Tag Archives: My Favorites

Me at Hotel – Athens

Me at Hotel - Athens

Me at Hotel – Athens

In the 1990′s Ethel and I did a little trip to Athens to see all of the cool things that are in Athens. While there, I booked a hotel suite in the center of Athens that had a really great balcony with an incredible view of the Acropolis, especially at night. That is the Acropolis in the background. Why is this picture so significant to me? It was because of the patio. In the picture you only see the side of the patio. The front is around the corner. It had a really nice sitting area. But the best thing was the view. Over my right shoulder is the Parthenon. At night they light that place up and it becomes a very special optical phenomenon. It is, without a doubt, the best view I have ever had from a hotel balcony. I remember sitting on that terrace, sipping some ouzo and wondering about 2,500 years of history.

The Man Has Carts

The Man Has Carts

The Man Has Carts

Actually, the man (me) has about 200 of them in total. I could have carried more, but the 200 was all they had. I picked them up at a Wal-Mart and took them to a shopping cart manufacturer in Oklahoma. The load took me home. It didn’t pay well, but what could I do? When I need to go home I need to go home. When I got to the Wal-Mart they said they would load them for me. After a while of no activity, I got out of my truck, went in and found the manager who was in no hurry to re-allocate the labors of his people to loading shopping carts. They were busy with "Wal-Mart stuff" he told me. Eventually, I got loaded by getting involved. Significance? People ask me what I hauled when I drove. Repeat after me – everything. If it gets sold in American stores a big truck will be involved in the transportation of the product.

17 Layer Lasagna

17 Layer Lasagna

17 Layer Lasagna

One day Ethel and I are out driving around in Oklahoma City. She says "Are you hungry?" I say "Sure." We decided we were both hungry for a little bit of Italian food. We figured we’d go to Bella Vista, an Italian restaurant on the south side of OKC. Big mistake. There is nothing little about the servings at Bella Vista. This is a 17 layer lasagna. Incredibly cheesy. The kind of food your cardiologist would tell you to avoid at all costs. Way too good. Fortunately, they have take-home boxes for those of us who don’t make a total pig of ourselves. Dollar-for-dollar, the Bella Vista is the best value in Italian in OKC. Significance? You don’t have to go to Paris or London or Tokyo to get really good food. There’s a reason why Americans are the pudgiest people on the planet. Hint: good, cheap food.

What a Sunset!

What a Sunset!

What a Sunset!

I get to see some nice sunrises, don’t I? That’s one of the benefits of driving a truck. The sunsets can sometimes be just as spectacular. What’s so special about this picture? It reminds me that no one sees great weather like truck drivers and sailors.

Me and Tony

Me and Tony

Me and Tony

Me and my brother. Notice I have a little hair. Notice he is holding a bottle of Jack Daniels. A bottle of Jack was something he liked to hold a lot at one time in his life. We are at my mom’s house. It is sometime after the Vietnam war. His hair is longer than when he served. Date??? I wish I knew. I had some good times with my brother. I miss him. Significance? In our later years we called each other every month or so. Even after he was dead for years, I would occasionally reach out to pick up the phone to call him and realize that I couldn’t. Old habits die hard.

Rental Car in Connecticut

Rental Car in Connecticut

Rental Car in Connecticut

It’s the car I used to go up to Vermont. How often did I rent a car and go exploring when I was out on the road? Every chance I got. Sometimes, I would go home, pick up Ethel and we would go out on the road just to go somewhere, stop for a week, get a rental car and go exploring. We slept in the truck, showered in the truck stop and were tourists. Trucking is the absolute best way to see America. You get to go out on the road and live. If you have your own truck, you can set your own schedule. You can stop when you want for as long as you want. You can go anywhere in the United States and someone else will foot the bill. I would still be driving a truck part-time if my wife would have been willing to go with me, but I can understand why she didn’t. Not everyone can deal with the lifestyle of being a trucker. Or Driver, as they like to call themselves.