Follow The InnKeeper on:

Day 3

I woke up just barely in time to check out and packed Misty back into the car and headed back to Prunedale. Before I left the hotel, I called the clutch shop and found out that the mechanic was on his way to pick up the part for my bus. Nothing else to do but go back to U-Haul and hang out. I stopped at Albertsons for breakfast for myself and Misty and pulled into the U-Haul parking lot. I picked up my "fall-back" book, a trashy romance novel I keep for emergencies when I have no good books to read and nothing else to occupy my time. I finished the book. Finally, I called the clutch shop again around 3:00. The guy, Fernando, says he called here and left a message, but I was sitting next to the bar all day and never heard a call for me. *Shrug* anyway, he says he's confident he can get my bus finished by today, but I've got a bad oil leak. I knew that. He says he can fix it, but it'll be tomorrow before he can find the gasket to fit my engine. I figure as long as I'm holed up here and spending money, I might as well have him fix it. Better than pouring in gallons of oil every time I stop for gas!

Not much else has happened. I found out I can't make a collect call to a cell phone, so I didn't update Scott on my situation, and my parents don't get home from work until later this evening, so I'll call everyone later. Since I'm stuck in "Prune-tucky", as John calls it, for another night, I figure I'll hang out and listen to Larry and his buddies play tonight and spring for one more night at a hotel. If the bus was gonna take longer than one more day, I'd high-tail it out of here back home for a few days. Anyway, Larry supposedly has some big job coming up involving picking up and moving several trucks from Paso Robles to San Jose and he asked me to be one of the drivers. It's about half the money I make as an office manager, and even less than what I'd make as a webmaster, but it's 100% more money than I'm making now, just sitting around a pool hall! I'm happy to help him out, since he and John have been so helpful to me, and it's nice to make a little pocket change when I can. I haven't heard much about when this pick up is supposed to take place, so if it happens, that'll be nice. Anyway, what else am I gonna do?

Long about 7:30 PM we finally get all the drivers together for the run to pick up the trucks. There are six trucks in all, so seven drivers (including the driver to get us down there). The pick up is in Templeton, just south of Paso Robles, about 2 hours away from Prunedale. I didn't know how far it was until we were in the truck, ready to go, but just in case, I had called Scott earlier this evening to tell him the plan and ask him to notify my parents after work what was going on. I figured I'd call them when we got back. So, four of us squeezed into the cab of a U-Haul truck and three guys rode in the back. John told more stories to entertain us on the way down, while Larry took a catnap.

We arrived in Templeton, a town consisting of a whopping 3 exits. No one got directions because Larry figured it was such a small town that we would have no trouble finding it. Turns out he was half correct. It was a small town. The town limit sign boasted of a population of 2900 people. That's right, two thousand, nine-hundred. Smaller than the population of the high school down the street from my parent's house. We took the second exit and Candy (Larry's wife) stopped at the nearest gas station to ask directions. The guys in the back started banging on the sides of the truck to be let out. So here we are, lost in one of the smallest towns in the state, asking for directions at a well-lit gas station and a bunch of guys start pouring out of the back of a U-Haul truck. It's a wonder we didn't get arrested.

Larry got the directions since the road we were looking for was so small it wasn't even on the town map, and we squeezed back into the truck. A few blocks later, we arrived. We all got out again and Larry started handing out truck keys. I got one of the big ones (29 feet). After checking our gas guages, we made plans to meet at a nearby truck stop we saw on the way. We got into our cabs and started the engines. It looked almost like one of those old trucker movies, 7 big trucks (OK, so they were U-Hauls, but they were the big ones) all lined up, diesel engines roaring, headlights cutting through the darkness. Larry pulled out first, and one by one, we all peeled away from the lot. I was 5th in line, with two trucks behind me.

Right away, I nearly lost them. The front of the line pulled away from the lot so fast, I almost lost sight of them around the first bend. We reached the highway, only to find that the northbound onramp was closed. So Larry took us around to the southbound onramp, presumeably to hit the next exit and turn around. Again, the head of the line took off so quickly that I nearly lost them. A motorhome and a car got in between myself and the next in line, so I hit the gas and tried to pass them. Before I could pass the motorhome, I saw the first four trucks turning off the highway on an exit I couldn't reach. So I lead my small group to the next off-ramp and turned around there. I was pretty sure I knew where we were going, since the truck stop and the U-Haul were both right on HWY 101, but I was a little relieved when the last truck pulled up ahead of me to lead.

Our little straggling group made it to the truck stop, only to find no other U-Hauls waiting for us. We walked around, hoping to find them, and Larry pulled up. We never did figure out how, but he somehow got behind us. Apparently, when he pulled on the highway back at the u-turn, the other three trucks took off ahead of him, even though he said to stay behind him. So everyone got separated. Larry, Candy, Beau and I all made it to the truck stop, which is just as well, since it was only Beau and I who needed gas.

After a very tense parking job by myself, directed by Larry, I got fuel in the truck and we all headed over to the restaurant for dinner, compliments of Larry. We spent a pleasant few moments over dinner and we all headed out again, this time minus Beau, since he took off a bit early.

Another two hours on the road and we finally reached the U-Haul station. And not a moment too soon! I was tired! I handed over the keys and collected my cat. Larry and Candy were nice enough to offer their recliner to me for the night, so I wouldn't have to pay for another night at a hotel. Those hotel fees can really add up, especially at almost $50 a night!

So once again, I had an adventure and fulfilled a childhood dream. I always wanted to drive a truck, especially as part of a convoy! And I was lucky enough to meet some really interesting, I mean really interesting people. My bus is supposed to be ready today, and with any luck, it actually will. I'm gonna miss these people, but I'm glad I met them. I'm definately going to keep in touch. In fact, I plan to be back soon to visit, and to shoot that video! If you're ever in the Salinas, California area, make sure you stop in Prunedale, at the U-Haul station on HWY 101. Poke your head in and say hi to Larry, play a game of pool, listen to the band. Tell 'em the bus lady sent you!

Day 2 - - Table of Contents - - Day 4

The Inn Between © 2002