Am I the only one or does anyone
else ever book time off from work
then do work-related things? I booked
eight days off and ended up actually
working two of them and doing truckrelated things for another three. Don’t
get me wrong, The Brain (my truck)
and I are quite content spending time
together but a little more of a break
would have been nice. This is partly
my own fault though. I tend to pack
on all the things that need to get done
all in the same week since it’s so rare
that I actually take time off. I would
have liked to have taken an actual
vacation away and then not have to
think about truck stuff at all but with
all the restrictions and rules changing
daily for travel, it almost seems too
overwhelming to even think of trying
to book a vacation.

One of the priorities that I made
for the week was getting my hair
done. I tried a new salon this time
as they were able to get me in for a
last-minute appointment. They did not
disappoint and I have some fresh pink
locks again! While I was there I spoke
to one of the stylists and I mentioned
that I drove a pink and black truck.
She mentioned that she had seat
belts that matched the color of her
pickup. I had never even thought of
changing the color of the seat belts
as an interior modification. It’s nice
when you get to network with people
and can swap ideas. She gave me the
name of the company and I quickly
emailed them to see if they could put
hot pink seat belts in a 389 Peterbilt. I
got a quick response saying that they
absolutely could so I booked it in for
the end of that week. Safe and Smart
Drive Canada in Winnipeg, MB was
the company that did the installation and also provided a certificate to
prove that they had been tested and
met all the safety standards. They
were the absolute nicest and most
accommodating people to work
with and were so thrilled to be
able to work on my truck. Getting
in and out of their shop was a bit
of a challenge but their guiding
skills were outstanding!!! They even
provided a photo shoot after their
installation by Rave Photo and I
couldn’t have been happier with the
service both companies provided. First
off, the hot pink seat belts stood out so
well and really added that extra pop
of color to the interior. Secondly, the
photos that they sent me the next day
were breathtaking!! Definitely cover
of a magazine material! All in all, I
give these guys five stars and some! So
for those that didn’t know you could
customize your seat belts to your
vehicle….you’re welcome!!

Another thing that I had booked for
the week was a different photo shoot
that took place at night time. I know
you’re probably all thinking that sounds
shifty! It’s called Art in the Dark by
Impact Photographic Design. Again,
I ended up making connections with
Bruce through a friend of the family.
He had photographed some tractors at
their farm and they told Bruce about
The Brain and I. I contacted him and
we were able to set up a session on my
time off because I knew I was for sure
going to be available. The concept of
Art in the Dark is really neat. Once the
sun goes down, different light sources
are shone upon the truck in different
spots and shots taken. There was about
three hours of work into lighting up the
truck and the background so that he
can piece it all together in the editing process to make a really classy photo.
I’m super excited to see the end result
of this shoot!

Although I was busy doing fun
truck stuff, I did make some time in the
course of my time off to rest and relax
and catch up with friends and family.
One of the days I slept in until 5pm.
You know you’re exhausted when….

I know that I need to make more
time for myself but I guess I feel like
I’m always chasing that mighty dollar.
Plus being in my truck is my own little
comfort zone. I feel cozy in my truck
because it’s very much my personality
and I was able to do my own interior
design. Don’t get me wrong, I love
actually being at home so that I get
to visit with my roomie and my dog
nieces. Plus using the same bathroom
and shower for multiple days in a row
can never be taken for granted.

I still need to make time for a truck
show this year as well. The Brain
hasn’t been able to make his big debut
yet. Again...partly my fault for not
making time in addition to the fact
that I think my boss would prefer that
I turned a few miles before I started
hitting the show circuit. I definitely
feel 100,000 kilometres in the first five
months warrants a show now.

So as to not let Cyndi Lauper down,
it’s time for this girl to have some fun!