See 'PHOTOS' for a bus I haven't driven, but have been asked to.

Two RV's leaving Sunday, one for UT, one for CA.

The usual dilemma for work. Things change as we watch. Called into dispatch on Wednesday before Thanksgiving for work leaving Monday. But for the first time since I've worked there, they are going to be open on Black Friday and that Saturday so we can't call in until the usual times. 24 hours before we leave. So we lost out on the good runs going down by San Diego.

Those runs were gone by Friday when we could call in. Our new choice was the UT-CA run, two for Salem, OR or the Carolina's. Taking the split run shorts BB $300 because she is not running the whole trip. We don't like to do that. But the Salem run puts us 10 hours away from our next trip, time wasted. And we later found out that the rental car would be twice the daily rate as anywhere else. Trip miles between the CA run and the OR run were almost the same.

3rd choice would have been going to the Carolina's. Various locations but it is only a two day run (pay) vs the four days going west. And return trips have been more hit and miss ... and shorter than the west coast.

Finally Friday morning we decide to call in for the UT-CA run and if it is gone (1st call, 1st get,) we would hold off and do the math on the other trips. Called in 10 times over the first 5 minutes before someone picked up. Only one person working the phones and they weren't putting anyone on hold, just letting the other phones ring. I was ready to give up thinking the person on Wednesday told me wrong.

BB is taking the one going to UT, north Salt Lake. It is less than 20 miles out of route so it shouldn't slow us down too much, just something we have to schedule in. Mine is going to the usual Sacramento location. Should be able to drop BB's on Wednesday and still make delivery on mine on Thursday. Both unit's are no tow so they pay us extra for transportation so that makes up the $300 we'll 'loose' by dropping one in UT.

Dispatch did add a few more runs including a second one to CA. But, once you take a run you are committed. No switching unless your's breaks down in the lot.

Just looked back and for the last four years, the load board has gotten up to between 80-90 right around Thanksgiving. And for the last three years the board has gotten down to -0- by the middle of December. This is likely our only RV run this month. We need to be back now for a followup dentist appointment on the 20th. And I always try to work quarter end locally.

Did get a couple of days of metro work but no all day runs. When I was in the office one of the dispatchers asked if I wanted a dispatching job (they know I've done it there before,) I think I've heard that comment from half the people in the office so I didn't think too much about it. A couple of days later I hear more bits and pieces and it sounds like this time they really are looking for a dispatcher.

Now the forecast has changed and we may have been better off leaving yesterday or today.

More later.

And now it's later. We had a few things to do this AM before we got going at noon. Shoveled the snow one more time, etc. Traffic was slow most of the way. We go as far as Albert Lea to the Comfort Inn. It's been a while since we stayed in Forest City. Nicer motel here. If we leave right after breakfast we should get to Forest City just before sunrise.

No stops this trip, until we were in Albert Lea, then we stopped and got new wipers as they started falling apart today, we'll have to put them on at some point. Then we stopped for fuel so the van will be almost full as it sits for a couple of weeks before being moved again.

Checked in about 3 PM, then walked next door to the Iron Skillet for food about 5 PM. Buffet, stuffed ourselves.

Sounds like the roads are closed in SD. We should be OK and staying far enough south on I-80.

NOPE, it's a little later and now I-80 is closed from Ogallala, NE to Laramie, WY. By the looks of the map, it looks like every major road in NE west and north of Ogallala is closed. But we are a day plus away. WY says the roads should be open by Sunday morning ... before noon. We won't get there until Monday afternoon so ... they storm is moving east so we will see what is closed tomorrow, I haven't seen a forecast as to how fast or where the storm is moving.

I've added a couple of pictures to this 'trip,' it looks like the way I have this set up that each group in the upper left is a trip and pictures are posted to whichever group I put them under. 100 total pictures, 90 to go. I think I will try to add at least one picture per vehicle and then just delete the older ones when the file starts getting full. I'm already moving by write-ups to my personal site after about six months.

Had throat issues again yesterday, first time since before Easter. I think I may have it figured out now but I still need to deal with it.