AHHHHH, FALL......
Well, here I am, behind again... : ( Sorry! We took off from Meridian, with a load from there going to just outside of Indianapolis. We drove in so much rain, I was glad to finally get there. That gave us a chance to see our girls. After we delivered the keyboards and amps, we couldn't pick up our new load till 6:00 the next morning. So we called Holly and she came and took us back to Kelly and Brian's new house. We stopped at a pumpkin patch on the way there and Ricky bought Holly a pumpkin to carve and me some apple cider and him some tomatoes for sandwiches. Got to the house, and it is a beautiful 2 story with 3 bedrooms and 2 and a half baths, and we all went out to eat and visit. Stayed for just a couple of hours, cause we had to get a nap for a long run the next morning to Knoxville, TN. The ride up there was gorgeous from north TN up to Indy. The trees were in their prime colors. We couldn't have timed it better. Going back through Kentucky down to Knoxville was even better, cause there was no more rain, : ) After we dropped that relay, we picked up a load to Byhalia, MS and then one from there to West Memphis for a relay and did a short local delivery there before we went to Paragould, AR to pick up a load of shocks at the Monroe place to go to Mexico, which we took to Laredo to be relayed of course. We were 72 on the board when we got here to Laredo Saturday night. We are 10 this morning... Monday... Ricky delivered our shocks to the broker this morning and then did a local run to another broker with a load that was here on the yard. I took a shower while he was gone, I had the laundry already done from Sunday, so now, here we sit.....waiting on what we hope will be a really good load, with some good miles. We did get a 34 hr reset though, and that was a good thing. So, now you are all caught up. Oh, by the way, last Thursday was my birthday, and all my kids and Grand kids called to wish me a Happy Birthday.. and that was great!! I guess I'm through ramblin for now.... Later...

Livin our Dream...Belinda and Ricky

FALL IS IN THE AIR
Took our load on in to Houston and was glad to get rid of that heavy sucker. We were on the southeast corner of Houston and on a week day, so we didn't get to see our son on this trip. Sat at the nearest truckstop for a good while before we finally got a dispatch to pick up on the north side of town to go to Laredo. Was the same place we had taken the tires to from Alabama last week, so a plus was that we knew right where it was. So off we go back to Laredo. We delivered that load and got one to Meridian, MS. My Ricky's hometown, before we happened upon each other. So he has cousins and uncles and aunts still there. We give them a call and they meet us here at a truckstop that had great food in their restaurant, homemade tasting food. Had a great meal and visit with two of his cousins and an aunt and uncle. Since we moved to Missouri, we haven't had many visits back here to Meridian, with four kids in school and a business to run during those years there weren't many opportunities, so this was a special day. Anyway, we deliver in the morning and then.... where to? Will let you know later. Maybe I can get down to mama's this next trip. No time to do it coming here, on our way out, maybe? We were in a night running cycle so I haven't been up on my correspondence this week, sorry... will try to do better this week.
Oh, my Holly made it to Indianapolis safe and sound today, she had a little side trip with a wrong turn, was going west when she needed to be going east, but phoned her moma and we got her going in the right direction. I'm so proud of her, she scares me sometimes though, cause she's not scared of anything, except... maybe spiders. : )
Hopefully this move will be a good one, I wish only the best for my children. Letting them grow up is hard.
Gotta wind this up and get in the bed. So till next time... Oh.. by the way.. he still hasn't passed the stone. : (

Living our Dream.. Belinda and Ricky

BACK TO THE WARM SPOT
Am starting to wonder if we need to move our stuff down here with our son in Houston. We are coming through here more often than Joplin. We stopped east of Des Moines last night and drove on in to Cedar Rapids this morning. Worked out good. Got a load assignment while we were being unloaded, so we had it all routed by the time we were through. Ran down to Fort Madison and picked up this load to take into Pasadena, TX.... which is really Houston. Have stopped for our 10 hour break and will run the most of the way on in tomorrow. We deliver Thursday morning, so I'm hoping we have managed to get in between the rain storms. We got into some of it leaving Texas last time after we got to the Oklahoma and Kansas border. Saw a little color in the leaves coming out of Iowa... was kinda hoping for a more easterly run to see the trees before the leaves fall off. Maybe next time. I won't complain if we stay out of New York. : ) The Carolina's would be o.k. or Pennsylvania. Anyway... the cool nights are good, wore a sweatshirt in Iowa this morning... was raining so I had to put real shoes on instead of crocs... didn't want cold, wet, feet. O.K. ... so I'm ready for bed. I expect Ricky is too... he has been fighting a kidney stone for around 2 week, he's a little stone factory... just wish he'd pass them without so much trouble. Catch ya'll up later.

Living our Dream.. one day at a time...Belinda and Ricky

HEADING FOR COOLER COUNTRY
We didn't get to lay down for a nap. Got a run up to Dothan, AL to pick up some tires for Houston. Didn't pick up till 9:30, and deliver on Thursday night. So it was a full run, but stopped for a 10 hour break shortly after our pick up, and we were going to a familiar area, got there and did a drop and hook, and was lucky enough to find a spot for the night real close, isn't easy to do late at night. Went on the board Friday morning and got a quick dispatch to Dayton, TX to pick up a load to take to Brownsville, TX. Wow... in just a few days we have traced the Gulf of Mexico from Miami to Brownsville. We delivered last night in Brownsville and got sent on up to Laredo this morning. Got a load as soon as we checked in to take to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We've been in that area a couple of times, but not there, so we got showers here just short of San Antonio and are ready for a good nights sleep. Don't have to deliver till Tuesday, so not a hard couple of days. The nights are cooler and makes for sleeping with the truck off a good thing, I like the quiet. Catch up with you later.

