Roads - You Can't Live With Them, You Can't Live Without Them

We've been driving for a few months now, Shannon for over 6 months, and we've both decided that there are some states that must be using their highway dollars for other things. Governor Schwartzenegger, what are you spending your highway funds on?  It is not I-5 repairs, let alone any improvements!  There are stretches on I-5 where I wonder if this Freightliner truck will have any pieces left in place. Everytime we drive between Modesto and LA parts and moldings come loose or fly off from inside the truck and we have to put everything back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Another state on our, "Oh, know, we have to drive through that state again!" list is Oklahoma. Wow, talk about some bad roads in desparate need of repairs! I can almost understand Oklahoma's road condition because of their winter weather and they don't have the tax base like California does. Unfortunately, it doesn't change the fact that driving through the state leaves you feeling like your an overshook milkshake!

A different driving challenge we've encountered is in the Northeast states where roads were built during the time of horse and buggy and even though modern cars can maneuver through the towns and villages, driving a semi and trailer through them can be quite challenging! At one corner, Shannon had just an inch or two of clearance before we took out an old street sign, probably something that had been there since the town's inception. That's not something I want to be known for as the team who destroyed a historical landmark in a quaint, little Northeastern hamlet!  I don't know how solo driver's do this kind of thing. I was hanging out the window, yelling instructions back to Shannon, while cars were backing up and trying to get out of our way, probably "tsking" and saying, "what do these people think they are doing?"  These are the same people who are yelling at their local carpet store because their special order carpet hadn't been delivered yet -- because it was on the trailer of the rig they had to back up for!  Actually, the large majority of people are more than happy to try to accommodate us and are very nice about any inconvenience we put them through. 

Right now we are on a very nice stretch of highway in southern California, heading for the Arizona border, on our way to New Jersey!  We hear there are storms in the midwest and we're praying for God's safety for us. We're suppose to have this shipment of clothes to Totowa, New Jersey by Monday afternoon. We will need to drive non-stop to make our delivery time.

Love to all.