just a little nutty

This rodent was visiting my house Monday. Cute thing but odd that it allowed me to get so close.

We also found a box tortoise in the back yard :-)

Seemed to have been so busy the past couple of weeks that the blog update was skipped last weekend.  Hesitant about posting this anyways since I was told that I'm always irritable last night/this morning since it's going to be a bit of a grumble about how cruddy last week was.  But you know what, it's my blog/life etc so they can just live with it, lol. Or not read it.....

First off, last week I got a much later start than what I should've simply because I dread going to this plant in Glasgow anyways.  The workers there are smart-asses and it's a late afternoon appointment that rarely comes out on time, grrr.  That ended up setting the tone for the week, running behind but no one to blame but myself.

A huge issue I have is so many drivers/dock workers/etc. seeming to think that I have no clue what I'm doing because of being female and working for what's known as a starter company in the trucking industry.  Most of the time I usually just laugh it off and look at it as a get out of jail free card if I don't get backed in the first (or second!) time but where I get serious is when somebody does something that's a bit boneheaded in the interest of "showing the new driver how it's done".  I had a bit of that Tuesday last.....

Most plants will require you to chock the wheels whenever you're backed up to a dock as an added safety precaution, the Glasgow plant requires you to double-chock them.  No big deal but as anybody knows who's been driving a while that if you shut the truck off and there's a forklift going in & out of the trailer that the airbags will settle & slightly deflate causing the wheels to settle in against the chocks.  After getting loaded I went to the back of my trailer to remove them but then realized that I was going to have to put the truck in reverse to back up off the chocks in order to get them out. 

No big deal, right?  My "problem" came about because there was an expeditied truckdriver that was having a bit of trouble lining up for a dock and he'd garnered quite an audience from the forklift drivers and shipping and receiving personnel.  I guess in order to try and save face, he came over to my truck & proceeded to tell me exactly what I needed to do.  I just smiled, agreed, said thanks, and went about my way.  He, in the meantime without telling me what he was planning to do, has walked to the back of my trailer and while I had the brake released and was bumping back up more firmly to the dock, puts his hand on the trailer wall and reaches down under the tires to grab the chocks!!!!!!!!!  While my vehicle is in motion!!!!!!!  Granted it was not at any speed but he didn't know me and I certainly didn't know him.  For all he knew I could have been one of these idiots that drives OVER the chocks instead.  And he could've been somebody that was looking for a chance to claim injury and sue. 

I have absolutely no problem with people helping, but damn it tell me what you're going to do!!!!!!!!!  don't assume anything.  I ended up jumping out of the truck and telling him while I appreciated the help, that he shouldn't have done that without letting me know he was going to.  Not the reaction he was expecting evidently because I was told he had a class A CDL and knew what he was doing, grrrrr.  James & I don't even do this stuff around the trucks without discussing it beforehand, the chance of not realizing what the other is up to is simply too great.

Later that night I stopped at a usual place to get the tandems slid to be legal for Tennessee and ended up having another odd encounter that was intended to be helpful.  Really, guys, I know y'all think you're being good samaritans and stuff but a little communication goes a long ways.......Don't just go to a woman's truck without asking if she wants or needs help and then expect her to be all smiles & giggles when she starts to get out of her truck and finds somebody at the rear of the trailer just standing there especially if it's dark out.  COMMUNICATE!!!!!  It's just creepy to not say a word.  and yeah, I'm not approaching you, geez, I will stand at the back of my cab and yell thanks but I have everything under control.  Sigh.....

Ok, grumble is over :-)

Bright side of things, training is going well.  Last Saturday's cycle hillfest went much better than the last time I rode that route. No crying and no cramps this time around, lol.  I think I've gotten my running base built back up and my plantar fasciitis pain in the left foot has all but disappeared, yay!  I am on day 10 of a 30 day run challenge.  No time or distance requirements just get out and run everyday for 30 consecutive days.  so far my least amount has been 1.54 miles.

New ink last Saturday, Patti and I had been planning on getting matching Hello Kitty running tattoos for almost a year and we finally did it!  Hers has 26.2 underneath but mine doesn't 'cause I already have the 26.2 on me.  I do wish I'd have gotten "Run Happy" though!

I've found a dress brand that fits me perfectly so have gone on a bit of an ebay shopping spree, but what fun!!  I just need to get better lighting in the room I use as a closet because my pics are crap.

One thing I've discovered that I'm having a hard time shopping for is blouses.  Not sure of the hangup there but I'm not finding stuff that I really like.  Pics are from Sunday's dressing room fiasco so don't laugh too hard.