work, work and more work

I didn't bid on any extra trips this week and got 3 anyway.  Today is my day off from my midday.  They are early childhood children, 3 to 5 year olds who are just so adorable.  In a couple of weeks we will be getting the morning and the afternoon early childhood and early bird programs back from the contract company that has been doing them.  We had some temporary routes in the beginning of the year and they stop in a week.  I may bid on these routes depending on how early they start.  I am pretty spoiled in the morning, only actually working an hour and a half.  Plus I take Liz to school and we have time to do some mother/daughter bonding.  It will all depend on my mood on that day.  My afternoon junior high route is still rowdy, loud, and I have to constantly tell them to sit down.  The girl who got suspended from my bus  last week road yesterday and she was as naughty as ever.  Although some of the other kids called her on it, and she told me she wants to sit in front to stay out of trouble.  Hmmm we shall see.  I've found with Junior high kids they live in some alternate reality...their own little world...not a bad world, just their own world that we as adults have left behind and can't remember.  We think we were never that age, but we were and I try to be understand, but keep them safe.

My work hired 8 new people this week, I think it is a good sign, a sort of job security.  And that means I am moving up in seniority, as a few are leaving on sick leave or just going elsewhere.  I look at my job as a forever thing, driving until they take the keys away from me, and force me to monitor.

I am doing bus evac this afternoon so I will not have my 5 hour break, but I will get paid for 3 extra hours.  I also got a trip from one high school to the other for the girls volleyball team for this evening.  And then again Friday morning I am doing evacs again. 

And with the holidays coming up extra $$ is always welcome.

 

Well, have a wonderful day!

Very long week!

This has been a very long week.  I had a situation on my Junior high route, but it's all fine now.  Luckily for me my supervisor knows and trusts me and my judgement.  This group is a very, loud, rowdy crowd that tries my patience the whole 15 minute ride to their homes.  But is under control now. 

Junior high students are known to be a challenge because of their age and I think their battle to figure out who they are. Throw in some hormones and you've got quite a bunch.  My feeling is to respect them and they will respect me. 

I have no trips this weekend which I am glad because I have a lot to do around my messy house. 

So I am off to it...have a great weekend!

i am working can you tell?

I am working right now.  I got lucky and took a late trip (posted late) that no one wanted.  I picked up the 7th grade volleyball girls team from one junior high and took them to the other one, about 1 mile away.  The are having a tournament.  I went out back in the lot, parked my bus, locked and and walked the 3 blocks to my house where I am right now.  The coach has my cell number and I know when to be back.  How great is that???

1/2 day whoo hooo

Half a day -- AND it's already Wednesday.  I am still feeling sorta funky, really chapped lips and actually I am in need of a break...I did the whole Field trip thing Monday and it was beautiful.  I bit early for fall colors, but it was serene and being outdoors was great.  Plus my headache from whatever bug I have wasn't too bad.  The only thing to break up the beauty of some of the sites such as the Japanese Gardens was the screaming of little kids...ah gotta love such places on School holidays, everybody thinks that their 3 year old will enjoy culture at such a wee young age...next time how bout the zoo??  Otherwise chatted with some old ladies, and people watched besides enjoying the Rose garden, the sensory garden plus others. 

The only bad part was the 2 hour ride up there...the tollway was under it's usual construction, and I am big so I can't zip around like the small cars....but it was a great day.

My supervisor also signed me up for 2 days (so far this week) of bus evacs.  They are fun too, except when the kids try to dive out the back door...

 

Again, I will have a very nice check...Mark's been working full weeks too, my goal is to be caught up bill-wise by Christmas, in time for his layoff...looks like it should happen.

I am off to catch up on journals and then a walk, my neighborhood is finally coloring up!

football

I took the football team from the new high school to Morris last night.  Morris is known for being very tough and our kids are a new school with only Sophmores & Juniors on their Varsity team.  So let it be said that it was very one sided game

61-0

A couple of the boys were pretty beat up, one kid had a headache and a couple of of them were limping.  But they are a brand new team they'll get better.  They all were very well behaved on the bus too.  They actually said, "wow we have a cool bus driver"

I didn't have time to get a new bus to drive the 30 miles down there so I took my old girl, 30.  It was a little tough at stops getting her to get going because of the 40 very big boys onboard, but we were fine. 

I actually enjoyed the trip.  My first football trip and I'd do it again. 

The other 3 buses were the onces the school district contracts out.  I made friends with them and played cards to pass the time, as it was really really cold, and the game was pitiful so I hung out on their warm bus.

I have a field trip on Monday to the Botanical Gardens in Chicago...which I will really really LOVE!

Have a safe one!

rose ----> bus 30~

Yesterday, my niece took this lovely photo of moi, it was hot and windy, at least my underarms weren't blowing in the wind! :)  Dig the Chuck Taylors...I have 3 pair.

Today was a rough one, it is truly the last day of last chances...the big guns come out tomorrow, the dreaded assigned seats.  As for the pack of 6 grade girls, three of them get to join me up front...it's funny this afternoon I kept calling this one girl by the wrong name and she actually answered me!  Goofy kids!  But the parties over.

Tomorrow night I am taking the new high school's Varsity football team to their football game.  There are no seniors yet at this school, so they are already handicapped.  It's about an hour ride all out in the country.  Gotta watch for deer and other creatures.  This team is tough, when my kids played them one player actually broke my all state, all area, tough guy stepson's helmet, he was hit that hard!

Should be a creamfeast....

The temps are to be in the 40's ... at least I have a nice new bus to drive, with nice new heat and plenty of blowers.  Sorry 30, you are only a fair weather friend!

Have a safe one!

 

 

my coworks-my family

Ah the joy of riding a hot, sticky sometimes stinky school bus.  All week the temperatures have been in the 80's.  My door got fixed on good old 30, it's great looking, but hard to close because of the new seal.  Not a problem, I'll be thanking that seal in a few short weeks when winter makes it's appearance.

We have been hiring like mad at my district.  Drivers, monitors, everyday somebody new appears.  We are becoming like a family though.  One girl ask another why she suddenly lost a bunch of weight and began wearing make up, I was like " oh you got a new boyfriend!" I was kidding ( she's married), nope she flashes her naked left ring finger at me.  I felt like a heel, but she did open up about her situation and another girl who is going through a similiar problem gave her some advice...just like family.

I know for me I'd have to be in therapy if I didn't have this wacky group of misfits to see and talk to everyday.  They come in all ages, sizes, color, and backgrounds, but they're MY group of misfits and I've become very attached to them.  Just like family.

Today, I did a "a-oh".  The village is putting in storm sewers and curbing on the streets surrounding both my Junior high and grade school.  One road has been basically clear for about 2 weeks so I 've been using it.  Well, today I head down the road and it's blocked by a big piece of equipment (luckily it was manned) and a big pile of dirt.  So I jump on my radio and let everybody else know about it so they don't make the same boo boo, especially since by now 3 other buses are following my down the path of blocked roadway.  The guys were cool and let us through, but when I went back to base a couple of guys go " hey I knew about that after my junior high route,"  EEEEEEEEK!  thanks for sharing the info with us...seems some folks only use the two for idle evil chatter rather than for helpful good.  Oh well, I made it ... so that's what counts.

Have a safe one!