Cassie travels on...

I thought yall might like to read a little of the next piece of Cassie's story. The first piece was here, second piece here and third piece here
To be warned...This post is not suitable for children.

Cassie woke to the biggest hangover she had ever had in her life! Her head was pounding, the sunlight was painful, her body felt like it had been drained of it's blood. She was in no condition to leave but she had to. He drove her to the interstate and filled her head with lots of warnings to hopefully help her stay out of trouble. The biggest warning was to not get drunk with strangers, that one she heard and whole heartedly agreed to. He made her feel like he truly cared and that there was hope in this new day.

The best thing Cassie has is the ability to shake things off and look forward, instead of dwelling on the pain. The past 48 hours have been hard and the tears flow wherever she thinks about it, so instead she hears her father's voice telling her to shake it off and put on your happy face. Her parents taught her well how to pretend to be happy. Everywhere they went it was important to make sure that people saw us as a happy family, nothing is wrong. "Unless you are bleeding or dying, you better smile."

So when the big rig pulled over with two men in it, she smiled, "you need a ride, darlin?" They were headed to Arizona, she hopped up into the truck with no fear, just happy to finally be headed in the right direction.
The driver was a tall, muscular, red headed man with freckles, with a friendly smile. Having lots of redheads in her family she was instantly drawn to him, maybe he could be her friend or even her boyfriend. The co driver was of average height, slender with curly brown hair and the more talkative of the two. 

Leaving Oklahoma behind her was such a relief and the drivers took her mind off of it by talking for hours. She had relaxed, felt safer than she had in days. They reached Arizona by that evening. She had breakfast in Oklahoma and dinner in Arizona. She marveled at that and when they proposed to her to travel along with them, she thought what difference will a few days make, no one knows I'm headed to California anyway.

She trusted them, felt safe with them, they were fun. Their next load was going to Florida. She got a little excited about going to Florida, her grandparents summered there every year. Although she didn't know where exactly in Florida they lived, she thought "maybe I could find them and stay with them, they wouldn't send me back, I'm sure of it." 

They reached Florida in the dark, she was having a great time chatting and viewing the towns as they went through each state. They convinced Cassie to stay with them, they were going to Indiana and then right back to Florida again. One more trip wont hurt her plans.

She never saw or felt the change coming.

(This is my story of when I was 15 and what all happened at that time. Cassie is the name I started using as an alias, so no one would be able to know who I was and send me back to my parents. This story doesn't end till I am back with my parents.)

Vacation Tanked.

I am so disappointed and upset.

Our plans for a real vacation have been shot down by..well all sorts of things. We had planned to go visiting family and friends in a huge triangle of Texas. Grand kids we have never seen and friends that we haven't seen in years and now my bff that I just now got back in touch with after nearly 17 years. The plans and financials had been made back in February. I have been soo good at holding on to a portion of our income tax return, just for this occasion. Even when at times that money could have been used for so many other things, this event was way more important to me. The use of my truck was the key to all of this happening and for some unconscious reason, I refused to make the obvious connection to the loss of my vacation.

My truck has been broke down since April!

Well, it does run sort of. I can take it to the store or the post office, but I have to let it sit and cool off to get it to start again. It chunks black smoke out the tailpipe and has a mind of its own when it comes to speed and brakes. I can't even get it fixed enough to pass inspection in two weeks.

It is the only truck big enough for us to take the dogs with us. If we take his truck we will have to find a dog sitter (I don't know anyone who would do it) or put them in a kennel (which we would never do even if I knew where one was). Bf's live too far away this time for them to come over and check on the cats.

The last time we went out of the area was four years ago. I was just wanting this so badly, I was ignoring the obvious complications in the plan.

How do people just get up and go when ever they feel like it?
How do they deal with pets?

Thankfully the kids are planning to come down next month, but that is only two of the six visits we had on the schedule. I hate when my head clears and problems are finally seen. Where the heck are my rose colored glasses when I need them?

Sigh...very disappointed.

My Hubby Is So...

The creators of this meme:
http://www.headacheshormonesandhotflashes.com/
http://menonewmom.blogspot.com/


My hubby is soo...HILARIOUS!!!

Driving a big rig has its rules. In order to pass a state inspection all things have to be just soo. On this particular inspection, hubby noticed the air hoses chaffing each other. Big NO-NO! This could lead to major problems if the chaffing creates a hole in any of the hoses, air leaks could cause no brakes, air bags or numerous other things. Strange that the officer didn't see it and hubby of course isn't going to point it out to him! The hoses are supposed to have separators on them, but the company is too cheap to have a supply on hand.

Hubby's brilliant solution to this problem is to wrap each hose in a inner tube with plastic ties. Well...first he has to get the inner tube.

