1 bus to Des Moines IA

... spending the night at Kearney NE

BB didn't want a bag breakfast, she had left overs. We are getting a pretty good stash from all the breakfasts :) I did get the bag, with muffin's and apple sauce.

BB is looking at our loadboard this AM and somehow gets on something she hasn't seem before. It is showing how many loads out of IA and how many to be HAULED out of IA. Then one day she mentioned was 39 on the loadboard and another 15 to be hauled. So my log of daily loads isn't showing the whole story. Not sure why or how long, but some are getting hauled. And hauled to CA where we want to drive them to.

As I am getting out of the shower, the phone is ringing. I run but miss it. It is dispatch, wanting me to take a run from Des Moines to St Cloud. It would be great money in more normal time. I am short of hours so it would be an extra motel night on a 200 mile run. And things are not well at home, we need to get home.

When I went to check out, they asked how was my stay. I told them. I think I was on my second sentence when the manager stepped out of the office and took over. The topic was no soap. Seems this location's vendor is 3 weeks (or 3 months) behind, so they have been ordering for a 2nd vendor who is now also behind. My points were ...

1) there must be some place in town that has soap.

2) When they knew they were running out, only give people what they ask for

3) With all the precautions the motel is taking, and then we are supposed to go 12 hours without washing our hands after touching everything.

I forgot to mention

4) What amenities could be missing for you not the rent the room?

... then I said how nice their staff has been when we check in, this time, two days ago, two weeks ago.

1st stop was Pine Bluffs WY rest area. Someone in an RV was dressed for a night out ... 1920's style. We only took a 15 break, we should be OK.

Kimball NE ... home of a family famous chiropractor. Just past the town I notice the truck ahead of me pull to the left lane. Then I see the deer coming up the ditch bank and onto the road. I start blowing my horn, they stop. I blow it again and they turn around. WHEW. Don't need roadkill on my front bumper.

As we pass Sidney at 10:30 AM, we see two buses pulling out of the motel. We are too far away to see which make they are. I had thought they might catch up to me in the next hour but they didn't. And I doubt they were heading west as both bus locations in MN are closed last week and this. Not likely to see any of those buses on the road until Tuesday next week.

2nd stop is Arbeys in Ogallala. I park in the big rig area and we go inside to order. We could have eaten inside but we are still staying out side. Only saw two other people other than us with masks on. None of the staff was wearing masks, but one other male mid-50's was, but not his wife. And a 20 something girl was wearing a mask. The other dozens of people who came and went were not.

So I park in the big rig area, and back up so hopefully no one parks behind me to block me in. But someone in a car parks right in front of me?? Lots of other places in the marked car area to park and they park in the un-marked area so I would have to back out. But they were in and out before our half hour was up.

Actually took an extra 15 minutes and called my dentist. They are still not taking routine checkups. And I would have to go to one clinic in St Paul if I wanted to get in. Not sure when I could get in, but they are open now. I'll wait. Nothing hurts but even at six month checkups I need work done just about every time.

Then I called the drop, twice. No answer so I left a message. We will be there Wednesday AM.

Somewhere out in this wide open country I started smelling something in bloom. The first time it hit me like too much perfume in a closed area. I never did figure out what it was. Smelt it a few more times.

3rd stop, Sapps in Odessa. When I pull off the freeway and go across the overpass, my low fuel light comes on. Well, I know that works now. First time on this brand of bus to have it come on.

At the pump, the card reader sees my card, then says removed and gets stuck on remove. So I have to go inside and leave my card while I fuel. 52 gallons in a 75 gallon tank. And the low fuel light had come on. 100 more miles and I will top off the tank again and that will be it for this bus.

4th stop, another seven miles down the road and we are at the Comfort Inn for the night. They have SOAP, two bars so one went right in my bag :) Plenty of room to park when you are off the road before 5 PM. Only used 7 of my 8 hours today. It would still be a push to make it to the drop tomorrow and now I have already said Wednesday.

Walk next door to the Angus Burgers and Shakes. We've eaten here before. But before we walk, we order online so it is ready when we get there. BB has fish and a strawberry malt. I have a burger with egg, bacon and hashbrowns plus onion rings, cheese and tomato. And a pina colada malt and a mango lemonade. I couldn't, didn't, finish it all.

Loadboard

IA - 28 including six non-RV. 2 to MN and 4 to FL

MN - -0-

WI - 4

US - 95

I'm still limping a little. The worst is my upper left leg. Didn't hit it there so I must have pulled something when I was catching myself from falling.

Father in law is not doing better. Seems it has been decided to move him back to the nursing home and put him in hospiscare. The nursing home only allows one visitor per resident, that one person can visit as often as they want. But once in hospise, he can have one visitor at a time, no limit on how many total people. He seems to be holding in there, but still not wanting any meds and little food.

We have another six hours of driving tomorrow plus an hour for inspections, fuel and breaks. Same as today. Then Wednesday will be a short 10 miles or less. BB found a rental car location right on the route so we don't have to go to the airport. And it's $40 cheaper than the prior one she was looking at.

Trips this close to home pay really good. But not sure when we will head out again. Mid-July at the earliest, if there is work.

Grandkids were eating the blueberries from my garden today. Glad someone is enjoying them.