Anything that can go Wrong will go Wrong

April 29, 2013

It was a miracle when I finally got through to Travis this morning to wake him up. The crappy service up there is going to drive me insane before its over with! I wished him luck on his CDL test and I went back to sleep for an hour before getting up for work. I didn't have to be in until eight.

Today I was working in the kitchen which is different but I do enjoy it. I was working with Matt on the grill and Erich on sandwiches. I was on salads. The other times I had worked in the kitchen salads were easy so I was looking forward to a smooth sailing day. Our new dishwasher who was scheduled to start today didn't show up. So we had to move the second person from up front back onto dishes. It didn't get any better from there! 

Jane didn't come in to take a lunch delivery like she said she would so Debbie from up front had to take it while Angie (our replacement dishwasher) took her place up front. So we were short two people during the busiest part of lunch. You would think that was the end of it but now. Salads were selling like crazy and I could hardly keep up. It didn't help that I had a sore throat all day and had no time to stop and get something to drink. 

Angie tripped and fell shortly after the lunch rush with a tray full of glasses. She cut her arms and hands and messed her knees up. The rest of the day was spent trying to finish the stocking for the next day and cleaning up all while trying to keep up with orders that were coming in. Of course there were some stragglers who didn't come in until ten til three (we close at three). 

When I finally had a free second I texted Travis to see how his test went. Unfortunately he didn't pass. He told me that he was ok and would tell me about it later when I could talk. He said he gets to retake it on Wednesday so that is good. I called him when I finally got out of work and he told me that he took the whole test and the guy told him when he got done that he had failed. He said that he only did one thing wrong but that it was an automatic fail. He had two tires go over the line in the middle of the road. You are allowed one to go over but not the second. The guy told him that was the only thing he did wrong. 

It sucks that he has to take the test over but I was so proud that he only missed that one part. I was also very happy that he was ok with it all. When I first got his text I was just so upset that I couldn't be there and encourage him and give him a hug. I was just glad that he was ok.

I ran a few errands after work. I got home to find sweet Zoe all curled up on my bed. That made me feel a little better after the long day I'd had. I had dinner and a few drinks and chatted with Travis for a while. My throat was hurting most of the evening so I took a shot of bourbon to numb it and headed to bed!

Pouring Rain

April 28, 2013

I slept until Travis called me on his lunch break at 11:30 today and it was amazing! I got to talk to Travis for about ten minutes too so that made it even better. That was the best start to a day I'd had all week! 

It was raining outside like crazy which was an unwelcome surprise considering I had to go to the laundry mat. Normally I wouldn't do laundry on a rainy day buy all of my work clothes were dirty so alas it was off to the apartments laundry mat I went. When I was about to get dressed and go Beth offered to put them in the wash for me if I would watch the boys while she ran a few errands. I said ok because it was one less trip in the rain for me!

Watching Scooby Doo

The boys and I watched Scooby Doo and played with their wrestling men. Beth called right after leaving and said she had gotten the call that she could go pick up the boys new kittens. She went to the store and got food and supplies before picking them up. Once she had them she let me know she was on her way. I had the boys clean up all of their toys and get seated on the floor to wait for their surprise. It was so cute!

So excited about the kittens

They played with them for a while but I had to go put my clothes in the dryer. I decided to take the trash out when I went and I had barely gotten halfway to my car and I was already drenched. I decided to run put the clothes in the dryer then take the trash. I went to the QT gas station after the trash, got myself a soda and just waited at the laundry mat for my clothes to dry. I didn't want to come back to the house until I had clean clothes to put on after my shower.

David just chillin

By the time I came home and got my shower Travis was almost out of orientation for the day. We talked for about fifteen minutes about his day. He was excited because his overall average on the tests they had in orientation was 92%. On one of the tests he was the only one to make a 100! I was so proud! He had his dinner and shower and we texted for a while. It was nice that he didn't have homework so we could actually talk.

Beth cooked dinner tonight. She made Hamburger Steak, Teryaki Rice and Mac and Cheese. It was the first real meal I had eaten since Wednesday. I hadn't had time to eat with all the working I was doing. Dinner really hit the spot!

She got the boys in bed and we introduced Zoe to the new kittens. We decided to do it a little bit at a time. She was so curious about what was in the laundry room (that's where Beth is keeping the kittens for now) but once she found out she didn't like it at all. Beth said Zoe was thinking like a cat from a kids movie the boys have and saying "These are my humans!" She is just a little jealous to not be the only cat anymore poor thing.

Travis had gone to bed early so I stayed up to get caught up on the blog and then went to bed. I don't have to wake up until 6:30 tomorrow which sadly is later than usual for work. I couldn't stop playing Candy Crush so I didn't get to bed until midnight but hey sometimes candy needs to get crushed!!

