2 RV's to Newark CA, delivered

1 bus to Des Moines IA

... spending the night at 

MIDNIGHT ... LOUD TALKING IN HALL WAY. Things are getting back to normal :(

Then later I heard what I thought was someone moaning. Finally I thought it may be BB breathing and as I listened I realized that the 'moaning' was constant, not broken like breathing would be ... and no one could moan that long without a breath. So it was something else, and I got back to sleep.

The 3rd time I woke up was because ... there was a skunk by my lawn mower, so I started throwing things at it. It moved away from the lawn mower but not away from me. Finally it came on a dead run toward me and I woke up before it sprayed me. :)

And I was awake again when the alarm went off at 5:30 local.

Breakfast here is all but the hot stuff. BB had toast and I had my yogurt. Sign on the entrance says masks REQUIRED. The others getting their breakfast stuff were not wearing masks, and again when we were leaving those getting breakfast were not wearing masks.

We pull out about 7 AM local. Our room overlooked our RV's and we spent time trying to figure out which way to get the RV's out. Lot was a lot emptier when we pulled in. Ended up that I pulled out first and luckily I was almost across from the empty handicapped spots so I had more turn room. Once I pulled out, I watched BB's swing as she was pulling out, but no issues either.

The longest two hours of the trip. I-80, CA-99, I-580. Just lots of traffic, even for a mostly holiday. We drove a lot of it under the posted because I didn't feel like jumping lanes all the time. Finally lost BB when we exited the freeway. For the next 10 miles she was not behind me, but we had talked enough about it that she caught up to me before I could get an open.

1st stop, Chevron in Newark. Final fuel about a mile from the drop. All lanes were full when I pulled in. I picked a lane and then had to back up so one car could get out as the truck in front of them hadn't started fueling. Didn't help me as my tank is way near the rear and I still had to wait. When the truck was finally done, I was able to pull far enough ahead that both BB and I could fuel at the same time.

When BB was finishing up I had noticed a gal walk out of the store sucking on a pop. Then she walked over between our two RV's and stood in the drive area. BB made sure she quickly got in her RV, at that point I hadn't really paid any attention to the gal. Then I had to say 'excuse me' so I could walk past the gal and then she followed me. She asked me something but I didn't look back and didn't respond until I was in my RV with the door shut.

Then she said something about a cigarette, and I said 'no, they are bad for you,' and started my RV. When I looked over to see where the gal was, she was walking across the parking lot with her pants around her ankles. Later at the RV dealer, BB said she got the full moon from the gal when she finally pulled up her pants, bent over at the waist.

Only a mile to the drop, saw the arrow for the returns as I had been told. Place did not seem that busy for all the staff today so not sure the reason for not being able to get through most of yesterday.

2nd stop, the drop. I quickly wiped everything down that I had touched in the RV and then went in to find someone to sign. The person who checked us in got a 30 second 'how to' from someone at the desk before coming out to look at the vehicles.

She 'checked out' both RV's in less than 15 minutes and we were ready to go. Plan had been for BB to call the rental car place when we got there, but things went so quick that we waited until we were all done.

One other of our drivers got checked in just before we got did. He's flying back today and heading out again on Sunday with an RV to Salt Lake City. When his Uber ride came this guy motioned for us to come over, I did and he asked if we needed a ride to the airport. Nope, by then I had already called our rental car company and they would be there in 20 minutes, and they were only a mile away.

As soon as we were checked in, the returns started showing up. Busy day. One of the families had a dog, he came over and lay by us until our ride came and then followed us while we loaded our stuff in the car. But we didn't let him come with us.

3rd stop, rental car. Glad we did not try to stash one RV at the car rental place. It is packed. Cars stacked 2-3 deep and so close together that you have to move one car to get in to the one next to it. From drop to rolling in a rental was less than an hour.

Then ... because we had just dropped in CA ... our next stop is In n Out Burger.

4th stop is In and Out still in Newark. The line was so short that we missed where to turn in, the 1st time. BB ordered a single hamburger and I a single cheese burger. No more double doubles, for a while at least.

Then the road we talked about taking with the RV's and didn't. Narrow two lane road for a few miles but I don't think I'll try it with an RV.

5th stop, Livermore, Chevron for fuel. We drove it 30 miles, it gets 36 miles per gallon and we add a gallon and a half just to be safe.

6th stop, Livermore and pick up a bus. I call security to let us in and my bus is the first one in line. Lots of buses, maybe the most I have seen here at one time and most usually leave out every night and this is the next day.

I get a short bus, BB steps it off later and it's likely a 28 footer. Small fuel tank, but I can park just about anywhere. This is the same as the RV's we just had.

Half an hour to check out the bus and we are ready. No issues. BB drops the car and I pick her up and we are rolling. Things are going pretty good today ... so far.

Traffic is almost the usual rush hour traffic today as we are leaving town noon. I had thought of staying on I-5 but knew that getting over on to CA-99 in Stockton was shorter. I headed over to CA-99. Once I'm off I-5 the overhead signs say 'CA-99 closed, use I-5.' Couldn't they have said that ON I-5?

Traffic is still moving so we keep going and see more signs. BB looks up where it says it is closed, 2nd exit ahead, so we exit with the intent of going back to I-5 but they would add 10 miles or so. So BB finds a route that gets us back to where the road is closed thinking we would be getting on after where it is closed. Nope, when they say closed AT, everything beyond is closed. But by now we are in residential area's so we keep going and follow the service road with 1,000 other cars.

As we are sitting there in stop and go traffic, we see cars moving again on the freeway, they have re-opened it. And we get to watch as the power company blocks one lane of the service road we are on so they can fix the power lines. It looks like that is why the road had been closed, downed power lines on the freeway. But soon, only time lost, and we are back on the freeway.

7th and final stop is the Comfort Inn in Rocklin ... again. I was wondering where I could park a 40 foot bus with all these tree trucks in the lot. No issue when it is a 28 foot bus, Just find four open car spots, all in a row or in a square.

27

Tonight we pay with points as we we don't maximize points staying two nights in a row, even if we check out and back in. And we are over 200,000 points again.

Tonight we walk over to the Kathrin's Biergarten. We've been here a couple of times before, we've also been to a dozen other places within walking distance but none twice.

BB has Sauerbraten and I had a Rueben. BB had a beer ... and a fly. So the beer was free and replaced. Great German food.

I am still up against my hours so we won't know for a day or two if we will be delivering Tuesday or Wednesday. It would be Tuesday if I had hours. Only used 7 instead of 10 today. But based on the trip out we did 9, 10 and 9 hours, so we might make it.

Load board

IA - 27

MN - -0-

WI - 6

US - 95

I've looked at the last three years load board for IA and for Jul 7, 8 and 9 were all zero's for all years. So we are heading into slow. All three years do not get back up to double digits again until the 2nd week in August. And by that time I will need to re-test for my DOT.

.. and I noticed another bruise of unknown origin.