One week recap of my new life as a truck driver

Lessons I have learned in a week as a newbie truck driver:

1. ALWAYS wear your gloves....or this may happen

My finger got pinched in the load bar...causing a giant blood blister on my middle finger....and yes...I am gladly showing my middle finger to all who inquire :-)

2. When in doubt.....get out! This comes from a incident I had on my SECOND day....when I was backing up and I sorta missed judged a bit lol..and bent over a pole....hence my new nickname at work is now "crash". I'll take that nickname over being fired however.

3. When you see white smoke coming from the back of the truck, pull over and wait for help to arrive lol....this happened today at work on the busiest road on a hill just past a bridge....never have I been so happy to see the two owners to show up like knights in shining armor to save me!

4. Always always always keep the window up....even if it's hot! Third day on the job a bee flew in the window of the truck while I was driving on the hwy and went down my shirt...stung me on my left boob...then fell into my cleavage.....mean while the stinger is pumping the wonderful painful shit into my boob and it's not like it's not big enough already....it starts swelling up....AND I'm driving on the hwy at 110 km.

These are only SOME of the lessons I have learned....there have been many more that some of the old truckers have shared with me to "help" me out.....and for that I am forever grateful I will admit....I will take what ever tid bits of advice I can get, it will only make me a better driver. There is this old guy....he's 78...I could listen to his stories all day about his experiences....after talking to him one day I said to him "when I grow up, I wanna be just like you"...he had a good giggle at that....especially when I told him I was 42 and I had no clue what I was gonna be when I did finally grow up lol.

So.....for now....I shall keep on truckin!

New career, new beginnings

So 20 years ago when I was just a young wiper snapper I got my class 1 with air ticket all thanks to my father who at the time was working in the teamsters union and was able to put me through their driving school.
Well I passed and got my license but never did anything with it. My oldest brother years later got his class 1 and has been hauling all over the place for the last 10 years always dropping hints here and there that I should drive.
I never have because I lacked the confidence because I have never done anything with it....as far a driving a rig professionally.
So last week I quite my job that I have only been at for 8 months, my life was up in the air so to speak. My family laughs that I am a serial jobist....and maybe they are right....but some how I always get a job.
Well this time I applied for something out of my comfort zone....like way the hell off of 3rd base kind of comfort.
A DRIVING JOB....so my first thought was...."who the hell is gonna a hire me...I have no experience". Well...this company did and they threw me do the dragons right of the bat at 8am this morning......so once I stopped puking from the stress, it turns out it was not all that bad....they didn't throw me into a big rig...so that was nice...just a big ol 5 ton truck....so doable and tolerable. So that's what I did all day....loaded and unloaded my truck and drove all over the city to places I didn't even know existed and did my deliveries.
I didn't run anyone over and didn't kill anyone...and felt like a kick ass machine being so big and high up!
Tomorrow....they sending me off all on my own....INSANE....in fact I even told my new boss...."well I think your nuts, but hey...if this is what you want me to do...then I'll do it lol...but I still think your crazy since I have never driven a truck...unless you count 20 yrs ago when I got my license....but sending me out all on my own with out any supervision...are you sure about this?" lol
So he said yes....I will be an unsupervised driver tomorrow lol....(there is where you might want to say a small prayer for the people of Lethbridge)
So I will know by Friday if they want me to keep coming back...and if they do, then maybe this is what I am gonna do for a while...who knows...all I know is that this whole day was one big freakin blur...and one of those rocking chair experiences for me that's for sure.
I just have to hope I can remember where to go tomorrow and hope to hell I don't get lost lol.
May the truck force be with me :-)

The end of my Facebook era

Well I can say I was 100% addicted to Facebook since 2007. And like anything one is addicted to....quitting is hard to do. I am not gonna sit back and say it's a piece of cake, cause that would be a lie. But when you do take a step back and really analyse how much of your life it really does take up or consume....it's mind blowing and terrifying.
I really got a good look over the past week at the effects it was having on my life and others around me and the reasoning and excuses people today use to justify to be on it and let it run them.
I too was one of those people....I thought it was ridiculous when I met people who said they were not on it....I even gasped and often responded with "well how do you communicate and keep in touch with people?"
Wow....what an idiot I was...to seriously think that I could not keep up with what's going on in other's lives unless it involved Facebook.

I found myself getting more and more aggressive with posting ridiculous things on my Facebook and others...feeling like it was my right and duty to do so....again...what an idiot I was....lol....I even found that it was getting to the point that no matter what I was doing, I was always thinking things like "omg...I totally have to take a pic of that and post it to my Facebook" and "omg, I just had a great thought, I have to post that to so and so's Facebook page". The list goes on and on of all the times in a day that I would think about who I wanted to post to or what I was going to post to my page or even...who would I stalk next to see what they were up to.

