Don't drive tired.....but enjoy yourself as well
This trip started out after I left work and then went on a call for a tree down in the road(Yes,I am a firefighter/EMT).I wanted to come home get changed and then take off,but the pager went off just as I got in the driveway.I left for the call.I got back home,changed clothes,and off I went.Up SR235 to US36 where I finally found the "Outback Barbie Ltd. Restaurant/Bar" I had been wanting to try for the longest while.Took US36 over to I-75 at Piqua and proceeded North.Things started out quietly.No real traffic on the Ham rig,scanner was somewhat quiet,and the CB had its normal array of talking on 19.It was peaceful going up I-75,but as I reached Wapakoneta(Which is the home of Neil Armstrong,first walker on the moon,and his museum) the body decided it needed to empty itself.So I pull into the L&G truckstop,an old 76 truckstop by its looks,and cared for things.I also found as well a small plastic license tag of my fave NASCAR driver,#12 Ryan Newman.I bought it and a snack and left.Back north on I-75 we go.I got around Lima and saw another one of those billboards for the Lions Den adult places.There must be enough perverted people that they make extra money to build these places.Said it was up at Findlay.I got to the 137 MP Northbound and saw my first state trooper.He was with what looked like a wrecked SUV.The winner for the gasoline price of the night was 2 miles back at Beaverdam.All 3 of the gas stations were at $172.9.But I didn't need gas yet.The ham rig finally picked up about that time as I was listening to a repeater located in Angola,Indiana.That Tropospheric ducting must really be good tonight.Finally I reached Findlay.Marathon has a great piece of artwork on one of their storage tanks at SR12 and I-75.Says,"Flag City,USA" and shows a picture of an eagle on a flowing flag with their trademark "An American company serving America" below that.Kudos to you Marathon for the patriotism in your hometown.After that,I stopped at the Petro at exit 167.Got something to drink and a sandwich.I was going to turn around there and come back,but decided not to(Bad decision on my part.Read on).I left there and went back north.I reached the area of US6 and found the weigh station,or "Chicken house" as it is called on the CB,closed.Great for the truck drivers for now.It remained quiet on the highway,but the ham rig and the scanner were buzzing as I reached the Bowling Green area.I got into chatting with some folks on the 147.180 repeater in Angola,but was listening to the 443.300 repeater I would later find out was in Oregon,Ohio.A short bit later as I reached the I-75/I-475 area,I was able to reach the 146.760 repeater which was not the one in Columbus,but rather in Detroit(about 50 miles away).I had been chatting with a number of folks up to then.Chris and Dale on the 147.180,and John on 146.760.Conditions must be good for me to do that out of the truck.I thought about hopping on the turnpike,but had no cash(I tend to use my debit card for everything) and didn't know if they took something like mastercard.That was out.I hadn't seen any more cops save for the one north of Lima,it was going good.I noticed there was a full moon as well.That may have been an omen for some things,but so far I hadn't seen anything.I got into Toledo,and just like Dayton they have their share of construction as well.Toledo,IMO,would be a great city to live in if it weren't for Ohio being where it is and the winters here(I like warm places you can tell).I-280 is a mess coming off I-75 and I was able to see it as I drove by.A short 5 minutes later I was seeing the sign,"Welcome to Michigan".Michigan is a nice state.Kinda wierd though in some regards,but great(They can keep their university though.I am and always will be a Buckeyes fan.I bleed Scarlet,not blue).I went by the weigh station,which was closed,and saw a sign.Sign said,"Mobile Patrol when closed".I was told over the CB that they actually do stay out looking for trucks to check when the station is not open.I got up to the S.Otter Creek Rd. exit and decided to turn around.I could have went 6 more miles to Monroe,but decided not to.I looked at Gas prices in Michigan at a Sunoco,but I was NOT going to pay $1.87 a gallon.I needed gas soon,but was not going to make it to Beaverdam.I decided,after seeing a sign for Pilot,to go there.It is located off Exit 210 on Alexis Rd./SR184 in Toledo.It used to be a Speedway,but I think Speedway must have bought out Pilot or something and made all their truckstops Pilots where they could.Gas there was not so bad.It was $1.73 a gallon.I could live with that.I went in to pay and the clerk asked me what "EMS" was that is listed on the side of my toolbox in the truckbed.I told him it was for "Emergency Medical Services".He said,"Oh!Ok.I get it now".It is where I keep my first aid backpack and some tools.The other side is where I keep a Gas Can, my fire extinguisher,cargo net,and some other items.I left there and started back south.It was going great until