Living the Dream...Belinda and Ricky

WEDNESDAY ALREADY?
We had a very full day yesterday. Got unloaded, ran over to the closest truckstop to get on the board. Wasn't very long and we got a hot load that would have us up driving all night. Ran up to Miami Lakes, FL to get some Caterpillar parts and took off for Ocala, FL dropped part of the load and then on to St. Augustine, FL, was a short run...about 400 miles.. but we didn't get through till 5:00 this morning. Came up to Jacksonville to the Pilot to grab some sleep, got up, took showers, did paperwork and are getting ready to go back on the board. Guess we better grab a nap in case we run all night again. I hate the night runs, can't see the sights in the dark. Maybe it'll be a good miler though...Catch you up later..

Living our Dream..Ricky and Belinda

THERE'S COCONUTS ON THOSE PALMS
We wound up setting at the West Memphis terminal the rest of Friday and half of Saturday waiting for our pickup time in Jackson, TN. Went in 2 hours early and lucked up. Our load was ready and we hooked up and took off. Got a couple of hours down the road....stopped at a rest area and we went to leave and... brake trouble... called road service and they have Ricky "Cage the brake" to let us make it on down the road to a Petro and get it fixed. Couple of hours later...on our way again. We make it to Chattanooga to get shut down for the night. Oh, yea... forgot to tell you. We are on our way to MIAMI, FL. Would you believe potato chips could weigh 35,000 lbs ? Well, they do when they are packed in a trailer. We got here for our delivery an hour early this morning... our dispatch.. was for today at noon and we got here at 11:00, but, our appointment, was actually for tomorrow at noon..aghhhhh. No one thought to tell us, So here we sit in this parking spot over night till we can deliver tomorrow. We had a Japanese supper across the street in a shopping center here. Was alright for Japanese food I guess..we decided we are more Chinese food eaters. We had a good laugh anyway.
Came down the turnpike past exits for Disney World and Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs, FL.... Ricky and I were at all these places about 33 years ago. We came down here with his cousin and his wife, who were married 2 months before us, on our 1st year anniversaries. Brought back some fond memories... like staying in a motel in Kissimmee, FL and Wayne and I getting to stay for free, because 18 and under were free, and we were just 18, and Ricky and Charmaine were 19... sso, we were the kids and they were the adults... heeeee, heeee. and paying 20 something dollars for our supper one night, for all four of us and thinking how outrageous that was.. saving the receipt for all these years. Our Japanese supper was way more than that for just the two of us tonight... my.... times have changed.
Another first, coming down this far together. Saw palm trees, even palm tree farms for sell in Palm Beach, a new career? hmmmmm, as we got down to Miami, saw real coconuts in the palms, actually growing. : ) heard people speaking "Cuban?" Spanish?" Thought we had left the U.S. Was kinda uncomfortable, thinking we were out of place..... Even though our parking spot is not one I would have chosen, we have had a good day, because.... we are together.
Will catch you up tomorrow... off to crochet a little before I go to bed...

Living our Dream ,beside each other...Belinda and Ricky

HOME SWEET HOME
We're on the road, together again. Finally have everyone better. Jenn is back into her normal routine, Kelly is settling in her new surroundings in Indy, Holly is getting things together to move to Indy, and I'm back with my Honey : ) Well, let's see, first, we finish his run from Laredo, after he makes an over night stop in Joplin, to get me, and ends up getting a new windshield in the truck, caused by a Texas rock, to Indianapolis. So we get to see Kelly and Brian for a quick supper, we didn't have time to go see their new house this time... : ( but they got to have a truckstop supper with us... hadn't seen them since May, so even a short visit is a good one. Made our delivery the next morning a short piece away, then got a dispatch to go north of Indy for a pick up to run to Laredo. So off we went and got a quick light load... dog rawhide chew toys.. Good thing Paco doesn't like them.. : ) Got just into Texas for our night stop..when we went on towards Dallas the next morning we got caught up in some pretty hard rain with some fog and heavy traffic.. not a good start to the day. We were lucky that it disappeared not to far on the other side of Dallas, so the rest of the trip was sunny. Got into Laredo and our hours were up.. so shower and laundry time. Then Ricky checks in and gets a load to Mississippi, hhmmm, a visit to mama? Wellll.... no... this is Wednesday night..our hours don't pick up till the morning and the load has to be there Friday morning.. Mama's would take us too far out of route for the time span..so hopefully we will get the opportunity soon though. Any way, we got the load delivered this morning, and we are now in West Memphis waiting for a new dispatch... sure is good to be back with my partner though, I missed him. My grandbabies and I had a good time together though..been a long time since I had to get a little one off to kindergarten..Cody said his Mamue's bed puts him right to sleep..( I have a water bed) he loves to sleep in my bed. Emily kinda likes it too. Told them I had to go be with PawPaw though so he could make Christmas and candy money. Gonna go for now...catch you up later...

Living the Dream, beside each other..Belinda and Ricky