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
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
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.
Monday, March 27, 2017
14 Hours Later...
I had a Field Trip on Saturday. It lasted 14 hours. The actual trip was 95 minutes both ways. There were 30+ Teenage Girls on the bus. Let's review... 30+ teenage girls confined in a school bus for nearly 3 hours with me... what could go wrong?
It was a total blast and the girls made me an honorary majorette. I in turn, taught them the "Double Dab Peace Sign" that my 8 year old granddaughter invented. They loved it so much they used it as their signature move coming out of their huddle just prior to their performance.
I felt so very honored to be the bus driver to all those awesome rock star young ladies and I felt even more honored when they called me out of the stands to pose with them and their trophies.
Thank you ladies :)
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
The Sleepover
Certainly you can remember those days when you planned awesome sleepovers with all your friends? You had grandiose schemes of making smores... telling ghost stories and of course... staying up all night. Well in today's bus conversation, I can proudly say that I had zero input and even less influence. It took place between 3 kindergarten girls and here's how it went down...
Emma: You should come over to my grandma's house after school and we can have a sleepover.
Gemma: I don't know where she lives?
Emma: It's easy to find. You just go to the white porch, then go this way and that way. You can't come in the front door because the cat will get out. Oh, and there's a dog who barks a lot next door. You can't pet him because he's blind in one eye and bites, but you can pet the cat, she scratches but only when you pet her belly so don't pet her belly or the dog.
Peyton: I want to come to the sleepover too.
Emma: You can come too but you have to sleep in the middle.
Peyton: Okay.
Emma: And you can't jump up and down on the bed. My grandma doesn't like that.
Peyton: Okay.
Gemma: And don't pet the dog.
Peyton: Okay.
Emma: And don't pet the cat's belly.
Peyton: Okay..... I don't know where you live?
Gemma: Not Emma's house, her grandma's house and don't go on the white porch.
Emma: She can go on the porch... just don't open the front door.
Gemma: Oh yeah, that's right. And don't pet the dog.
Peyton: You already said that.
Gemma: Oh yeah... I forgoted.
Emma: You should come over to my grandma's house after school and we can have a sleepover.
Gemma: I don't know where she lives?
Emma: It's easy to find. You just go to the white porch, then go this way and that way. You can't come in the front door because the cat will get out. Oh, and there's a dog who barks a lot next door. You can't pet him because he's blind in one eye and bites, but you can pet the cat, she scratches but only when you pet her belly so don't pet her belly or the dog.
Peyton: I want to come to the sleepover too.
Emma: You can come too but you have to sleep in the middle.
Peyton: Okay.
Emma: And you can't jump up and down on the bed. My grandma doesn't like that.
Peyton: Okay.
Gemma: And don't pet the dog.
Peyton: Okay.
Emma: And don't pet the cat's belly.
Peyton: Okay..... I don't know where you live?
Gemma: Not Emma's house, her grandma's house and don't go on the white porch.
Emma: She can go on the porch... just don't open the front door.
Gemma: Oh yeah, that's right. And don't pet the dog.
Peyton: You already said that.
Gemma: Oh yeah... I forgoted.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Times Table Takedown
I have a third grade student passenger who sits about half way to the back of the bus. Two days ago, he requested to sit right behind me after the students that regularly sit there, departed. He's done this in the past, usually because he has something on his mind or he wants to ask me a question. He's a good kid and I don't mind a question or two or helping him by just listening. The tables got turned on me the other day... or should I say... the times tables got turned.
TWO DAYS AGO
(3rd Grader) "Mr. Stuckey, what's 4 x 7?"
(Me) "28."
(3rd Grader) "What's 7 x 8?"
(Me) "56."
(3rd Grader) "What's 8 x 9?"
(Me) "72."
(3rd Grader) "Okay thanks."
YESTERDAY
(3rd Grader) "Hey Bus Driver, what's 4 x 9?"
(Me) "36."
(3rd Grader) "And what's 7 x 7?"
(Me) "That would be 49."
(3rd) "There... my homework's all done."
(Me) "Wait... did you just dupe me into doing your homework?
(3rd Grader) "What's dupe mean?"
(Me) "Tricked... did you trick me into doing your math homework?"
(3rd Grader) "Well technically no because I filled out the paper."
(Me) "But I gave you the answers. The point of homework is for you to do the lesson so you can learn how to find the answer yourself........ By the way... how did I do yesterday?"
(3rd Grader) "We got a 100%."
(Me) "WE got 100%?"
(3rd Grader) "Technically... yes."
TWO DAYS AGO
(3rd Grader) "Mr. Stuckey, what's 4 x 7?"
(Me) "28."
(3rd Grader) "What's 7 x 8?"
(Me) "56."
(3rd Grader) "What's 8 x 9?"
(Me) "72."
(3rd Grader) "Okay thanks."
YESTERDAY
(3rd Grader) "Hey Bus Driver, what's 4 x 9?"
(Me) "36."
(3rd Grader) "And what's 7 x 7?"
(Me) "That would be 49."
(3rd) "There... my homework's all done."
(Me) "Wait... did you just dupe me into doing your homework?
(3rd Grader) "What's dupe mean?"
(Me) "Tricked... did you trick me into doing your math homework?"
(3rd Grader) "Well technically no because I filled out the paper."
(Me) "But I gave you the answers. The point of homework is for you to do the lesson so you can learn how to find the answer yourself........ By the way... how did I do yesterday?"
(3rd Grader) "We got a 100%."
(Me) "WE got 100%?"
(3rd Grader) "Technically... yes."
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