I got down near the Phillips Ave. exit and my radar detector started going off.I expected to see a cop,but instead saw a sign hanging on the overpass that told the speed limit and had a radar unit that showed what your speed was.I had went by I-280 again earlier and came to think how nice it would be if Tony Packo's place were open.They are located off I-280 at the Front street exit,which is the first exit after the Drawbridge that is on I-280.First interstate I know that has a Drawbridge in it,but then I have not travelled a lot outside the midwest.I got on down I-75 and something kept telling me to check my tires.After the incident on my last trip,I felt I needed to heed the voice.I stopped at a gas station in Perrysburg off exit 193 and checked them.Pressure was ok,but the right rear showed something disturbing.It is going bald,and not a little.I decided not to do anything there.I went down I-75 to the rest area south of Bowling Green and pulled in there.I pulled to a back part of the lots and got everything out.I figured that since I had never used the spare(I know,I know,I should have rotated the tires over a period of time) I 'd change it out.First of all,let me tell you that the auto makers do not make a decent jack.Ford supplies this little bottle jack that you must crawl under the truck and place under the axle to use.Then you have to put the crank together and use the lug wrench to crank it up.I'd do better with a floor jack(sic).They did get one thing right(Thanks GM for waking them up),you take the crank for the jack and insert it into a hole below the tailgate and lower the tire on the cable/holder there.But you still have to get under the truck to get that loose and get the tire out.Nuts!I got the tire changed and found out that the spare does not even have a rim that matches the other 4(I love a Ford,but get with it guys!).I left southbound again and all was ok.I was still chatting on the ham rig and the CB.Scanner was still active,but mainly for the turnpike. Seems a car struck the center wall at the 66 MP eastbound just east of the I-280 exit.Then there was a semi supposedly all over the road westbound from the 51 MP as well.I had been talking with N8UXT and KB8EHT(correct?) on the 443.300 machine but was getting out of range.The ham rig was growing quiet again.CB was as well.I got down to Findlay and had not seen any cops at all yet other than the one earlier at Lima.About the time I got just south of Findlay,the ham rig picked up.Could it be??I was hearing John(KC8TRI) and the slackers on the 145.350 machine.I couldn't get back to them due to where I was and the fact I was tripping another area repeater on that frequency,but it was them.I got to Lima and started feeling the effects of being tired.I felt though I could make it though.I got to Wapakoneta and lo and behold I saw another state trooper.Looked like he was helping a disabled vehicle party.Got by there and continued down to Sidney.I saw a state trooper rolling north.Get on the CB and put that out.I was really starting to feel tired now.I needed to be,and wished I was,home right now.I pushed it a little more than I should have,but that close to home I had no real place to nap(Although the rest area at Piqua could have been used.,I am afraid about being in a vehicle and sleeping like that.Would be different if I had a cap or "shell" and could climb in the back,but I don't)But I had a bit to go yet.I had to try to continue,so I rolled down the window.I had been battling Fog since North Baltimore(167 MP),and it was still bad. I got to Piqua and saw a state trooper just north of exit 83 in the middle.I was driving under the limit,but wanted to make sure I was driving well.I don't need to be stopped for silliness.I decided not to go back US36,but rather I would go on down to SR571.I didn't want to go through Troy on SR41 as I was really tired by this time and didn't want to mess with the city.Tipp City is smaller and quicker through it.I got off at SR571 and started east.Soon I saw the sign for Clark county.What I relief!I made it back home ok where I went in and went to bed and was asleep in less than 5 minutes(Something I don't normally do).I slept 9 1/2 hours in the end.I loved my trip and enjoyd my time with the Lord and my new radio acquaintences.I also learned that if you are really tired,pull off somewhere.I chanced it and made it,but I won't do that again.I should and do know better.To Chris and Dale and John,and all the rest of the hams,thanks for the company.I loved it!To the Clerk at the Petro in Toledo,I hope I answered things for you.And for those reading this,I hope you enjoyed the read.I am not that great of a writer,but I put down what comes from my heart and from the road.As far as my next trip,I don't know.I haven't been to the Chicago area nor Louisville in a great while.Come to think of it,I haven't been to Cleveland either.Where will I go next?We'll find that out when I post it here as I am always off on a "Spur of the moment".Have a great day!!See ya later! - Kaci