work

Ohio in Four Pictures

March 24, 2015 · 3 Comments

Let me just go ahead and say that I don’t think Ohio is the state for me.

One of the only things that I can say is that I have crossed that state off my list, and well, I don’t have to go back now.

It started out innocently enough by me actually not freaking out and getting up seventy hours early for this flight. Normally my flying anxiety is off the charts, but I told myself I needed to relax, if for anything for the baby. Shockingly, it worked.

I hop aboard my flight to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Akron, and I’m there. I land around two in the afternoon, rent my car, and drive the hour away to where I was staying. Luckily it was all interstate, and it would have been super hard to get lost. I got to Hampton Inn, headed to the gym, went out to get food and settled in for a night of watching the Lego Movie.

The next 3 days were filled with this:

Yep, I only took pictures of my Starbucks, my Jimmy John’s, an awesome pun made by Hampton Inn (I totally would have high-fived any employee had they been around), and my saving grace on my flight back. Kit Kats all day, errrryday.

The flights back happened to be on the day of that last bad winter system. When the pilot tells you it’s going to be a bad ride, you might as well just brace yourself — and a vodka if you’re not carrying around a child. I started Frozen to try to take my mind off the flight — didn’t work, but I did need to see the end, so I bought the damn movie, and am now obsessed. A little late to the party, but whatever. #iloveolaf.

So that was pretty much my trip — some horrible flights, Jimmy Johns, tea, gym, and a little work thrown in. Oh yeah, and Cracker Barrel solo. I don’t recommend that at all.

Or Ohio.

The Daily Grind

October 15, 2014 · 2 Comments

I have mentioned on this blog once or twice what I do for a living.

I deal with truck drivers.

You know, the big 18-wheelers. The guys and gals behind the wheels of those trucks that pretty much bring you everything you’re looking at/sitting on/are enjoying this very minute. I’ve been in transportation for, oh well, ever since I graduated from Auburn. I just sort of fell into it; I didn’t major in logistics or anything remotely related to anything in transportation. So I’ve been doing this thing for about eight years in all different sorts of capacities. I’ve dealt with the rental and leasing side of it; I’ve recruited; I’ve dispatched; I’ve been in customer service. All of it. And while most days it brings me challenges (ok, like every day), it’s a really good job.

Think about it. These people leave their families for days, sometimes weeks and months at a time. They are on the road dealing with all of us “four wheelers,” all of the time. That guy that cut you off this morning, and you’re still pissed off about it? Take that and times it by like eighty million, and that’s what these guys are dealing with. AND they’re doing it in vehicles that weight 80,000 pounds and are longer than 53 feet, because 53 feet is just the trailer. They are safer on the roads than we are; they know how to drive better than we ever will. They drive through rain storms, through snow storms, high winds, dust storms…They have to follow strict (super strict) government regulations on how much they can drive in a day.

There are team drivers — yes that means you are in a truck all day, every day with another human being. There are a lot of husband/wife teams. Married folks, can you imagine being that close to your spouse all the time?!? If you can, power to you, because I know for a fact it would drive me crazy. There are solo drivers — they are pretty alone the entire time they’re out on the road. Can you imagine that?? You can only talk on the phone so much in a day, which they have to do on a headset or risk a ginormous fine from the DOT.

I have mad respect for truck drivers. They make the world go round, you guys, whether you want to believe it or not. And when you’re working with them, you become close so close to them, and eventually consider them friends. Point being, when they come through town, you go out to a bar with them, take shots and drink some with them. Granted — they don’t get to do this all the time — they are not allowed to drink a lot, and a lot of them don’t drink at all. And this picture was on a home time down here in Birmingham, and they were not going out to get in their truck that night or the next day. I put this disclaimer in, because these guys didn’t go out drinking and then get in their truck and drive around.

While in trucking, you learn about these people; you hear their struggles; you hear their life stories, and then eventually they stop becoming your drivers and start becoming your friends.

So, moral of the story guys, thank a truck driver, because they rock.

Keep it Calm and Collected

January 9, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Sometimes in the line of work I am, it takes a lot to keep calm.

And when I say, a lot, I mean a lot.

Imagine this.

Sixty truck drivers.

That’s sixty sets of problems, people. Add in the other problems of those co-workers around you, and to say you are stressed out is an understatement. Most of the problems are simple ones; but then you have the ones where you must remind these folks that they are professionals and grown ups.

One of the main things they make sure of in an interview is how you handle stress; I had a boss tell me a while ago that when I was stressed out, I would get incredibly negative. That I would project my negativity on everyone, and since I was the senior person in that role, that it didn’t make me look any better.

