16 January 2008

Can I Get An "Awww"?



OK, let's all stop being sarcastic assholes for a minute and listen to this wonderful tale.

Over the years of traveling across the highways and byways of our fair country I've garnered a new found respect for truckers and the thankless job they do. Y'vall heard the song "Convoy" by C.W. McCall, right?

Yes, they're a bit of a cult; they talk funny, their bathroom stall graffiti is creepy at best, they can somehow stand to sit for 12 hours a day awake and alone, they drink a lot of bad coffee, they shower at gas stations and eat food from 24-hour buffets that raccoons wouldn't even touch but they are absolutely vital in making this country move. Even in 2008, not everything is flown, most of it is still driven. Driven a long, long way to get where its gotta go. (cue "Eastbound And Down" by Jerry Reed). Without truckers, the world would seriously slow the fuck down and quick.

And while I've always dreamt of pulling over my 18-wheeler on the shoulder and crawling cozy in the cab for a few hours'a shuteye, I give these guys all the credit in the world for doing what they do and being away from their families for so long. And where the fuck do u think the mesh hat came from?

Anyway, so Alan Nelson is a truck driver from Colorado.

Alan is used to making long cross-country hauls, but not without his best friend riding shotgun, a 23-pound apricot coloured Shiba Inu named Sato. A lot of truckers have dogs to keep them company and most all of them are adopted, which is another +10for truckers.



On January 2, Nelson was stopped at a rest area off westbound I-84, about 70 miles north of New York City, on his way to Atlanta delivering frozen bread.

And that's when Sato slipped out of his leash and ran off.

As you can imagine Alan was distraught. He called his dispatcher and said that he had to go looking for his dog, but the typically heartless dispatcher (probably an owner's son behind a desk never worked a day outdoors in life) told Alan coldly that he could get a new dog after he got to Atlanta or he could get a new job.

Inconsolable Alan had no choice but to drive off without his canine co-pilot, Sato the apricot coloured Shiba Inu.

News spread quickly about the lost dog over the CB airwaves and $500 was offered for Sato's return. It became a local news story and galvanised volunteers to search for the dog who ran off from the Lower Hudson Valley rest stop.

Reports of sightings soon started coming in from neighbouring towns as volunteers posted flyers publicising Sato's disappearance.

A few days later a volunteer got a phone call: the elusive Sato had been sighted back at the rest stop!

Sure enough two volunteers found Sato, after two hours spent enticing him with treats, and a guy from Mahopac managed to get a leash on him. Sneaky Sato had been found!

Alan and Sato were reunited last Friday.

With tears of pure joy in his eyes Alan said of his 2-year old co-pilot,"When he walks, he just gets his little feet going so fast."


Sato has rode with Alan since he was an 8-week-old puppy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

this might be my favourite article you've ever written

Anonymous said...

Awww.

After a morning of reading mommy blogs that were so freaking adorable I think I threw up a little in my mouth, this is such a refreshing change! Thanks for this, and for your great storytelling.