We are HOME.  HOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMME and it feels so good!

Let me tell you.. the biggest thing I've driven before this was a GMC panel van, so going from that to a truck that is quite literally TALLER THAN A SEMI is a culture shock.  We drove for two days, and got in a little after midnight last night.  I spent the first day of my leg of driving simply getting used to keeping the thing between the lines, so to speak, and yesterday just enjoying the joy of driving something this big and well-known.

We flew out on Saturday to Joplin, and were treated to a night at the Hilton Garden Inn and a dinner at one of the best steakhouses in town (and it was some goooooooooooooooooooood steak, we were in beefeater heaven).  The flight out was a test of patience, as two of the three legs of the flight were late, turning our six hour travel time into about eight hours.  The last part of the trip from KC to Joplin involved a 19 seater prop plane.  IT WAS AWESOME.

Sunday, we went to the studios and met one of the guys in charge of production, and he introduced us to the beast and had us sign some more paperwork.  I about fainted when I read the new rules I was to sign that I had NEVER been shown in any of the previous paperwork: I can't sell the vehicle!!!!  I about broke down in tears, and told him that we can't take the vehicle if we can't sell at least part of it, because we can't pay $120K in taxes out of pocket.  He immediately got on the phone with his executive producer and the show's lawyers, who clarified the clause (which was scarily worded): 1) I cannot ask THEM for cash instead of the truck and 2) I cannot merchandise or market the truck as a CMT/Trick My Truck/ViaComm product, because they own the rights to the design, etc.  I CAN, however, sell the truck as... well, a really cool truck.

So we're ready to go on Sunday as scheduled (a little behind schedule after the phone calls) and it turns out there are no brake lights on the truck.  One of the shop guys, Caleb, started working on getting a converter on the truck to get the trailer to recognize brake lights.  Hours later, he determines that the problem isn't with the converter, it's with the truck's computer, who is sending out the wrong signals.  We take the truck over to the nearest International Dealer and drop it off to get the computer fixed.  They let us know they'll have to fix it in the morning, it's going to be an overnight repair.  We find a hotel, relax in a whirlpool for an evening, and eat cheap Chinese food in the hotel room.  Caleb was incredible, by the way.  He's never on the show, he's one of the MANY guys who work endlessly behind the scenes (200 days in a row and counting) to get the trucks up and ready when the cameras aren't rolling.  He also has a little basset named Louie that I got to love on for a while at the shop.  He was awesome, and we're going to write them a letter thanking him profusely.

So we've pushed things back a night, I let my mom know that we won't be in town for dinner on Sunday, and we go to pick the truck up a little after noon on Monday, when we're notified that it's finished.  The International guys loved the truck, but they were eyeing us like they were expecting to hear that we greenhorns will have crashed it by the time we left the state.  We had brake lights, and we were leaving late, so we were happy to just GO.  Art started off driving, and took us about 60 miles outside of Saint Louis.  We went to truck stop, gassed up, (50 gal tank, diesel) let some truckers poke around the chassis a bit and take pictures, and then had dinner.  By this time, it was getting to be twilight and it was now MY turn behind the wheel.

This thing is SCARY to drive at first, largely because the trailer doesn't have any brakes hooked up, so this powerful truck is responsible for stopping its bulk AND the trailer's bulk.  That takes a while to get used to (both Art & I have fishtailed once in the past few days).  When we actually got to St Louis, it was dark and there was a pileup that created some very slow-moving gridlock.  Monday evening, we finally rolled into the Amerisuites in Florence, KY at 4am, and we passed out in one of the nicest hotel rooms I've EVER been in - wish we'd had more time to enjoy it!!

Tuesday, my cousin and my mom came over after we woke up to check out the vehicle.  Art checked us out of the hotel and brought with him an entourage of about 8 of the hotel's employees, including one young guy who was almost jumping out of his skin with excitement, proclaiming that he was "in Redneck Heaven!!!"  He'd watched the episode at least a dozen times, and it was his favorite episode ever.  We showed off the vehicle, had lunch with my mom, and headed home.  I made the 10 hour drive yesterday alllllll by myself (it's a route that I used to take to visit Art before I moved into NC to live with him, a route I've taken MANY times).  Last night, we got the truck parked in NC in its temporary spot at the hospital, showed it off to a bunch of Art's coworkers, and finally rolled in to home around 2am with the assistance of one of his friends.

If any of you live near High Point, NC and want to come see the vehicle, let me know!!!  We should have it displayed for a day or two, and it's at the HP Regional Medical hospital.  We'll be going to play with it a little today, I think, but I have to drive down to Charlotte to pick up a radio station win from Friday, since today is the only day I will have off in the forseeable future.

Mom says I should buy lottery tickets.   :D

:D That is such a fantastic story! I am so excited for you. You must be the talk of the town. Thanks for sharing it with us.

wow sounds like an interesting journey and win , not everyone gets something like you recieved hope things go well with all the arrangements