Awake and well.

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A bit after midnight, down around noon, 13:00?  Something in that ballpark.  No headache, no bunched muscles and nerves, no body pain, and at least one really neat dream, if I think there were more.  Oh, no fever or overheating... if keeping the furnace as low as I dare all of the time helps.  Usually only keep it that low at night.  The girls aren't totally happy with it, but there are farm cats who know far worse.
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The dream -
I was living here, but had purchased a house from a trucker, to include the equipment and rig.  The neighbor wasn't happy.  He had access to the stuff (to what degree I don't know).  Eventually, grudgingly, he requested access.  I suggested it would be available unless things went missing (it was inventoried and rather well organized).  Actually he had to sign a responsibility voucher.  Not happy.  Done.

Actually a friend of his wondered about teaching me to drive.  While I couldn't go on long routs, I could bring a short haul, one of their trailers, a dozer on a flatbed, or such.  Just a third shorthauler.  I was deemed bright enough, and strong enough, to get and go.  So the training began.

This is in a version of post-collapse.  Not the wooliest of versions, obviously.  At least not more locally.  No state licensing or general oversight, heck, no federal.  Slower speeds often, road repairs being spotty and rarer.  But no road pirates or such.  My training was as good as it got.

I ended driving many short hauls for one or the other, with them in the passenger side.  Apparently I had a knack, an instinctive driver.  Even when I did it as they would not, it turned out to be a good call.  It was on the last of these, in the dream, when it happened.  Popping over a peak, starting a long, thankfully straight, harder grade, I geared as required then just eased on down.  Then it hit.  A freezing rain instantly turned the road into ice.

The rig lost all traction before anything could be done.  I asked for any advice, from the friend of my neighbor, who otherwise would have been driving.  Nothing.  So I asked that he not try to second guess or advise until whatever happened was done.  He, ashen faced, simply shook his head in agreement and swallowed a dry lump.

Initially I thought to try to run it to the emergency off ramp.  There were curves between here and there, and a few flat(ter) areas.  But she was picking up speed too fast for any of that.  Breaks wouldn't do, so gearing down?  It and steering were all I could do.  The first downshift or two went well, if to no effect.  Still, it is what was to do, or nothing.  On to the next shift.

This time perhaps something caught, briefly.  Instead of just slowing, the rig began spinning.  With some serious care, I ended going trailer first down the interstate.  I kept steering, and downshifting, until I could get to reverse.  A bit of a shudder, but kept it on the road.  Then downgearing to the lowest reverse.  Then brakes of some sort.  Actually on advice from my passenger/instructor... rightly as it turned out.

I finally got the thing to slow, then guided it to a stop, backwards, off to the side of the road.  I've never driven a rig, with or without a trailer, but I drove my Camaro in exactly that way, with the same result... stopped, off the highway, going backward, stopped facing into traffic.  I can't remember if I put it into neutral or reverse, I did change it.  Had been going 80 mph.  Slid a very long way, spun several times.  Impressed my passenger, even taking time to calm them.  Still, more cool, if maybe not actually possible, with a semi and trailer.

How is that for pwning the Sandman?
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Today?  Dailies, dishes, the post, laundry, and any catchup needed that is possible.  If I can.  Later.