Not Again...

I mentioned before that I drive a "big truck." For anyone who doesn't know, that is what we call tractor trailers. I work a schedule that consists of 6 days on, 48 hours off. My 6 days on are 14-hour days, and I spend 10-11 hours driving in that time frame. I deliver groceries from a distibution center out to the stores, have to wait for them unload their merchandise, and then go to the next store, and so on. I usually make two runs per shift and have 2-3 stores on each load. These stores are located in the tri-state region of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, so I actually cover a decent little area, driving around 500 miles each shift.

This week has been very frustrating because apparently I was nominated to take all the Pittsburgh, PA loads. I have now been to this craphole of a city 4 out of the 5 days I've been out so far. God help the person who tells me I have to go there again tonight. Before I get myself in deep do-do with somebody out there, please understand that if all I ever had to drive through Pittsburgh was a little Honda, I might have a different opinion, but I don't. I have to drive a 65-ft.-long 80,000-pound truck in the traffic and on roads that are still measured for a horse and buggy. Now that I've established that, will somebody please tell me where it is in drivers ed., or wherever it is that people learn to drive, that they teach people when you are close to a "big truck," do whatever is necessary to get around it, pull directly in front of the truck to cut it off, and then make sure you slam on the brakes?? You're probably thinking, "What kind of an idiot would do such a thing??" All I'm gonna say is that it happens about 10 times a shift... just to me, and I'm only one "big truck!"

I will quit ranting now, but leave you with this... If you hear of some "big truck" that drove into a grocery store in Pittsburgh, PA, you might have to think that they sent me there again!

My New Goal in Life...

You see, the thing about me is that I hate talking about feelings and all that gooshy stuff (those who know me will vouch for that). So here we go on the beginning of a roller coaster ride of me...

I love my wife (yes, I am a man who will say that)... and I really mean that I love her. Many men have said those words a little too freely over the years, and in my past I have as well.

So what is the meaning of love? I'm not the best with words, but here is what i've come to think:

Love: Something/someone that you feel you can't survive without; something/someone that your world revolves around.

Now that you know my meaning of love, you might take the words you see here a little more to heart and a lot more seriously. My beautiful wife is my world, and as a stupid, hard-headed man, I don't tell her enough how much she means to me or how much I love her.

She and I have been together almost nine whole years (this is the longest anyone has ever put up with me), and I'm just starting to figure out how much she means to me. As I said, I'm a stupid man just starting to wake up (finally!).

I realized the other day that I needed to pay more attention to her (I do drive around in the "Big Truck" and have lots of time to think). So I came up with this: I'm going to say or do something each and every day to try to make sure she knows how I feel.

Later that day, on the phone with her, I tell her that my new lifelong goal is to make sure that, by the day I die, there will be absolutely no doubt in her mind and heart how I feel about her. I send her text messages all day long, probably driving her nuts because I don't leave her alone.

I have managed to bring home to her two dozen roses in the past two weeks: one red dozen and one white. The white dozen was just accompanied by a card, nothing exta special. But, I'm proud of myself for the presentation of the red dozen!

I'm out in the "Big Truck," and I get this bright idea to do something special... so I send a text to her telling her I have a treat for her later when I get home (suspense drives her nuts, so I don't say anything more). A little while later, I send her another message: "Only 8 more hours till your sweet treat." After a few more messages, she tells me she is going to quit reading my messages (I know that the suspense is really driving her nuts; mission accomplished so far!). So, through the night, I pick up things at each stop I go to:

1. One dozen red roses
2. One dozen long candles
3. Three glass jar candles (passion fruit scent)
4. Some plastic bowls
5. One can of Reddi-Whip
6. One jar of ice cream topping (Reese's chocolate peanut butter flavor, yum!)

I get home, sneak the stuff into the bedroom, and tell her she can't come back there. I spent about 30 minutes getting it all set up... and kept one loong-stemmed rose out. I came out to get her, made her close her eyes, and slowly led her back to the bedroom. The one rose that I kept out proved to be very useful... Every couple of steps, I would stop kiss her and run the rose across what skin she had exposed from her gown.

We approached the bedroom, I opened the door, and told her to open her eyes. This was her view (yes, of course she wanted the picture... anyone who knows my wife will NOT be surprised by that, I'm sure):






























After the camera was put away, the "moment" returned and things... progressed. As for the rest of the story, I'll let you make your own ending. I have mine and that is where it will stay (and I promise it isn't as X-rated as you're thinking, even though Reddi-Whip and chocolate topping were involved!).

Later, I held my loving wife, an exhausted woman (it WAS after 2am!), tightly (there is something that I really love about knowing my wife is asleep in my arms.) I lay there watching her smile in her sleep, as she often does, just wondering what thoughts might be running through her head. Then, I drifted off to La La Land myself, wearing a smile.

I have shared all this to say to my wonderful wife:
I love you, my beautiful; you are my life, my love, and my world!

Intro

Ok, so where do I start? I'm a man (a real one... ya know, hard-headed, macho, doesn't like to talk, etc.). Ya'll know the type. I drive a tractor trailer for a living (more on that later). I have a total of three children (there will be lots about them in the future). I am married to the most beautiful woman in the universe (or bigger if there is more out there).

I'm sure that many of you who will read this are wondering all the who, what, where, how, and why I'm starting to blog, but only time/posts will answer all that. I know my wife blogs almost daily, and since I'm not always able to sit down to the computer this might be a once or twice a week, thing but we'll see where this goes. Now, before I really get started there are a couple of things I would like to say:

1. I am not a good writer (although my wife is an awesome editor, so maybe she'll help out some!), so be patient I'll get to my point eventually.
2. I'm going to post things very personal to me (feel privileged!);
3. Nothing I post is meant to offend anyone (although it probably will at some point);
4. I'm sure my writing will leave lots of unanswered questions from time to time, so please feel free to leave a comment and ask if it's clear as mud (that will make things even more interesting!).

Ok... with those things said, the rest will be answered as time/posts come and go...