ROUTE: Baltimore, MD to Dekalb, IL: 808 miles (762 loaded + 46 deadhead)
This assignment picked up on Friday 02/13 in Baltimore and was scheduled to deliver on Monday 02/16 in the morning just outside of Chicago. The trip required roughly thirteen drive hours so it could be done in a day-and-half. I was going to spend an idle day somewhere along the weekend. I have a niece that lives outside of Washington, D.C. and she was free for dinner Friday night. The problem was that my route was NW of Baltimore and Washington is Southbound. Even if I wanted to detour there are no truck stops in the Washington area. She was nice enough to drive up an hour to meet with me.
Friday 02/13 I arrived at the shipper at 10:00 and took two hours to load the trailer. This was a heavy load and it required to be scaled to make sure the truck complied with DOT regulations. There’s a TA truck a couple of miles from the shipper. The total weight for the truck was 77,100lbs. Since I got there early I was able to find parking easily and my niece showed up around 19:00. I gave her a brief tour of the truck and we went out to dinner. We started at The Horse You Came In On Saloon in Baltimore’s Fells Point for drinks and live music. Then we walked over to Prima Dopo Cucina & Cocktail House for a nice Italian dinner. It was a treat. The area is beautiful with its many restaurants, pubs, cobbled streets and lively crowds of young people out on a Friday night.
Saturday 02/14 I started my day at noon as I was in no hurry. I drove an hour-and-half to a Pilot in Hagerstown, MD for fuel, a shower and a Big Mac meal. I drove another four hours before shutting it down for the night.
Sunday 02/15 I slept in and started my day at 16:00 drove six hours and shut it down at 23:00. On the way I stopped at an Ohio Travel Plaza that has a Panda Express for dinner. The delivery appointment was for set for Monday at 11:00.
Monday 02/16 I started my day at 09:30, drove an hour-and-half and made the delivery at 11:00.
BOOK REVIEW: Blood in the Low Country: A Tension Filled Family Saga of Betrayal by Paul Attaway (2023), FICTION – RATING (****)
The themes of the story center around parenthood, moral beliefs and dark secrets with the backdrop of a murder mystery.
The main characters are the Atkins family: Monty, Rose, Eli and Walker that live in Charleston, SC. Eli is accused of murdering his girlfriend Kimberly. He flees after being arrested and set free on bail. His father is distraught and doesn’t understand why his son fled as he believes on his innocence. He hires a private detective but Eli has vanished into thin air. Kimberly’s father is a prominent banker set to avenge his daughter’s death. There are other colorful characters that play key roles in the story.
Rose is very self centered and is more worried about her reputation than her son’s innocence. She carries much resentment form a hard humble childhood. Monty is a God fearing man and exemplary father that worries for both his sons and his wife. Eli is a troubled boy but a good person. Walker gets caught in the crossfire of trying to meet the expectations of his parents, especially Rose that uses guilt as a method of manipulation.
Five years pass before the mystery unfolds and in that time much happens in the story with the Atkin’s and Kimberly’s families. The first half is a little slow pace accentuated by many religious references. The second half moves at a faster pace with the eventual resolution of the murder.
Overall entertaining and suspenseful.
