Introduction.
Hello my breatharian. I hope you get a little humor , also see what some dangers of My Life Have BEEN. Hopefully at 56 their wont be any more. WAIT I’ve already used up my 9 LIVE’S. Must be a Couple of Guardian Angels looking out for ME then!!
So lets begin with my story of 9 Live’s, My Guardian Angels, and Beyond.
My road to 9 Live’s, My Guardian Angels, and Beyond. It begins back in the mid 70s. See mom and dad got divorced rite after my kindergarten year. Mom moved in with grand maw, and paw..They Lived in Little Sandusky, Ohio. Dad lived in Upper Sandusky ,Ohio. So at the time we were still living in Wyandot County either way. But now i was attending a different school so new friends also, RITE.
Kindergarten was at Salem Elementary School, K-6, Now i’m attending Harpster Elementary School. When you move new friends. Like i said we lived in Little Sandusky, Ohio.
When i was a kid , I could talk to just about anybody, but all kids for the most part are like that. I made friends with Randy, which he would be my best friend through a big part of MY LIFE.
Now realize, this is the 1970’s. Society wasn’t as fast paced as it is NOW. Saturday at 12 noon , You best have your shopping done. Most places’ close at noon, and on Sunday. REST, and Religion, Family and Friends is what those time were about. And us KIDS Didn’t have all this tech these kids have today. We also Respected our Elder’s. Sorry rambling on.
First life.
Well in Little st rt 294 went through town, and Little was no more then than now , was a little blip,caution light at the bottom of the hill. May be 50 to 60 people lived in Little. As kids back then , what do you think we did for FUN. PLAYED OUTSIDE, PLAYED BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, Had fun growing up in the 70’s, any how.
Me and Randy and most of my family , then also Randy’s brother would also come over, they were a few years older than me or Randy. Any how, im playing catcher. NO FACE MASK, Hell back then . We brushed it off, Man Up. Well i got hit Really hard in the forehead, OMG what a big ass KNOT. This not only happen once,( no not the same day ) But later in life it happened again. Ok not that bad of an incident, but , Think about it, a Blunt object in the head, Could have been very bad.
Second Life
Number #2. This could have seriously hurt me, paralyzed me, or Killed me. Again in the 70’s, For those that dont know me, im a second generation truck driver, this will come into play inn later live’s, Well i always from a little boy wanted to be a truck driver. So in 1978 dad bought his 1 and only truck. Well now if i wasnt in school or something, And back then the something didnt matter, if i could be in that truck i WAS THEIR.
Ok i need to back up for a second, My dad when i was a baby, He worked for a place in Lovell, Ohio, a FEED MILL, My dad was the foreman, the millwright and ALL, This would have been in the late 60’s, well dad fell 30 feet to the ground, so he was 45 % partially permanently disabled.
So i was my dads back when i was younger, which hell i could do it, I was A Big Boy in my youth. OK back to the story, Dad hauled grain .Hetried to haul steel, but he Hated it. ( I LOVED IT ).Any hiow, we had a 40 feet all steel flat slider tandem, side kit, BUT NO ROLL TARP (YET).
Now when i was with dad. My job was to flip the RAG across the trailer to the Blind Side , so we could load, Corn, Beans Or Wheat.
Tennis Shoes
This particular day, and i never did this before, noir have i ever done it since, But i worn a pair of Sneaker’s to work that day. I always have a pair of BOOTS on when working, They may not always be tied , as i alot will wear then with the laces tucked in ton the Boot.
We got in line at Pillsbury, Morral , Ohio. Dad went to bull shit with an other driver. So while hes gone. I climb onto the side rub rail of the trailer and push the tarp over and then climb over the 4 foot side boards to enter the trailer.
In had the entire tarp shoved over to the Right side, Now i was getting out of the trailer , again over the top of the side boards, as i was just about over the top and ready to allow my self to be lowered to the rub rail for FOOTING, Oh No, STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND, On my BACK AND ASS. It was probably about a 8 ft fall to the ground, Dad was just walking away when this happened, He HEARD A LOUD THUD, Their i was , layed out on the GROUND, HURTING, But also Laughing a little, Dad asked if i was OK, I WAS.
