Tweaking the Plan

Based on my most recent overall plan, I hit the road really hard for the last 14 months. I was staying out in the truck three weeks at a time and socking money away for the boat refit budget. I planned to focus on the boat full time all winter and stretch what savings I had as far as I could. This month, I tweaked the plan.

Part of that original plan had me going back to work at some point early next year. By my calculations, try as I might over the last year, there wasn’t quite enough cash to finish the boatwork I wanted to do. In addition, if I was going to take off sailing, I was going to need some cash for that as well. Further, I have never done well with a wide-open schedule. I was a bit concerned about maintaining my discipline and momentum on the boat project.

I truly believe that when you are finally on the right path -- when you are living your most authentic life -- things start to come together just when you need them. I was watching for part time trucking jobs on Craigslist and there was an ad that would pop up for a week or so and then disappear. I really thought it was some kind of scam. Part time or full time, home every night, not drop & hook, but a little bit physical. It sounded too good, I had to find out more.

My first few calls went unanswered, but I finally made contact and the whole thing came crashing together just before and during my long weekend in Annapolis. I actually did my drug screen for this Florida job in Glen Burnie, MD while I was up there. It is totally legit and fairly lucrative for a vagabond like me. I started last week and will be making retail store deliveries off a trailer with a lift gate; three days a week, sometimes four.

Nevertheless, I worked 41 hours last week as I finished up training and started going out on my own.

Nestle is evil. 

My first solo load was to a store in Miami Beach. In addition to the standard store stock on rolling carts, I had six full pallets of bottled water. It was sink or swim time. Each pallet was almost 2000 lbs. and I had to get them to the back of the trailer and down the lift gate with a pallet jack.

Were they trying to kill me? Indeed, there were a couple moments I wasn’t sure I had the strength to finish. But I did, dammit! I was looking for a job with more exercise and I got it, boy!! The dispatch office manager said that if six pallets of water didn’t run me off -- nothing would. True that.

I’m committed now anyway. This part time gig will carry me all the way through to when I take off sailing. I won’t have to stop and go back to work. With a slightly tighter weekly schedule, I’ll be more disciplined and get more boatwork done. Emma will be a better boat and we’ll have the cash in hand to be able to stay out there longer. The last part of the plan I had to change -- I was never going to own another car, but this new gig is 20 miles away.

My little beater Corolla.