Bring on 2007...

Remember for 2007,
Life is short,
Break the rules,
Forgive quickly,
Love truly,
Laugh uncontrollably,
Never regret a moment !

I've been away on an adventure with no computer to blog on so this entry will be long, very long. I just don't want to forget a moment.....

Monday 1st January
Well 2007 is here and what better way to start the New Year than setting off in a truck to Adelaide with the man l love. Only had an hour and a half to pack but l did it ! This year is going to be the best ever. You have got to love this man. He knew that l wanted to go to Brisbane to see my best and most dearest friend Ruth so he arranged it. Not an easy task but he did it. He'll have to drive endless miles and work very hard along the way but we will have at least 10 days together. So much time with the man l love and to enjoy the simple things in life. Anyway, he drove all night and in the early hours of the morning we stopped in a parking bay at the bottom of the hills, on the outskirts of Adelaide. A beautiful clear night, stars in the sky and a warm early morning breeze. Not a doubt in my mind that 2007 will be a year filled with much love and happiness.

Tuesday 2nd January
We woke up to the sun shinning through the window..opps should have closed the curtains but the moonlight was so beautiful. Into Adelaide to unload the truck. That didn't go quiet so smoothly. It took five hours to get unloaded. There were trucks and Christmas freight everywhere. Job had to be done though. We picked up the most fantastic lunch from this little cafe. Fresh, fresh sandwiches, yum,yum. No time to stop. The truck had to be reloaded to head to Brisbane. Yes Brisbane ! On my way to see my friend Ruthie and her family but it took another four and a half hours to get loaded before we could leave Adelaide. The only good thing about that was while we waited in the long line of trucks, he slept and l got to watch the cricket. As evening approached we were finally on our way through the most beautiful countryside. Hard to imagine the rest of Australia in a drought. The hills were full of healthy crops and livestock. The sunset was simply amazing. The truck coming to a stop for food and some sleep in Yunta, which is the middle of nowhere in particular.

Wednesday 3rd January
Life on the road. Driving, driving and some more driving. A big day and many, many miles. We thought the back road would be an interesting drive and it didn't disappoint us. Again, we drove through some beautiful countryside and saw some awesome properties throughout South Australia. We had a bit of difficulty getting fuel for the truck. We assumed that Broken Hill which was a big dot on the map would have a truck stop. We were wrong. No fuel. There wasn't much of anything in Broken Hill and it was becoming very evident that outback New South Wales is experiencing a drought. The land had now become dry and baron with very little livestock to be seen. We continued to Willcannia, a small town with a high aboriginal population and a fuel depot for trucks. Well, there was a house with a fuel pump in it's front lawn and that was good enough for us. Some more driving and then a stop for a shower at Gilgandra. Refreshed and on our way again, watching yet another amazing sunset. The full moon lighting up the road ahead of us we finally came to a stop just before Gundagai in Pilgers State Forest.

Thursday 4th January
Hmmm....waking up beside the man that you love in the middle of a State Forest. It is a very long way from Bendigo to Brisbane via Adelaide. The driving seems like it will never end. The truck stopping only for the legal breaks, half an hour every five hours and minimum six hours sleep in every twenty-four hour period. We finally get into Brisbane just after lunchtime. Unloaded the truck and headed to the Brisbane depot to drop the trailers. A quick shower and we were on our way to Ruth's house. I am so excited. Another hour of driving to get to there but it will be worth it. I was trying to remember how long it was since l had seen Ruth. I think it has been about seven years. I know it has been far too long. As the truck pulled into the driveway l could see her and her family all proudly standing in front of their new home waiting for me to arrive. It was awesome. Hugs all round. The kids and Ruth climbing into our little home on wheels to check it out and the men standing chewing the fat. Awesome. Now for the tour of their home. Up the stairs and into a house full of loving. I stole some moments with her children, all by myself and read them all a bedtime story. Nice, very nice. Her children are even more beautiful in real life. Can not believe l have missed them growing up. Kids put to bed now it was time to catch up, eat a meal together, check out the rest of the house, photo's to be taken and a chance to see her scrapping albums. Awesome. How l wish there was more time to spend with Ruth and her family. Not to be, the men needed to go to bed so that they could get up for work. My heart wanted to sit and chat to Ruthie around the clock but going to bed with our men seemed the right thing to do.

Friday 5th January
Time with Ruth was over far to quickly. We had a morning cup of tea and took some photo's of Thomas and the girls on the very big truck which Thomas thought was pretty cool but then it was time to go. The truck needed to be loaded for an express load to Parkes and there was more driving to be done. It all went smoothly and soon we were on our way again. l spent most of the day just daydreaming and thinking how very lucky l am to have such good friends and a man who loves me. 2007 is going to be a fantastic year.

