Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Things that go Bump (Dammit) in the Night

As a Bus Driver, there are certain "Tells" I look for to inform me on how my day is going to go.

1) Did I make the light at the 7th Street bridge?
2) How much of a log Jam is there in front of the Junior High?
3) How many bowls of Fruit Loops did Lillyanna eat that morning?

Lillyanna is this precious blonde haired, brown eyed second grader who rides my bus daily and I can always tell what kind of morning I'm going to have by the height Lillyanna attains while jumping up and down at the bus stop. A two to three inch jump usually means she's only consumed one bowl of Fruit Loops. I consider that to be a manageable day. Anything over three inches to a foot spells trouble as Lillyanna has most certainly eaten multiple bowls of that sugary delectable delight and I will be the beneficiary of a very long story.

I estimate today to be a three bowl morning.

The following conversation was actually had this morning before school as the students awaited the bell. It was done with no breaths taken between sentences as will clearly be depicted by the lack of punctuation in the telling of today's story. Fortunately, I was expecting it so I took down bullet points to relay it to you... the reader. And now, without further adieu... Things that go Bump (Dammit) in the Night


Mr. Stuckey last night I saw a racoon and it was eating our garbage but I thought it was my cat Cookie but it wasn't because it was a raccoon did you know they call raccoons bandits and sometimes they're called night bandits because they only come out at night however I once saw a raccoon during the day but my mom made me come inside because evidently raccoons have scabies and if you see a raccoon during the day it's probably because they are sick with scabies and raccoons are also called natures garbage disposals because they eat garbage out of garbage cans which is what this raccoon was doing and my mom got scarred because she heard the noise outside so she took her flashlight and went outside to investigate in her boyfriends flannel shirt because it was unseasonably warm last night and my mom usually wears two pairs of pajama bottoms because she gets cold but it was warm so she was only wearing the flannel shirt and when she went outside she banged real loud into the trash can and she said a bad word she said the "D" word that ends in "it" that I'm not allowed to say but I guess she was really mad because she fell down and because she wasn't wearing pajama bottoms since it was warm out the whole neighborhood could see her underwear the ones with the holes in not the pink pair with the flowers but the blue ones she's had since I was a baby did you know that raccoons are a nocturnal mammal native to north and central america I learned that watching the discovery channel because my pappy likes watching shows with animals and it's his fault the raccoon was there in the first place because of my pappy's biscuits which aren't really biscuits they're pieces of old bread he throws out for the birds but we just call them biscuits oh is that the bell well have a nice day Mr. Stuckey

Monday, April 10, 2017

The Day I Joined the Circus



Today, I finally fulfilled a nearly lifelong dream, and joined the Jaffa Shrine Circus. Allow me to explain. At the mere age of Nine, I recall my evil, heartless parents visiting upon me the torturous affliction of having to clean my room and eat all my Brussels sprouts. It was then, through muted mouth fulls of said Sprouts, I cried out in disgust. I voiced my protestations in the form of a threat. I was going to run away from home..... and Join the Circus. That would surely teach my wretched parents a much deserved lesson. How was my mother going to explain my obvious disappearance at the next Church social? How was my father ever going to live with himself and the knowledge that he chased his loving blue eyed son away, never to be seen again?


My Plan was Perfect. Flawless. Genius!

But then cartoons came on our television and I was easily distracted.

The circus came and went and I was doomed to a life of cleaning my room and eating Brussels Sprouts. Oh the horror!

That is until today. I was able to bid on a Field Trip that took me and several 2nd graders from Penn Lincoln Elementary to the Jaffa Mosque and the Jaffa Shrine Circus. Again... my plan was Perfect. Flawless and yes... Genius. I was going to ditch these youngsters, make my way to the ring master and put in my application for (you guessed it) "The Circus". Was it wrong to abandon all those cherub faced 2nd graders with no apparent ride back to school? 
I figured what the heck. They're young and probably have parents that would come looking for them. Does that make me a bad person? I mean, it certainly wasn't covered under the Bus Driver Handbook. I figured it was a judgement call at best. Besides, they were at least Eight Years of Age, being second graders and all, maybe they'd ALSO like to join the circus. Who was I to Crush their tender dreams?

Yes... this actually was my thought process.
But there was one thing I had not counted on.
The circus didn't want me.

Evidently they had enough clowns and I was deemed too feminine looking to be the Bearded Lady. Curse my good looks and soft, supple skin!

Well in closing I must say that perhaps everything worked out the way it was intended. The second graders got back to their school and I got back to driving a school bus. It probably wouldn't have worked out anyhow. There was this ferocious animal I met backstage that was sizing me up to be that evenings dinner. I viscous snarling beast that the circus trainers had to hold at bay. Clarabelle "The Ferocious". 



Tuesday, April 4, 2017

The One Where I Join A Biker Gang


Typical Day. Got Up. Ate Breakfast. Showered. Brushed my teeth and oh yeah.... I joined a Biker Gang. Here's how it all happened. I had this field trip today, for a bunch of pre-schoolers at Lily Pond. On the way, a bunch of big, mean, and surly bikers got behind me. It just so happened that I had to cross over railroad tracks and if you ever drove a bus... you know the whole routine. Turn on your 4 ways... Stop... Open the window and the door... look both ways... twice... then close the door and window and proceed in the lowest gear. Being behind all that bus action can get quite annoying so imagine my surprise when I pulled up to the school building and 11 Bikers and Biker babes pulled in behind me... backed their bikes up and slowly got off their hogs. 

My mind was reeling. Are they ticked because I slowed them down? Did I stare to long at one of the Biker babes? (Mind you, I do have a strict NO dating girls with bugs in their teeth rule but that does not preclude awkward gawking or an occasional, stalkeresque dwelling stare).

The biggest... the meanest... the surliest biker of them all said, "I'll get the bus driver."

Uh Oh! Somebodies getting a butt whipping.

My Fight or Flight skills kicked in... I pee'd myself... twice.
(A defensive maneuver used to disguise my scent)

So I'm thinking... do I close the doors, turn on the engine and back up over all these bikers and their bikes, speed away and avoid a butt whipping? Too Late... the Big mean Surly Biker came up to my window and introduced himself... his name was Animal and he was the leader of a group of Bikers called B.A.C.A. Bikers Against Child Abuse and they weren't there to whip my butt... they were there to escort me and the Lily Pond kids into H-burg to hold a rally on the steps of the Court House.

Six Screaming Harleys in front of me and Five Screaming Harleys behind. We even went through a yellow light... I'm such a bad ass! And the best part of the story.... they made me an honorary Biker in charge of getting them coffee and washing the bikes. Cool Huh? That's like double bonus points on my Man Card!

I even got one of those awesome Biker names.
They call me Fang.
Fang the Destroyer of Cheese Cakes



Monday, April 3, 2017

Altoona Silks Take 1st Place


I had a wonderful field trip with the Altoona Silks, in Portage, PA. Our girls took first place and performed their routine (as the judges scored it) with ZERO Flaws! The Silks hold a special place in my heart, as my daughter Erica was Captain of her squad in 1999. The whole team made me feel very honored to be their bus driver, and my girl Destiny (kneeling in front) danced and sang the whole way to and from Portage. A special thanks to fellow driver, Marlene Snyder, for taking this picture and who's daughter Tasha is on my right, wearing red.