My hubster laughs at me....he thinks I will go back....I also think he thinks I will go back to eating meat too LOL.
I will admit though....I am still addicted slightly to Pintrest. I am trying to reduce the amount I let it consume me though...if that's at all possible.
I am very happy though that I am being more proactive with other REAL LIFE things going on rather then what's going on with life in the "Facebook" world.
I have relatives that are mocking and ridiculing me for my choice...and this is just fine by me....I'm a big girl, and I can handle that lash out directed at me, everyone is entitled to their opinion....heaven know's I have had my fill of "opinions" directed at others....in fact, I'm sure there are a few people who are happy to see me off of Facebook lol. The funniest thing though I heard yet was the fact that some are upset because I did not "announce I was leaving first" LOL....seriously...for real? That just blows my mind.
I have been told that I am an old fuddy duddy and that I am going backwards with life, and that I will loos friends because of this. WOW....so so sad that THIS is what we have become in society.
So....I hope to stay strong in my conviction, that I will not DIE unless I am on facebook lol....I will be still emailing....I am not dropping of the computer world completely....and I will continue to blog about various things....maybe this will free me up for more blog time :-)
Either way....it's an end of an era for me, and I am going to better myself for it that I am sure :-)

Long time no post....and oh yeah..Happy Mothers Day :-)

These two ridiculously amazing adults are the reason I look forward to every day....well....having a ridiculously amazing hubster helps too.

My future son in law drove my two kids out from the big city this weekend for some amazing quality time with BOTH kids at the same time....this has not happened on a Mothers day for me in 5 years.....so you can imagine how high on life I was this weekend.
We played games at night and they took me out for an amazing brunch, saw a movie and came home and played more games and had amazing conversation.
Then I took the day off today from work and did some more fun stuff...like cut the lawn for the first time this year, rotatilled the garden and planted two rows of potatoes and four rows of onions. I even got some tanning in on the deck and had a wonderful bottle of beer!
Yup..life gets busy sometimes and I forget to write my blog....but it's busy cause life is GREAT.

 
So this evening we are looking out off the deck with excitement of more gardening in the weeks to come and all the wonderful things we will grow and have adventure in together. I can't for a couple of months when the picture will show a garden in full swing!!
Happy Spring :-)

Breakfast club idealism

So last week on Facebook I went on a little rant about being your self and not caring what people think. For those of you who have no freakin clue who I am in this world and I do not know you either....this means you did not see the rant and so I will give you a brief over view lol.
Last week at work I was able to have MY radio station on in my little area....this is exciting first of all, because this NEVER happens that I get to choose what music we few listen to.
I was able to find a station that had some amazing fast paced, rave type music...the kind that your body parts start moving to even if you don't know it yet. Well things happen to me when I get MY kind of music....I just tend to go in to a "zone".....the effects of music on humans is truly amazing....and I live for this feeling....it makes my whole body smile from this inside out.
So....anyways.....a really really super great favorite song of mine came on and I just cranked it up high and I started to dance in my little space...and I mean dance...I did not hold back, I did not care that 5 people were staring at me with the looks of WTF!
For one second I opened my eyes and saw the WTF look and it made me smile bigger....and then I shouted as loud as I could over the music..."You know what's great about being Robyn?......I don't give a shit what anyone thinks! "
I hate that the world tries to put us into categories ....I went through this in high school already...and now as an adult it happens again....in high school you go through the sections of "prep, jock, stoner, headbanger, nerd etc..."
As and adult you are either a Mother/Father, Worker, A bum, Welfare precipitant, single Mom ,divorced etc....again...categories that OTHERS want to put you in.
I often get told by either my Mother first of all.....or the "look" from others....or the behind my back talk of "She should act more her age....she sure does NOT act her age...(or my favorite one).....Your a Mother now and you have to act accordingly....LMAO
I am not sure who set the "standard of what I am supposed to act like"....but I say FUCK THAT....yup....I don't do "standards"....I do ME...whatever ME happens to be that day...I change daily, my ideas, my thoughts, what I like or don't like.....THEY CHANGE.....and this I think might be the problem for those that wonder WTF with that Robyn chick....they are stuck...and they can't change...they can't let go, they can't not care what others think....so so so so very sad.
I am sure to them that day at work I looked like a person having a seizure....I on the other hand was in another dimension of bliss and completeness.
I am so lucky to have such a great and understanding hubster too....because often when I get home from work or on a weekend like this one we are in right now....he will get the surround sound on and let me BLAST my favorite music even though it's not his favorite and I dance around the house all day.....sometimes it's just for a few songs..but either way....he knows and can see that I go to that "happy place within" and this makes his heart smile too.
So for those of you who are STUCK....I say...don't give a FUCK....BE YOU, DO YOU.....whatever that may be.....I really like being me....cause to me...I kinda rock! :-)

What's love got to do with it....

                                                              EVERYTHING!!!

