Stopped at a new bar that we drive past between the house and where the truck is parked. Y Not Bar & Cafe. When I walked up to the door there was a notice saying “Smoking Allowed”. We prefer a “no smoking” environment, so decided to have one drink and leave. The cafe area was mostly empty, but there were a dozen people around the bar - all smoking. We realized that we could not smell the smoke. There were ‘fans’ spinning from the ceiling, no blades, just a circular covering. We asked the bar attendant - it is a state of the art air filtration system.
I am not sure of the smoking laws in Florida - there seems to be different rules for different venues and areas. I researched it on the internet, but still unclear:
Wikepedia: Smoking laws vary widely throughout the United States. Some places in the United States do not generally regulate smoking at all, some ban smoking in certain areas and not others, and some ban smoking nearly everywhere, even in outdoor areas.
In Florida, smoking is allowed in bars with no more than 10% of revenue from food sales.
The rules seem to be interpreted and set by state, county, city and differ in many areas. The air filtration system must allow them to serve food there. Don’t know??? It was nice and we will go back to eat at Y Not some time.
Spent an evening at Sunglow fishing pier and Crabby Joe’s Deck & Grill - the best tasting view in Daytona Beach.The restaurant in on a pier and about 100 metres into the Atlantic Ocean, it moves as the waves hit the pylons. One of my favourite places to spend an hour or two, relaxing watching the waves and the beach, with a pina colada. We got there on sunset and it was beautiful. The photo of the ocean and Daytona Beach is (obviously) taken through the insect screen, but you get the idea.
Jim replaced the rear tyre on the moto guzzi le mans ready for the summer and being on the truck. Also bought a new winch because water had gotten into the remote control on the previous one and it would not work., and a new bike cover. Loaded it on the Friday.
The upstairs tenants oven wasn‘t working, had to have an appliance man repair that. We need a new front door, had measurements taken for that. Always something!
Didn’t see much of Jimmy, he had temporary work in Orlando, so he stayed with friends there, instead of coming back to Daytona Beach each evening.We got up early Saturday morning, 1 May and loaded at a tradeshow in Orlando. We stopped in the marshalling yard and the first person we saw was a Bekins driver from the ‘old’ days!
The show was Coverings 2010 : Trade show featuring ceramic tile and stone flooring manufacturers from around the world.
The exhibitor we picked up was Flow International: Website: Flow International Corporation is the world leader in the development and manufacture of ultra high-pressure (UHP) waterjet technology, and a leading provider of robotics and assembly equipment.
Flow's roots date back to the early 1970s, the first technology commercialized by that company was the use of an ultrahigh-pressure waterjet as an industrial cutting tool. Flow later invented, patented, and perfected the world's first abrasive waterjet system to cut hard materials up to 12 inches thick.Trivia: Mobile waterjets had their brush with fame, when in 1987 a system from Flow was used to extract "Baby Jessica," from the abandoned well she fell into as a toddler. The waterjet system was used to dig a parallel shaft and then break through the wall of well.
The shipment was a large tank and machine with product and exhibit material. We tarped the whole shipment. After loading, we stopped back at the house for showers because it was a hot, sweaty day and we were dirty from handling the tarps.
On the way north we had an hour visit with our ex-Bekins, now Mayflower truck driver friend, Jack Schnorr at a truckstop in Georgia. He is selling his truck and retiring in June.
The Flow International shipment delivered on Monday morning in Connecticut to a moving company where it will be stored for another tradeshow at the end of May. We didn’t get unloaded until noon because it was a new warehouse and the bitumen had been put down the day before and they really didn’t want trucks on it yet... Jim was very careful and didn’t tear it up. There were several cuts in the tarps from sharp edges on the tank. We cover sharp edges with rugs or carpet, but it rubbed through the carpet and then the tarp! I had patching to do.
We ended up deadheading 350 kms to south New Jersey, and loaded in Bridgeport Tuesday morning at Godwin Pump.
From their website: Godwin Pumps specializes in Dri-Prime® fully automatic self-priming pumps for sales and rentals. Electric and hydraulic submersible pumps also are manufactured and rented. Godwin Pumps supplies a full range of diesel and electric Fire Pumps. Godwin also manufactures, rents and sells portable light towers with 4 -1000-watt metal halide lights, covering 5 to 7 acres, and portable generators from 20 kW to 350kW.
There were four deliveries and three pick ups for this shipment all at other Godwin Pump locations. That afternoon we delivered a few things to Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and loaded a few things. Delivered the next morning in Wilmington, North Carolina - and reloaded more. Jim discovered a flat tyre on the truck drive axle while we were delivering. We tried for an hour to fill it using the truck compressor, but couldn‘t get it to reseat on the rim, so had to find a tyre shop. They filled it and could not find any puncture. We had a six hour drive to make the next delivery north of Atlanta, Georgia and planned to get it off that afternoon.
In South Carolina, east of Augusta a drive tyre blew out at highway speed. (A different tyre.) Peeled the tread completely off and took out the mudflap and hanger! Had to drive slowly to the first truckstop and phone around for a replacement and fitting. We spent four hours in Augusta replacing and fitting the tyre. The evening before the truck was serviced and tyre pressures checked at a lube shop. Jim usually checks himself, but the truck lube place had a special for Landstar drivers - free tyre check with oil change. Will never know for sure why the tyres went flat - maybe the valves were damaged, but it was an expensive day! (Jim will be checking tyres himself from now on!)
