Lake Odessa, MI
It looks like I will be in the North East for a while longer. I woke up to snow and slush on the ground but at least no ice on the parking lot or roads. I just hope it stays that way. After delivering the medical supplies to Westbrook, ME it was off to Good Humor in Farmington, MA to pick up a load of ice cream products going to Hatfield, PA. Pretty uneventful trip there. Then its off to Nestle in Breiningsville, PA picking up a load of Coffee Creamer back into the New England area. This load went to Sams Club in Hooksett, NH. We had a beautiful drive up but it was getting colder as we went north. Winter is here even though it does not officially arrive December 21. I finally got my CLAM CHOWDER from a little restaurant in Londonderry, NH. I have been up here several times this year and this is the first time I had a chance to stop at a restaurant long enough to sit down for a bowl. We may think the Clam Chowder in the lower U.S. is good but when you can get it made fresh there is no challange. The same for Fish Chowder. We then went to Merrimack, NH to pick up a load of what looked like giant rolls of bubble wrap. Once we were loaded we headed off on a set of back roads across New Hampshire and Vermont to get to New York. I found a little store where I could pick up a couple quarts of my favorite pancake and waffle topping that is also good on one of my other favorite foods, grits. I continued down the road to make my delivery in Greenfield, IN.
Next stop was another Nestle load carrying creamers and Nesquick drinks destine for the North East. I picked that load up in Anderson, IN and back up to Hatfield, MA and Pembroke, NH. Back to Merrimack, NH to pick up some more of the rolls of bubble wrap and down to Greenfield, IN again. They must be glad I do not drink coffee, because I am headed back to Anderson, In to pick up more creamer and Nesquick and off to Keasbey, NJ to deliver.
After that the company sends us to Newark, NJ just outside the Newark International Airport to pick up a load bound for cold Flint, MI. This run got interesting as I started playing in snow and sleet as I traveled across the Ohio Turnpike. I had seen some earlier but not as much as now. After we got that load off we are now picking up a load for McDonalds Restaurants in Lake Odessa, MI and heading back to the great north east as we head to a 4:15 a.m. delivery in Rochester, NY. Time to go play in some snow.
All for now,
Mark aka "Traveler"

Well, they finally got me out of what could have been a big circle and headed us south. We left Ottawa, KS and headed to Edwardsville, KS by Kansas City, KS to pick up a load of frozen muffins to deliver to Safeway (Randell) Distribution in Houston, TX. That was for a 6:30 AM delivery. We next headed across town for a late night pick up of medical supplies going to Grand Prairie, TX, between Dallas and Fort Worth and just north of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Now we are sitting in Wilmer, Tx, south of Dallas waiting to pick up a load heading to San Antonio, Tx and will get to spend a little time there with my boy(Boston Terrier), Bogey before hitting the road again. I do not like what I am hearing on the radio though. Hope I do not get a dispatch heading to the northwest as the news casts have been talking about SNOW in the northwest. It was so bad it closed down Interstate 80 in Nebraska and Wyoming as well as Interstate 90 in the Dakotas. It also closed down Mount Rushmore outside of Rapid City, SD. It is too early for stuff like that. We do not normally hear of four foot snow fall on the ground until December or January. This is going to be one interesting winter.
All for now, Mark "Traveler" Nelson signing off.

We headed to Geneva Illinois to make our delivery of Johnsonville Brats and Sausage. After that we were told our next load was in Manteno Illinois. We got the load and it turned out to be something that would have gone very good with the Brats, Uncle Bens Rice. That would have been a good combination for dinner. The reason I ask if I am going in circles is that we are back in Kansas. This load delivered to Wal-Mart in Ottawa Kansas. I did have some very good driving weather as it has been sunny and comfortable temperatures during the day and cool for sleeping at night.
All for now, Mark

We made delivery much to early (yawn) this morning. We got to the customer at the first stop last night about 9:15 and parked as they put us into a dock. At the early hour of 2:15 they shook the truck waking us up. I finally got back to sleep around 5:00 this morning only to be awakened again as the customer unloaded some more of the freight. After getting back to sleep I was awakened again by the alarm clock. I looked out the window to see I had a green light which meant the customer was finished unloading and checking the freight in. I went inside and got my paperwork then off to the final stop on the Nestle's load. Talk about a cold place to work. My trailer was set for 65 degrees but when I walked into the warehouse it was almost like walking into a freezer. I was so glad I had my coat on or I would have probably turned into a popsicle. Once finished there we got our next dispatch for pickup again in Kansas but this time at Holton, KS. I am at the customer as I type this and will be shutting down somewhere in the area for the night and prepare to leave around 4:00 to 6:00 in the morning to drive across Iowa and into Illinois to deliver at Geneva, IL just outside of Chicago again. As of right now I do not know exactly what the customer is putting in the trailer but I will find out soon. Time to do a little more computer work getting weather reports and road conditions from the internet.
All for now, Mark

Meet a new friend Read a good book.

Well, am sitting in Porter, IN after picking up my load this afternoon in Kentwood, MI. We have a load of McDonalds Granola packages used in the McDonalds restaurants. I will be taking off around 4:30 a.m. to deliver this load to Montgomery, IL outside of Chicago. I have to be there no later than 8:30 a.m. central time and I am about 1 1/2 hrs away from the customer. I finally saw the sun late this afternoon and it sure was a pretty site. It actually got up to around 40 degrees too, so at least it wasn't freezing. It's a good thing this truck has a good heater as it is going down to the lower 30's tonight so time to snuggle under the covers and go to sleep.
Good Night world.

Meet a new friend. Read a good book.
currently reading Tom Clansy Net Force Breaking Point