Saturday 6th January
We arrived in Parkes in the early hours of the morning. It was almost impossible to find the depot to be able to unload this truck. He was tried and grumpy by this stage and that wasn't helping. I had been asleep and woke up to him throwing a bit of a tantrum. I laid there and listened to him phoning around trying to get directions. Impossible. I got up and we asked a passing car for directions. Local people tend to know the area a little better than people in an office thousands of miles away. LOL. Ten minutes later we arrive at the depot to find it locked. Nobody there till 7.30am. Time for some shut eye. Unloaded, reloaded and time for breakfast at McDonalds. Pancakes..... yum, yum. It was a beautiful day. More driving to be done though. Back to Brisbane. The driving seemed to take forever today. He was tried. So many miles, very little rest and heat that we're not use to. Impossible to get back to Brisbane without more sleep.

Sunday 7th January
We arrive in Brisbane about 9.30am and drop the trailers at the Brisbane depot. It is a day off ! The company have decided that he deserves a day in a motel. They are paying. Awesome. Really by law the driver must have 24 hours out of his truck in any 7 day period. The motel is nothing flash but it has a shower and it is certainly bigger than a truck. I want to go to the market. I want to go to the beach. I want to go back to see Ruth and her family. I want far too much. This man is exhausted. He just wants to do nothing. That's fair. More than fair. He has had a big week. I struggle to sit around doing nothing. It is just not in me. If l stop l sleep. So be it. He decides that we should get up and have a bit of a wonder around 4 o'clock. One drink on the veranda of the hotel and we head back to the room. He is in relax mode and nothing much is going to happen. Snuggling on the bed is very nice though.

Time for food. We get dressed and head over the hotel for food only to find that they do not do meals on a Sunday. One of the other drivers, Stevie J and his son are sitting on the veranda so we have a drink with them and then walk around the corner to the Chinese Restaurant. Nice. Very nice. A romantic dinner for two would have been nicer but a bit of social time with Stevie J was fine. I am sure that Stevie would have enjoyed drinking all night but I very selfishly lead my man back to our room for some more quality couple time. Nice.

Monday 8th January
Up bright and early to go and unload. We were thinking that we were pretty lucky to be sent to reload straight away. How wrong we were. It was a bitch of a load. It was well over 40 degrees in the shade and it took over 3 hours for him to load pallets that didn't fit, it the sun. Poor man. I was worried that he was going to drop with heat exhaustion. Nope he has got stamina. He wants to get out of Brisbane and down the road a bit before we stop for a shower. Hmmm... truly this was the best part of the whole trip away. We stopped at the top of the hills before Warwick and went for a walk through the rain forest. Breath taking. Beautiful. We have promised ourselves that we will go back there again and spend the day just wondering through the trees. The view from the lookout was awesome. The passionate kissing and cuddling as the rain fall was........have to leave that to your imagination !

Sadly it must come to an end. Some more miles to travel. We stopped briefly at Warwick to check the load. It had all moved and he was not happy about that. It did however distract him enough for me to buy him a present. Something that he will love and treasure as a memory of our trip away. A leather log book cover. Doesn't sound like much but to a truck driver it will mean a lot. Everyday he will be reminded of our time away. I managed to hide it away in the truck and save it for a special moment to give it to him. He saw it on our way up to Brisbane but won't let me buy it for him. Haha he will be very surprised. He deserves to be spoilt. I love this man with all my heart. Back in the truck and more driving. I fear that the more miles we travel, the sooner my escape with my man will end.

Tuesday 9th January
A long day. Driving, driving and still more driving. I do not know how he does it day in, day out. He enjoys it. I simply can not continue to sit and watch the road. Gone are the beautiful hills. Replace by drought stricken outback New South Wales. We did stop and have a lovely meal for dinner but more work to be done. He needs to unload in Melbourne in the morning and is on a mission to get there. A couple of short breaks but really not enough sleep for either of us. He wakes me in the early hours of the morning to tell me that we are back in Melbourne.

Wednesday 10th January
We are unloaded early at the first drop. Around to the second drop and a phone call to my Mum to come and get me from Melbourne. He has to reload for Sydney and head off again later tonight. Enough truck time for Tracey, my holiday at an end. I hate leaving him. If l had my way we would be joined at the hip 24/7 but that is just a dream. We are both very independant people who would probably struggle with somebody in our space 24/7. However, that said, l enjoyed every minute of 10 days of 24/7 with my man and shall remember how much he spoilt me forever.