While driving to the next job, he spies one on the side of the road. The man just has all the luck with junk on the road, I wish I could be that lucky to get the things I need like that!

He's all happy and fixes the problem. He chats with his work buddy and states that he would like to find a bag full of money.

Yeah wouldn't we all!! You ain't that lucky, dear!

Hubby comes home and is relaying all of this too me (with his hand in his pocket). I could tell he was excited and I was getting a little excited too!

He pulls this out of his pocket:

A little change purse!! I busted out laughing!!

Hubby say...well I got what I asked for! Just not quite!

He hands it too me and I open it:

.87 cents!!

My laughter is uncontrollable!

He says...I think my Genie needs more detailed instructions!

ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING MY BUTT OFF!!!!

I have Issues!

Sleeping issues:

I have been getting maybe 5 or 6 hours of sleep, except for Teusday when I slept for 10 hours. I am soo off on my sleeping hours! A little here and a little there. It's getting pretty tiring! Last night I stayed up to get hubby off and then stayed up till nine in the morning! (More on that later) I slept till noon, let the dogs out and slept till two. Seems like I slept the day away but really it was only five hours of broken sleep.

Internet and phone issues:

The reason why I stayed up till nine in the AM..
Yesterday around two, I tried to log into the internet and got nothing. I figured all the numbers where having difficulties from an overload of people logging in. I decided to forget it and moved on. I eventually noticed a real loud hum in my house phone, but really didn't pay it much mind. Later in the evening I again tried to connect to the internet and it said that all the access numbers were not getting an answer. I called the internet company and the guy came to the conclusion there was too much interferrence with my phone and that was causing the failure to connect. I called the phone company after checking all possible interior problems and concluded the problem was on their end. They guy sets me up with an appointment for 8 am.

8AM!! By time that rolls around I am feeling nauseous, weak and like the walking dead! My dogs were very confused as to why we wasn't going to bed already. Baby girl kept sitting pretty and trying to get me to follow her to the bed. She was just looking out for me, so sweet! Hubby called and woke up sleeping beauty/beast at 8:45. Yeah I made it till 8:20 and passed out on the couch!

Hubby says "Hey there is no static!"
Hmmm, that's interesting. (In the slurr of someone barely thinking)
Hubby..Did they get there already?
No, I wouldn't think so. I was only asleep for 20 minutes and they said someone had to be here. So I'm guessing he would have knocked on the door. The dogs never barked.
I guess I need to call them an see what's up.

I call them and asked if he had been here. I found out that the so called appointment was for today, but anywhere between 8am to 8pm! How can they call that an appointment!!

Truck Issues:

Hubby called yesterday and suggests that I take the truck to the car wash, to get all the pollen off of it. I debated this in my head and had told myself NO! I did not feel like getting dressed and then getting soaking wet washing the truck. I sat and tried to ignore the nagging going on in my head, needless to say I went to wash the truck!

I noticed there was something not right, just a few miles down the road. The truck was increasing its speed with out my help and even up hill. It was freaking me out and putting pressure on the brakes to slow it down took all my leg power. Something to mention to hubby, mental note. I then took it to the gas station and when I went to get back in it to leave, it didn't want to start. It eventually did, Thank goodness, but again something to crap hubby's day out with. I was scared but thankful to get it home. I was very upset, not only is hubby going to be upset, but if it is something major..I won't get to go to spend time with mom on Mother's day.

I would say yeterday and this morning were something I would like to soon forget. Maybe tomorrow will be better and MAYBE my truck will fix itself like my phone did! LOL!!!

Hubby and I had a Fabulous day Together!

Well I knew we were going to go visit with Jim an old coworker of hubbies, which he had recently run into at a job site. It had been about 8-10 yrs since they last hung out together. I was lagging behind, just sitting around in my pj’s, drinking coffee, having a real hard time getting going. Jennifer calls and wanted to know if we can come over, this got me going. Yup, can’t pass up a chance to spend time with the grandkids.

We are on our adventure!

Hubby tells me of a dagger he had been spying on the side of the road. He does this A LOT! He has exceptional eyesight to be able to see things way off in the distance, put something right under his nose and he has to have glasses on. We get off the interstate onto the median; hubby reaches down and swoops it up. HA! It wasn’t a dagger after all! It was a very large bread knife! I was laughing my butt off; he did not find that to be very amusing. Later he did find the humor in it. He had been seeing it there for over a week and he truly thought it to be a dagger. He says “I guess I was seeing what I wanted to see!” LOL!

So we are back on the road again heading to Jim’s house, suddenly he yells out “A creeper!”
Me…What? What the heck is a creeper?
Hubby…You know the thing you lie down on to work under the truck.
Me…Go back! Go get it! We could really use one of those.
Hubby started to calculate how to turn around and decided to fluff it off, cause it would really only be good if we had an actual driveway.
This got the convo turning to what it would take to make a driveway. But I know you don’t want hear about that.

