Grave Days

Safety Meeting

We had an alarm this AM. Breakfast was last nights Italian leftovers. Headed to our meeting at 7:30.

We were not the first ones there. We sign in and talk to other drivers until the meeting starts. Unlike the annual meetings in IA where there are 100-200 people, today there are 12 of us including the safety director, local dispatcher and three people that are drivers but seem to have spent some 'office time.'

The TV screen on the wall is hanging at an angle and looks to be ready to fall off. Not sure if their screen was the issue or the lap top running it but there were often computer issues. (Did notice when I was leaving that the main office welcome screen was also having issues) And I talked to one of the drivers who did stay there last night, they said they would not again. So, glad we did not.

Most of the topic was on safety and very few stories being told other than by the host. Meeting still lasted four hours.

Safety ... claims. Claims for last year will be about $5 million. Just part of doing business. And they went down the list including some pictures and some stories. Usually a story behind the claim. And when they dig, the person usually gets terminated. They did admit that the drivers who go to safety meetings are not the issue. It is the drivers not going, so kind of like preaching to the choir.

Not sure about BB today. She had gotten her CDL between when she applied and when she hired on to this carrier. She has always kind of kept that quiet and always driven non-CDL here. Today at the safety meeting, she asked about it and then sent her info to corp to get updated. (and other times while on vacation this week, she is ready to be 'done' driving??)

Before the meeting we spent some time talking to a driver that is on my FB group.

It's noon when we are done with the meeting. We have no plans and no work. BB is kind of done with beaches and we don't have a walk planned so we are going to go to some cemeteries ... after lunch.

Lunch is at Chicken Salad Chick. First time. Good food. Today everyone is getting an extra cup of their original chicken salad with each order. Too much food and at 78 degrees, no where to keep it. Besides my sandwich, and the free cup, I also got soup. Full.

Next stop is Lee Cemetery in Lehigh Acres. By looking at the marking style on most crypt's (?) We walked about 15 minutes before finding the one we were looking for.

The next cemetery was about a half hour away. This is the first upright marker we have been looking for in FL. Office is closed but we have a location. And it is <> unique so we hope we can find it. We drive a little and then resort to looking up other markers to see which section we are in. Most graves at this cemetery do not have the locations online so it took a while but we did find it this way.

Then we did the math. It is another half hour to the next cemetery, at least a half hour to look and then another half hour to get back to the freeway. And it is already three hours to Lakeland from here ... that would make it 7 PM to the hotel. So we decide to skip the last cemetery and get a hotel in Sarasota instead.

Comfort Inn in Sarasota. Same one as two days ago. We are in early enough that we are doing some laundry, just in case we get work.

Work. There is a used tanker near Jacksonville heading up to VA, not where we want to go. Nothing in GA or SC. Nothing longer than a day out of AL or NC. So no plans.

Load board

US - 111

IA -0-

MN - 3

WI - 9

Tomorrow we switch out our local rental car for a one one. With temps of almost 80 today I think the manatee's have moved back out to the gulf. No plan yet if we will be in ATL Monday AM or almost home.