Look what I got.... for free!

I like free stuff. Everybody likes free stuff. And it's not very often you find something that is truly free, but I've actually found it. Swagbucks! It's simple and if there is any kind of catch, I have yet to find it in the two years that I've been using it. Being B's long-distance co-driver means I spend a LOT of time on the computer. Often I end up functioning as his search engine. I used to be a dedicated google user. Wouldn't touch Bing or any other search engine until I heard about Swagbucks. All I do is use their search engine instead of google. It's rare I don't get results with SB, but once in a blue moon I use google to search. Every time you use their search engine, you have a chance to win swagbucks, usually between 5 and 20 for the average search, but sometimes up to fifty. You don't win bucks for EVERY search, but I've had days where I can easily rack up 50 - 100 swagbucks. Swagbucks has a whole prize catalog you can redeem your bucks in, but I wait until I get 450 swagbucks and cash in for a $5 Amazon gift card. It's nice having these gift cards coming in regularly and I use it as my "play money" to spend on things I want but don't otherwise have the money for. My most recent score:

Total spent: $3.95 (for shipping because I didn't want to wait another week to get one more gift card to cover shipping too) More often than not, I pay absolutely nothing because I shop completely within my current gift card budget. I use my trucker's atlas on a daily basis to plan out B's trips and to track him and absolutely love having it. And seeing as soon I will be the one OTR, well, I've got my atlas! Since I got this about 3 weeks ago and spent all of my Amazon GC balance, I already have $15 on Amazon again that I plan on using on a BlueParrott bluetooth headset.

Check out Swagbucks!

B's Live & Learn tip of the day

Don't be the guy who falls asleep and doesn't wake up when the gates open.

These truckers aren't going to be like mommy and make sure you get to the school bus on time. They've all got loads to drop too and the sooner they do it, the sooner they can get ready for their next run. Time is money and it is more true in the trucking industry than most others. When you're told they open the gates at 2200, be ready at 2150.

And if you do decide to get your beauty sleep, don't be pissed when you find yourself at the back of the line.


 Fortunately this didn't happen to B, but that was this evening's entertainment: listening to the CB chatter and when one guy didn't wake up when it was go-time, those truckers started rolling right on around him.

The Map Game

I've found being B's stationary navigator and co-pilot to be quite a rewarding experience. The downside is that I don't get to see anything but the inside of my house ((or around town if I'm out running errands)). But there's nothing new for me other than maps and satellite images. Overall though, I'm extremely pleased with my unofficial job because it gives me something to do, and is important. I don't think B realizes what it means to me when I've heard him talking to people he meets and casually giving me credit for making his job a whole lot easier by being his map. He certainly doesn't have to acknowledge what I do to strangers, and it's unlikely anyone realizes that he has me on the phone even when he's in the truck stops or shippers. But it means a lot to hear him say it, because I know he means it then and isn't just saying something straight to me just to sugarcoat or win brownie points.

Besides having something to do, I'm learning a whole new skill that will only help me in the future. I can quickly utilize Google maps and my truckers' atlas to plan an ideal route that also guides along the fuel solution provided to him. Or like tonight, while calculating how far he could get before his 14-hour clock cut his drive time short, I discovered that if he skipped his planned fuel stop and went elsewhere, he would actually save more by filling at my stop than if he had filled at the stop where his company got a discount simply by crossing state lines. While my trucker focuses on driving, I take the time to plan out his total trip or end of shift stopping point, generally searching for a location where he still has a shower credit so he doesn't have to pay our of pocket or go without a shower. He takes me seriously and I know that if I screw up, then he screws up too. Even though we're separated by hundreds of miles, this is a team effort on our part and I love it.

Until we meet again

We made it through the first of many cycles of hello and goodbye. Having B home for my birthday was the best present I could ask for. We weren't expecting him to end up spending four days home considering he had only requested 36 hours, but thus is the unpredictable nature of the industry. Even if he had only stayed home for the requested amount of time, that would have just meant that he would be sitting on a load for 2 days only 3 hours away. So we got up at 4:00 this morning and took him back to where his truck was parked. It was rough on Boogie, but it's difficult to make a two-year-old understand. I can only hope this gets easier over time.