We finally get to Jim’s neighborhood and I noticed a look on hubby’s face. You know that look of uncertainty.
I asked “Do you know where he lives?”
Hubby…Sorta, it’s been a really long time and I was totally wasted last time I looked for it. He surprisingly (to me and himself) found it, unfortunately Jim was not home.
I asked “Didn’t you say yall had this planned”
Hubby…I said that, but really I just told him I would be by this weekend.
I really should have known, hubby doesn’t always plan things out.
Hubby…Isn’t it funny how I searched and searched years ago all messed up and now clean and sober I found it with no difficulty. He loves when he sees the irony in things.

On our way back and over to his mothers, he passes up the exit. I’m like…Where are you going? Hubby…I have decided to get that creeper after all, it can come in handy at work.
I can use it to get up under my truck or checking on the air brakes on my trailer.

So we swing back around and he slows over to the cement wall and stops. He had passed it up. I was looking out the front window at the curve in front of us and then out the side mirror at the curve behind us. The traffic was very heavy and going 60-70 mph! I must say I was getting a little panicky. There was no room for either of us to open the door enough to get out, but more importantly there was no room to get up to speed safely.
Hubby slightly opens his door, reaches down and swings the creeper into the back of the truck. Then he says “Brace yourself!”
He steps on it and I had my eyes closed, stiff as a board! I think my knees locked up and the stiffness in my legs took awhile to go away! I am writing this, so YES we made it!
Even though I still feel like hitting him for scaring me so bad!

Well we get to moms and again nobody is home. We went in (mom has an open door policy at her house), hubby went to get the funnies his mother saves him out of every newspaper. Me, I went to the bathroom. Suddenly I hear a glass breaking! I come out of the bathroom and find him picking up a picture of his great niece. Yup, he broke it.

We were just about to leave and his sister showed up, next thing I know I am standing there wondering where they went to. I looked all over, but really I was just strolling along looking at all the pretty flowers. His mom and sister are amazing gardeners; they even have their own greenhouse. Finally I found them and then me and his sister started talking flowers and she gave me one. We were again going to leave and then his mother showed up. They chatted briefly and then finally we was on our way again.

Before leaving the driveway, hubby asks where I would like to eat. I was surprised by this, we rarely eat out. Every time we go anywhere, we end up coming home starving.
We went to Schlotsky’s Deli! OMGoodness, they have the best sourdough sandwiches!
It was soo nice! We even sat down and eat it there, instead of getting it to go.

The whole time we were out and about, I kept trying to get hubby to go to this store or that store. He was having none of it. I jokingly said “Oh look a mall, soo many stores!”
“And look there is a parking spot!”
Hubby…Yeah, nine miles from the door!
Me…Snort, LOL!
Hubby…Did ya happen to see a lung transplant station between there and the door!
Me…Dying in my seat, roaring with laughter! Snorting so hard my throat was starting to hurt!

Now we are finally headed to Jennifer’s. We had a lovely time with her and the grandkids. Unfortunately they were the last on our drive and we were both getting pretty tired. I did get to play some Hide and Seek with 3yr old Bryan. As of right now he has one spot for hiding! LOL!

Heading back home, chatting away….

OMGoodness, did you see that?!
Laughing uncontrollably, he acknowledged he had.
Turn around! Turn around! I got to get a picture of that!
Amazingly enough, he did turn around!

Here ya go, something to make you feel better after reading my super long post of a great day!



OH! Look at my fabulous new signature! Jimmy over at Just My Opinion did it for me! Isn't is wonderful! That was soo sweet and oh my, I love it!

The Northern Lights

Hey babe!

Hey Babe!!

I jump up out of my sleep, pop my head through the curtain. It had only been two hours since he took over the driving. What (all full of grumpiness)?

Look! Look at this! His finger pointing towards Canada. His eyes more out the side window than the front window.

Okay okay, watch where your going! He was all over the road from trying to keep his eyes out the wrong window!

I crawl into the jumper seat (passenger seat) and looked out the window.

Me…Wow, would ya look at that! Oh, how pretty! What in the world…. What is it?

Hubby…Oh, I know what it is..hold on..it is a..crap, I can’t remember! But isn't it neat? I thought for sure you would want to see THAT!

Me…Yeah that is neat. Thanks dear!

Here is what had us captivated for miles and miles through North Dakota.

Aurora Borealis aka The Northern Lights



(Not my pics. I got them from a google image search)

For us southerners that was an awesome sight and nearly got us in the ditch!
Just wanted to share that little moment with ya! It's the little moments that are the hardest to remember.