So I changed it, and now I’m negative all the time. Jokes. I did change it though; I try to be as positive as I possibly can, mostly because if you’re not the drivers can tell, and they don’t want to work with you. Which as you can guess, is not a very good thing. Driver’s don’t want to be on your board; they switch fleet managers; you have no one on your board; you’re fired.

So sometimes at work this happens…


yes that’s chocolate wine that my co-worker Britney is drinking. not really folks…you can’t drink at work.

Or sometimes you just need to do this:

that’s a chocolate bar. sometimes we eat lots and lots of chocolate bars.

So there you have it; drink and eat lots of chocolate to relieve your stress.

I wish I could say I was joking about that, but I’m not.

Just don’t drink at work in your cubicle. Your boss probably frowns on that.

The Twin Cities

December 18, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Or more like the red-headed stepchild of Eagan, MN is where I traveled last week for some corporate training.

Everything started out innocently enough; as always, I was super early to the airport. For some reason that I can’t explain, I always feel better if I’m at the airport with at least an hour and a half to spare. So I sat down, waited for my flight (which was on time), boarded my flight and got to sit next to the drunkest man you’d ever meet at 8am.

oh yes. An entire flight sitting next to a drunk man, because he didn’t like to fly. Yes, I understand this very well, all too well, but not at 8am. Maybe an 11am flight, maybe, but most certainly not at 8am. And then to top it all of, he didn’t get the universal signal of opening up my book and putting in my earphones. Because the man continued to talk.

Great fun.

And guess what? Laura forgot her GPS. Yep, going to a city where she has never been before. No problem right? Because your car rental company will give you one! Hooray! No! Probably should have checked it for functionability before starting the car and leaving the airport.

I would go into the joys of roaming around a city that one doesn’t know while trying to operate a cell phone while driving, but I won’t. I’ll let you imagine about how fun that was.

I finally get to the hotel, run my five miles, and decide that after driving and seeing nothing but this…

that it was time to get something to eat. And normally while traveling I like to try some place new, but I wanted something familiar and warm, so I hit up Houlihans, my favorite haunt from back home in ATL. Where I promptly enjoyed happy hour (2 for 1!!) and this lovely spinach dip..

Yep ate all of this by myself.

That night I get back to the hotel, promptly turn the heat to eight million, and fall asleep. But not really stay asleep, because I’m always terrified that I won’t wake up for my alarm.

But I did, got dressed, went out to the car and saw this..

Yep, -6 degrees. You want to take a guess at windchill? No? Ok, I’ll tell you.

-22. Yep, NEGATIVE 22!! So fun right? Only challenged by how much fun the actual leadership classes were.

So after the full two days of training, I had a little mental breakdown since my phone GPS routed me to the actual airfield instead of the airport. Crying and all. But I’m guessing that the car rental guy noticed my blood shot eyes, and decided to not charge me for the gas that I didn’t have time to put in the car, because I was deathly afraid of missing my flight, and having to spend another night in MN was my biggest nightmare.

I get through security, walk through the terminal saying multiple times, “Beer, Beer, Beer,” and then it appeared in the form of this….

Summit Beer! Hooray!

And then since I had a horrible week, I rewarded myself with this…

And since I think it was still pretty obvious that I was distressed, the bartender gave me a warm cookie and some ice cream! For free. Nothing better than free ice cream and cookies.

And then the pilot must have known that I really wanted to get home because the flight was thirty minutes early. I was never so happy to pay an airport parking fee in my life.

So sorry, Minnesota, I can’t say that I ever want to go back to visit you.

New Beginnings

October 1, 2013 · Leave a Comment


(via google images)

Today, I started another new chapter in my life.

I started my new job at Transport America. I feel like my life is in need of a lot of new beginnings . Everything has been swirling around in my head; I’ve realized a lot of the things I’ve been doing are to make other people happy. And not myself. I’m almost 30 years old, and I’m pretty sure a lot of the times, I’ve never put myself first.

I got myself stuck working in transportation; unfortunately for me, that’s all I know. But a plus? I really like this new place that I’m at. First of all, I get an hour of my life back as my schedule is completely different. The people I met are incredibly friendly and welcoming.

I just signed up for Herbalife with my sorority sister, Tiffany. I’m really excited to get to a healthy lifestyle and to shed a few inches and pounds. I have a friend who’s been incredibly supportive in all of this. He knows who he is, but he didn’t judge me or tell me I was already thin when telling him. Most everyone knows that we see the most flaws in ourselves; and I think this program is a great way to a healthier lifestyle and more energy. Once everything arrives, I’ll start documenting my progress. Since I did send in before pictures! Eeek!

I just haven’t been so happy at a job in a long time, so I’m excited to get that going. I’m excited to start back running and getting healthy. I’m excited for a lot of things right now. I don’t turn thirty until January, but I feel like it’s going to be one of the best years of my life.

Stay tuned y’all; it’s about to get good.