Wed. Misc

My van passed the 20,000 mile mark this morning.  Since I got it last April, I have driven it over 20,000 miles.  I drive it a little over three hundred miles a week, delivering more than 6000 newspapers.  I haven’t driven it out of the Portland metro area very much – to the Gorge half a dozen times or so; but mostly in southeast Portland and Milwaukie.

If I wanted to expend the effort, I could total the costs of using it so far- the gas, the repairs, etc…. but I’m not sure I want to do that, so I’ll just leave it at this- my van has served me fairly faithfully for over twenty thousand miles so far.  It starts, it runs, and later this week, I will surely appreciate the ar conditioning that works too.

(it has been about normal for August here, but we are expecting a heat wave beginning Friday – a week or so of 90 plus days.  A/C will be so good!)

***

I went back to DMV this afternoon to retake the test that I (gasp) failed yesterday.  The Hispanic woman, the one with the black hair with cream streaks up front (whose hair I complimented yesterday 😉 capturing those smiles, ya know) remembered me and got out my paperwork and set me up for the test on the electronic tester in the corner.

94%

17 right, one wrong.

Yahoo!

I immeadiately drove from downtown to the North Clackamas Education district office in – where else? North Clackamas, and turned in the test paperwork and the receipts for them.  I will be reimbursed for that.  A physical will be scheduled for me, and the next step after that is to get my CDL permit and to be scheduled for driver training. 

Paid training.

All my ducks are in a row.  Progress is occurring.

***

Months ago, I resigned myself to getting another job.  I like my newspaper distributor job, but it just barely pays the bills, and while I’m not exceptionally needy or greedy, a little more money in my pocket will be a good thing.

I hate job searching though, and have done almost none so far.  I saw an ad for bus drivers needed, thought about it, and applied.  It is the only job I’ve applied for, and I’m on my way to becoming a school bus driver.

It may well be part of that arrogance thing – I decided I wanted my CDL back, found a way to do that, and will work this job when I get it to the best of my ability.

Upwards and onwards.

***

Got the night off.  I’m thinking that I will wash my bed sheets and the few things I have in the laundry bag, and while they spin around and get washed, I will write the two things on my to-do list, an article on Ethics and Journalism, and a meme for Jedi-Ana.

Those two things have been nipping at me, demanding words and effort, and tonight and tomorrow, I will have time to (finally) get to them.

After that, I have more of this life to write about – transitions from one state of being to another.  Stay tuned.

*****