Lazy Night

April 27, 2013

Well today started off not fun. I had tossed and turned all night and ended up with about three hours of sleep. I was so not in the mood to open at work but all I kept thinking was paycheck paycheck paycheck. That and a giant Monster got me going this morning. Luckily Travis was easy to wake up. 

Work went pretty smooth thank goodness. The only thing I love about Saturdays is that I get to work with Ashley. She is still in high school and works with us on Saturdays. She is unlike any 15 year old I've ever met. She is so disciplined and hard working. She will bust her butt all day and never once complain. I told her I really admire that because all I wanted to do on Saturdays in high school was hang out with my friends. It really makes Saturdays easier because she is such a hard worker.

Travis had orientation all day. He apparently had his first homesick moment today. He wasn't expecting homework from orientation and was looking forward to some extra rest. He told me that he got so frustrated and was so tired that he almost decided to quit and come home. I felt bad that I was at work and couldn't talk him through it. Thank God for his brother JP being able to talk him through it.

It was probably better after all that he had to talk to JP and not me because he knew more of what to say since he had been through it. I thought it was strange that I had my first trouble with missing him the night before and he missed me so much the very next day. It was hard to think about him feeling that way and me not being able to hug him or comfort him physically. That is one of the hardest parts, not being able to comfort my amazing husband when he is upset.

A collage of my sweet hubby and me

When I got home from work I decided to be incredibly lazy. I sat on my computer for hours and played Farmville! I ate a candy bar and just enjoyed my night of not having to get up early the next morning. It was blissful!  

Memories

April 26, 2013

Today was a little bit harder without Travis than any other day so far. It's been six years today since my Dad passed away. It was very strange to not have him around on a day like that. It's not that I was incredibly upset it just reminds me and makes me remember him more which always tugs at my heart strings. The added emotions of Travis being gone made this year a little harder. 

I did get to sleep in today though since I didn't have to work until 3:00. I woke up around 11:00 and got myself ready so I could go to the store. Right after I got out of the shower Jane called me to say that she needed me to come in as soon as possible to work in the cafe before the catering. So I didn't get to go to the store after all. I got ready and went to work. I was so frustrated to have to go in and close and clean up someone elses mess but I got it done.

Then I had to cook the chicken and load the van for the catering tonight. We did the first annual Taste of Fort Mill. We got to the site around 4:30 and we were soooooo early. We had everything set up by 5:00 and the event started at 6:00. The set up was beautiful. It was on the lawn of a country club overlooking the golf course. We had one of the best spots for sure.

 

We were at that closest corner table

Since we were ready so early I was able to talk to Travis after he got out of school. They had spent the day practicing driving and he was feeling pretty confident. He told me that Saturday and Sunday would be orientation so he wouldn't get anymore practice before testing started on Monday. He said that the testing would be at random so he wouldn't know if he would be testing Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday until he got there on Monday morning. He was somewhat nervous about not having extra days of practice this weekend but I told him he would be fine. I reminded him about how easily it all had come to him and that calmed him a little.

It was such a classy event and was very well put together. All of the proceeds went to The Palmetto Home, a local home for children. There was about 400 people that came by our table. We had Chicken Satay and a Cheese Tray. After the event we were loading the van and the guys who had a wine table offered us some wine so we had a glass before we finished loading the van. (shhh don't tell) We even did the cha cha slide! 

I had so many memories floating through my head of my Dad all evening. The DJ started out by playing my Dad's kind of music so it felt like he was there with me. I had this calm air about me all night!

My sweet Daddy :)

I ended up getting home around 11:30 finally. I have to open Saturday at 6:30 so that was very late. I was hoping to go to sleep right after I got changed and ready for bed but it didn't work out that way! I tossed and turned for about two hours. Tonight was the first night that it really hit me. I miss Travis so much and one of the hardest parts about it is not having him beside me in bed at night. I was cold and lonely feeling so it just made me miss him even more. I am honestly surprised that I made it two weeks before feeling that! I finally nodded off around one thank goodness because it will be an early morning!

Catering like Crazy

April 25, 2013

Today started out easily because I got Travis up on the first try. He was nervous about his driving evaluation today. I told him that I loved him and was so proud of all that he has done for us. I let him know that whatever the outcome I loved him but that I knew he would do amazing. I went back to sleep because I didn't have to be at work until 9:00 which was nice. 

When I got to work I had to immediately start on a lunch catering. There were thirty sandwiches to make. It wouldn't take that long if you could line up all thirty in a row but you only have space to do five at time so it took about a little over an hour. Jane went to deliver that and I started prepping for the Low Country Boil we had that night. I had to cut up 300 pieces of sausage, put the salad and salad bar toppings on platters, make cocktail sauce and ranch, cut lemons and make lemon rind curls and get it loaded in the van. It didn't help that Jane was rushing me the whole time. I couldn't figure out why she was rushing me so much and it turned out she was leaving to drop stuff off two hours earlier than I thought. What sucked about that was that she left me to close the restaurant before coming to the catering.