Pinned/3rd Life
1980’S . In the firstv half of the 1980’s. I had a thirteen letter shit spreader, An International Scout, 1979. This i think was 1 year before International quit making the Scout.
I litterally think that when International Built the Scout later on in their Era. The used every other Auto Mfg’s Surplus pieces and part, Chrysler transmission, Ford Style Brake’s, A GM Style Starter. Well anyhow , the park ball was mucked up. To park , i just made sure i was on a good flat surface and left it in Neutral.
I needed some help doing something to that POS, But it was in his shop, my friend walked outside for5 a minute, i Started the Scout up, I wanted to look at something behind the Scout, NOT REALIZING IT, but somehow it got put into Reverse, and as i walked behind it, and my back was to it, Next thing i KNOW, Im pinned between the Scout and the Wall. Now just Before anything Serious Happened to Me, Jim came back inside and seen what was going on , and immediately got the Scout put in Drive and got me free. This could have BEEN really BAD.
The Wreck/ Life #4
Ok as i said earlier i wanted to be a truck driver, or their the Love for Being 1.Finally after Graduation in 1985. Dad got ME hired as a driver for Ekelberry Trucking from Bucyrus, Ohio. Lets just say, I had a little sanfu, ok shit happens Rite
I was nineteen years old when this tale Happened. October 13th, 1986, at 3;10 pm , over cast day. Hauling stone from National Lime and Stone, Bucyrus Ohio, (Which i worked their later in life and will come to play later.)
Any how,It was my 6th load of the day, out of Spore, I had been hauling Stone to Shelby, Ohio. New Sewer line replacement.
Anybody familiar with ST RT 30, OR The Lincoln Highway, Back when this was 2 lane for better half of it. This Road was like very Deadly, Narrow and sometimes no place to pace. This was a Major Truck Route. also LIKEi said, It was a 2 lane , and also had plenty of crossroads.
Life Changing Event
Ok so im heading East on Old 30, got 25 ton in the bucket, and loaded mostly on the ass of the Trailer. , But at the time was for Carl Brothers Trucking, out of New Washington, Ohio.
I had worked for them the year before during harvest after having my snafu. Well this year any how, they had me in a1974 A cab COE, With a 318 Detroit, 13 sd fuller Transmission. 2 things about this truck, and i drove my fair share of Cabovers in my day. So you were first on the scene when and if you had an accident, and this Truck with that Detroit, SCREAMED. LOUD, GUTLESS
Rolling across 30 east at 3;10pm, Now a Detroit will slow down 5 mile ahead if it knows a hill is a head. LOL
I was east of Bucyrus and like i had said.i had 25 ton in the box. Now im Coming up to a Major crossroad. This is rt 602. This route 602 gets a fair amount of truck traffic, Just back to the West of 602 , Theirs a Land Fill. So Garbage trucks up and down 30 and also 602,along with all the other heavy Truck Traffic on 30 . Their coming from all Directions to go to Crawford County Landfill.
COMPLETE DEVISTATION
Now im approaching 602, My truck had slowed down because their was just a bit of a hill, more like a Big Bump in the Road, Just as i got to 602. I SEEN IT. OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE.I see a Garbage truck rolling North and he wasnt stopping. Not gonna go into all the Detail, but My truck impacted the Garbage Truck just behind the cab in the Hardest spot on the Truck. The Compactor. Now just imagine being first on the scene, I f you dont know trucks and first on the scene means. IN A COE Cab Over Engine, You literally look out the front glass down to the Ground.
This should REALLY HAVE TAKEN MY LIFE THAT DAY. Both trucks and my trailer .TOTALED.From the center glass on my truck and the entire blind side of the cab . GONE. If id of had a passenger, They would have been killed. Thank God I DIDNT HAVE A PASSENGER.
