Trip from hell

Smacked my first deer, got a speeding ticket, knocked over a utility pole and could not get home for Thanksgiving. That made this last time out the trip from hell. Having the time to visit with friends in Virginia, hitting a couple of tasty micro-breweries and getting some good miles helped ease the pain.

A brief rundown on this trip as I write this at the West Memphis OC (operating center)in Arkansas. Started this run to the Kansas City area and then through Topeka to Wichita. In Topeka is a micro-brewery/barbecue joint named the Blind Tiger. Good food and very tasty beer! Made that a stop-over so I could eat and drink a few beers.

Back north to the Twin Cities then east, bound for Virginia. It was crossing Ohio in the dark, with a heavy load of paper, on a steep downhill that I exceeded their damned 55 mph speed limit and garnered a ticket. On to VA, then north to PA and back south to VA. Nearly out of hours, I was able to take a 34 hour break in Crozet, VA and spend the time with my good friends, the Ewell family! During that visit my buddy James, some of friends from the area and I went to the Blue Mountain Brewery. A very small micro-brewery started by a former brewer from the Goose Island Brewery. Only ate appetizers (very good) and drank numerous (small) beers. Had a very good time.

From there, east to Norfolk. That's where I took out a wooden utility pole that I failed to see as I entered a poorly-lit drop lot. It held support wires for cable and phone wires, no power. No service was lost, traffic was blocked for a short while but the police didn't take my name or file any sort of report. I did notify my employer. After that incident, I headed north to New Hampshire and Maine.

It was in Maine going north on I-95 near Lewiston that I saw the briefest flash of a deer head as I struck it full speed, right in the bumper. Then the subsequent bumps and rumbles as I ran it over with 9 of my 18 wheels. I ended up with a dented metal bumper and a trashed left-side plastic bumper extension. The next day I passed the scene of the crash and saw nothing but a huge smear of blood that ran about 150" down the road. I absolutely smoked that poor thing.

So now I'm on my way back east, encountering horrible traffic and several crashes causing about 2 hours of delay in CT. Another crash on a 2-lane road in Ohio (I hate Ohio) stopped me dead for an hour and a half. These delays cost me an on-time delivery and to miss the next pickup that was to head me home in time for TG. I chose to stay out, get more miles and take 5 days for my next time at home.