Lemon Rind Curls

 She had me load her Expidition with the tea and lemonade for the party. I had to drive it to the site which was interesting considering our car is a Honda Accord. I made it there without freaking out thankfully although I felt like I was driving a monster truck! When I got there and unloaded the car we started the set up and Jane had to send me to Wal-mart to get pushpins to hold in the little lantern lights she wanted to put around the table. So I went and did that and while I was in Wal-mart I got a chance to talk to Travis when he got out class. He passed his evaluation and he was so happy. I was so excited for him and proud of him. He also was excited because he didn't have any homework tonight. It was nice to have some extra time to be able to talk to him.

The awesome salad bar and the nautical themed lights I had to pin to the table

We finished setting up the salad bar and drink table when I got back then Jane's friend Allen did the low country boil. It got done just in time and turned out perfect. It looked, smelled and tasted wonderful! The whole event went very well and we were able to get everything loaded and get back to the cafe by nine. 

Low Country Boil

I got to talk to Travis one more time before he went to bed and then I stayed up a little later since I didn't have to go in until 3:00. It was good I decided to stay up because Beth needed me to stay with Randall and David. Wes had a sore throat and his tonsils were swollen so she took him to the ER. He did have strep throat it turned out. She didn't get home until about four in the morning! Poor thing! I left the door open in case the other two needed me and Zoe loved it because she got to explore the whole house all night! I did finally go to bed around midnight and I was out!

Disney Princess

April 24, 2013

Today was a weird day. It was strange to have to go to work at nine instead of my usual six. That threw off my whole morning. I got ready slowly, I think I had too much sleep on Tuesday night so I was tired. I made sure I had enough time to check my oil before going.

I got to work right on time and was immediately bombarded with questions from the two girls working up front. It is getting so frustrating to have to tell them things so many times! The fact that they are both still new is causing problems between them and the kitchen. They keep making mistakes on the tickets and the kitchen had to remake it. I tried to keep the peace by giving some suggestions to them up front and that backfired like crazy!! One of them took it well but the other got all mad and huffed around until Jane got there and then proceeded to tattle on me. I assumed since I was the one who trained her in the first place that if she needed further training it would be ok to tell her how to do something. Jane disagreed. From this point on I'm not keeping the peace!!!

So now that my rant is done I can go on with the rest of my day. I updated Jane's computer and updated the catering photos on our Facebook and Website. Travis called while I was doing the computer stuff and told me about his day so far. He was nervous about his evaluation tomorrow. I knew he would do great and gave him some encouragement. He was excited that it would be done by another teacher and not Master Chief. 

I ended up having to do table service for a party of eight that came in. So I ended up getting five hours which was good since I was short on hours this week. As I was about to leave Jane asked me to come in at nine tomorrow also (I wasn't supposed to come in until five) so that meant that I would actually end up with overtime which is pretty awesome. It will make my paycheck look pretty good.

I went home and turned right back around to ride with Beth to get Wes. We decided to take the boys to the park for some play time. We had a blast feeding the geese and one duck. I had the one Mallard duck eating out of my hand so that was cool! The boys even got in the lake a little bit. They had to ride home in their underwear and they thought that was hilarious. 

We got home and I had a microwave meal for dinner. I played Facebook games and goofed off all night. I got in some good cuddle/play time with Zoe before talking to Travis. She was being super loving! I didn't get to talk to Travis long because he had homework but we did text a lot tonight so that was fun! But now I'm going to bed since I have to be at work earlier than expected. Here is a video of sweet Zoe being crazy!

Ant Bites

April 23, 2013

Today was my day off and boy was it hard to wake up to call Travis this morning but I did it! Of course I went right back to sleep. I didn't wake up until 9:30 and was slow moving getting ready. The only thing that got me motivated to get going was that I was sending Travis care package out today. Got myself ready and headed out to run errands around eleven.

I got to the post office just in time. I grabbed my if it fits it ships box, filled it with his goodies and taped it shut. I had to wait a little while in line to pay and send it but got it out in time to where it will get to him on Thursday! I am so excited for him to get it because he has no idea!

 His awesome care package

I headed to the mechanic that Beth's dad suggested. When I found it they were closed. I tried to call the number on their sign twice because the hours said they were open. I figured they were probably on lunch break so I went to an old favorite lunch spot, the J&M. I ordered a BLT (which was awesome) and a Cherry Lemon Sundrop Slushie. It turned out the guy in the kitchen was one of my good friends younger brothers so I had him say hello to her and their parents for me. While I was waiting on my food he asked me why I was on that side of town and I told him to go to this mechanic. He said talk to him, pointing to the guy on the stool next to me. It turned out he was the mechanic I was waiting on and I ended up chatting with him about the car while we ate lunch. I also got to talk to Travis for a few minutes while I ate. He hadn't gotten his turn driving yet so no fun stories on the call.

