Ask Lori Answers, Part 1

 I think I'll start with the e-mail questions so I don't forget those:

Are you done having kids? 
We have always talked about having at least four.  I don't think we're done but you never know.  I'd love to have another baby, but am unsure of the timing. I like having kids close together, but I may need a little more time.  Wow.  That was pretty personal to share with the Internet, right?

Are you going to try for a boy?
Um, no.  I don't like when people ask this question.  If we have another, it's because we want another baby to add to our family.  Boy or girl.

Where did you find the name Zella?
Travis had a great great Aunt named Zella.  I was really unsure for most of the pregnancy about the name because it is unusual.  But it totally suits her!  Her unusual name, coupled with the fact she has worn glasses since 7 months old and her big personality makes Zella unforgettable!


What was your college major?
I majored in Mass Communication and Radio/TV. 


What did you like/dislike about truck driving?
Well, the best part was making money and paying down student loan debt, to be honest.  I never would have chosen to be a trucker otherwise. And ultimately I am still benefiting from being a trucker today.  I do get to stay home with our kids.  I never could have done that working at a non-profit in a city.

I loved seeing the country.  I still feel very patriotic after getting to see 48 states.  America really is beautiful.  I loved the times we got to get out of the truck and explore.

I disliked a lot of things because it was hard.  Really hard.  I know lots of people who were born to drive truck and love it.  Most of it didn't come very naturally to me and I hard to work hard at it.  I literally got lost every day the first six months.  I am not exaggerating.  I got harassed a lot because I was a "little girl" who should let my "boyfriend/husband/dad" drive, back, fuel or bring in the paperwork. I got really tired of hearing on a daily basis why I shouldn't/couldn't drive a truck.  I developed quite an attitude about it. (And found myself telling others what I thought about their assumptions.  I had never really been like that before.)  I really hated cranking down the landing gear on old rusty trailers.  That alone could ruin my mood and make me swear. 

There were things I started to enjoy after some time.  Like backing into a hard dock while people watched and yelled at me that I couldn't do it.  (Because lots of times I could and it felt good to prove them wrong.)  Or unloading a trailer (which we didn't have to do too often) because it made me feel strong.  I really liked trip planning and becoming friends with the people who worked at the yards. 

Overall I would say that I loved truck driving because it taught Travis and I a lot about ourselves and our relationship.  We have lots of good memories and lots of horrible stories, but no matter what we always had each other. 


Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Both and it gets me into trouble.  I can stay up super late every night.  But as I trucker I became a morning person too because of the schedule I drove.  So now I have the problem of staying up way too late and getting up too early sometimes.  Makes me tired but it's my own fault.