After the storm

Lots of people lost power.  Some died when the candles they lit started fires in homes without smoke alarms.  One family in Gresham lost power and set up their generator in the garage to run a TV to entertain the kids.  Carbon monoxide seeped into their house and five family members are now hospitalized, being treated for CO poisioning.

(Interestingly, the treatment uses Hyperbaric chambers, similar to those that divers use to combat the bends – nitrogen narcosis.  It’s interesting because the same type of treatment was used on me after the car wreck in ’98 to counter the swelling of my bruised brain)

The lost climbers on Mt. Hood were, it turns out, well equipted and prepared.  A note found in their vehicle details their equipment – they had the right stuff. In 1976, a group of teens was stranded up there for 13 days and survived by building snow caves and hunkering down until the weather cleared.  Given that the climbers appear to be knowlegable, they may well be found alive and well.  Hope springs eternal.

On US 26 between Portland and Government Camp on Mt. Hood, more than 300 trees fell on the road, closing it all night and into today.  Hundreds more trees closed highways and roads in this area, and some fell on houses and cars.  Given all the trees that came down, it is sort of surprising that there weren’t many more deaths and not too many injuries.

Today as I picked up my elementary kids, it hailed strongly.  I got on the PA system and wished them a good winter break…and they paid me back by leaving TWO bags of garbage on my bus – candy and suckers (ewww!) and balls of paper that they threw at each other when I was driving and not looking.  Fucking barbarians.  Ahh well, two weeks of not dealing with ’em.

Since they are the first batch of kids I pick up and drop off, they make the rest of ’em look golden.  Even the Middle Schoolers.  I suppose it could be worse – they could be my last group of kids.

Heh.  I don’t think I’ll miss ’em.  There is some surprise and admiration at the bus barn that I’ve kept this route as long as I have – it went through half a dozen drivers before I got it.  Maybe the readers are right – I am a determined guy.  Damn if I’m gonna let some little kids drive me off!

All things considered, I had it pretty easy last night – nothing fell on me, and I got nearly all my papers delivered in good time.  I am using the stepvan now, which is a good thing, because my van is showing signs of fatigue.  The "check engine" light comes on more often and the alternator is failing – it goes to 8 volts and comes back – so far.  Not using it to deliver is gonna save it a little longer than using it to deliver papers would.

Two more weeks of full time paper distribution and I am done with most of that, and will pick up a few more hours driving buses next month. I don’t think I’ll miss it too much.

Upwards and onwards.  Always. 

Onwards.

*****