Delivered to Godwin Pump in Kennesaw, Georgia early Thursday morning then boogied to Jacksonville, Florida and got the last pieces delivered, then to the house about 5.30pm.
Jim went to Orlando the next morning Friday, 7 May and loaded part of an asphalt conveyor. It was not needed urgently, so we spent Saturday at the house. Jim went fishing on the pier Friday afternoon. Worked on the truck Saturday - he bought a new pair of mudflap hangers and mudflaps.We left Daytona Beach early Sunday morning and took two days to deliver in Belleville, Ontario on Tuesday morning to a new asphalt plant. The weather had changed - huge temperature drops, even some snow in Buffalo that weekend! We spent Monday night at Thousand Islands, New York near the Canadian border and there was a big frost the next morning!
There were loads around the area, but we found one in Buffalo for the next morning so deadheaded 300km. Visited Jim’s mother, sister and family and spent time with Joe and Michele and kids - a quick visit. It was windy, raining and cold.
Wednesday morning we loaded 56 empty baskets at the Buffalo Ford Plant and delivered the next day to the Ford Plant in Highland Park (Detroit area), Michigan. Car parts are moved between factories on racks or in baskets.
En route we stopped at a rest area and Jim checked the load and straps. A car traveller walked over to the truck section and asked Jim if he hauled kangaroos in the cages? (serious!) Jim said “no”, but was a bit confused by the question (one he has not encountered before!???)The kangaroos on the sides of the truck cab and the empty ‘cages’, it was an obvious and logical question (if you don‘t think about it too long...)
Delivered the ‘kangaroo cages’ the next morning to the Ford Motor Plant in Highland Park, Michigan.
Wikepedia: The Highland Park Ford Plant became a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It was a production plant for Ford Motor Company and was opened in 1910. The complex included offices, factories, a power plant and a foundry. Because of its spacious design, it set the precedent for many factories and production plants built thereafter. In 1913, the Highland Park Ford Plant became the first automobile production facility in the world to implement the assembly line. In the late 1920s Ford moved automobile assembly to Dearborn, Michigan.
About 15 kms away we loaded and tarped some steel rods. A quick 900 kms to Hopkinsville, Kentucky and delivered bundles of steel late that night.
Only 100kms to Calvert City, Kentucky to load plastic pipe the next morning. We were required to tarp the front and back of the pipe. A smoke tarp is needed on the front of the load to keep the exhaust soot out of the pipe, but because there was a 70cm overhang at the rear, we had to tarp the back as required by the shipper, but it was an unusual request. At 110kms a rear tarp fills with air - lots of straps, bungys and rope were required to keep it on for 1500 kms!The pipe was destined for Bradenton, Florida, but we had a wedding to go to!! We set our loads up so we could attend, though had to leave it until the last minute to RSVP. On Saturday, 15 May we took a little detour with the whole rig into Milledgeville, Georgia. The motel had truck parking out the back, so it worked out perfect.
The bride is the elder daughter of our friends Gary and Diane Barber from Atlanta, Georgia. (Gary and Diane came to our wedding in Wandoan, Queensland in 1992.) 300 guests witnessed Michelle and Russell’s marriage in Freedom Church, the reception was in the adjoining gymnasium - beautifully decorated. We had met many of Gary and Diane’s extended family over the years and it was wonderful seeing everyone again. The wedding and reception was beautiful - great hospitality and we thoroughly enjoyed the people, food, music (awesome band!) and fun. We had not met the groom, Russell before, he and his family were welcoming and embracing.After the wedding Fran, Charlie and their daughter Tara (from Brooklyn, NY and close friends of Gary & Diane‘s), Gary and Diane, Jim and I went to the Mexican Restaurant near the motel for drinks and eats and enjoyed good camaraderie and unwind a bit for Gary and Diane.
The next morning the seven above and the bride and groom met for breakfast at I.H.O.P (International House Of Pancakes). We felt honoured that they could spend the time with us. It was a very special weekend with special people.
Jim and I were in the truck and rolling at noon on Sunday. Still had 740kms to go. Delivered at a street construction project in Bradenton, Florida on Monday morning. Then 200 kms north to Ocala and loaded a man-lift and three scissor lifts at Sunbelt Rentals. Delivered in Carlstadt, New Jersey on Wednesday, 19 May. Then loaded a steel coil north of Philadelphia that afternoon. Delivered that to a company that makes car parts for Chrysler in Ridgetown, Ontario.
We tool a slow trip towards the border because Joe was driving toward us, we met him about 20kms into Ontario at a truckstop and we had dinner and a quick catch up.
Loaded at Michigan Seamless Tube just west of Detroit on Friday morning. We delivered the load to a freight forwarder in Houston, Texas but the shipment of steel was destined for the United Kingdom. Odd because the closer ports are on the east coast ?? Monday afternoon we loaded at Siemens Wind Energy near Houston and drove back the same highways via Detroit to Cottam, Ontario.
We delivered to an area where a windmill farm is being constructed near the north shore of Lake Erie. We had an ‘elephant foot‘, part of the base of the windmill. The concrete had been poured and the crane was being pieced together. We saw about ten new windmill sites on the road we were on.The covered area behind the cars is where the windmill will be planted.
The Memorial Day holiday on Monday 31 May, and we found a load for Florida. Thursday we loaded and tarped storage shed kits on skids for delivery after the long weekend, so we will spend the three day weekend in Daytona Beach.
We were on the road for month (approx. 12,000 miles / 19,000 kms) and did not take the motorbike off the truck... We will have to do something to fix that in June!
