FREAKED OUT!!!

So this Saturday night, I was headed to Hagar Hill, KY for work. Didn't get a chance to call my 1st driver to find out who would be driving out from the bakery before leaving, so we decided it on the yard. I drove out. That was fine with me because I got a bit of a nap in the afternoon, just in case.

To east KY we go. Giddie yup! We chat for a while, then he streaches out on the bunk. I listen to my audio book as we go. (John Grisham's The Last Juror)

At about 2am I get to London, KY and need to streach my legs and get a bit of refreshment to assist in my staying awake while I drive. Very Important! :)

About 3am, I start to get sleepy. I'd been driving through a freezing fog. That and the time of day was just wearing me out. Finally about 3:30 am I pull over onto a wide spot in the road, pull the parking brake, lay the drivers seat back, set an alarm on my watch, and snooze for a few mintues. Just to take the sleepy edge off.

15 minutes later my alarm goes off, and I jerk awake, about 20 feet in front of me I see the yellow and black stripes of the edge of a guard rail, "Oh my goodness, I've fallen asleep driving," my mind instantly reacts. I step on the brakes, nothing, I yank on the trailer brake, nothing, I try to shift down, nothing, still 'heading' toward the edge of the road. So I start hollerin at my partner, worried we're gonna crash. My breathing is heavy, my heart is beating, I'm yanking at the steering wheel trying to turn back into the road, but it feels like it's bogged down in the mud. My partner pops out of the bunk, at the same time I look out the side window and see the rumble strips not moving - and realize that I woke up from a short nap, that I was actually parked on the edge of the road and that we were safe. It took me about 2 minutes to completely come around. Boy was I awake then! :)

So now I turn the lights on, release the brakes, and head to our first drop of the morning - glad to be safe and sound and I've re-learned a lesson.

When I take a quickie nap like that to either jump into the passenger seat or lay cross-wise across the two seats so as to avoid further episodes like this. That's 'tough' on the heart to 'freak out' like that! :)

Wheeeew!