"Truck Driving School"

When people see that "Truck Driving School" sign on the trailer, I think they have one of two reactions: give this thing a wide berth and hope it isn't going my way for very long OR drive like a lunatic because that poor owner/operator/instructor must have wayyy beyond basic collision coverage.

Peoples is funny. No collision, but another adventurous day on the road.

On a similar note, I pray pray pray for red lights, but today, I got a green on a left turn onto a highway entrance. Wouldn'tchaknow, the yellow hits Right as I am at that "should I stay or should I go" line. I'm also, for the first time, in the cab-over 9-speed instead of our usual Volvo 10-speed. I'm fiddlin' with the gears, rolling through the yellow and feeling panicky. In my mind, I'm thinking, "Get round this corner and up that hill to the highway." It's Miata time. Only big trucks with flat-bed trailers don't turn like Miatas. I took the back axle up over the meridian curb. ... rats.

My confidence was dented, but overall I did alright in the cab-over. I had a nice afternoon run in the 10-speed, and I had some parallel parking practice time.

We have some newbies starting this week. So there's, like, 3 generations of students going through right now. The three guys who started the week or two before me. My threesome "class". and three to five (or more) who are three weeks behind us. I did a run with my "class" today and we waxed nostalgic on our first day together, just two weeks and several popped clutches ago. (I started just before they did.)

A good day. I think I'm learning as much about "man-talk" as I am about driving. It entails a lot of long pauses in conversation. and tacit agreements to not speak of one another's foibles -- "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas" sort of man-loyalty. ... I swear, it's like being on another planet.