Friday was a long day.

No rush getting up, we can't return the rental car until 7:30 AM. Breakfast is the next door down. Good breakfast, the office and breakfast are set up in a conference room.

We get ready to pull out about 7:30, scrape the ice off the windows ... yes, this is in California. People are sleeping in a car a few feet away from us, I don't set the horn off ... this time.

It's all of two miles to Hertz. We've driven the area enough that I don't look at a map. I find the drop and realize I need to do something else to my DOT log. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK. Didn't get the bus in park before I took my seatbelt off. Sure the neighborhood loved it.

This is the third time on this stretch of highway in two weeks so nothing much new. A little greener, a few more blooms, some of the citrus has now been picked.

First stop was in Firebaugh at a rest area, another two hours down the road we stop at a TA in Buttomwillow for Taco Bell. This location didn't have a Country Pride and didn't see a family restaurant anywhere.

30+ miles of non-freeway, this is why BB didn't want to go this route yesterday. Stoplights for the last 10 miles or so. Saw a school bus run the railroad tracks, not sure what the lay is here, but I stop in every state.

Coming through Bakersfield I notice a gal walking on the inside of the sound barrier. Then a noticed the 40 foot long homeless encampment built against the barrier. Common sight out here.

Lots of tag on the hills between Bakersfield and Barstow. Some trucks did better depending on how steep the grade, sometimes they would pass me and sometimes I would pass them. I did pass another Gillig bus, he was going about 60 mph and I never saw him again. Also saw an RV out of Oregon, he passed me and I never saw him again.

This trip I'm running 65 mph. If I don't, there's a good chance I wouldn't make a Tuesday delivery. Not making Monday because I didn't get a chance to re-set my hours. But now I'm better to run short days every day, than to take a day off so I can run long days. It's a math thing.

Next stop is in Boron at a Pilot. No rest areas on CA-58. It's next to the only stoplight for miles and traffic gets backed up.

Almost three hours to Needles. Both rest area's on I-40 have been closed and the only gas stations look mostly deserted. We know where food it, McD's is on top of the hill right next to the Quality Inn. But just as I'm turning down that street I see that Jack's has enough room to get the bus in, so Jack In The Box it is. Food was good.

Wasn't sure how for we would get tonight, I originally pegged Needles, but had time to get to Kingman. BB looks up the motels and the Quality here in Needles is $130 for tonight. We have enough time so we will head to Kingman. Earlier today rooms in Kingman had been $62, as they are now. But when BB tries to reserve it, it comes back as $97 so she cancels to see what she did wrong. That was it. Sold out. I called, yes, sold out and, no, they did not have a reservation for us. After doing some more looking we end up at a Best Western for $100+. Still less than Needles.

Now it's dark and we've got another hour to drive. Stop at the scale to get a permit. The guy flagging us through flags the person ahead of us over. Seems he wanted to make sure none of his cars were stolen. So with him out checking the cars, a truck stops at an empty window, until I mention something to the person helping me ... opps, they were supposed to be doing both jobs. Scale warns of of ice ahead, but not before Kingman.

Get to the Best Western, check in. Nice place, right next to a BJ's ... (they sometimes carry the 4B's soup, but we've already eaten)

Jump drive on my computer has quit working. It came new with 'security' so that I had to log in everytime I want to use my jump drive. No way to prompt it, just wait until the screen pops up. Well it no longer pops up so I can't use my jump drives. Soooooo ... I email my permits to a junk account so I can print them out. That is how a wasted last night, trying to get my jump drive to work. It still doesn't.

RECORD - For the first time since I have been driving RV's there is over 200 left on the board at the end of the day.