12 am.   Time to get up and get going.  Several hours ahead of us to get to receiver outside Houston.  

8 am.  Made it early before our appointment at 9 am.   Now we sit. 

10 am.  Still sitting. 

11 am.  Finally get a door to unload.  

Noon.   They have stopped unloading the truck.  We figure they have gone to lunch.   More sitting.

12:30 pm.  Done. Now have to pay the lumpers. There’s a communication problem. Instead of letting me write a check, they take payment by phone. They have their own check. They give me the number and the amount and a thank you.  The only other thing I heard was that the lumpers would call me to have me come get my papers. I wait. 25 minutes. No call. I go in. Lumper says no one has contacted him. I call back. Now I’m told I was supposed to verify the check. I do that. Another 20 minutes. Call back. Check has gone through. Lumper will be notified of payment, release of bills will be forthcoming. Check with lumper. Head shake. I wait. Ten minutes and call back. Second person I speak with seems to be confused. Payment cleared but no notification sent to lumper. This is my clock you all are messing with people. Bills in hand I head to the truck. Truck stop 30 minutes away. Clock has 20 minutes on it. I have been resting in the truck for five hours yet the DOT in their finite wisdom deems me unfit to drive because it has been 14 hours since I logged on last night. So, I use “mandate to leave” a little loophole in the system that allows a driver to get to a parking spot after running out of time at a customer. 

Dinner at Arby’s. What’s this, a truck stop without a Subway.  Someone missed an assignment. Either that or we have entered a parallel universe. I feel light headed. Confused. Panicked. Is there someone I should call. This has to be reported. 

DG:  Shower, ahhhh, much needed.  Then a walk and a cigar and one might make the argument that I need another shower. Not so. 

Walked around a bit and found some cows. 

  
I walked toward the fence to get a closer look but I spooked them and they ran off. 

A beautiful Texas sunset. 

  
 And whatever these are.   

Well, need to get some sleep. 2:30 comes early. Good night and God bless.