's book. He also climbed Mt. Everest, and wrote "Into Thin Air", an excellent book.

Got a few pictures here from my latest adventures.

"junk corner" at the yard-looks like a cement mixer in the background,behind the bushes

a whirlwind at Triad Metals in Neville Island, Pa.

Ultraliner at Neville Island

closer view of the big hill in Butler, Pa. No babes around this time.

A fine looking fleet of Macks

saw Joe again, still dragging that Moffett around-he was on rt. 422 in Pa.

a big boat in Newport News- maybe a ship even.

R-model with twice pipes in Chesapeake.

saw Joe again, still dragging that Moffett around-he was on rt. 460 in Lynchburg this time.

a fine looking Freightliner in Statesboro, Ga. I thought it was their yard dog until the driver strapped that lumber down and hit the road with it.

A Mack in Statesboro, Ga.

R-model at an old garage on rt. 301

B-model wrecker at the same garage.

tomatoes from the garden-couldn't stop at 13, in case you're superstitious.