I don't often talk to much about the hubster on here....he's private....I am not....this is my thing...not his.

With that being said though....I kinda have to brag about him this earlier morning.....( I say early because I was up at 4:30 am on the Saturday of a long weekend when I don't need to be up lol ) 

There was something about this man right from the beginning that set him apart from all other men....it's hard to describe it...I can try to explain it but I am not sure you will get it.

First of all....the love this man gives me on a daily basis STILL blows my mind.....especially on those days I clearly do not deserve it...you know those days...when one can be such a cranky bitch...yet he still hugs me and tells me he loves me....what this loud mouth, no brain to mouth filtered insane woman really needed though in her life was a man strong enough both mentally and emotionally and yes physically to handle ME. I needed a man who was not afraid of me or what I bring with me....and he is that 100% 

I always knew is was gonna take a special breed of man to deal with my life and he has stepped up that plate gloriously. 

We have been married for almost 6 years....together for 8 years....and it blows my mind how much we keep STILL falling in love with each other....we both have never experienced this. To experience such true love and passion is truly amazing. I am such a blessed woman.....I may not always think it or show it when he pisses me off lol....oh don't get me wrong....I am being all mushy gushy here right now....but that's not to say we don't have our arguments...we are not perfect, but it's how we deal with those times that make us who we are as a couple today.

This weekend my husband gave me a hickey on my neck.....I know I know....we are not 16...yeah yeah...there are people with their opinions about how wrong that is....I say WHO FREAKIN CARES what my husband does to his WIFE. Get over it....I am fully aware of what he was doing in that moment....and I loved every moment of it. My husbster knows me better then any other person on this planet currently and dammit that feels great. 

So baby cakes....thank you for the effort and time and love and care that you put into this relationship every day...and thank you for loving me so unconditionally that I can still be me and not have to change or need to be changed but just loved for every part of who I am just the way I am. 

I know people who don't have this and for them I am sad....but I will NOT feel bad for experiencing the what great love there can be in this world...I just wish the whole world could feel this awesomeness that the hubster gives me!

Can't help those who won't help themselves

It's one of the most frustrating things to sit back and watch....someone who just is not "alive". Someone who is just existing but thinks they are living. What's worse is watching them in a miserable relationship that sucks their soul.
This would be a close co worker of mine. He's a young kid of only 26....and he's been in an abusive relationship for 9 months....he's abused mentally, emotionally and sometimes physically...but he won't admit to that...cause he's a man and for him that is just to embarrassing. I have listened for the last 4 months about what he goes through on a daily basis with a woman who is so controlling and abusive it would make your head spin with insanity....I often shake my head daily when I hear and see what he goes through...and keeps taking. I listen, counsel and often advice as best as I can with what I have to offer. There have been times that I have nothing to offer but to shake my head in disbelief.
Well yesterday...he made his first big choice....he left her.
He doesn't have a licence as he doesn't drive due to high anxiety...he has self esteem issues out the wazoo...and a host of other things I will not go into. He has no family here...and my gut just told me to help.
The hubster did not know what was happening...other then his wife calling him and telling him a strange co worker who he has never met is coming home with me...oh and by the way....I'm bringing his 2 1/2 year old son too.
So.....this weekend has been awkward to say the least....because I made my family vulnerable by bringing work home so to speak..and watching a broken man try to get his life back together...but still being torn by the manipulation of the one he left by constant text messages....to which he ignored yesterday, but today he is answering again.
I wish I could take his phone and flush it. I wish I could make him "see" what there is ahead of him....I wish he could promise me he will not go back...but non of this is a guarantee....cause there is no such thing in life at all.
I have to say though...I got to be an "Oma" for a weekend to the most adorable little boy EVER.....I have swallowed up his cuteness.....I gave him a bath last night and taught him out to spit water...today he took all my buttons and had them scattered all over the house....we played in the sink with water....we played airplane in the laundry basket...and he even through a temper tantrum when I took the broom away from him lol....to which I thought the hubster was gonna loose his shit lol.....he's not so much of a "small kid having a fit" kinda guy lol.
My own kids have told me that they will never have kids....so to have this little guy here this weekend has been a joy to me.
I have been told numerous times this weekend that I am spoiling him way to much...and to that I say "YES I AM".
As far as the co worker goes....I have no idea if this will have been a whole waste of my time or energy....but either way...I want him to know that he has a friend, someone who listens, someone who will never pussy foot around his issues and who will tell him what he NEEDS to hear and not what he WANTS to hear.
He may go back, and I will be frustrated...but it's not my battle to fight...he has a journey of life he needs to awaken to and start living....but it's just so hard to watch the battle.
So my dearest co worker...I know you will never read this, but I want your soul to know that I am routing for you...routing for your strength and understanding that there is more to you and life then you know, and it will get better and you CAN do it. I know you can, and I believe in you.