New Job; New Adventure; New Era

While the previous blogs were about on-demand courier work, my future ones will be related to my new position: GPS Field Researcher. What exactly does that mean? Welllll....

You know that GPS unit in your car? Most of us have them now. Ever use it to find the nearest gas station or restaurant to your position? Im the person that goes out and gets those addresses or checks to make sure they are still in business. I see if they have diesel fuel or an atm. I find out if they are 24 hour locations. Etc.

And while I signed up for it because it was a travel related position to get me back out of the house and away from home-based call center work, it is actually going to be vastly different than my previous position. For one, these people are reimbursing me for gas, hotel, parking, tolls, cell phone usage, and much more. For another, I have a set schedule. No more working around the clock and pushing myself to the extreme limits of "sit and wait forever" or "run, run, faster".

There will be a lot less showering in truck stops. Amen to that. And I will always know where I will be in a given time frame.

Good stuff. BUT. Its a very data-intense position. Doesn't seem like it will be that complicated, but the packet of info I was given is huge. With graphs.

At least 4 months will be spent on the road. Hitting the northeastern part of the US. I will be starting in Maryland and going up through Connecticut (this is my first packet of info, beyond that, not sure how far north I will be heading).

Ive been a bit hesitant about the job over the past couple of weeks. Who wouldnt be? Im leaving my husband home alone and lack of contact can be tough. My daughter and I will only be in contact all summer via email, phone and Facebook and she's in the process of turning into a full-blown teenager. Scary stuff.

But Ive committed. As a friend said: sometimes the path you are on is the path you need to travel. So tomorrow I hit the road. 8 hours to get to my hotel and location of training. Should be interesting at least. Should make ME a more interesting person. I've also set a few other goals for myself for these four months. Personal objectives to get me closer to the person I want to be. More on those later.

For now, a few last hours with the husband and home. Packing, studying, and getting mentally prepared to say goodbye to familiarity for the entire summer. Sometimes a good kick in your own pants is what is needed, and that's what Im viewing this as.

Road Journal: Colonial Virginia and Newport News

This posting is actually a bit overdue. This trip was made on 08/02- 08/03. Wow, okay, so not as overdue as I thought. When spending long days on the road, I feel like I enter a time space continuum of sorts at times. Anyhow, moving on.


So heres the format I think Im going to follow:

8/2-8/3/10
Charlotte, NC- Newport News, VA


Audiobook: Joe Hill 20th Century Ghosts. Actually do recommend this. Some really good oddball stories in here. A few of which actually had my pulse going more than most. Of course I was on quite a few long dark country roads. Combine that with the fact that the narrator does a stellar job, although he often sounds like he has a sinus infection. Still. Worth the listen. Crazy back story- I was listening to an audiobook that had two short stories on it. The duo was titled Road Rage and one of the stories was a collab between Stephen King and this guy, Joe Hill. Id never heard of him before so I read the back piece on him and it said he had written the Ghosts collection. Went to the library to pick up an armload of fresh stuff and this one just happened to be sitting right in front of me. Couldnt resist as it seemed it was destiny.


Mental Soundtrack: This Land is Your Land (historic influence I suppose) combined with Freak Nasty's Da Dip. I blame a road sign. "DIP" Whats really odd is how they mixed together in my head. Went a little like: This land (alright now) is your land (Ahhh dip), this land (if you aint dippin) is my land (you must be trippin). Somehow it worked. Barely. It was on a continuous loop. Oh, and Kenny Rogers' The Gambler wove through my mind for no apparent reason. I started analyzing the song and realized that I think the narrator killed the gambler. For some really lousy advice and for drinking his 'last swallow' and smoking his cigarettes. Because at the end, the gambler is dead and he broke even. Maybe Im way off?


TRIP:
Once I delivered in Newport News at a big college that was in the process of renovation, I started to look around for something to occupy my time until I could get a return trip home. Started off by going to the Newport News Visitor Center which is right in front of a fantastic little nature park with historic markings, trails, water, and I believe deer feeders because there was a cluster of deer right next to the road. Accidentally deleted some pictures prematurely from my phone, but here are a couple from within the park:

I think the historical markers center mostly around the 1862 Campaign. The last one had a placard about it being Dam No.1. Honestly dont remember or know any other historical details. But the park was pretty.

The advice I had received from the super helpful woman inside the Newport News visitor center had me going two possible directions. Southward there was a museum she said Id enjoy that was an historical prison containing the likes of Jefferson Davis and had something to do with Edgar Allan Poe and his military career. Plus there was the coastline. Northward there was the History Trifecta: Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. She suggested I take the Colonial Parkway which branched off right behind the visitor's center and meandered through all three locations. Plus it kept me close to the interstate if I needed to jump and run for another load. Sounded perfect to me, so I headed out.

If ever in the area, I do recommend the slight detour for the Colonial Parkway versus hanging onto I-64. There are multiple pull-offs with historical markers full of information that I had no idea about and unfortunately have completely forgotten since. History buffs will probably appreciate it though. The road is not for commercial vehicles, but was comfortable for my van. Speed limit remained around 45 and the traffic was light. The Parkway was tree lined and I would love to return when the leaves change.

In an effort to provide full disclosure, let me mention what I just now ran across. I was looking on the internet for a picture to replace another missing one of mine that showed a bridge along the Parkway. When I typed in "Colonial Parkway" in Google, I got something I didnt expect.

