ROUTE: Manchester, TN to Brighton, MI: 668 miles (602 loaded + 66 deadhead)
Wednesday 11/19 my day started at 06:00 as my delivery was scheduled for 08:00 and I was two hours away. I arrived at 08:30, which is OK, as most places have a one hour tolerance on appointment times. The unload took two hours.
The shipper for this assignment was one hour away and the appointment was for 09:00, which was unrealistic but pickup appointments have greater flexibility. I arrived at the shipper at 12:30 and it took one hour to load the trailer. The delivery appointment was for 08:00 on Thursday 11/20 which would be impossible but I had until 15:00 to make the delivery. The 602 miles would take roughly ten hours of drive time. I decided to drive as much as possible on that day. My fourteen-hour clock would end at 20:00 and I managed to reach a mom-and-pop truck stop at 19:45. The lot was not-paved and full of pot holes but there was a restaurant on the premises.
Exit 62 Truck Stop Restaurant is a simple place with homemade cooking. I much prefer any diner to a fast-food franchise. I asked the waitress about the grilled chicken entree on the menu. “It’s good” she replied. How could I refuse after such an overwhelming endorsement? It was basic but good. I choose the mac-&-cheese, baked beans as sides and it included corn bread.
Thursday 11/20 I overslept and started my day at 08:00 so didn’t have time for a proper breakfast. I had cereal in the truck and a red bull. I had another five hours to drive and needed fuel. I arrived at the consignee at 14:00.
BOOK REVIEW (1): Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (2018), FICTION – RATING (NR)
DNF.
I knew what I was getting into but normally I try to avoid stories that harm women or children. This one seemed different. The publisher’s synopsis indicated an abduction then a reconciliation or some sort of mystery that would have a happy ending.
I got through 10% and was utterly confused. It kept going back and forth in time and the characters were not well developed due to this continuous shifts on the timeline. The mother, apparent protagonist, kept bringing up events as any of those were the catalyst for her daughter’s disappearance.
It was depressing so I figured I cut my losses early. The mother kept regretting her almost every decision and I thought that was an omen. I did not want to regret wasting time finishing the rest of the book.
NO RATING because I only got to 10% and maybe it turns out to be a great book, just not my cup of tea.
BOOK REVIEW (2): Murder by Lamplight by Patrice McDonough (2024), FICTION – RATING (*****)
BRAVO!
I enjoy listening to books with a strong female protagonist and this book does not dissapoint in that respect. It does it subtly with no need of action scenes just cerebral and dealing with the adverse conditions toward women without long winded criticism of how prejudicial those are.
The pace of the book is excellent. It deals with the issues of tracking a serial killer with logic and practicality. The murder scenes are well described without dwelling in them or becoming too graphic. The main characters are described in depth and the peripheral ones enough to get a good sense of who they are. There’s some small flaws in the plot but not enough to derail the narrative.
It is highly entertaining and I found myself wanting to get back to the story ASAP to see how it would unfold. The ending is witty and not the expected Hollywood happy one.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, A Slash of Emerald.
