As the Expedite Expo fast approaches, I have to reflect back to my very first expo, I went to in Wilmington back in 2006. It coincides with two posts back in April "Heartbroken" (by Wolfman) and "RIP Little Buddy" (by Cheri). *You will never forget them and the healing takes a long time! My thoughts are with you both.
To begin, when I first met my wife, she had a siberian husky (Nala) and about a year after we were married, our neice asked us if we wanted to take in another siberian husky that their animal clinic had taken in from the local Animal Control. They had found this husky at a old dilapidated farm with a broken leg. Could not find an owner and if they couldn't find it a home they were going to put her down. So my wife and I went to see "McKinley" as we affectionately called her. The first time she hobbled in on a three good legs and on in a cast, and fell at my feet, looking up with her two solid blue eyes as if to say "Please save me!" Well it was a no brainer and we agreed to take her, the Vet agreed to do all the surgery required to fix her leg for free!
It was a long 8 months and we'd visit McKinley at the vet on weekends about 3-4 times a month. Finally we got the call to come get her and bring her home! In the beginning McKinley was very timid and shy and always trying to escape but after alot of love and trust, she came around. We found out from the Vet, she was abused and beaten as her teeth were broken. Anyhow any long trips we took as a family McKinley always on the first night was figidty and restless. *A side note, we took a trip to Ely, MN to go spend a week at our favorite lodge. The first night McKinley wanted to go out at 3am...Yep Daddy took her! Now this dog being a survivor was always inquizitive, and after hearing some rustling in a nearby garbage can....ever hear the phrase, "Does a bear s*#! in the woods?" well I don't know but when the dog and I came upon that bear and we both were scared and she wanted to get closer, I know I crapped in the woods!!!! we high tailed it back to the cabin asap and that was the end of her late night outings! But to answer that phrase I'll share with you all another story!
So I took a job with a trucking company (currently I still lease my van with) as a fulltime employee as we as tried starting up a divsion within the company. My job was to go down to the Expedite Expo...sit in on some seminars, gather as much information, talk to various expedite companies, and vendors as well. I took the wife along with McKinley too. We rented a 2006 black Dodge Charger and off we went. We stayed in a local hotel in Wilmington, near the DHL air strip/hub termminal. I took notice some expediters were also staying at the hotel too, as they were a member of CLC. Well the first night, you guessed it, McKinley was up every hour wanting to go out for a walk at first we just walked the parking lot, then our walks got longer, during one of the walks around 3am she walked up to one of those big spot lights you see signs shining on from the interstate, and bein her inquizitive self.....yep YELP she went as she burned her nose on the spot light illuminating the big sign. I think we must have woken up the hotel with that yelp! Well that was the end of our walk for the umteenth time and I ended up sleeping with her in bed to comfort her......The next morning we went to the expo and had an awesome time, McKinley loved walking around the parking lot and sniffing the trucks on display. The wife loved meeting the guys from Chrome Shop Mafia! I also discovered that those Dodge Chargers were awesome on fuel economy for being as fast as they are........But it's a pain to try and get dog hair out of their interiors!!!!!
From time to time whenever I took a trip and the freight would fit in the SUV (to save gas) McKinley would always keep me company. On one of our trips to Bloomington, IN, we stopped in Lafayette, IN to Chik-fil-A and she between the both of us "wolfed down" a pack of 20 nuggets and some waffle fries. Sadly while I was on a trip from Elgin, IL to Atkins, VA and returning home, my wife called me with bad news that McKinley had cancer and the prognosis was not good. When I got home we got the name of a suburban Chicago vet clinic that specialized in serious diseases for pets. It was this time I began driving for T&K. I wished our relationship worked out better, but my wife and McKinley needed me to get to the animal hospital for her cancer treatments. and I had to decide who came first, the long extended stays out, or the short out of state and back trips with another carrier. Well I don't drive for T&K anymore so you know who I chose!...NO REGRETS! McKinley beat the odds and lived 1.5 yrs longer than predicted, the doctors were amazed she looked worse on paper than she did in person. But one day while we were sipping on iced tea on the patio, and were ready to go inside for the night, McKinley had a hard time moving and I knew what was next! It was the hardest thing to do, but the vet told me what my wife and I were doing was an act of love for our "little girl". That was about 1 year ago and I still grieve for that dog.
I'm hoping to attend this year's expo again and hopefully stay at the same motel......nope our other husky Nala will be staying behind as I think I will attend alone. But the memories will be there I know they will! This will be the first time back to the expo since '06 as due to the economy, I got out of driving full time and only now do it on a part-time basis around my fulltime job and also the fact that every year when the expo took place we had to go to a family reunion in Ft. Atkinson, WI every year. Well I told my wife, since we're not going to the reunion, and I finally bought her the Dodge Charger she wanted (it only took me 1yr to find what she wanted)! I WANTED to go to the expo!
So hopefully I will get to meet everybody that I read about in such great adventures in person and put a face to the name, and a carrier to the truck you drive...although some I do have an idea who you guys drive for already, but for some I don't! And Wolfman and Cheri, hang in there, (as my wife and I don't have kids of our own) the pain of losing a pet especially when they're like your kids is Heartwrenching, but in time it will get better. If I can sometime, I'll try to download some pics of McKinley, she surely loved to pose for the camera.