Colonial Parkway Killer

Apparently still on the loose. Now those ghost stories hit home even more. Im glad I didnt know this when I drove it. Not that it wouldve changed my path.

Okay, moving right along. Last few things I want to note: Williamsburg is WAY better than Yorktown if you have to choose. Alot of walking involved though. Jamestown costs money to get in to. Yorktown and Williamsburg both have trolleys or buses that will hit the major spots. I believe they are both free. All have visitor centers for more information.

And one last thought: NASA is everywhere. They are not just "Houston we have a problem" and 10-9-8...1 liftoff from Cape Canaveral. Nope. They are also in Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia at least. They taunt me in nearly every state. (I was supposed to be an astronaut when I grew up).

Keep Right til next entry..

People are crazy.. everywhere.

I hope this will be an ongoing spot here. I have every intention of finding the nutjobs in every city I visit so I can post blogs about them. Just to make the rest of us realize that the entire nation is one big crazy place and that our little holes in the wall might not be so bad.

So here is one from my travels last week:

Location: I-77 Southbound Rest Area in Parkersburg, PA
Date/Time: 7/21/20 8:50pm ish.

Looked up from jotting notes about this particular new blog idea to see a white male standing outside of his vehicle at the end of the ramp leading back to the interstate. Id guess he was in his late 30's wearing light blue denim jean shorts and a neon green t-shirt. His white minivan did not have his hazards on. Nothing looked wrong with his vehicle. He was just parked there and pacing outside of his van. Didnt approach vehicles that were leaving the rest area, passing him within feet, and getting back onto interstate. What he DID do was wait for the big rigs to drive by and pump his fist furiously in the universal sign begging trucks to blow their horns. He did this to every passing truck. Got a good response, too. I watched him for about 10 minutes, periodically making notes about his behavior, then looked up to find he had totally disappeared. Drove off. I still have no clue what the point of it was. If its therapeutic, maybe Ill try it next time I pull off the road.

Road Rules

Another basic entry that I need to just get out of the way.

There are some basic rules of the road that are unwritten but need to be learned by everyone. And Im going to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and assume that they haven't picked up on them and nobody was around to teach them properly.

Rule #1 KEEP RIGHT unless passing. The left lane is to be used as a passing lane. It is also considered the "fast lane", but one should consider the fact that there is ALWAYS someone that wants to go faster. I believe if someone wants to go 90 mph in a 65 zone, let em go. I call them my "decoys".

Rule #2 Keep right unless passing. Ok, so Ive repeated myself. I cannot say how badly this annoys me to be stuck behind someone going only the speed limit and trapping me there. If you cant pass the person on the right with enough speed to be equal to those already traveling in the left lane-then stay put.

Rule #3 Do not tailgate the person in front of you EVEN IF they are in the left lane IF they are not the cause of the jam up. Tailgating me will not make me go any faster because I cannot go any faster due to the idiot in front of me and will just piss me off and make me brake check you. (Road rage part of this blog)

Rule #4 Keep in mind that there are those of us that use the highways as our office building. I dont come to your place of business and jump in front of you at the copier machine or steal your shovels and jackhammers-let me do my job. Let big trucks do theirs as well. Most big rigs will keep left and only pass when they have to. Let them pass. If at night, blink your lights at them to let them know they can get over. They will generally flash theirs back at you in thanks.

Rule #5 The speed limit. Yes, its supposed to be the "limit". A police officer friend of my philosophy professor relayed to us that drivers can get away with 10 mph over the limit on the highway. I use that as my guidepost. And I HAVE passed troopers on the side of the road while going that fast and not been pulled. May have been dumb luck, but the last time I got a ticket was for doing 14 over the speed limit when I wasnt paying attention. If you look around, most people keep it at 10 over as well. If you are going LESS than the speed limit..... well, Id prefer you to not be on the interstate at all.

Rule #6 Turn signals are not optional equipment. Use them.

Rule #7 Dont pass on the right. I will likely floor it to ensure you cant pass me on the right if you had an opportunity to pass on the left. Also, be aware of the car parallel to you that is two lanes over. If you both head to the middle lane at the same time its not a pretty outcome.

Rule #8 Expect karma to be instantaneous as well as the possibility that anything you do can haunt you for miles down the road. Good karma, bad karma- its up to you, really.

Im sure there are tons of things Im forgetting, but I think Ive probably hit enough nerves with this list. Now that Ive said them, I can move on to happier things... like crazy people. :)

What its all about

What I will be doing here:

Raging about other drivers, pet peeves, and general miscellaneous things yet to be determined.

Raving about quick detour drives and scenic locations that are worth getting off the interstate for. With pictures.

Revealing the philosophy of drivers, me, and maybe even the country as a whole as I drive through random cities throughout the US.

I will probably be way too wordy, slightly sarcastic, and incredibly analytical.

I pass through quickly, but I see and examine quite a bit while there. Unless Ive been on the road for a couple of days in a row, then I just want a nice truck stop and some peace.

I hope to also post some tips, information, and ideas that will be good for everyone everywhere.

And Im highly suggestible, so feel free to tell me where to go. Maybe I should rephrase that? :)

Welcome to anyone who finds me and sticks around to read. I dont expect alot, but a place to jot some thoughts down and maybe get some like minds to discuss them with. Thanks for stopping by!