Having him home allowed us a chance to have fun, get necessary things accomplished, and then get ready for the cycle to begin anew. I lost count of how many times I started tearing up just watching my trucker and his newest son together for the first times and knowing that the next set of pictures I get with them together will have a very different baby in them. We bounced from place to place, just enjoying being together as a family. As much as I love him though, that man is bad for my diet! We must have eaten out almost every meal and I gained back several pounds I had worked so hard to lose, so now that he is gone, it's back to the grind for me.

My new outlook on housekeeping had me practically twitching at times over the weekend. Dishes on the sink, laundry on the bathroom floor... It was too close to the way I used to let things just pile up! The minute he went to lunch with a former co-worker and I was alone with the kids I immediately set about washing dishes and picking up. And then ended up going overboard and doing several loads of his laundry and folding his clothes. At one point yesterday I requisitioned his keys and took some groceries up to his truck, turned his fridge back on and took the sheets from his bunk so I could wash those too. And of course because men will be men, I found and removed most, if not all, of the trash in there so he can at least start from scratch. So I was able to send him off this morning knowing all of his clothes have been washed, his sheets are fresh and clean, he has food until next payday at least, and he has a freshly baked batch of brownies to munch on. If anything I just wanted him to feel taken care of because he is out there working hard and sacrificing seeing his kids grow up to support us.

I'm surprised with how "okay" I am with my trucker leaving. This was the first time he came home and left again with both of us knowing that it will be weeks before we can hold one another and be together again. I don't know if this is because I want to be the one leaving OTR and letting him stay home with the kids to be Mr Mom or if it's just easier because I turn around have him in my ear again as I hit the maps and plan his next stops. I might not be a crying wreck, but I am already looking forward to his next hometime, whenever that may be. Until then, I pray that God helps steady the wheel and keep that rig rolling between the white lines all the way home.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

The 24 hour countdown...

...has begun! I cannot even begin to describe my excitement. My trucker has his load and tonight will make it frustratingly close to home by the time his drive time is up. But he'll be home tomorrow morning! I couldn't ask for a better birthday present than to have B home with me for the next few days. Boogie is going to be so happy and B will finally meet his new baby who is five weeks old already!

Recipes to Go: Nacho Cheese Soup

Nacho Cheese Soup is something my mum made one night when she got the recipe from one of her email lists. I was skeptical at first, but gave it a try and really enjoyed it! The best part is that this is a one pot meal and is one that can be cooked on the truck in a slow cooker.

1 can nacho cheese soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can Rotel
1 can diced green chile
2 cans canned chicken
1 package taco seasoned shredded cheese

Throw all ingredients in the slow cooker on low for a few hours and then serve in a bowl over crumbled tortilla chips. I intend on making this at home and freezing a couple portions to vacuum seal in the food saver and send with B on the road for an easy heat n' eat meal option. For moms at home, this is an easy meal that should even please the kids!

And after the storm, a rainbow

It's reassuring to know that there are rainbows, little slivers of happiness after life rains all over you. Sometimes it's small meaningless things that simply make you smile and other times it is something more significant things. Yesterday was one of those rainbow days for me. My trucker got a good run to finish his week and is on schedule so knowing there's a good paycheck coming is a major stress relief! I was also very pleased to go up to the Lowes where we often see trucks parked and speak to a manager and secure permission for B to park when he's able to make it home. I had been calling all over and searching for somewhere to park the truck and being able to cross that off my list with more than a week to spare was a wonderful feeling.

Two days ago, a very special dog rejoined my family for good. Clue is a 9 year old border collie that my mum got as an older puppy and he lived with us for years. Over the course of his life, he did live with two others, but fate kept bringing him back. This time when I received a phone call, the answer was out of my mouth before the question was even fully asked. Clue was coming to live with me. I immediately called my trucker to confirm that he had no qualms over this, but he has never been one to deny me my pets. But I still felt the need to at least ask. At 9 years old, Clue is starting to show his age a bit. He's not particularly fond of going up and down stairs and I can hear his joints crackle a bit when he gets up and down. But his mind is as sharp as ever and in his usual fashion, last night learned a new trick in under ten minutes. I taught him to "go night night". I've been on cloud nine for the past couple days having him here. He's such a love and actually barks at the things that go bump in the night that make me anxious.


I guess some things are just meant to be.