Following through...

Writing is something I enjoy on a very personal level. I created this blog wanting to create a routine for myself. If I have a captive audience reading my posts I have to write often. Don't I? Well once I realized that gaining a captive audience was a ridiculous thought, especially with all the amazing and interesting blogs being published, I talked myself out of it. So rather than following through with my thought, I quit. However, I never deleted it! I left it here as a reminder to myself. I'm not going to beat myself up for not posting for almost an entire year, I am going to commend myself for coming back to it after a year. And although my thought process has changed and my blog content may change as well, I am still going to follow through with it.

So what does this blog mean to me? It means that I have to learn how to follow through with my ideas and see where they take me. I have so many great ideas that I never follow through with it's frightening. Ideas that just remain ideas instead of potential seeds for something amazing. So instead of worrying about who is reading my blog, I'll focus on just writing decent and interesting content that is satisfying to write.

The Blogging Elite

Since I began my blogging journey I've found that there is this hierarchy of bloggers. I call them "The Blogging Elite." These bloggers are profound in every aspect. Aesthetically their blogs are pleasing to look at. The content is meaningful and thought provoking. These blogs are constant with new updates almost daily. The writing is superb and at times I feel inadequate as a new blogger. Am I jealous? I think so!

The one common aspect of most of the blogging elite is that they have been blogging for years and none of them use the common layouts that is offered by blog spot. Is there a blog designer or are they all artistically superior as well? I want to know! How can I change the appearance of my blog? In addition, they all know each other and follow the same blogs of elite quality.

How does a little old School Bus Driver like me become a part of this blogging elite? How do I get people to read my blog when I don't fit onto the "list".

All this jealousy started this morning when I was reading a post by a well known elite who posted a list of his favorite blogs and broke them up into categories of how badly he needs them in his life. I am one of only maybe 30 followers to his newest blog and I doubt he has even read my blog so how would he even know if mine is deserving of his approval.

My final words are THANK YOU to my one follower who is on MY LIST of blogging elite and please keep reading my blog and offering any critique you feel necessary!

Humble thyself...

So that's what I did to get what I wanted from my boss. Some may call it ass kissing, brown nosing, etc. But sometimes I have these realizations that being a bitch doesn't get me anywhere except in trouble. I went from VP of the Support Staff Union to professional ass kisser so I could get my boss to tack on an extra 15 minutes to my route everyday. And the winner is... me! Today she decided I was worth it, maybe because I begged for the extra time and now I can continue to provide Health Insurance for my family. Yeah me!

I have to wonder why my crazy boss decides to get a pair of balls and stand up to her superiors. We all know that the time is taken off our runs so the school administration can cut our insurance. But she has the final say on how long it takes to transport our school children safely to school. So I let her know how important her job is and that I need her help and I will do almost anything to get the extra time to provide health insurance for my family. I'm finally learning how to work this lady. She just needs to know that she has power over me and that her decision to help is greatly appreciated and that I am deeply indebted to her and I promise to do my best everyday. Seems easy enough.

Tomorrow... bus washing. I have to make my bus big yellow bus nice and shiny for the Friday Night Varsity Football trip against our biggest rival. Go Tigers!

A Money Tree to pay for Medical Care

Sometimes I wish we all had a money tree growing in the backyard. Then we could all afford medical care for our families. This week I learned that I would not have enough hours per week to maintain my affordable premium. My run was cut by 15 minutes per day or 1 hour per week and my payroll deduction goes from $52 per pay to $200 per pay!!!!! Are you fucking kidding me? That is 1/3 of my bi-weekly pay! Does this seem fair?

My local school workers union has been in contract negotiations with the School Board since last December. We currently have a mediator and it seems that we are basically screwed if we want to keep our jobs. Even though our district is thankfully very stable financially, they insist that because of "of the current economic environment, we have to be frugal." Ok, I get it, but lets be fair also. We hold to the idea that if they want us to give up our meager 2% pay increase per year so should administrators. However the administrators continue to receive pay increases of 3% or more and many are banking on 6 figure salaries. In addition they maintain affordable Health Insurance deductions.

I'm pissed. In addition to this contract bullshit, our last contract was imposed on us and we had to go to take it to court. The School Board lost and appealed the decision until it went all the way to our State Supreme Court who ruled that the lower courts were correct in their decision. Three years later and almost a million in tax payer money on legal fees, the School Board had to pay up on both retro pay and health insurance deductions from an illegally imposed contract.

Because my husband is unemployed and going back to school, I will have to drop health insurance for my family and cover myself only. I am scared and royally pissed off at the same time. I won't even get started on the fact that I am ready to leave this wonderful and beautiful country that I call home because our government is failing us in so many ways.

I know that I am not alone but that doesn't make it any easier. I can only hope for the best and take one day at a time. Maybe order will appear from chaos and suddenly we could all grow a money tree in our backyard. But isn't money what got us in this fucking mess in the first place?$?$?

Running towards the big 40!

