Uber Observations: I Saw A Truck Dog Tracking or Crabbing... Huh?

I'm 48 years old. I've driven across the country several times. I drive for Uber and Lyft. But... today was the first time I ever saw a truck dog tracking down the highway, or as it is also known, crabbing down the highway.

Have you ever seen a vehicle dog tracking, or crabbing, down the road?

Let's set the scene:

I picked up a couple from DFW Airport this afternoon. We were on the way to Uptown Dallas. It was on I-35 when I noticed the crabbing pick-up truck in my rear-view mirror. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I slowed and moved one lane to the right, allowing the truck to pass me. I watched it go past my Kia, realizing that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. It was going "sideways."

I drove silently for a handful of seconds. I broke my silence.

"Is that truck going sideways, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?" I asked the couple in the back seat.

They looked up and their reactions confirmed it.

"I've never seen that before," the man said.

"Oh, my gosh!" the woman said.

"That truck needs some serious re-alignment," he said.

And... that is exactly what that pick-up truck needed.

When I got home, I started googling: "What makes a truck go sideways". And I found a lot on the matter. According to what I read, this dog tracking, or crabbing, is caused by a misalignment of the rear wheels of a vehicle.

I would never have known such a thing existed unless I had seen it with my own eyes. Now... I may have to create a character in one of my stories whose vehicle dog tracks. Write what you know... Now I know about dog tracking, crabbing cars.

All you aspiring writers out there. Pay attention to what happens around you. Interesting details are out there. You never know what you may encounter which could enrich your knowledge as a writer and ultimately, your writing. Keep a notebook and pen handy. I had mine and jotted down all I saw.

NOTE: I was writing in my notebook while driving for a few seconds... but I did it while keeping my eyes on the road. I scribbled on the page without looking at my notebook just to get the initial thought down.... It was messy looking at it later, but... better to stay safe. Don't take your eyes off the road. Once I dropped off my passengers, I pulled off to the side of the road and took a moment to write down all of my observations.

Here are a couple of links to give you more about dog walking/crabbing. One is a YouTube video someone else shot of a vehicle crabbing. The other is an article that ran in The Globe And Mail.

All The Things I've Forgotten Over The Years: What I'm Doing To Relearn It All Now

It's about 10:30 p.m. on a Friday night. I'm sitting rather unceremoniously in a wife-beater and thermal leggings - my pjs for the night - sipping on vodka and water with a touch of orange... in my living room.

My rescue cat, Leppard, is pawing around at my feet. He is near my work table as I sit between my computer desk and my writing/craft/dining room table. A black, rolling office chair makes it easy for me to move from one station to the other.

I'm a fitful worker. The mood strikes,  and I want to type a few words for my blog. One of the books on my multi-use table calls to me. So, I read a few pages. Then, I notice another book on my shelves. I roll over and grab it.

That gives me an idea for my brown journal - the one I often carry in the breast pocket (with a pen jammed within its pages) of my wool Pea coat. I pause as I jot down the words p-e-a-c-o-a-t. I realize that I have forgotten how the phrase goes. Is it all one word? Is it capitalized?

I google it and settle on: Pea coat... if only to get on with it and take another swig of my drink.

Then it comes to me: I've forgotten quite a bit. I'm speaking of knowledge... nuggets that were once ingrained in my memory, which I could recall at will if prompted. I was once a Trivial Pursuit god.

I've come to the conclusion that I have forgotten too much. So.... time to rediscover all that knowledge. That will be my task for the foreseeable future.

 History. Art. Philosophy. Science. Literature. Music.

I dare say that I have forgotten more than some ever ventured to learn in the first place. Many still have outpaced me. All the same... I'm excited to dive back into Greek mythology. And... I just got super excited... I grabbed one of my old grammar books off the shelf and started reading about the parts of a sentence, parts of speech.... Oh, yeah! My skin tingled.

This will be an adventure. Why not? What else am I doing? What else are any of us doing? Living the same routine day after day. Why not shake things up? Why merely exist? Why not broaden our experience by reacquainting ourselves with our past passions? On this adventure... I M -A -Y even look at subjects I ignored or found distasteful growing up. Math... Ewwww. A subject I wish I would have paid more attention to: Physics. Ahhh... it fascinates me... but... darned math gets in the way again!

I dare say that deepening our knowledge would make us feel more poignantly about our everyday experiences. I'll keep a journal of my progress... of my observations. If you want, join me. Journal and share your experiences.

OK... my glass is empty... and another book on my shelves has caught my attention.

Writing Prompt: Write What Frightens You

When I was growing up, I spent many days in the summer with my grandmother while my mother was at work. I spent many nights with her, too. Being a typical young boy, I often found my way into trouble.

My grandmother had a way of frightening me into obedience without lifting a finger. The power of her words and gesticulations as she served up a warning to "behave or else..." was amazing. All she had to do was tell me that some evil spirit was waiting around the corner for me the next time I misbehaved to swoop down and scratch my eyes out.

It worked on me. I remember many of her warnings to this day - stuck in my brain. As a freewriting exercise, write about what frightens you. Make it a little more interesting and write about what has frightened you at different times in your life.

The idea of evil spirits are still scary, but at this stage of life, other things frighten me more: losing my little girl in a crowd of people, or the love of my life, for example.

What frightens you? Place yourself in that scene. Use your five senses as you write.