Sixth Day

We had a half day today because of some instructor training. That means a half day on Friday as well. After yesterday, a day that left me thoroughly exhausted, I wouldn't mind a few more of these. I was exhausted and kind of depressed because I did not do well on the road in the morning, guessing where the gears were instead of thinking ahead. I got flustered and the other two guys who drove didn't do any better. We are bringing up the rear of the class progress-wise. (Of course, two of us are the oldest in the class and our younger colleague has never driven a manual transmission.) But that was then. Today we all applied serious focus, stayed calm, and did well enough that we will go out with the trailer hooked up tomorrow!

I haven't mentioned our instructor. SHE is in her forties, a single mom who raised her kids by hauling steel on flatbeds around the Detroit area for 10 years so she could be home every night. Sharon is a very good teacher, which is why we three made the progress we did today. She has a fog horn voice, which she uses effectively out on the lot (unfortunately, some of that comes from the fact that she smokes). But very calm and steady in the truck, even while we were grinding several pounds of meat with the transmission yesterday. She is assisted by a couple of men, one who has about the same level of experience as Sharon, but the other is in his mid-fifties and just retired from the road after 35 years. I think he's in withdrawal. Sad eyes.

I'll check in again tomorrow after the tractor pull. I won't promise when there'll be pictures, but there will be pictures.