Today I need to talk about running. My running partner is my husband for now which works pretty well because he is willing to run at my pace, which is VERY SLOW! I've never really enjoyed running nor have I ever wanted to compete. I just want some cardio that keeps my legs toned. The problem is I have this issue with wanting to run faster and longer but my body just isn't built that way. Lets just say I've got a few extra pounds that need to be shed and my husband is a 260 lb. X college football offensive lineman. He used to be 300 lbs. of solid strength but now he is 260 lbs. of big legs and a spare tire. Ok so I got off subject a little. But he keeps telling me that once we shed a few more pounds we'll run farther and faster, as long as we keep running. So we add about 5-15 minutes to our run every few weeks and we run about 4 times a week but I still can't run any faster! So why do care so much as long as we keep doing it and I get a good cardio workout? The crazy thing is that my husband could out run me any day! He has lungs of steel. He could go out and run 5 miles in a reasonable time even after taking years off from running. He was running obsessed when he was younger so I think he is naturally conditioned to running even at 260 lbs.

Over the last ten years, I've gained and lost wait several times but it keeps getting harder to loose if I gain. You see I'm turning 40 in October and I want to look and feel good. I WANT TO LOOK 30 NOT 40!!! Isn't 4o the new 30 anyway? So that's why I obsess about working out and running. Over the last year and a half I've lost about 25 lbs. and have toned up tremendously, but it's not enough. I still want to loose maybe 10 to 15 more lbs. and I haven't lost any weight in the last 4 months or so. And I'm tired of these skinny little bitches passing us on the trail while we eat their dust.

Ok so I sound like a typical woman who rants and raves about wanting to be skinny and younger looking. Why does it even matter if I am skinny or fat? I'm still the same person inside. I don't know, it just matters to me. Is that shallow? Maybe. I guess I'll keep trying until I'm satisfied which may be never. It seems I'm running faster towards 40 than ever but it's just a state of mind anyway. Right? Maybe if I run backwards I could look back at my 30's and see that age really doesn't matter. I'm sure that one day I'll figure out that it's not the destination, it's the journey that matters.

The Smoking Lounge

It's official. The 09-10 school year has begun in my universe and I'm exhausted already. Only two days into it (yesterday was one of those days) and I am certain it's going to be a pretty good year. I just need to somehow get used to the 5am wake-up call. After 4 years of driving I am still having trouble with it. It's too fucking early! But I may have never woke up at all and am still dreaming because the kids were so good yesterday.

So I was really intrigued by a request from some of the local HS Stoners who sit in the back of the bus. They had a great idea! They asked if they could take the last few seats and conceal them with a tapestry or curtain, bring in some cool rock posters and mood lighting and create a smoking lounge. Great idea I said, but they would have to take it up with the School Board because I don't own the bus... I just drive it. I did mention however, if I caught any of them smoking on the bus I would invite a very large varsity football player or wrestler to sit with them and keep them in line. Or I would write them up, which wouldn't really matter to them. But I have to congratulate them on a great idea... a smoking lounge on the school bus. Hhmmm.

I also met my sons First Grade Teacher. LOVE HER! She just gets it. She also lives in the district with 4 kids and a husband who is also an educator. I really think she will be a great Teacher for my very typical 6 year old son. She made several points about how she has had to adjust to the many changes in education over the last several years and could care less about the bureaucratic bullshit. She just loves to teach these kids to read and watch them blossom into themselves with their own individual reading accomplishments. Yea! I love her already!

Anyway... tune in soon for many more school bus driving adventures.

Is it Sunday already?

My husband is in another state mountain biking with the boys for the weekend and I thought the weekend was going to drag without him. I've come to the recent realization that I crave his company desperately! I have mentioned is recent posts that he is unemployed and going back to college for another 4 year degree and a new lease on life. Therefore we have had so much time together as a couple and family with 2 kids including a month long road trip across the country! So how could I just let him leave us for the weekend? Kidding! I just hope he doesn't break something or trade me in for a younger model when he starts classes in a few weeks! He comes home tomorrow so I'll have to make a serious effort to make sure he knows I am WAY BETTER THAN THOSE CUTE LITTLE COEDS in soooo many ways!

In two days I get behind the wheel of my big yellow school bus, start the engine, adjust the seat & mirrors, check the breaks and stop lights, and all the other parts on the bus and get on my way for the 09-10 school year! Of course, after a cool and pleasant summer, the thermometer decided to rise into the high 80's with 90% humidity and it looks like it's going to stay that way for the next week or so. I normally wouldn't complain about the heat but the inside of the school bus is about 10 degrees warmer on a hot sunny day! That makes for a really sweaty butt crack when you have to sit in a vinyl seat for 3 hours straight! Let me know if that is too much information... but it is the damn truth! Although I like to sweat but only when I am exercising.

Sooo... what should I do with my last two days off without my husband? Maybe a day at the pool or lake with the kids? Or a hike and a picnic? Maybe we'll take in a Baseball game this afternoon. It is a great day for baseball. Well it seems my options are unlimited so I guess I can get by without my husband for another day and a half.