SHELTON, CT to WARREN, MI: 841 miles (698 loaded + 143 deadhead).
Monday June 22nd, I arrived at the shipper at 4:30pm and it was raining. I had a delivery earlier in the day and drive between the two facilities took three hours. I left the shipper at 6:00pm hungry and tired. I had not eaten all day. My plan was to drive three hours or so to the I-84 Diner in Fishkill, NY, where I could have dinner and spend the night. However, I might not make it before they stop serving at 9:30pm. I decided to stop at a Travel Plaza that was thirty minutes away and grab a quick bite then continue to Fishkill. I would settle for a hearty breakfast the next day. The parking layout was a nightmare because the car parking was commingled with the trucks so much harder to maneuver. What should have taken minutes took half an hour and required the assistance of several idle drivers. My schedule was shot and I still had not eaten. There was no point in advancing any further that evening. I shut it down officially at the start of the parking maneuvers at 7:00pm.
Tuesday June 23rd, the delivery was scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00am and I still had almost the entirety of the drive of roughly twelve hours. I started my day at 10:00am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck and drove three and half hours to the I-84 Diner where I arrived at 2:00pm and proceeded to have lunch. I drove another six and half hours and shut it down for the night at 10:30pm.
Wednesday June 24th, I started my day at 9:00am after just over the minimum mandatory ten-hour DOT Regulations Break. I did the pre-trip inspection of the truck and drove two hours to the consignee arriving at 11:30am. A little after my designated appointment time but not excessively late. On route I spied a dust cropping plane in action. It was pretty cool seeing the little plane dive into action spraying the insecticide on a field of crops.
BOOK REVIEW: Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray (2026), THRILLER – RATING (*****)
An exciting psychological thriller where the subplots are as important or more so than the plot itself. A well known and respected judge is killed in a seedy part of town. The defense’s Barrister is a junior lawyer handling her first murder case. To make matters worse the ruthless prosecutor which had never lost a case was her husband.
Leila Reynolds is the protagonist. Not only is she out of her league but she hides dark secrets that could derail the case. Her husband, Julian Kessler, is used to winning regardless of the consequences even if it puts in jeopardy his marriage. Jack Millman is the defendant. He’s the bouncer at a shady nightclub with a criminal record. Leila defended him in the case that landed him in jail and despite that he requested her. The story explains the British legal system and the defendant chooses not to disclose any details of that evening until the trial begins. Leila has to figure out what really happened in order to save her client from a life sentence. What was Judge Anton Smythe, the victim, doing in that part of town?
Overall very entertaining with many wild twists-and-turns.
