McELHATTAN, PA -> BROWNSTOWN, MI: 530 miles (400 loaded + 130 deadhead).
Saturday June 6th, I started my day at 12:30pm with the pre-trip inspection of the truck and left the Sheetz truck stop in Buckhorn, PA where I had spent the night just before 1:00pm. I still had an hour to drive to arrive to the shipper which is a 24/7 facility so nice to be able to start an assignment on a Saturday. I arrived at 2:00pm and though it was a drop-and-hook procedure it still takes a little time to complete as this shipper has several different buildings to navigate. I left the facility at 3:30pm and drove seven hours straight to our terminal in Canton, MI, where I arrived just before 11:00pm. The delivery appointment was set for Wednesday June 10th so I would leave the loaded trailer in our secure facility and a Local Driver would finish the assignment on that day.
After dropping off the loaded trailer I bobtailed to a Hungry Howie’s down the road that has truck parking next door at the Walmart. Afterwards, I did laundry. Though it may sound foolish to start a load of laundry at midnight I can’t simply jump in bed after driving for eight hours as my body needs to unwind. Best to use the time wisely and my next assignment was on Monday so I could sleep in on Sunday.
BOOK REVIEW: My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand (2023), MEMOIR – RATING (*****)
Fascinating narrative of Barbra Streisand’s life in incredible detail. It’s extremely long so I rushed through some parts and skipped other ones I found less interesting. The audiobook has the advantage of hearing her sing.
I always thought of her as a singer that had made some movies but she describes herself as “an actress that can sing.” Which is probably more accurate as she was nominated five times for an Oscar and won twice. I was unaware of her activities as a Director and Producer, especially for The Prince of Tides which made me want to read the book.
It was fun to hear back stories and production details of some of her movies and albums, especially Funny Girl, The Way We Were, A Star is Born, The Main Event and others. It was captivating to learn about her childhood, her early days as a singer, her breakthrough into Hollywood and her work ethic. She is candid about her personal life but left out her relationship with Andre Agassi which I was curious about with such a gap in ages and professions. I didn’t realize that her husband, James Brolin, an actor I’ve always enjoyed is the father of Josh Brolin, an actor I love. I never made the connection. She’s honest about her short comings and insecurities, including stage freight. Didn’t see that coming.
She has accomplished so much and an inspiration to all, especially women to overcome barriers and pursue their dreams. I don’t agree with her political views but are part of her core values therefore seemed appropriate to be included in her memoir.
Overall very entertaining though quite long.