Amazingness

I went back to the shop and he looked at my car. He took his time with it and looked at it all by hand and checked everything to be sure my car was ok. I had told him that I didn't know much about cars but he said I knew more than most! I felt pretty proud of that. Guess that's what two brothers and a former tow truck driver husband gets you! He said everything looked good but that he wanted me to check the oil each morning for a week just to be safe. He suggested using a fuel injection cleaner and keeping a quart of oil in my trunk just in case. So after I left there I got both things and stopped by Aldi to pick up a pizza for everyone for dinner and headed home.

I got home in time to ride with Beth to go pick Wes up from school. He was all happy getting in the car because he had a good day. Wes started to play with Zoe when we came home but we had to leave almost immediately to go to the in-laws. JP needed his contract from a company he had previously worked for. The company did not show up on his DAC report but he had put them on his work history so he needed proof that he had worked there. Beth had to search for his contract in their files. They ended up having to get his contract from the labor board. He had gone to the labor board with this company when he left because they wouldn't pay him. That actually ended up helping him.

 

 We had to go to Walgreens after leaving the in-laws because we had left so quickly we forgot to get a diaper and David needed one. While we were walking around I started to feel something biting me. I ran to the bathroom and it turned out a fire ant had gotten in my pants and crawled all the way up and I had about ten bites! Couldn't believe that happened. After that we went home and had dinner.

I got to talk to Travis for a few minutes after he got out of school. He was happy because his roommate, who was ahead of him in school, passed his CDL test today. That meant he was moving out which is good because he is a jerk. Travis study buddy whose name is Cooper is moving in the room tomorrow. Travis said he got some good practice driving on the interstate today but that he feels like turning is his only weakness right now. I told him that he would have time to practice it and not to worry! I am so proud of the progress he has made!

Beth and I sat up watching blooper reels from different news stations to get a laugh. We had a little snack and then I headed to bed. I talked to Travis for a few minutes before bed and then I was out like a trout!

Master Chief

April 22, 2013

Today was super easy to wake Travis up. He answered on the second ring. That was a great way to start out my day! I got up after calling him which is actually thirty minutes early for me. I wanted to check the oil again before going to work. I stopped at the QT gas station where it was bright to check it and get a monster. It was still ok so I headed on to work and got there super early!

For a Monday work was insanely busy. We had a new dishwasher and I was the only one working up front so it made for an interesting day. I actually finished everything with closing on time though so that was good. I would have been out of work by 3:10 but Jane wanted me to countdown the registers and talk about a catering this week so I didn't get to leave until 3:50. 

When I finally got out of work I headed straight to Precision to get my money back. I spoke with the lady at the desk and explained to her that I had my oil changed on Tuesday but that there was no oil in my car and no leak. She asked if she could check it so I went to the car with her and let her. Her only response was "Yes that is low." No apology, not even a crappy excuse. She gave me my money back and I said thanks see ya never!! I was very happy I only had to deal with one person because if I had to tell the story again I would have probably gotten mad. 

I went straight to the Take 5 oil place Beth had used last week. I told him the situation and he had me pull in. That place was amazing. You don't have to get out of your car and they give you a free drink. They have a fountain soda machine and water bottles. The guy spent about twenty minutes looking at my car, filled the oil up, gave me a water bottle and ran a diagnostic on it. After all that he said everything that he could check there looked good but that he would feel better if I would take it to a mechanic tomorrow and get a second opinion. He gave me two recommendations on where to go and didn't charge me a dime! He just said I'm so sorry that happened and to come to them next time. I tried to give him a tip for his hard and diligent work but he wouldn't even accept it! So basically if you need an oil change go there!

I ran a few other errands after that then headed home. I was so happy to tell Travis that the car was basically taken care of. I got to talk to him for thirty minutes tonight which was the longest we have talked yet. He told me how he was just so exhausted from twelve hours of school a day seven days a week but he was so motivated to do this that he was ok with it. He was so sweet and thanked me for working while he was gone to support us. It meant so much to me to hear him say that! He is such a sweet heart. We talked about his driving instructor who as it turns out wasn't as much of a dick as everyone said. He is a hard a** but in a good way. He is making them really learn the material. They have to write out the pre-trip inspection (about a hundred point inspection) three times and the break check they have to write ten times. He said it's frustrating but worth the work because he will know it for the road test. He found out that the teacher is a former Master Chief from the military. He and I both immediately thought about Halo (a video game whose main characters name is Master Chief) and got a laugh out of it.

 This is what I thought of when he said Master Chief

Beth and I had Sweet Baby Rays BBQ for dinner and some grape salad. It was a random dinner but it was good. I had a few glasses of wine and stayed up a bit later than usual to enjoy my night off so it's bed time!