Their truck, their was nothing left attached to the Frame Rail. EXCEPT, THE REAR AXLE AND THE 4 TIRES ATTACHED. When we hit, THEIR TRUCK WAS, Well IT EXPLODED, Not literally, but with the forces from both truck s, OH YA.
Just Remember, Material things can be replaced, WE CANT.
I said life changing, YES. When their truck was splintered as it was, BOTH MEN were RIPPED FROM THEIR TRUCK . I seen them in the Ground , lying, Motionless. WOW
Rolling with the Railroad/Life #5
This happened in the early 90’s. I was working at National Lime and Stone, in Carey OHIO. This happened in the first couple years of me working their. My Foreman, which happened to be My Uncle,( and later in the Decade, i will replace him as Foreman, He retired) But We need a Rail car loaded with#30 Dolomitic Limestone.
Me and Reverend Jack stayed over to load the car, I ran the Loco, it was about a 65 ton unit, Not small, but not like used on the open rail lines’.We also hadn’t advanced into the Modern World of FM Hand Held 2 Way Radios yet. Walkie Talkie and a CB Radio in the Loco.
We got the car loaded and weighed. Now getting ready to kick it out. We were on our way to the loaded track . Next thing, i hear the Radio squelch up, and then i seen a Helmet light Bailm off the End of the Car. Thank god it was warm out. When that helmet light bailed , This was just before contact with another railcar. We hit with a Hard Enough Force. The Loco and that Loaded car stopped, DEAD STOPPED. If the door to the loco would have been closed, I WOULD HAVE BEEN CATAPULTED THROUGH THE DORR GLASS. Actually i did get catapulted rite out the cab and rolled across the Deck of the Loco and ended up almost to the hand railing by the Knuckle. Brushed it off , kept on going.
head hit #2/life#6
The Quarry again , National Lime , Carey Ohio.
I think it was the winter of 1994. Back then we didnt get laid off in the Winter. They had enough sense to do work we could only do when it was coLD out. The Weather still got cold , Froze snowed Winter. Any how they had use doing cleanup Maintenance. You see the bins we used to load out of . They were old as the entire Mill, (which no longer is their due to modernization.) C3 mill, we were down in the bins removing old concrete with a little hand held Air Hammer, We called it a Mulite Hammer, this hammer is powered by Air,High Volume Air. When using Compressed Air with this Kind of Volume. They typiucalluy use a fitting that is known as a Chicago Fitting, or a ush and twist lock.
Just My Luck. Have you ever taken a garden hose and picked up about 2 feet from the end , Then turn the water on. What Happens? Thge hose fly’s around, Now other than getting wet , you probably would get hurt by a water hose. But this Hose was under extreme pressure, Well the main point is, The son of a bitch Chicago Fitting came lose from the GUN. Hit me in the Head, YES I HAD A PISS POT IN MYN HEAD. Knocked off my hardhat and Busted me pretty good. Little blood, BUT THE HEAD, How many more times?????
480 volts/life#7
Again another Quarry tale. Now this event happened when i was at National Lime, Spore Plant, Bucyrus Ohio.
This was in the Earlier 2000s. I was the Foreman on 2nd shift then 3rd shift. Ok working on 2nd shift . And all of this is Completely MY FAULT.
This another Limestone Quarry, This happened one night the A 60, WAS down, This Plant Makes Agricultural Lime for spreading on farmers Field to change the Alkynes in the Ground, Well something Electrically Happened to it, Now it wont Run.
We made sure all the belts were clear, nothing causing that we could see was stopping from turning or running of the Mill.
