Saturday in Atlanta

Just got to read Eric's blog this afternoon, and found out Jamie flew out of here this morning going back to China. I'm sitting about 5 miles from the airport. Still haven't met that gal.

I only had to wait about 3 hours Friday for something to do. They sent me down the road from where I was sitting in Jackson, MS and I dropped my empty trailer at a customer. They didn't have enough of them there to load. I then ran down 60 miles south on I-55 to a Walmart DC to pick up another empty. They then gave me a load to pickup over in Meridian, MS. So back up 55 through Jackson and on I-20 over to Meridian. It had an 11pm loading appointment, and here it was 1pm when I got there. Dispatch sent me a message to go ahead into customer because they also needed an empty trailer to load. When I got there they loaded my load on the trailer I had so I lucked out. Instead of waiting until 11pm to pick up the load I was gone from customer at 3pm. I made it up to Birmingham, AL for the night.

Woke up at 4am this morning and drove over to Georgia state line, where I saw a beautiful sunrise. One of the pleasures of my job are beautiful sunrises. The best ones are usually out west, but anywhere you have some clouds and mountains in background works. I don't always get a photo of them because too dangerous. When I can and no one around me I try to snap a quick shot.

I stopped long enough at Love's Truck Stop in Waco, GA to shower, and then drove on over to Atlanta. Where I am going has a Pilot Truck Stop about 1/2 mile from there. I don't deliver until 11pm Sunday night so I have a day and a half to wait. Being the only truck stop on the SE side of Atlanta to speak of, and having only about room for 60 or so trucks, getting a parking place on Saturday morning was going to be real gamble. If I didn't find one I would have to go 10 to 20 miles to find another place to hopefully find a spot.

I timed myself in to the truck stop around 10am and figured that would be about the time trucks would be leaving out. Sure enough the lot was crammed full. I made one pass through and nothing, I circled out on the street and back into lot behind another truck that got in there ahead of me. Truck pulled out and he got the spot. I circled again, guy pulled out and a pickup came barreling up and blocked the spot. He had some empty pallets he wanted to load into a trailer back there, I was about to tap him on the head with my finger when a truck pulled out behind me, so I backed up and got that spot instead. Twenty paces closer to the bathroom.

Now I set here until about 1030pm Sunday night, then drive down to customer and get my toilet paper unloaded. Another lumper to pay off.

Hope you all make it to a sunrise service somewhere in the morning. I will probably be in the parking lot. Everyone have a Glorious and Happy Easter.

CHRIST OUR LORD HAS RISEN.