Pigout

April 21, 2013

Trying to wake Travis up this morning was a task! His phone didn't have any service again so this time I sent him 20 texts back to back and they all came through when he moved his phone to turn the alarm off. At least that woke him up. I slept in after that and ended up sleeping past being able to tell JP bye before he left for orientation for his new company. I finally woke up around ten, took a long hot shower and got ready to go to my Mom's for the day. 

Travis called as I was about to walk in her door. He was all excited because he parallel parked the truck on his first try. I was so proud and amazed because I can barely parallel park a car! He also said he was somewhat nervous about this week because the instructor he will have is known for being a dick. I did my best to reassure him and told him to just kill him with kindness to which he replied "It wont be the first time I've had to bite my tongue here." I went inside and Mom and Joseph said hey to him before he had to get back to class. 

First Mom, Joseph and I went to Publix to get the last few things we needed for our pigout movie day. We did our shopping and got to try a million free samples, Publix always has awesome samples. We picked Argo at Redbox and headed back to the house to cook. The Farmer's Market Grilled Cheese turned out to be very easy and incredibly delicious! They only took about twenty minutes from start to finish to prepare.

Here's the link to the recipie

We watched the movie and ate our delicious sandwiches. I can see why the movie won so many awards it was awesome! We also had some cheese and pears and made cheese trays to share after the sandwiches. We had three different types of cheese, some pear and some crackers. Like I said it was a pig out day. Joseph also made a raspberry frozen yogurt dessert which was so tasty. The only thing that would have made the pigout day more complete would be if Travis had been there!

Robert wasn't able to come look at my car so I went home before dark just in case. I called my father in law and asked him to come take a look at it after church. It turned out that when I got my oil changed last Tuesday they took the old oil out but never put new in so I had almost no oil in the car. I went to the store and put a quart in so I could get to work tomorrow and planned to go get my money back and then get it fixed somewhere. It was frustrating beyond belief! Two tips: Never get any work done at Precision Auto and always have a backup plan or two just in case your family can't look at your car right away! They may come look at it but it may be too late. If I had driven one more day I'm sure my engine would have locked up.

When I got home I was just plain worn out but I decided to make this grape salad that I had found on Pinterest. Boy am I glad I did because it is awesome! I ate a bowl of it and went to bed. I called Travis to say goodnight but he couldn't talk long since it was so cold out. I went ahead and told him about the car situation now that I had a sure plan of what to do. He was thankful that I waited to tell him until the worry part was over and so was I. It was nice to say hey this is what happened and how about a round of applause because I got through it without a major freak out!!! Well it's off to bed for me, have an early start tomorrow!

Alley Docking

April 20, 2013

Started the day off with a very stressful wake up call. Travis's phone wasn't getting service in his room so I had to call about fifteen times to get through to him and wake him up. I went back to sleep since it was my day off! I woke up at eight to get ready before Robert, my brother, came to take a look at my car. Mom was staying the morning too so that she could see Robert. We made some coffee while we waited but tried to be very quiet since JP and Beth had just gotten back an hour before. They were trying to get some sleep before going to pick up the boys. Her Dad called her at eight thirty to go ahead and come get them even though she had only had about an hour of sleep! Poor thing!

Robert called to say he had gotten more yards to do and wouldn't make it by until later to look at my car. I cleaned up a little at home then Mom and I went to get Joseph and we went out to lunch. We decided to go to my work and hardly any of my coworkers recognized me with no makeup. Travis called on his lunch break as we were walking into the cafe. I chatted with him about his driving practice for that day. They were practicing alley docking. He said he got to do it four times. Tomorrow they are doing parallel parking. We didn't talk long because he was going back to practice more. I decided to try something off the grill which I had never tried, the Turkey Apple Cheddar Wrap. We enjoyed our lunch then took a drive so that I could show them the house I did the catering at last night. It was such a beautiful house I had to show it off!

We went back to the house and Randall decided to show Joseph all of his wrestling men, explain their names and show him how to play with them. It was so cute. Mom and I looked around on Pinterest to plan lunch for tomorrow. I am going to eat lunch and watch a movie with them in the afternoon. We decided to do a Farmer's Market Grilled Cheese. JP, Beth and the boys left to have a picnic and Mom, Joseph and I went to the store to get the groceries for tomorrow. 

I came home after the store and laid on my bed to play Ruzzle. The next thing I knew three hours had gone by! I guess I really needed a nap. I woke up with sweet Zoe at my feet all stretched out so she must have been tired too!

 

After I woke up JP was about to leave with Wes to pick up his bus ticket for tomorrow. I took Randall with me to the store and Travis called as we were pulling in the parking lot. He told me about the rest of his day and that he was going to study for the rest of the evening. He talked to Randall for a few minutes which was too sweet. We stopped at Cookout to get a burger on the way home. We got home and ate I worked on my blog and tried not to stay up too late after that long nap!

