It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Well.... not really.... In San Diego, CA, all you get is rain in the winter, and cooler evening temperatures .... but it IS raining and it is getting cooler .... so I guess (in a San Diego fashion) ....It Is Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. :)

The last two days on the road, Leroy got EXTREMELY SICK..... Both ends, all over the truck... not a pretty sight. So I had the job of driving to deliver our last load, and cleaning up after a sick husband... I was sooo tired, and I have Never seen him this sick in all our 8 1/2 years of marriage...poor baby... Wow!

We (finally) got home on Thursday (11/29), and turned the truck & keys and everything into Sam Kholi Enterprises on Friday. Our final day.

We purchased airline tickets to Orlando, Florida on Friday (11/30), which our new company LCT says that they will reimburse us for on our first paycheck, Yeah!

We spent the next several days recuperating from the dreaded "sickness", which then went through my whole local family. Mom, Dad, Daughter... not good. (We're soooo sorry.) We (collectively) think it was some kind of intestinal flu..... Glad THAT is over with.

The next Friday (12/7), we shipped 4 LARGE boxes to Florida via Greyhound Package Express. Hopefully the boxes will be there by Tuesday. We have orientation Monday - Wednesday (12/10-12/12), and are suppose to be assigned a truck on Wednesday. The boxes are what we usually LOAD into our truck for our "living" stuff.

On the airplane, we are taking all our clothes, our laptop computer, Leroy's CPAP machine, and our bedding. Everything else we shipped.

We are all praying for a smooth transition. That everything goes well, and that we pass all our tests.

The first day we have to pass all the physicals (no prob, hopefully) and a Road & Safety Test. (should be no prob, but we are still praying).

Today, Saturday, (12/8)... our final day in San Diego, we are doing laundry and packing. (What else..?)
We'll have dinner at the Chicken Pie Shop, Yum, then go to bed early. We have to be at the airport at 4:30am, because our flight leaves at 6:20am. We'll arrive in Orlando at 5:00pm (their time) Sunday, and will catch an airport shuttle van to the hotel (about an hour away), then probably go directly to bed because we have to be in the lobby of the hotel by 6:30am Monday, for the LCT shuttle to take us to orientation.
Then the whirlwind of paperwork begins.....

It's exciting... and a little scary. But...being based soo far from home... it's kind of like "moving" to Florida, in a way... I have never been away from home, like that.

Pray for me... and Leroy.
If you would like to leave comments and prayers, we can pray for you too.

I also have a page on Facebook.com, if you would like to see more pictures....

Merry Christmas!!!
and a Happy, Healthy New Year!
God Bless You Everyone!

Day 3 - Day 2 of Orientation

Day 3
(Day 2 of Orientation)
5:30 am Breakfast in lobby of hotel
6:00 am Shuttle to Werner Terminal in Fontana, CA
6:30 am Class Starts
Go over homework, more paperwork, more videos, ... and finishing up the computer-based training videos.... some people didn't finish because we had a large class (18-20) and not enough computers to go around. They will finish theirs tomorrow morning.

Day 2 - Day 1 of Orientation

Day 2
(Day 1 of Orientation)
5:30 am Breakfast in Lobby of hotel
6:00 am shuttle to Werner Terminal in Fontana, CA.
6:30 am Start orientation class
Lots of paperwork... a DOT physical (Yes, they will do their own DOT physical. So you will be getting a new Medical Card... even if you already have one previously issued)... photo taken for company badge.... safety videos... going over company policies...
They provided lunch. (Yum, spaghetti)
More paperwork.... more videos.... assigned some homework regarding map reading, trip planning & getting to know your employee handbook.... then more computer-based training videos. (You do these at your own pace. Each video has a minimum time limit you must spend viewing it.)
7:15 pm catch suttle back to hotel
7:40 pm Arrive back at hotel..... Long Day... Lots of Info. Brain is tired.
Talk to Leroy, talk to Mom.
9:30 pm Try to do homework -- did some.... but am really tired, so...

11:00 pm I head for bed.

Getting Started with Werner

After some advice and phone calls for comparisons, I decided to start my trucking career with Werner Enterprises. I got to pick my start date Monday, (7/9/07), and they offered to bus me to the hotel (La Quinta Inn) location in San Bernardino, CA. the night before orientation started. But I opted to have my husband drive me north from San Diego, CA on Sunday, 7/8/07. That way I could be with my husband, Leroy, for a few extra minutes.
I will be gone for 6 to 8 weeks.

As it turned out... After I had told them I would get there on my own.... we found out that Leroy was assigned a run by his company, and would have to leave on Sunday morning. So, at 6am, Leroy drove me up to my brother, Jon's, apartment in Fullerton, (arriving at 8am), and a few hours later, Jon drove me the rest of the way to the hotel.

This way.... I got to have a nice drive up with Leroy,.... got to spend some quality time with my bro Jon, and since he knows the area... he knew exactly how to get me to the hotel. Jon stayed with me while I checked in, (they were going to have me share a room-no problem, but she was a smoker and I'm not... so they gave me my own room!! God is sooo good), then Jon helped me take my luggage up to my room, and get all squared away. Brothers are wonderful.

Now do a little blogging, then I'll get some sleep, and be in the lobby - ready for the shuttle to Werner by 6am.
Nighty-Night.