1 tree truck to Springfield IL (delivered)
... spending the night at home
Breakfast - No eggs or meat, not even nuke sandwiches were available. So I grabbed two cups of yogurt. When I'm about half done with the first cup I realize that it is warm. Room temperature. So I quit and threw it away.
When I checked out, I mentioned it to the person at the front desk. They asked if I had told anyone at the time? Opps. I should have. I should have come down and ask for cold yogurt. I guess I was too busy getting ready.
Yesterday when I fueled I had done the math for my mileage. I had used the current mpg. After I fueled I had an excess range of 50 miles more than I needed. Today I leave the hotel with a range of 10 miles more than I need. As I round the cloverleaf close to the drop, I loose the last of the excess range. So I get to the lot a little under on range but still showing at 1/8th of a tank of fuel.
1st stop was the drop. It was in the city lot but I need someone there to sign for it. There is a pickup from another company there, and that was my contact. His prior company had lost the contract, so he jumped ship to the new company. Not sure how he still has the prior company's pickup.
Today the temps are not in the 30's and the washer tank is frozen again. I guess we were not able to pour in enough new fluid to make a difference.
2nd stop was for gas at a Shell station in Kickapoo. Fuel is cheaper here than most places in IL, but ...
The first pump said 'see cashier,' so I moved on to the next. Gas is $.30 more here than in IA. BB insists that I put in four gallons. She doesn't want to walk in this, or any weather.
Again, after fueling, we have 100 miles extra range. Opps.
3rd stop was in Moline at a McCallister's. BB had ordered online. This place was out of different foods than last night. BB liked her sandwich so much last night that she ordered the same thing today. It wasn't quite as good as last night but still good.
I ended up with their version of a reuben. They were also out of the chicken salad sandwich and the French Dip would have been too messy to eat and drive.
4th stop was the Loves in Davenport. Fuel is $2.99. This time we get there with an excess range of 88 miles. Nope, didn't need to put in four gallons.
I get another call today from the local dispatcher, I let it go to voicemail. Today they have a trip going to International Falls. It could be done in one day ... if nothing goes wrong. To make things even better, the auction dispatcher at the other company has something coming back from Bemidji. So almost a round trip. Good money.
But we haven't been home for a few days and most of this would have to be done on Monday. I prefer not leaving the city limits on Monday so we pass.
There is also another pickup from NE coming back to MN. But we are running too late to make pickup today. We were watching for anything out of IL and then eastern IA but nothing showed. The closer we get to home on any trip the less likely we are not going to just go home.
We must have some kind of bubble around us. Something that keeps good trips from showing up in our area when we are there. There has been trips daily in FL since we left. And today there were four trucks in NC going to CA that BB would drive. Also two going up to WI. Not sure what we would have done with the rental car ... but the trucks were there.
Long haul dispatch had also contacted me about a truck in Sauk Center MN going to TN. Sorry, I'm not in MN today ... They also contacted BB. Not sure how she is listed in their computer, she gets a lot of calls on CDL trucks.
5th stop is in Janesville at the Kwik Star for a break and to reply to messages.
6th stop is to pickup our our own car in Forest City. Didn't talk to anyone today, just dropped off my paperwork from the last RV trip.
BB took the rental car because it was already warm. But that meant that she needed to stop for fuel before getting home. She stopped at Owattona at the Fleet Farm.
7th stop was at Zupas. We had decided we would each just get our own food somewhere before we got home. I stop at Zupas and get my food. While I was waiting for the cars to clear I was parked behind someone ... I noticed movement by the car so I looked over. BB was just getting out of her car :)
8th and final stop is home. Home for four days.
This was a 'paid vacation.' We did make more money than we needed to cover tax type expenses. But if you would also subtract the money we spent for food we did not. But we would be eating food no matter where we were. So we likely will not be doing this kind of trip again soon.
Or maybe next week ... depending on how bad we want to get out of town. Right now the only pair of RV's leaving town are going to Louisiana . All other trips keep us above the snow line.
Load board
US - 286
IA - 98/97
Off now until Wednesday ??
LOG
7:30 - Leave Sleep Inn in Decatur IL
8:30 - Drop - Springfield IL
- Kickapoo IL - Shell - fuel
11:00 - Moline IL - McCallister's Deli
11:30 - Davenport IA - Loves
1:15 - Janesville IA - Kwik Star
3:15 - Forest City IA - pickup personal car
5:45 - Woodbury MN - Zupas
6:00 - home