FUN IN THE SUN

Today, January 18, 2005, is the first day in over a month that I wore sunglasses to work. And it is a beautiful morning indeed. The sun always adds an immeasurable amount of cheer to any day, no matter what the season, but especially so in the winter in upstate New York. Everything seems much cleaner, much clearer when the sun ushers in a new day...and much crisper. My car thermometer read nine degrees below zero.
This is going to be a fun day, I thought...FOR ALL THOSE WHO AREN'T PREPARED, BE READY. THE SUN IS GOING TO BITE YA!
I get to the garage and for some reason Brent is working on a truck that's going nowhere for at least two days. And some of the trucks in the yard are running...our trucks...and some aren't--owner-operators. Ahhh, my son is a quick learner, I thought. He froze his buns off last week when a truck broke down in Albany when it was ten below. He doesn't want a repeat performance. Smart man. He is prepared.
"Ours start hard?" I asked Brent.
"Not really," he said.
"What about Bob's?" I asked.
"Turns over, but it won't fire. I called Bob. Said he'd be here in a little while."
"Why are you working on Fred's?" I asked.
"I've got to fix that alternator bracket on his unit so I can start it. He's still got those two pallets of rejected eggplant on, and you can't leave his trailer outside in this cold with the unit off."
"Yeah," I said. "You're right. How much longer on it?"
"I'm putting it back together now," said Brent.
"Then what?" I asked.
"Bob and me will get his going," he said. "She's probably gelled."
"Yeah, you better," I said. "He's going to Henderson, North Carolina this afternoon...or tomorrow. But this afternoon will be better."
"I'll get on it now," said Brent.
Next came the proverbial call from my sunbelt associates.
"Cold," said Tom.
"Nine below on my way to work this morning," I said. "Today's high is going to be a balmy five above."
"Keep it," he said.
"January hasn't been bad so far," I said, trying to put a positive spin on our weather. "About ten degrees above normal. We've had a couple of cold days...below zero...but this will be our first extended period of cold this year."
"It's cold here, too," said Tom. "About sixty for a high today."
"That's cold," I said. "Any colder and you won't be able to wear Bermudas."
Shortly after giving Tom my lineup of trucks in Florida for him this week, Brent came into the office.
"Man, it's cold!" he said.
"Damn right, it's cold," I said.
"Fred's truck is done," said Brent. "And Bob's here so I'll help him get his started."
"Give him a hand until Jeff gets here," I said. "He's having a hard time building air pressure. Must have a line froze somewhere."
And so the day went...
Fred's truck (an owner-operator)...alternator bracket.
Bob's truck (an owner-operator)...won't start.
Jeff's truck (an owner-operator)...airline frozen.
Bob's truck...started.
Clifford's truck (an owner-operator)...unit won't start.
Freeman truck (an outside truck I hired)...unit won't start...no taillights...check engine light on.
Bob's truck...gelled up again and quit...started again...quit...started again and stayed running.
"What have we got left?" I asked Brent after he finally got Bob's truck to stay running.
"Your truck," he said. "Broken spring...When do you need it?"
"Tomorrow," I said.
"Then would you mind if I do it first thing in the morning?" he asked. "I'm beat and I'm froze."
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Almost nine o'clock," said Brent.
"Yeah, I guess you've had enough fun for one day," I said. "Do my truck first thing in the morning."
"Thanks," said Brent.
"Stay warm," I answered. "I have a feeling we're going to have to do this all over again tomorrow."