Thank you for letting me vent, and God Bless and drive safely out there and see you all at the expo in July!
To begin, when I first met my wife, she had a siberian husky (Nala) and about a year after we were married, our neice asked us if we wanted to take in another siberian husky that their animal clinic had taken in from the local Animal Control. They had found this husky at a old dilapidated farm with a broken leg. Could not find an owner and if they couldn't find it a home they were going to put her down. So my wife and I went to see "McKinley" as we affectionately called her. The first time she hobbled in on a three good legs and on in a cast, and fell at my feet, looking up with her two solid blue eyes as if to say "Please save me!" Well it was a no brainer and we agreed to take her, the Vet agreed to do all the surgery required to fix her leg for free!
It was a long 8 months and we'd visit McKinley at the vet on weekends about 3-4 times a month. Finally we got the call to come get her and bring her home! In the beginning McKinley was very timid and shy and always trying to escape but after alot of love and trust, she came around. We found out from the Vet, she was abused and beaten as her teeth were broken. Anyhow any long trips we took as a family McKinley always on the first night was figidty and restless. *A side note, we took a trip to Ely, MN to go spend a week at our favorite lodge. The first night McKinley wanted to go out at 3am...Yep Daddy took her! Now this dog being a survivor was always inquizitive, and after hearing some rustling in a nearby garbage can....ever hear the phrase, "Does a bear s*#! in the woods?" well I don't know but when the dog and I came upon that bear and we both were scared and she wanted to get closer, I know I crapped in the woods!!!! we high tailed it back to the cabin asap and that was the end of her late night outings! But to answer that phrase I'll share with you all another story!
So I took a job with a trucking company (currently I still lease my van with) as a fulltime employee as we as tried starting up a divsion within the company. My job was to go down to the Expedite Expo...sit in on some seminars, gather as much information, talk to various expedite companies, and vendors as well. I took the wife along with McKinley too. We rented a 2006 black Dodge Charger and off we went. We stayed in a local hotel in Wilmington, near the DHL air strip/hub termminal. I took notice some expediters were also staying at the hotel too, as they were a member of CLC. Well the first night, you guessed it, McKinley was up every hour wanting to go out for a walk at first we just walked the parking lot, then our walks got longer, during one of the walks around 3am she walked up to one of those big spot lights you see signs shining on from the interstate, and bein her inquizitive self.....yep YELP she went as she burned her nose on the spot light illuminating the big sign. I think we must have woken up the hotel with that yelp! Well that was the end of our walk for the umteenth time and I ended up sleeping with her in bed to comfort her......The next morning we went to the expo and had an awesome time, McKinley loved walking around the parking lot and sniffing the trucks on display. The wife loved meeting the guys from Chrome Shop Mafia! I also discovered that those Dodge Chargers were awesome on fuel economy for being as fast as they are........But it's a pain to try and get dog hair out of their interiors!!!!!
From time to time whenever I took a trip and the freight would fit in the SUV (to save gas) McKinley would always keep me company. On one of our trips to Bloomington, IN, we stopped in Lafayette, IN to Chik-fil-A and she between the both of us "wolfed down" a pack of 20 nuggets and some waffle fries. Sadly while I was on a trip from Elgin, IL to Atkins, VA and returning home, my wife called me with bad news that McKinley had cancer and the prognosis was not good. When I got home we got the name of a suburban Chicago vet clinic that specialized in serious diseases for pets. It was this time I began driving for T&K. I wished our relationship worked out better, but my wife and McKinley needed me to get to the animal hospital for her cancer treatments. and I had to decide who came first, the long extended stays out, or the short out of state and back trips with another carrier. Well I don't drive for T&K anymore so you know who I chose!...NO REGRETS! McKinley beat the odds and lived 1.5 yrs longer than predicted, the doctors were amazed she looked worse on paper than she did in person. But one day while we were sipping on iced tea on the patio, and were ready to go inside for the night, McKinley had a hard time moving and I knew what was next! It was the hardest thing to do, but the vet told me what my wife and I were doing was an act of love for our "little girl". That was about 1 year ago and I still grieve for that dog.
I'm hoping to attend this year's expo again and hopefully stay at the same motel......nope our other husky Nala will be staying behind as I think I will attend alone. But the memories will be there I know they will! This will be the first time back to the expo since '06 as due to the economy, I got out of driving full time and only now do it on a part-time basis around my fulltime job and also the fact that every year when the expo took place we had to go to a family reunion in Ft. Atkinson, WI every year. Well I told my wife, since we're not going to the reunion, and I finally bought her the Dodge Charger she wanted (it only took me 1yr to find what she wanted)! I WANTED to go to the expo!
So hopefully I will get to meet everybody that I read about in such great adventures in person and put a face to the name, and a carrier to the truck you drive...although some I do have an idea who you guys drive for already, but for some I don't! And Wolfman and Cheri, hang in there, (as my wife and I don't have kids of our own) the pain of losing a pet especially when they're like your kids is Heartwrenching, but in time it will get better. If I can sometime, I'll try to download some pics of McKinley, she surely loved to pose for the camera.
Thank you for letting me vent, and God Bless and drive safely out there and see you all at the expo in July!
