Life in Portland Area

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This is Yuri. He is one of our local Class A drivers (can drive tractor trailers) taking a break in the cab of 323, one of our tractors.... I got almost eleven hours on Friday even though the job I went out on was cancelled. We left late due to confusion of getting the truck started, getting chains and such, leaving a little after 9AM. However, last week when I had driven that truck, I had reported that the alternator/generator was a little weak with the ammeter warning light coming on whenever there were low RPMs (idling, for example). Mike suggested that we idle truck before we left, but that didn't help much. It took us over an hour to get just a couple of miles on 205 as it was really backed up on the bridge to Portland (cars really sliding around). Karyn had a terrible time getting to work that day, too, for much the same reason.
After sitting in traffic that long running the defroster (and sometimes the windshield wipers), the battery was completely dead and we had no signal lights (turn or brake) or any electrical system. The alternator/generator was definitely not working. The truck ran fine as diesel engines don't have spark plugs (rely on compression instead) and the air brakes were fine, but our dispatcher, Mike, told us to come back as driving without signal lights is not safe (and any stall would be serious as we couldn't restart without a jump). On Saturday we were sent out (four of us, to include Yuri, above, Michelle here, and Loretta above) to deliver the can (containterized cargo) with 4,500 pounds from India. It took a long time because of a late start (shuffling truck assignments, etc.) and lots of furniture to assemble.
We were supposed to pack and load 2,500 pounds after that job (the job that was cancelled yesterday), but we didn't get there until after 5PM and just as we were arriving, Mike, our dispatcher called to say the job had been deferred until Tuesday. Whew. It made for a long day, but not absurdly long. I did manage to get 36 hours in this week even with the bad weather. These pictures are not very good as they were posed (during our break) and the people look a little wooden/stressed. Oh well, perhaps I will get a better picture another time while we are working (more natural poses).
The week ending the Jan 23, 2004 was a quiet week. I only worked Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a total of 24.5 hours. On Wednesday there were only four of us dispatched on the only job and I was one of the four. We went out with Yuri to help him unload a shipment that he picked up the day before in the Seattle area. Here he is doing the paperwork for the job (a better picture than before). Yuri is a Russian immigrant and a devout Pentecost (his family left Russia quite a while ago because of their religious beliefs). He is quite fundamentalist claiming that evolution is wrong and the work of satan. We often have religious discussions where he tries to convert me but with little success.
On this move the shippers had some really nice furniture that they had collected during his time working for an oil company. Here is the headboard of a really impressive bed they got in China.
On Thursday we drove out to Hope River (One and a half hour drive) and helped a driver from Crown Moving in Seattle (our parent company) to unload his load from the Seattle area. Here is the tractor trailer that brought out the load. There were four of us to meet the driver and we went out in just a tractor with a sleeper which allowed space for the four of us. Our parent company is a Mayflower agent, but Mayflower merged with United and is really the same company anyway.
This is Ron. There was a good deal more snow (and it was colder) out in Hope River, but while we were unloading we all stayed warm enough (even in short sleeves). However, when we weren't working, it got cold even in winter coats.... I had previously met Ron to unload some office furniture a few months ago down Lake Oswego way with Kevin.
This is Alexei. He is Yuri's older brother (though less senior as a Class A truck driver at Active). The shippers made us cookies after we unloaded them and gave us cokes. Yumm.
Here is Alexei and Kevin. Kevin (a helper) and Mike (another Class A driver) were the other two on this job, though Mike has never approved of me getting a picture of him. This is still not a very good picture of Kevin due to the bright light from the snowy background. Drats.
On Sunday, January 25, I went out in the morning to the Syda Yoga center to help them set up a riser for the audio section of the new center. You can see old pictures of the center before we moved into it at as well as while it was being prepared. Here is the room where people visit before and after programs.
The risers really make it much easier for the audio person to see what is going on. This is Dave. He is a long time yogi.
This is the meditation hall where they hold their programs. This is the view from the audio area.