 

I talked to Travis one more time before he went to bed. I am still not used to the fact that I get about twenty minutes total of time to talk with him each day. It is so hard but it gets a little easier each day.

But I Passed

April 19, 2013

I got to sleep in today and it was glorious. Travis called me around nine to tell me about his test results. He had taken the last test for his CDL permit that morning at the BMV (Bureau of Motor Vehicles). He sounded so discouraged when he called that I didn't know what to do. He said the test was full of bull s*** trick questions and it was just so hard. Then he said "but I passed!" I was so proud all I could say was oh my gosh I'm so proud of you! He now has his CDL permit and his temporary Indiana drivers license. Now he is on to the driving and hands on learning!

While he was waiting for the shuttle bus at the BMV we talked for about twenty minutes which was the longest we had talked throughout the week. He said that it was very cold so he went to the store across the road to get a toboggan. It snowed shortly after he got back to the hotel. He sent me the first picture of him since he left in his new toboggan!

 

 Look at that sexy face!

I went ahead and got ready and set up all my stuff for work tonight before heading to the grocery store. I was in such a good mood it and it was a beautiful morning. The only thing that put a damper on my trip was that I was hungry. I bought a little more junk than I should have! I didn't run the car anywhere because my brother is coming to look at it tomorrow so I ended up having time to come home and eat a quick lunch before heading to work.

 Yummy Salami Sandwich and Olives

Then I had to head into work. Beth gave me a ride since I would be home very late so I wouldn't have to risk it with the car. She was on her way to drop the boys at her parents and head to pick up JP in Tennessee. When I got in Jane, my boss, immediately had me rushing around to finish the cooking and set up. I had to make Asparagus wrapped in phyllo, finish the bruscetta, cook the chicken sate and glaze it and set up all of the sauces. I think Jane thought I would move slower because at first she was freaking out and having me rush around but we were done an hour early. The fact that we were early helped in the long run because it started storming and pouring down rain just in time for us to load the van. By the time it was loaded and ready to go I was drenched. It was very good I decided to bring my makeup with me because I looked like a wet dog!

So we had the van all loaded and had to make a stop at Harris Teeter for a few things. While Jane was in there getting the things we needed Travis called to say he was out of class. I got to chat with him for about fifteen minutes while I waited in the van. He said that they had practiced driving forward and backing up all afternoon and he had so much fun. I was so happy I got to talk to him before my catering. Two long conversations on one very good day turned it into an amazing day!

The catering went great. It was a twenties themed fundraiser and everyone loved the food. I was bar tending on the side porch. The house was built in the twenties and it was strange to see the period decorated house full of people in period clothing. I felt as though I'd gone back in time! The patio had a pond right beside it and a little waterfall. It was so peaceful listening to it all night. 

The end of the night got very tiring standing on the brick patio all night and finally it was time to leave. We went back to the cafe, unloaded the van and my Mom was there to help us as well. We got it unloaded quick and Mom and I came back to my house for an impromptu sleepover. So Mom and I got home and we talked for a few hours which was a blessing. I am so thankful to have her and also Beth to keep me sane. But now it's bed time! I am so very exhausted tonight and 4:15 will get here very quickly!

Pizza Pizza

April 18, 2013

I started my day off by giving Travis his daily wake up call again, 4:15 sure seems earlier and earlier. It was one of my coworkers birthday today and when I got to work I noticed that the food delivery man had put our entire deliver (including freezer stuff) on the floor in front of the stove/oven. This was her unit and I knew it would put a damper on the start to her day. I started to take the boxes to the freezer and realized I had no clue where the key to the freezer was! When she got to work she was so upset and I was able to calm her down and even able to help her put it away thanks to the new girl being up front and able to do my job! It took my mind off some of my stress to help her with hers.

The morning at work was not an easy one but I made it through. I was so excited to get a message from Travis during his break to tell me he had passed his test. It was so much better to find out then than having to wait until he was done with school like yesterday. I even got to joke with him in a few texts while we weren't busy at work. It made the rest of my day feel like a breeze!

Just before lunch another coworker brought a birthday cake for the birthday girl and we sang happy birthday and had cake. We were all just ooing and aaahhing that he had thought to do that on his day off no less. It was a turtle ice cream cake and mmmm was it yummy!

 

Once work was over I was all ready to get home, change clothes and go grocery shopping. I was looking forward to it all day. My sweet Mom stopped by to say hello when I was leaving work and we chatted for a few minutes. Then I was on my way. I had to yield and wait to turn on the interstate on ramp and of course when I pressed the gas nothing happened. The car still had power, there was half a tank of gas, it wasn't running hot and it made no sense. I pulled onto the shoulder called Beth to get her to come pick me up after I got a tow and started to panic. I tried to crank it not expecting it to work and thank God it did. I made it home safely! I thought I deserved a little Zoe cuddle time before heading to the store!