As i said MHY FAULT. I had the Electrical Cabinet Door open, NO IT WASNT LOCKED OR TAGGED OUT!!!!.I Dont know what the Hell i was thinking( obviously i wasn’t thinking) I grabbed the Buse Fuzz puller, and OMG OMG, When i did this i didnt realize that the switch was on , and When i pulled that FUSE,
WOW It looked like the Fourth of JULY FOR just a split second, 480 Volts just Blew Up in my Face.Burnt my beard, got a hell of a burn flash, could niot see anything other than the color of RED. Really didnt know what was going tom happen with my vision at that point. When that blew up. I should have been KILLED, OR SEVERLLY SEVERLLY BURNT.I dont know how, But my Eyes came back to normal in less than 2 days, and for the Beard, well it just had to be trimmed up short and was good to go.
UNLOADING/life#8
Hopkinsville, Kentucky. I used to haul steel tubing to a plant their. For some stupid reason . they had to unload the Tubbing at night. Also the 48 foot trailer was loaded from front to back with bundles of steel tubing stacked on top of each other, 3 High.
Now under DOT load securement laws, I had to have so many securement devices to properly secure the load, per row or layer , how ever it got done, BUT LEGALLY.
My trailer was a Curtain side. Roll the entire tarp assembly to the front or , slide the entire assembly to the back. Well the lady running the fork liftt , she always wanted to start at the back of the trailer. No problem. So i would get my straps out of the way and rolled up. Put away.
I would have all the straps from the back towards the front all taken care of. So when the fork lift operator had enough bundles off the back of the trailer, So i could roll my tarp to the back , and she still be able to unload. Rite!!
this is the price you pay
Well in was pissing round and next thing i know she’s almost ready to unload where i still have straps, She would always take the blind side off, First. So i ran around to the Blind Side , removed my tie downs, Went back to the drivers side, AND THIS MY FRIENDS IS WHY YOU DONT GET INTO A HURRY.I never pull my straps to the driver side. But today i did. I payed the PRICE TOO.
Pulling slowly and pulling and just as i look up, HERE IT COME, The 4 inch Metal j hook, and lose strap. Came down and hit me on the SIDE OF MY HEAD, RITE BY MY TEMPLE. I got Concussion out of it . I know I did.
At this point it didnt Matter. I had more work to do. And figuring i had a Cocussion, Your not o go to sleep anyhow. this all happened on Thursday nite too Friday late morning
Even though i knew i was hurt, i still had to go to Calvert City, KY, And load yet.
I did manage to make it home later that morning onn Friday, Stayed up the rest of the DAY.
2 Guardian Angels/life#9
This Happened in either 2017or 2018, but it was just after the Fourth of July.
Here is the reason i say, 2 Guardian Angels.
My dad as you know was a truck driver at one time in his life. Among the many different things he has done. And with some of my 9 lives’ some of what has happened to me , was like sometimes following in your dads foot steps, But with me and my Dads live’s They run pretty parrel in similarities.
I know in my Heart that my Dad was looking down on me this event,
The second Angel, Well he wasnt related, But i had knowledge of the young man. He was the Grand Son of my dispatcher, Doug.
You see the reason i think Cole was my second Angel. Read the rest and ill tell you on the back end. OK?
2 DRIVERS 2 SETS OF CIRCUMSTANCE’S
This was A beautiful July day. As i had stated earlier. I liked hauling Steel. Good physical heart pumping work out. So as normal, around these time’s I was loading out of Shelby anyhow I loaded out of plant #1 shipping. Arcelor Mittal, Shelby, Ohio.
I think i had a 6am appointment. Hell we were in their every day, We were somewhat a House Carrier at Shelby. We however where a House Carrier at Mittals, Marion Ohio Location
Typical load. Tubbing, always was oiled, Itv was raw steell, the oil protected it from Rust, But didnt do US ANY favors, What A MESS.
So i got my 45000lbs of heavy wall oily snotty steel tubing , and in 5 bundles. I have done this a thousand times. Dunage was out on the floor, told the Crane Man 4 down 1 up, 4bundles on the deck and 1 on top of them .No problem.
When i do load Securement, i can go over board. But it wont ever fall off though.
So with this load i would have had4 straps across the bottom, and believe you me, WHN MY FAT ASS GOT ON THE WINCH BAR, those nylon starps sounded like a banjo string, they were that tight. and then on the top row would have been 3 to 4 and 1 would always be , Chocked.
