1 bus heading to Pittsburg PA

... spending the night in Oklahoma City OK

Breakfast. You point, they bag. I picked two Rice Krispy bars and juice. BB picked emergency supplies. As she was going to eat her left overs from last night. So I had one Krispy bar and ham.

Leaving out at first light.

1st stop is seven miles down the road at Moriarty at the TA for fuel. Cheaper and easier to get in and out of that the TA last night or the other truck stops. All buses are a pain to fuel, I have to hold the nozzle in place and hold it at the correct speed. I've gotten pretty good at stopping the flow at the correct time. Missed this time, fuel bubbled out the top, I let go of the nozzle and it fell on the ground. I didn't try to put any more in, I should have. Or at least stuck the tank. I put in 50 gallons and it should have been closer to 70 gallons. But I had had a good tail wind yesterday so it could have been correct.

2nd stop was in Tucumcari at the Flying J to use the rest room. They are working on the road right there and the lanes are narrow. People were not pulling out in the correct order and not leaving enough room. I was waiting for someone to clear the intersection when someone else pulled out, go almost against my bus before they realized they were not going to make it so I had to pull ahead to let them by and cut off someone else.

This was the most empty I have ever seen this lot, the car lot. Usually there are transporters and lots of others. This time just a few people, no transporters. The two pickups next to us both had WI plates on them. Looked like a couple in their late 70's with everything packed up. I should have looked closer but I think both pickups were from the 60's, and they were using walkie-talkies to talk to each other when they were both sitting in the parking lot.

3rd stop was at the Loves in Amarillo at Subway. My choice as BB was now eating todays breakfast food. Most Loves have smaller parking lots, but this is TX and it is a holiday weekend so the lot most not full.

I called the drop from here. I had four people / numbers to call and I thought I might be calling all of them. But the 2nd one picked up, asked me a couple of questions and that was it. Monday morning delivery.

4th stop was Erick OK at the rest area. Limited services. Yes, it is now two porta potties.

5th stop was at the TA in Oklahoma City for fuel. At the TA on the correct side of the road, as there are more than one TA's (And more than one Pilot's) on that streatch.

I hadn't looked at a map so I started in the wrong way, then could tell I couldn't get to the truck pumps so exited out a very steep driveway. I managed not to scrape. No one had half the pumps so I decided to put in DEF also. Nope, the half the pumps that no one was at do not have DEF.

So I moved to the other side of the building and was still able to back in. And my credit card won't work at the pump, I have to go inside. First I give them the wrong pump number and they say that DEF isn't working. I come back in with the correct pump number and they want to know how much DEF I am going to put in ... this is why I try to stay away from the TA's. I can do all this at the pump at Loves, Pilot/Flying J.

I could have just dealt with it but I left the building and used my company card, likely the first time for DEF. Then the pump isn't working right, it takes forever to fill and doesn't shut off when full.

Fuel, this is more routine. I get in almost 90 gallons. Not likely that the tank was full last time. 8 mpg the 1st tank (if it was full at pickup.) 10 mpg on the 2nd tank and now 6 mpg on the 3rd tankful.

This has taken me close to a half hour instead of 10 minutes. All to save less than $4. If I hadn't decided to put DEF in at the last minute things would have been faster. Luckily that location didn't charge a fee. Otherwise I would have done it all for a buck.

It got dark while I was fueling so the last few miles to the hotel were in the dark.

6th and final stop is the Sleep Inn on the northeast corner of Oklahoma City. We call next door to the Patio a Mexican/something else food place. Good food every time so far. And it was still hot. But they did forget to give us chips, salsa but no chips.

I did see a fair number of transporters today again. UPS and white vans, RV's, trucks. Saw a school bus. I think I have seen that driver before. They put up two rows of placards across the side driver window and all across the front. Instead of just one placard on each side.

And we saw a few cops again today, not sure why they need so many at each incident.

Load board

IA - 141

This morning it was 97, then down to 77 before they started adding more. Lots of trips that would work for us. Today.

But we are not home today and can't call in until Tuesday and then only if we are going to drop the rental and head back out right away. By then we will either need to do laundry again or shop. We also need to pick up meds and drop off the van with the bad breaks.

Or we will find something before we get home and head out from there.

Not much highway stuff to see today. The Cadillac Ranch cars are a big draw. 10 Cadillac's buried nose first and covered in graffiti. Since 1974. And still drawing a daily crowd.

Weigh scales closed today.

1,000 miles to go. Pay is good but the trip is long. Then 1,000 miles home in two days.