1 Trash truck to Peosta IA (delivered)

2 RV's to Dayton OH (Saturday)

... spending the night at Mason City IA

BB is up early this AM, too many things going on in her mind. So I'm up a little early too so we do get going a little earlier than most days.

When we are coming back from breakfast, the night clerk is delivering the check out receipts. As long as he is right there, I tell him about the water on the floor in the bathroom. To which he says ... I'm make a note of that so you won't get charged ???

The toilet is leaking, how is that EVER a guest issue ??? And it was that way when we checked in.

I had asked yesterday evening and the dispatcher for our next trip does not start until 8:30. I call them then and they are still not at the office but they have seen my text so the trip is mine. We are to the 'office' by 9 AM, my paperwork is there but for some reason I look at it before we leave. Maybe because it didn't feel right? Three copies were there, one was missing. I call and they bring out the extra copy. (We get our paperwork for a mail box outside the office)

Today my truck is almost as east to find as yesterday, just a little further down the line. Today it is a dual drive so I can drive from the left side. No issues during inspection.

... until I try to contact my drop. Same computer type receptionist, but this time I was able to hit keys and get a live person. One who seemed to have an idea of what I was talking about. But all they could do was 'forward my message.' Great, I'm not going to spend any more time on this today or ... ever?

The computer gave us lots of options on which way to go, but not the one we took. My guess is because of the road construction.

10 AM and it is already hot. I manage to get my jacket off at the first stop light. I know I could run the AC the whole time but I don't. Instead I am getting thirsty and dry.

Today the road construction has moved south to near Cresco. And I see the lead car pull over into our lane just before we get to the back up. So only a couple of minutes delay today.

Because I am hot and thirsty I take a break today. A stop at the Kwik Star in New Hampton for a bottle of lemon juice. No where to park so I <> park behind BB. A few minutes later the place is about empty. Kind of like last night when we fueled at Loves. All 12 pumps where full when we got there and we waited for someone to pull out so we could fuel. Before I had 10 gallons in the car, there was only one other pump in use. Timing.

One exit before I should have, I pull off the four lane and park on the ramp. I had never looked to see where my drop was. BB had told me, but now I see a new station and want to make sure my drop is by the correct station.

By now BB has caught up to me again and follows me up the ramp. We talk and then I also look at the map. Drop is right where I thought. Back on the four lane.

I get there two hours before they close. No idea if they ever got the message that I was coming. The person who got to sign for the truck was standing outside talking to someone so that was easy. He does about a 10 minute look over while I grab my stuff. I'm now carrying my jacket as it is about 85 degrees here.

As soon as we are done we pull next door to the truck stop. It used to be a hopping place but then they took out the cross street and put in an overpass a little further way. No one there. The no longer carry name brand gas. BB used the rest room and she said I should go in and buy something because the clerk looked lonely.

Our work options are gone. We are early enough we could have done the rental truck an hour away, it's gone. The other rental truck on the other side of the state is gone. The IL tanker is gone. Nothing worth taking for RV's. Two trash trucks in a row is enough.

We still head in the direction of the RV's, there is always hope. And that is the general direction of home. But it would be 8 PM if we headed all the way home.

Late in the day they do put some RV's out. They had put some out earlier but we were hoping for something better and those first ones were gone. We finally called after waiting to see if these would also be gone :) or if they would put something better out.

I first asked for one Dayton and one Columbus. The Columbus was a rush so I thought I could help out once in a while. But the office has some rule that a driver can only put their name one one trip. Someone else was a maybe on the Columbus already and if I put my name on that one, I couldn't have my name on a 2nd trip. We went for a sure thing and took two Dayton's.

Out of practice. We used to do rental cars first before calling. We can't get a one way out of Dayton for less than a week. We are actually trying to get one to Fort Wayne because there are six trucks there and BB would be willing to drive one of them so we'd both be driving ... to the DC airport ??? We haven't seen the orders but that is what it looks like.

We finally ended up getting a local rental in Dayton and will use that to get a one way from Columbus an hour away. Then return the local on our way to Fort Wayne. It takes a few extra hours be we didn't plan ahead. Our other option would have been to head home for the weekend.

Too late (for us) to pick up tonight so we get a hotel in Mason City. First we stop and get our food that we had called and ordered. I go in and pay and then start walking out the door. "STOP" The guy want's me to take my food that I just paid for :) :)

Great Italian food. Tonight we split one. The sampler.

Then we go for a walk. We've stayed here a few times so we notice things changing. The parking lot for the 'vacant' mall was packed tonight. Not sure why. And they are building apartments across the river from the park. We can see where there used to be steps down to the river every few feet like there used to be homes on that side. We don't remember.

Here in IA, farmers are working their fields and planting. In MN it sounds like another chance of snow over the weekend?

1st stop - to pick up our paperwork at the 'office' in Dodge Center

2nd - shipper in Dodge Center

3rd - Kwik Star in New Hampton

4th - drop in Peosta

5th - truckstop in Peosta for fuel

6th - Flying J in Evansdale to make phone calls

7th - Italian food in Mason City

8th - Quality Inn (soon to be Comfort Inn) in Mason City

Load board

US - 204

IA - 3

MN - 9

WI - 22

We have less than 700 miles to go in the next two days so we won't be maxing our driving hours. Not sure where we will stop. 2nd night will be near Dayton, just a few miles from the airport so we can leave one RV at our hotel when we pick up our car. From there we are 20 miles from our drop.