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Wed.Jul.18.2007

1:16 am EDT        68°F (20°C) in Dearborn, MI

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It’s now official — my four years with Shaffer Trucking, Inc., of New Kingstown, PA, have come to an end. My mother and I spent about nine hours yesterday making a trip to their Columbus, OH terminal to return what used to be my assigned truck to them; I led the way down there in the truck, while she followed me in my car. After I turned the truck keys and a few company-provided locks into the shop, we did lunch and then another visit (for me — it was my mother’s first) to Ohio Stadium and some of the campus of Ohio State University.

I would drive the car back from Columbus, making sure to take advantage of the (relatively) cheap gas in that state down south; I paid $2.989 per gallon just south of the state line, saving close to a quarter off the average price in Michigan. With this trip, I have now put over 1,100 miles (1,770 km) on that car in less than two weeks of owning it. Thankfully, I bought it instead of leasing it, so I don’t have a mileage cap to worry about, although I guess this will bring up my first oil change that much faster.

Speaking of the car, I have a few things I wanted to mention about it. The first two things are reasons why I’m glad I got rid of my old Saturn: I measured 31.2 highway miles per gallon (7.54 L/100 km) on today’s trip, which practically equals the highway mileage that Saturn got but with twice the power the Saturn had; and when I checked the oil dipstick, I found that I have not burned a drop of motor oil. (In 1,100 miles, the Saturn would have burned at least a quart (1 L), if not more.) Additionally, on an unrelated note, my Ohio certificate of title and a check from Brown Hyundai to the Michigan Secretary of State (for my sales tax) showed up in yesterday’s mail, so I can get the car registered and obtain a Michigan plate later today.

I am also making further progress on my move to a new apartment. The other big task I have to do later today is rent a U-Haul truck, so that I can get everything in one trip and be done with it. I am basically looking to have the place at least minimally livable by tomorrow, so that I can concentrate on adjusting my daily routine in order to be into work at 4:00 am EDT next Monday. I won’t have a lot of stuff to start — I’ll have all of two chairs in the whole unit, and I’ll be sleeping on an air bed — but as money starts flowing in and I get a little further into the job, I’ll start visiting furniture stores and better equipping the place.

All right, I’d better get this posted and get to sleep. I’m going to have a crazy next few days here.