Randy’s Phase 1 CDL Training – Part 3

It was a weird day. Randy must have been lonely or bored or something because he kept calling me, but we kept losing the signal or he’d come up on some construction or something. And he asked why I never call him…huh? I thought we had that straightened out already(?) I told him (again) that I’m thinking of him all day long but I don’t want to disturb him while he’s driving. So he said he’d talk to me later and I just did my thing here. Later he called to tell me that he was almost done driving and asked if I was watching where he was. He sounded a little disappointed when I said I hadn’t checked it in about 8 hours but, geez, I can’t just sit here and watch the computer screen all day. He said he’d be done driving soon and would call me back, so I sat and waited and waited and waited. I had barely talked to him when all of a sudden he “had to” go. Then I got a bunch of weird, garbled up text messages (he can’t find the backspace button on his new phone), and he’s feeling self-conscious about talking in the truck again. I thought he was over that already. I’m so confused. Apparently there’s a fine line between letting him know I care and being a pest, so I’ve been erring on the side of caution. And I’m not sure where that line is anyway.

Hey there experienced truckers: Is it normal to get a little “wacky” when you haven’t even been on the road that long?

The one thing he did tell me was a silly acronym for the company he’s working for. But he couldn’t remember the other ones the trainer told him. So I went and looked some up online and, for anyone (like me) who hasn’t seen them before, here they are:

CRST:
Can’t Read Simple Text
Caution Really Slow Truck
Caution Really Stupid Trucker
Crash Roll and Stunt Team
Can’t Remember Sh_t
Crash Ready Student Trucker
Crashed and Rebuilt Schneider Truck
Cruising Real Slow Today

DIGBY:
Did I Go Broke Yet

ENGLAND:
Every New Guy Leaves After Ninety Days

JB HUNT:
Just Been Hired UN-Trained
Just Beginning to Hold Up Nation’s Traffic

MCT:
Mexican Chicken Trucks

MDR:
Mississippi Drug Run

MILLIS:
Maybe I Like Lying It Sideways

PAM:
Pi_s And Moan

PRIME:
Park Right In the Middle of Everything
Please Remember I’m Missouri Educated
Please Remember I Mortgaged Everything, I Need Cash

ROEHL:
Rolls Over Every Hill Last

PST:
Pot Smoking Trucker
Pretty Stupid Trucker

PTL:
Pathetic Truck Lines
Part Time Layover

ROADWAY:
Really Old Ass Driver Working Another Year

SWIFT:
Slow Wagon In Fast Traffic
Stop Whining I’m F-ing Trying
Sure Wish I Finished Training
Sure Wish I had a Faster Truck
Slow Women In Freightliner Truck

WERNER:
We Employ Rednecks (Retards) No Experience Required
We Enlist Rookies No Experience Required

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Randy is still doing great with the driving, but is having massive difficulty remembering the Qualcomm macros. Crap, how I wish I hadn’t always taken care of everything involving electronics, computers, and anything with “buttons”…I take some responsibility for making him helpless with that stuff. I’m sure he’ll catch on soon, he is being bombarded with so much right now.

The rest of this is personal stuff so if you don’t want to read it, click off now.

It’s been a whole month since Randy left, and it feels more like 6 months to me. We have NEVER been apart for this long, and it’s even more difficult than I thought it would be. At least when we were separated several years ago, I got to see him in court for heaven’s sakes. I need to get that man a laptop with a webcam (and hope he keeps it away from all liquids). It wouldn’t be the same, but it’s better than nothing.

I miss EVERYTHING about him, even some of the bad things, and a whole bunch of stuff I can’t mention on here. I already warned him that I’m going to be a little “clingy” when he comes back (whenever that is), and he’s o.k. with that. I’ve lost 14 lbs since he left…I need to learn how to eat when he’s gone or I will be the only compulsive food hoarder suffering from malnutrition! I have an unnatural fear of running out of food, but I need to stop saving it and start eating it.

When I used to go out and get boring office jobs, I always joked with my co-workers about how tedious jobs slowed down the time so nicely. Usually time goes by so fast but it has, once again, slowed to a virtual crawl. Thank you OTR Trucking, my life feels really long now. I remember that happening in high school too, and I’ll bet it’s even worse in prison.

He tried to make it easier for me today when he made me angry by doing some “bad stuff” with the money. It worked nicely, I didn’t miss him at all today. But I’m getting really good at the “truck driver wife” thing, because we just calmly discussed the problem and it’s all good (for now).

Anyway, I have a whole new perspective and a much deeper respect for all of the spouses of truckers and members of the military as well…my deepest sympathy to all of you, sincerely.