Beth and the boys took me to the grocery store. When we got there I realized that I didn't have the money I thought I did! Of course it wouldn't be that easy! So I got a few things and we decided to just pick up Little Caesar's for dinner. Travis called while we were waiting for the pizza. We were only able to talk for a few minutes. He has to study again tonight :( This time he is studying air brakes. I decided it would be best to not tell him about the car since it was ok now. Just enjoyed my talk with him!

 

This is an air brake diagram

We got home and pigged out on pizza. So yummy yummy pizza pizza! After the delicious dinner I tried to find someone to come take a look at the car with no luck. Decided to just run it into a shop in the morning since I don't work until two. Chatted with Beth most of the evening and then watched Wes, my oldest nephew and Zoe play. I got to talk to Travis and text with him a little more than the past few nights and then it was bed time!

Keep Calm

April 17, 2013

Today started out with a great vibe, I went to the bathroom after waking up and my sweet sister-in-law Beth had written me a note saying have a good day! She put it right in front of the mirror so I saw it first thing! After that I called Travis to wake him up and wished him good luck on his test. It was a good way to get my day started!

I ended up getting to work fifteen minutes early today, I think I was trying to make the day go faster because all I wanted to know was how he did on his combinations test. It worked out for the best that I was early because the new girl I was training at work today was pulling in at the same time as me today. With showing her how to do everything it took a little longer to open so we ended up getting done right on time. Now don't get me wrong, I like the girl but training is no fun! I felt like the day went by so slow and I was going to go crazy! I had to let her do as much of the job as she could with me just standing there telling her how! It gave me way too much time to wonder how Travis was and how his test went. I kept checking my phone all day. She did let me vent to her so that was a blessing!

The day finally ended so I ran some errands around town and even ran into my Mom at Walgreens. Stopped to chat with her for a little while which was nice. I came home and Beth had cooked enough dinner that I could eat with them so I didn't even have to cook. That was a great surprise because I still hadn't heard from Travis about his test. I knew in my head that no news was good news because it meant that he was still in school but I couldn't help but wonder! I thought I was going to go crazy! I decided to play with Zoe for a little bit to calm my nerves and she was so cuddly. I was petting her and loving on her and I guess she really liked it because she drooled on me, which she had never done before!

 

After the Zoe cuddles it was time for dinner which was a very random but yummy meal! Chatting and eating with Beth helped ease my mind a lot and I knew it would be any minute before I got the call I had been anxiously awaiting all day.

Then he called, and I could tell just by the tone of his voice that it was good news. I was so excited and anxious I could hardly wait. He passed with flying colors and got a 100! I was so proud, I just loved hearing him so happy after him sounding so stressed last night. He also passed his temporary permit test for Indiana which he had to get since he is from out of state. He didn't do too well on the other two tests today and has to retake them tomorrow. I was much more prepared for that turn of events and there isn't as much urgency on these tests. He studied all night again tonight and when he called to say goodnight he said the studying was working. He called it a night early to get some good rest and I am doing the same.

All in all what today was pretty good, although a little stressful. I know my baby will do good his tests tomorrow and I am so proud of how he did today! Now to go cuddle up with Zoe and get some much needed sleep.

Tested

April 16, 2013

Today was my first day at work since Travis left and it felt so strange to go into work without spending some time with him in the morning. I did get to talk to him a few minutes when I called to make sure he was awake and that was nice. I got to work early, opened the cafe and the day started off really good. All in all it was a good day. The only hard part was when I knew he had his lunch break but I couldn't talk to him! On a few occasions throughout the day I thought about the times Travis had come into my work for this and that but I kept remember when he brought flowers to my work on Valentines day and that made me smile! :)

Travis and his sweet flower arrangement for me on Valentines day

Travis had a day full of tests, poor thing! He got to talk to his brother on his break which I know is nice for him. I talked to him after he got out of class while he was on the bus back to his hotel. This was the first stressful conversation so far! He told me that he tomorrow he had a test on combinations and that if he didn't pass it he would be sent home. He talked to me for the rest of his bus ride and I didn't talk to him again until right before I went to sleep. We were only able to talk long enough to say goodnight. That was so hard to do but I am so proud of him for studying so hard!

Apparently this is what combinations means, who knew

So all afternoon I was stressing and worrying about the fact that he was stressing and worrying about this test. It was so hard to keep from having too much concern in my voice for him. That was the main tip Beth, my sister-in-law, gave me about him being gone, never let him know if you are upset, stressed or worried because it will cause him to be upset. I am so glad I knew this ahead of time and was able to pull myself together and stay positive for him. I knew he could do it and I just told him that he could do it and gave him all of my love and encouragement. I'm sure tomorrow will go by so slow waiting to hear from him about the test! 

