Kellogg's Korner

Hi,

Yes, I am still in Colton, CA. For the last 8 weeks I have been working light duty at the terminal here. They have me working the 100 line phone system, sorting paperwork and greeting people as the come into the building.

While on light duty I spend part of some days going to Doctors appointments and physical therapy. I also found out in the course of things that being here is probably for the best as the State of Oregon does not accept out of state workman’s comp. So if I was at home I could not get the medical done.

As of yesterday I finished up the physical therapy the Doctor required before he would request an MRI done. He did make that request yesterday after trying the cortisone shots in the shoulder area (oh! yeah that hurt). But that did not work. Now well will see how long it takes the insurance company to approve it. So that is where I am at medically.

On a brighter note I will be heading home on September 6th and coming back down around the 10th depending on how pain free it is for me to drive. Right now and for the last 8/9 weeks I have not had my own vehicle available to me. Except when Keith has come down and the one weekend I rented a car.

I have been blessed with my best friend Marie in that she has made my weekends bearable. She has come over and picked me up on her weekend days off (usally Sunday) and we have gone shopping, to the spa, down to see the Mitch and his family. The one weekend she had the weekend off she picked me up and I stayed the weekend at her house. that is the only time I have been away from the hotel at night.

On the weekend I rented a car I went down to San Diego for my granddaughters 1st birthday. She was right on the verge of walking (I just saw a video of her walking yesterday) it was a great time to spend with the kids.

I hope to see a lot of you while I am home. Beth if I don’t see you while I am home hopefully on my way through we can get together. That is all in my world that is going on. I will write later.

Love you all,
Mom

Popularity: unranked [?]

Hi,

I know it has been a while. I am sorry to say that I am still imprisoned by the company in Colton, CA. I am still in pain with my shoulder. The first month here I was receiving physical therapy for my shoulder.

This last week I have been sent to the Orthopedic surgeon. I thought that at that point that an MRI would be done. Well wishful thinking on my part. They took an X-Ray of my neck where this new doctor feels the real problem is. He found arthritis, calcification, and a curvature in my neck. So now another 4 weeks of physical therapy before they will do an MRI. The Doctor said sometimes physical therapy works.

Keith came down for the long weekend. He is going to take all of my stuff off the truck home. We went down and spent the day with Mitch and Grace.

I have been spending the last 3 Sundays with my friend Marie, we went to the Spa, shopping, and down to see the Mitch and his family. We have also gotten together for dinner after work a couple of times. I am so glad that she lives in the area (about 45 minutes away) I would be going crazy otherwise.

Well that’s all that I have going on. I will write later.

Love,
Mom

Popularity: unranked [?]

Hi,

Last time I wrote I was picking up a load in Huntsville, AL that I delivered in Topeka, KS. The next load I picked up right there in Topeka and took it to Kansas City, MO. My next load picked up in Spring Hill, KS going to Kent, WA. That was my load heading me towards home. I then got a load picking up in Springfield, OR going to Medford, OR that is right there 3 miles from home. So I had actually gotten a load all the way home.

I was home for a week. While there I was able to see Teresa before her and Pat left for Africa. Otherwise I just relaxed and did nothing.

Once I left home I repowered a load right there in Central Point, OR going to Bloomington, CA. I had service done to my truck while in the Colton area. Also while in the Colton area I was called into the Terminal for a meeting where I found out that the company is changing how they run solo drivers. I will now be running primarily out west only venturing out east on occasion. They said that freight has picked up so much out west that they need to keep more drivers out here. Well we will see how that works, last time they tried this it didn’t work out, oh well some of us just don’t learn.

While my truck was in the shop I used a day cab to run some local loads for the day. Did 2 loads into L.A. area and back. Then when I got my truck back I took another local load into Long Beach, CA. Then picked up a load in LA going to Milpitas, CA (the Bay area). Then I did a local load from Concord, CA to the rail yard in French Camp, CA. The next local load I did picked up in Stockton, CA delivering in Tracy, CA. Then I picked up in Modesto, CA to deliver in Moreno Valley, CA.

