My Flog for March 4 - I Would Call This Post Spontaniety If I Knew How To Spell It - Road Trip Day 1

Monday morning started off as usual - I started work late, as I do every second week, so I didn't have to crawl out of bed at the ungodly hour of 5am, and I was lucky enough to scrape enough change to feed the bus money box and not have to walk a mile and half to the sky train station, so the day did have a good start.  I only had one errand to do before I started work - and that was to get off the bus at the Chinese bakery and buy some buns - I promised the Monday/Tuesday bus driver I'd buy him one. I'm trying to make him nicer.

And see what I saw when I went to grocery store on my lunch break - a Steveston eagle. He was huge, just sitting up in the tree watching all the people who were watching him. I don't know why, but it does me the world to good to see an eagle.

Around 2pm, I got a phone call - seems Neil had a trip to Calgary, loading at six, and did I want to go? Did I ever! Pauline was kind and offered to work Tuesday for me, and I was so excited all afternoon it was hard to concentrate on work - which once more consisted of unpacking and stocking yarn. 

Neil came to the store when I closed, but before I left Steveston, I had one thing to do - get the Pineapple Bun to the bus driver. He wasn't in his bus, so I gave the bag to a lady waiting for the 410 and asked her to pass it on to him. At least I hope she was a lady, and didn't keep it for herself. Then it was off to Pro West to pick up the big, big truck.

As you can see, it is a very big big truck. It wasn't until we were leaving Calgary I noticed the instructions on the inside by the door as to how to get up and down properly - but by then I had it down pretty good. The getting up part, anyway. As long as I didn't have a coffee and a (ahem) pack of muffins in my hand.

Neil is very confident behind the control panel - this is one man who loves his job. Even before he started school, he wanted to be a trucker when he grew up - he dreamed about these Big Old Wheels on the Highway!

Because the container he had to haul wasn't at the warehouse yet, he brought the truck back to the yard and drove me home to pick up my stuff - the original plan was for Steve to meet us on at the weigh station. Nikkie had packed for me, but I grabbed a few more things - Cheez Whiz, crackers, tins of beans, can opener, spoons - things you really need for a trip across the mountains.

Then it was back to Richmond to hook up the container, and we were were loaded up and truckin', on our way to Calgary.

• Breakfast - Toast and Coffee
• Lunch - Salmon Chowder from Steveston Bakery. I should have known better, but I thought I would at least try it, something new and different. It smelled so fishy I had to hold my breath when I brought the spoon to my mouth, and only managed a few spoonfuls. Yech.
• Dinner - ? 
• Snacks - A truck stop coffee and yogurt .... there is no way I'm going to remember everything I ate. Truckers don't eat at regular times, and we (ahem) don't sleep at regular times. I had a bag of chips, but don't remember if this was on Monday or Tuesday ....

But - the fun begins! There are lots of pictures - people asked me for lots of pictures, didn't say they had to be good ones, though. The drive to Calgary was mostly at night, so no pictures for Monday. There will be some for Tuesday's blog though - keep tuned -

This is Granny Duck signing out.