During all of my stressing Beth was having her own stress! She and JP have been trying to decide whether he should stay with the company he is working for now or buy his own truck and be an owner operator. They had almost decided for him to buy from one company and had started making plans about how to get him from the yard when he returned his current truck. After JP spoke witch his trainer from his training days (six years ago) they decided not to go with buying a truck from that company. So Beth and I were both running around like chickens with our heads cut off and stressing to high heaven! I felt that a glass of wine was due and I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

After that I was ready for bed! I curled up and talked to Travis for that brief moment and then had to call my Mom and vent. I am so thankful for having her to talk to! She is always there to listen and lend a piece of advice. I asked her to put in a prayer request with her prayer team for a calming spirit for both Travis and me and she wrote a beautiful email request. She always goes above and beyond what I ask! Thanks Mom!

I'm anxiously looking forward to the results of his test tomorrow. I know he can ace it!

Getting Started

April 15, 2013

Travis jumped head first into Day 1 of classes today. Unfortunately for him it was mostly spent doing paperwork and watching a video on sexual harassment. He said the each scenario in the video was like the beginning of a cheesy 80's porno flick! He took two practice tests and did great on them so naturally I was super proud!

I didn't work today so I thought that I would be bored but I babysat two of my nephews and they filled my time. Most of it was good but they did get a little crazy towards the end! We watched the same match on an old Wrestlemania DVD alllllll afternoon! Don't get me wrong I like wrestling but goodness it was getting old! While the boys played I looked into starting this blog and was crazy pinning trucker stuff on Pinterest! I kept myself pretty busy and all in all had a pretty good afternoon.

I was so excited to get a call from Travis during his lunch break. It will really take some getting used to not being able to talk to him when I want to. He sounded even more excited than when I talked to him yesterday and all he had done was paperwork. We chatted about our days for a few minutes and he had to go back to class.

I cooked dinner for my brother and sister-in-law which made me feel better about keeping them up until 4 am on Sunday! I made country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and cheese and sauteed onions. It was great comfort food to get me though this first day of little contact with Travis.

I was able to talk to him again after school and then once before he went to bed. If you are reading this blog for advice on doing what we are doing be prepared to only talk to your spouse 3 times a day if you're lucky! That has been the hardest part so far! I'm looking forward to more adventures tomorrow as it will be my first day back at work since he left, should be interesting!

Sorry there aren't as many pictures today but I will be better about it tomorrow!

First Goodbye

April 14, 2013

Today my husband Travis and I took the first step in our journey of Trucker and Truckers Wife. We (me, his brother and my sister-in-law) drove him to the bus station to catch his 2:55 am bus to the CDL school Indiana. It was one of the hardest things we have had to do together to say that first goodbye. 

A little background story of Travis and I for those who don't know us is that we have been together for nearly three years and married for one and a half. We moved in together after two months and have not been apart for more than one night since. I work in catering and up until two months ago he was a tow truck driver. We have a sweet little fur baby (cat) named Zoe and we are huge fans of WWE! 

 Us with Zoe

About a year ago we first started talking about him going to get his CDL but for different reasons and extenuating circumstances didn't go through with it then. He decided to go with towing and truly enjoyed his job but was laid off two months ago. His brother JP is an over the road (OTR) trucker and they had been back and forth since last years about Travis doing it as well. Travis wanted to but liked his job at the time so didn't want to leave and start a new venture. After he was laid off we truly started talking about it and decided this was the time to do it. We knew he loved driving for a living and we don't have any kids yet so it seemed like the best time and best thing for us! He took a week riding with his brother and loved it and it was settled!

 Travis and his brother JP at the bus station

He tried to go to a local school but it didn't work out. After one too many setbacks with that school he decided to go with CR England in Indiana. Unfortunately that meant he wouldn't be home after school every night so we had to jump straight into the time apart. We dropped him off at the bus station in Charlotte, a very sketchy place at two in the morning! Having my brother and sister-in-law there was such a huge help! It was so surreal to say goodbye to my husband, the love of my life and my very best friend knowing that I would not see him for at the very least three months. As hard as it was I felt an overwhelming sense of love and comfort in knowing that he would make this sacrifice of not seeing me for so long to get a career which would provide a future for us and our future family. I am so thankful to have such an amazing husband!

 Me and my Love

After dropping him off I slept, although not to well I must admit. I filled my day with busy work and chores as I anxiously awaited his calls at each stop and then the wonderful call that he had made it there! I loved hearing the excitement in his voice as he told me about his adventures on the bus and his hotel room and the few other students he had met. He told me that he was having White Castle for dinner which was exciting to both of us because we don't have White Castle in the south! 

His bus pulling away

As I go to sleep tonight I'm excited to hear all of the stories of his first day of class tomorrow. It is cool to think that my heart now belongs to a trucker! Although the first goodbye was hard, it will help me through all the rest because I know it was the hardest! At least it was a memorable one! ;)