Happy New year, my loves! I hope you entered 2022 with so much to look forward to. Sometimes hope is more than we can ever ask for. Just hope! A feeling that somewhere down the line, the sun will shine on us again. Here's to you and yours this year!
Thanks for showing up again. Funny thing about this little blog of mine is that, I get more clicks when I don't update. That's not why I don't but I find that very interesting! I will get as much as double the amount of views in a month if I hardly post than when I post often. Make that make sense!
It's beautiful outside right now in Southern California. I am thankful for that. It has been dark and rainy for what felt like weeks. Not the kind of day I thrive in. I need brightness; sunshine! How about you?
Speaking of life: Let's see where we left off!
Love life: I told you Derrick and I are done.
Friendships: I'm still my best friend and only friend!
American Citizenship: I got my Green Card, Whoot! Whoot!
Weight Loss: I am down by 130 LBS and have kept it off. I reached my goal weight a couple of years ago and have been circling it ever since. There are times when I feel the skinniest I think I ever have, due to bones sticking out around my hip area. Then there are times when I feel like I could lose a kilogram or two. These times have nothing to do with how much I am on the scale. It's a feeling thing. It's also got to do with the time of the month and what I put in my mouth, no pun intended! I recently talked to my mom and told her I would like to drop a dress size. To which she exclaimed: Wawugqiba ubhitya kangaka! (but you're so skinny!). I asked her how she knows that? She was like, I just assume you are! Haha! The conviction in her first statement was almost convincing! She's seen me on video but I don't believe I am that skinny. I know I am half the size I was when I started this whole thing several years ago. Thank goodness for that. But I also know that I can afford to drop a dress size and not look unhealthy. With my head shaved, my facial bones stick out more and I look skinnier, neither here nor there!
Truck Driving: I recently told you a story about when I was fired from a job in South Africa. Here's that story. This was years ago! Thankfully! When something like that happens to you, totally unwarranted, it can mess up your trust system. Or not, I guess, I know it did me! My plan with my trucking job was to work two full years with the first company. I wanted to have enough experience and tax returns to be able to buy a house as that was one of my main motivations to get into trucking to begin with. I would then, hopefully, mortgage a home, and then switch to a different company, one that would be paying more. Why else would you quit your job, if not to make more money? Just kidding! I know there is a plethora of other valid reasons to make the switch. I was in line to get a 4 figure bonus for having been with the company for 2 years. That was another motivating factor to stick it out that long. Two years was around the corner. My whole life was in the truck, well, there and in storage. But you know what I mean. Living in the truck full time for 2 years, that had become my life.
I remember having a routine on my two days off of Post office, Laundry, Groceries and sometimes, storage. This one time, I went to Walmart, got everything I needed and on my way home, I was at the light, waiting for left arrow to go green in order for me to on ramp onto the I10 freeway. There was a truck with a trailer in front of me, so I could only see his truck and a bit of the light. As soon as the light went green, the truck in front of me moved, I followed suit. Turns out the light had quickly turned amber and red in no time. I couldn't see any of this as the horse and trailer in front of me had blocked my view. I was already in the middle of the intersection, the only way to go was ahead. Makes sense, right? This reminds me of a time where I thought I used common sense when I had a delivery in Northern California. I had a left turn to make onto the freeway. I stuck to the left turns, because I didn't want to be stuck on the wrong lane and have to switch over, without anyone opening up for me to get in. It was a residential neighborhood. I didn't want to miss my turn, and end up in a NO TRUCKS area. These aren't things I haven't experienced in the past.All par for the course! I quickly realized that I went onto the left lanes too soon, my turn was the next one! I was already first at the light. If I went when the light went green, I'd have had to go into a wrong area. If I stayed, I would have been not moving in a green light. Catch 22 anyone? The car opposite me wasn't moving. They were texting, but who isn't on the road anymore, right? No offense! It was a great opportunity for me to go ahead and go straight ahead. The car behind the car opposite me decided to pass the car in front of him! That was random as heck! So now, we had two random situations at the same time. Me, going straight from a left arrow and the dude passing at a light. The passing dude honked. I don't know at whom. I try not to honk because you're just freaking out all the drivers who are texting. Nobody knows who you're honking at but you. Just take a breath! I was like, sorry man! and continued to cross over to the lane ahead of me, and then get onto the freeway.
Long story, even longer; I thought I was done with my errands, but I had one more thing to do. I left the company yard. When you exit, you go to a boom gate where you confirm your ID with the guard via the intercom, then they left you out. I stop at the gate, driving the same Volvo Truck, I had been driving for almost a year at this point. Security told me that I wasn't assigned to that truck. I was like, what do you mean? I live in this thing and I just got back from running errands in it, where you guys left me out and in, no problems. I asked them who was assigned to it and which truck I was assigned to. They told me I wasn't assigned to any truck and the truck wasn't assigned to anyone. Right away, my heart skipped a beat: Oh gosh, the day has come! I've been fired! That's what I thought. I didn't have loads ready for my week coming up. This made sense, because by then I should've known where I was going next. My mind was working overtime. I just wanted the guard to tell me they made a mistake and let me live my life the way it was. I wasn't ready to be told something that would potentially change my entire life, moving forward.
I went to my manager. The new lady (one of the three ladies in the office who all share the same brain), was there. She couldn't look me in the eye. I was like sht! I half jokingly asked her if I've been fired. She told me she made a mistake and took off the wrong driver from the wrong truck. The assigned me back to the truck.. All my prayers were answered. Whew!
Here's the follow up to this story. It gets dark!
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