Throwin snow

It took some doing but I finally remembered my username and password to my blog. Now I hope to do less Farmville and more blogging.

I bought my first snowblower this year. Obviously the best year to have one. I am in Des Moines, Ia. and the winter has been unusually brutal.

I never bought one before because I kept saying, "My grandfather lived on a farm his whole life and never owned a snowblower. My father grew up in the midwest and never owned a snowblower until he was nearly 40. I called shoveling "good exercise" and a requirement to keeping young and healthy. But due to my age and my disabled back, I broke down and bought one last fall.

I remember living in Cedar Falls during my early and teen years. Our huge house sat on a corner lot and my job was to shovel, as well as mow. I also remember shoveling the elderly people's house and driveway next door, as well as the sidewalks of a couple relatives around town. I remember one year at a relative of my mom's, the snow was drifted nearly 5 foot after a particular snowstorm. I remember feeling like I was in a tunnel with the walls of snow on either side of me and how hard it was to throw the snow up and over the high drifts to get it off the sidewalk. I was perhaps 12 or 13 at the time and, though I did have the option of doing the shoveling or not, I did it all without complaining. Nowadays, I credit that type of work with the ethics and character I now possess. 

Overweight

I drove semi trucks long haul and short haul for 24 years before changing careers. I remember unloading in Springfield, Illinois one morning. My next load was dispatched to be picked up in Indiana that afternoon. It was a nice morning and I was in no hurry so instead of taking the bypass around the city, I opted to take the business route through the city and take in the urban sites. Mistake. Maneuvering my empty 48 foot flatbed behind my long nose Pete through the narrow city streets, I turned a corner and found myself looking at a small bridge with a 5 ton embargo on it. My truck and trailer are nearly 70 foot long and virtually no place to stop or turn around. The bridge looked fairly solid - made of concrete and mortared block. I took a deep breath, grabbed another gear and slid over the bridge. On the other side, as if he was waiting for me in the bushes, was a commercial motor vehicle officer or, DOT man. Of course his lights went on as he pulled out behind me, signaling me to stop. Busted!. Even empty, my truck and trailer weighed in at close to 30,000 pounds. After a brief conversation and pleading all the alibis I could muster, I was instructed to follow him all the way back to the other side of town where another motor vehicle inspector was waiting with a portable set of scales.

More later.... 

Overweight - Part II

On the other side of town, I was weighed on a set of portable truck scales and found to be, oh I don't know, several tons overweight on that tiny 5-ton embargoed bridge. My fine: $3,000! I had to call my company and ask one of the VIPs to send the money for my, and the truck's, release. They did. I paid the fine and went on my way. A month or so later, I appeared in court, plead guilty to a lesser charge, and was refunded $1,500. Lots better but still a costly lesson.

My First Computer

 I remember my first computer. I purchased it from OfficeMax for about $300. November 1998. Fargo, ND. Packard Bell with 32 MB RAM.

Welcome Back

 Shazaam! Found this dusty old blog in the attic and decided I now have time to pick up where I left off...which was basically nowhere anyway. If you're a new visitor, Welcome! I hope you find my blog interesting enough to add it to your favorites and follow along. If you find me slacking and not keeping p this time, I encourage to to contact me and give me a little boot in the bootie to add more memories.