Things have been pretty hectic from there. When I did the locals in LA I started feeling some pain in my left shoulder and it just kept getting worse. I am now sitting in Colton, CA in a hotel room. I did something to my shoulder, the doctor doesn’t think anything is torn as I have full range of motion. He feels that I have probably pulled something so he has me on some medications for the pain as well as some muscle relaxer, anti-inflammatory and a steroid. It has been 10 days since I initially went to the doctor and finally yesterday and so far today the pain has become more manageable. Prior to yesterday the pain was about all I could even think about.

My friend Marie came and picked me up so that I could get some food and necessities while at the hotel. I can’t drive or do any lifting. This was before I knew that I was going to be here long term.

Once I knew that it was going to take longer than just the weekend to heal Keith came down to help me unload all my stuff off the truck and stayed with me until Friday, then he headed home. While he was here we went down and saw Mitch, Grace and Leah. This was Keith’s first chance to see Leah.

The company is not sending me home. I will be working in the Colton terminal on light duty, they have me sitting at the reception desk managing the phone system and greeting visitors. 8 to 5 Monday through Friday like I am an office worker. I am having physical therapy treatments 3 times a week for the next 3 weeks. so I am living in the hotel for a while. This is not my idea of a good time.

Well that is all I have going on. I hope things are going well for all of you. I will write later.

Love,
Mom

Popularity: unranked [?]

Hi,

I am sitting in Gadsden, AL. I will be picking up a load in the morning in Huntsville, AL about 80 miles away. I got that load I was on going to Tobyhanna, PA delivered. Then went to Hazelton, PA to pick up a load going to Royersford, PA.

Once that load was delivered I then went to Lititz, PA and picked up a load that delivered in Olive Branch, MS But on the way I was asked to trade loads with another driver so that he could get home on time. So in Nashville, TN we traded loads and I delivered that new load to Maryland Heights, MO.

I went from that delivery to Berkeley, MO to pick up a load going to Sanger, TX I traded that load to another driver in St. Louis, MO so he could get home on time ( yes! as you might have guessed this is the week just before the 4th of July). I took that load to Fulton, MO. Then it was back to St. Louis to pick up my next load going to Markham, IL (Chicago area).

The next load picked up in Plymouth, IN and I delivered it to Paul’s Valley, OK (sounds like I am heading west for home time). I then pick up a load on the yard in Oklahoma City, OK and deliver it to Madill, OK. At this point I need to get my DOT physical done. They send me to Ft. Worth, TX to get that done. On my way there they want me to pick up a hot! hot! load in Haslett, TX, I can’t pick up on time or deliver on time but they wan’t me to do it anyway. So on my way down I pick it up, get my physical done and head up to Lenexa, KS where I deliver late as expected.

Hey! I am still kind of moving west. Then I am assigned a load picking up in Spring Hill, KS going to Newnan, GA (yes! you see it). Once I deliver there I pick up a load in Forest Park, GA (Atlanta area) going to Dublin, GA. After delivery I then go to The Rock, GA to pick up a load with 3 stops ending up in Greensboro, NC, I dropped it in Atlanta, GA yesterday. I ran a couple of locals yesterday and one this morning then headed out to pick up this next load (west we will see).

It was good to hear from those of you that updated me on what you have going on. Hopefully I will be home by the end of next week. Hope to see some of you then.

Love,
Mom

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hi,

I am in Harrisburg, PA on my way to Tobyhanna, PA for delivery in the morning. Last time you heard from me I was in El Paso, TX picking up a load going to Phoenix, AZ. Once that load was delivered I picked up a load in Phoenix and delivered it in Los Lunas, NM. The next day I picked up a load in Albuquerque, NM that delivered in Pleasanton, CA.

