Winter Break

It is the first day of winter break.  Friday was the last day of school, and there is no bus driving until the 2nd of January.  This week, I am taking the CORE (I think that’s an acronym) classes which are State required bus driver classroom classes.  These are four hour gigs at the Middle School on the  same property as the bus barn, (4.2 miles from here) and it is, of course, paid training.

Yesterday I went over to my friends A & J’s house, whom I haven’t visited for weeks now – didn’t feel I had time.  Their sons were there, up from Eugene and California for a Christmas celebration, and since I’ve known all three more than (or nearly) half their lives, I wasn’t out of place.  It’s nice to have "family" of sorts, and I get to do the Uncle Cat thing and watch these guys grow up.  Also a neat thing.

When I came home last night, as I pulled into my parking lot, the van turned over 160,000 miles.  I re-read my last post and feel that it is somewhat bitchy.  All things considered, the van has given me decent service, and most of the time, I’d like to keep it (and get use out of the new brakes, tires, shocks, and struts, computer, injector, and misc, bs). 

I don’t trust it though, and that sucks.  I may have made time to go places if I trusted it, but I stay within a few miles of home, just in case.  The "Check Engine" light is always on now, but it runs and everything seems to work the majority of the time, so I will just cross my fingers and hope for the best.  It’ll be at least 80 bucks to take it into the shop to find out what that "Check Engine" light means, plus whatever is actually wrong with it,and there are bills to pay and food to buy, so that’s not an option this week.  I need it this week to get back and forth to these required bus classes, but I can walk to the store, and to the bank, and can take the bus downtown to check my PO box and get by without it.  (and ya know, I drive around and hit lots of 24 hour stores on the paper route, so I can do some shopping while I , umm, work) Save my van for when I really need it. And, the bus pay is this Friday, so, I will have more options then.

I did take last night/this morning off, and do really really look forward to not having to do this job.  I’ve been doing the dailies about 2 and a half years now.  I’m going to go back to what I started with, delivering the Sunday first and final editions on the weekend.  That pays every week, so I’ll have cash coming in every week to cover whatever bills the bus pay wouldn’t.  I had a long talk with the boss awhile back and we agreed that I’d go back to doing just the Sundays.  It took us nine drivers to replace the number two guy on the weekends (we run two stepvans then).  I’ve given the boss a month’s notice on my plans so that he could find someone to replace me, and it will likely be easier to find someone for the whole week that it would for just 4-5 hours a day on the weekends.  And ya know, he’s been kinda lazy about it, finding someone new.  Butcha know, I don’t see that as MY problem.

He’s been a pretty good boss and has done well by me and I’m glad I’m not leaving the job with him totally in the lurch, but ya know, I’ve done it long enough, and the bus job shows very positive signs of getting me more paid time.  I fit in pretty well down there, and I generally keep quiet and just absorb what I think I need to know and forget the rest.  (I’m not a gossiper, and try to be a good, if distanced, team-player)  I have "a good attitude" and I still feel a calling to do this job.  

It fits me, I think.

Next week, I will have off except for nights, and that’s pretty much what it was when I began here on OD with, so it will mark a return to conditions before…with a better job.  All things considered, it could be worse.

 

 

I wanted to get my CDL back and get paid to do what I really like to do, which is drive.  I really really like driving.  When they told me that the SS thing had been aproved back in February, I was gonna buy my CDL – go back to truck driving school and re-earn it.  The SS thing got shot down (immeadiately, I later found out, but they didn’t tell me for a month or three) and I, like, despaired of my plans and hopes.

 

 

Then, I found a way to get what I wanted and get paid for it too. 

Plan B

The school district NEEDED bus drivers, and offered paid training, whether or not it lead to employment.

I coulda used them to get my license in order and not driven for them… coulda used ’em and lost ’em, as it were, but I didn’t wanna do that,

and

school bus driving turns out to be pretty easy. 

Pays well, gets me health, vision, and dental insurance; even a retirement account after 600 hours.  I get about five hours a day most of the week, and 6 or more on Wednesdays, so I’m not making much right now, but since I will have more time available during the day (because I won’t have to rush home and sleep, having been up since midnight or 11 already that day) they will have more for me  to do – it’ll be win-win for both sides.

That plan worked out pretty good.

 

 

Moving on from the paper job, where I have done good work and have been totally reliable, is the right thing to do now, I think.  Boss can’t say nothing against me.  It’s right to go towards better work for me.

It’s part of the "upwards and onwards" thing.

 

 

I’ll be able to do some catching up this winter break…you know, since I don’t got no plans to go anywhere.

We’ll see what works out.

*****