IBERIA
Across rt 309 outside of Gallion Ohio.Im rolling out across their , Not a care on my mind, Beautiful Bright Sunny Day. and by the time i got to this point, it was 7;30 AM . Going west the sun was at my tail, Great. I didnt have to be blinded by the light and glare of the sun.
Came rolling into a little town called Iberia, ohio, Speed limit through town was i think 40 or 45, Listening to XM , Copenhagen in my lip, and had been talking to my 1 daughter on the Phone(hands free). Like i said , The sun was at that rite spot at 7;30 am in the morning, And im telling you, well anyhow just on the West side of Iberia , which is a blink of a town, Their happens to be some Industry on the South side of the road.
Heck i never really did slow down to much, was probably around 50 , but no more. and as i started her some throttle,. My Brain Kicked in RITE FAST. Ypoun see i have very good depth perception. Their were 2 cars in front of me, fair distance actually, For the life iof me . I couldnt tell if the Brake Lights were on or NOT. Thats why i say my Brain kicked in. My Depth Perception was telling me i was closing and rite fast. even though i couldNT see their lights. Holy Shit.
Cole Ludwig
His name was Cole Ludwig, From Tiffin, Ohio. You see he was 19 years old. Trucking was in Coles upbringing, I mean his Dad Jamie, was 2nd generation, and he learnt from his Dad, Doug,( Allen )
Cole had been learning the rope’s of the hows and the whats and so on with Truck Driving.He was also hauling the same stuff that his DAD and Grand Paw were doing. Hauling between Marion and Shelby Ohio Arcilor Mittal Tubing Plants.
This particular load. Cole had taken it home for the night. Not uncommon. If you cant unload and your basicly Home, Hell yes im sleeping in my own bed. For those of you that dont know geographically, Tiffin, Shelby and Marion, plus Upper Sandusky are within a 50 mile as the crow fly’s
The next morning, Cole takes off from Tiffin, and heads towards Upper Sandusky. Their he will get on st rt 23/30. Cole was rolling South down 23 . Their were still cross roads along this section of 23/30, also with Industry on the west side of the Highway. Thats as far as Cole made it. See their was another truck also going south on 23 , and was unfamiliar with the Industrial Park off of 23. Well so im told , this other truck mustv have at the last minute, decided to slam on the Brakes. Cole having to take evasive action. To avoid from hitting the other truck. Doing all of this caused a DEADLY CHAIN REACTION.
The load SHIFTED AND CAME INTO THE CAB of Cole’s tractor, 1 Bundle breaking the seat lose from its floor mount, Slamming Cole into the steering wheel with enough force. To stop his Heart.
He was Pronounced Dead. Later that day. RIP Peace Cole.
me
So i know what is abiout to take place, One of 2 things, IM either gonna run them over, AND IWOULD NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS INTENTIOALLY RUN SOMEONE OVER, Or take the Ditch, No Win situation for Sowbely. Remember what i said i had on. The same material that Cole was loaded with and in the same configuration 4 and1.
As i said No Win. If i apply the breaks to hard , Guess what, its coming for ME, Run them over and we all DIE.
In this split micro second Decision, im on the brakes as hard, but as easy as possible, and im already steering towards the Ditch. I took the ditch at about 40 mph. with 5 bundles of oily steel tubing and the ditch was probably a good 20 degree. While all this in the split time to make all this happen, and while in the ditch, i literally almost passed the 2 cars that had stopped in front of me on 309.
While int he ditch, i felt coming, and i knew in the back of my MIND, that this material was coming for me and nothing was gonna stop it, and then i rolled back up o0nto 309 and finally stopped on the Road.
YES I DID FELL IT BREAK FREE
YES I WAS ON ITS WAY FOR ME
NO IT DIDNT MAKE IT INTO THE BUNK. BUT sure left a many round impressions on the back of my Bunk
Response Magic