On my way to Pleasanton I stopped in Kingman, AZ and had lunch with my Dad. I dropped that load in Stockton, CA. I got an empty trailer from the yard there and went to Lodi, CA to pick up a load going to Fremont, CA. I went back to Lodi, CA and picked up another load and delivered it to Woodland, CA. Once I was empty the next load picked up in Fairfield,CA going to Albany, OR. I gave that load to another driver in Roseburg, OR so that I could go on home for Keith’s Graduation Ceremony.

Keith’s friend Mark, my sister Teresa, her husband Pat and I went to the ceremony. It was held outdoors and the weather was great. The ceremony was nice and everything went well.

I came back out on the 16th and went up to Springfield, OR and picked up a load that delivered in Lebanon, OR. My next load picked up in Portland, OR with 2 stops the first stop was in Tualatin, OR the last one in Medford, OR. The company then dead headed (went empty) me to Sacramento, CA to pick up a load that I took to Stockton, CA. I picked up a load there at the yard in Stockton that I delivered in Modesto,CA.

My next load picked up in Modesto and delivered in Rochelle, IL. On my way to Rochelle I was able to get together with my Mother and Father-in-law for lunch when I went through North Platte, NE. After delivery I had to take my trailer to the shop to have the doors repaired. That only took a couple of hours. I then picked up a load in Bolingbrook, IL that had 4 stops one in Jasper, IN 2 in Evansville, IN last one in Owensboro, KY.

After the last delivery I then picked up a load in Hopkinsville, KY and took it to Birmingham, AL. Then I picked up this load in Cullman, AL I will deliver it tomorrow. I am not planned on a load after that yet.

That is all I have going on. I hope you are all doing well. I will write later.

Love,
Mom

Popularity: 2% [?]

Hi,

I was at home last time I updated you, I didn’t leave the house on Friday as I thought I would. No freight for the weekend so I left out Monday.

Went from home to Springfield, OR to pick up my first load I took it to Lebanon, OR (about 44 miles away). Then that same day they had me go back to Springfield and pick up another load to Lebanon. This was the start of a week running short loads between Oregon and Washington.

After delivery of the load going back to Lebanon. I then picked up an empty trailer in Wilsonville, OR so that I could pick up a load that was at the rail yard in Portland, OR. The load had to be transferred from the trailer it was on to the empty trailer that I had as the trailer it was on hit something and took the top off.

Once the load was transferred I the took the load to Kent, WA and dropped it at the yard. Picked up a load on the yard and took it 10 miles to Sumner, WA for delivery. I then picked up in Longview, WA and dropped that load in Portland, OR at the yard.

Next load picked up in Springfield, OR delivering in Auburn, WA. then Picked up again in Longview, WA this time going to Otay Mesa, CA (San Diego area). This load made it possible to go by the house over the holiday weekend. I was able to visit with a lot of you as that was the weekend of the family picnic. I then was able to spend some time with our son Mitch and his family on Monday after dropping that load.

I then picked up a load in Vista, CA delivering in Long Beach, CA. Then picked up a load in Ontario, CA with 2 stops on it the first was in Phoenix, AZ then the last stop in Tucson, AZ. I picked up next load in Nogales, AZ it also had 2 stops first in El Paso, TX last delivery in Dallas, TX. Then picked up a load on the yard in Irvine, TX and delivered it yesterday morning in El Paso, TX.

I did a local load yesterday that picked up at the yard in El Paso and delivered at the rail yard in El Paso, it ended up taking me all day as the people in the office at USX just kept dropping the ball. So the load they had for me that evening got taken away from me.

I am sitting in El Paso,TX waiting to pick up a load here tonight that will deliver in Phoenix, AZ in the morning. I will hopefully be home around the 10th as Keith’s graduation ceremony is on the 13th.

It was great to get together with family, I really enjoyed seeing and spending some time with all of you that were there. Tammy sent me some of the photo’s that were taken after I left. I hope you all had a good time.

That is all that is going on with me. I will write later.

Love,
Mom

Popularity: unranked [?]