V is for Vegas

OK. Call me crazy, and you might be RIGHT ON.
Yesterday all my agenda and calendar had on it was: Finish Mother-of-the-groom dress, make a sash, and bake a sheet cake (one of 5 for the wedding.)
I was just waiting for the cake to come out so I could glaze and freeze it when I got a call from a neighbor.
"What are you doing tonight?"
me: "um. . . nothing I can think of, finishing my dress? I guess nothing. Its a date, where are we going (name of neighbor)?
him: I need you to drive a truck to Las Vegas
me: can't.
him: why?
me: because I don't know how to drive a semi truck, and I don't have my CDL.
him: No it is just a pickup pulling a generator
me: and. . . I would be doing this becauuuuusssse?
He then explains this truck pulling a generator needs to be taken to Los Angeles where the fires are burning out of control. The other two trucks heading there are a portable shower unit and the water truck.
These men go to fires (they get paid by the city or counties involved in the fire, I think) and set up portable shower units for the fire fighters. The showers are free to any fire fighter who wants to use them. It is a good invention, I think. These three men in a neighboring town built these units in a huge trailer. One of the truck has the word "Budweiser" painted out. They have a generator that runs a water heater. They supply the soap and towels (albeit huge paper towels bath sized)
They stay with the fire until it is out.
He told me that he would pay me $250.
the cause was almost enough to convince me to help out, but I was hoping for some kind of compensation. The price convinced me. But since this is so close to the wedding I was wondering: What was I thinking?
OK, I can be bought. So yesterday around 3 in the afternoon, the three of us, the diesel pickup pulling a generator that I was driving, flanked by the shower unit and the supplies and water truck, pulled out and headed on a 6-hour trip to Las Vegas.
I brought a 15-CD audio book called Deception Point by Dan Brown (DaVinci Code)and just followed the shower truck. It wasn't hard. I just kept close to the shower truck, and let him make all the decisions. I didn't have to watch the road or anything because he was doing that, I just had to keep myself behind him and allow for braking time between us. I really don't even remember going through Mesquite, because I was watching the back of his truck. We stopped once to eat a Carl's Jr. Patty Melt. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm and once to roll through that border stop in Arizona where they weigh the truck. I just drove alongside them as they went through the check point. We stopped about 20 miles north of Las Vegas at a ranch exit. There was a big dirt parking lot and several trucks pulled over to sleep. We waited for the people they were meeting. We switched trucks and I took this other lady's pick up back home. I got home at 3 am. I never got tired, because that audio book kept me on the edge of my seat! 8{
The above picture shows the water truck, the one below shows the back of the truck I drove, the generator, the shower truck and the men. The fancy truck in my carport is the one I drove back.


Now my concern is my exhaustion. I won't be the perky Mother-of-the-groom in the wedding photos, I will be that woman with the huge black circles under her eyes. I need to go to a spa. Hmm, now I have the money for it.
Another Adventure for Annie