Orange People Eater
Summer has come and past
Innocence can never last
Wake me up when September ends
This last month has been a total blur of bus-related things and photography related things. The chaos of the first week of school has hit and gone, and the second week of school is upon us. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on parent phone calls and route planning, and I honestly wonder if I had known more of what the job entailed if I'd have ever gone out for it. There have been some scary things coming over the radio - situations on other busses. But I think I might have made the right decision doing this, in the end. The challenge is high, and the stakes are too, but the multiple and various rewards seem like they may, collectively, be worthwhile.
My bus is the purple bus because there's so many busses going around that they colour code us. I found a pink foam fish at a Garage sale that I deemed safe for a bus mascot because it weighs pretty much nothing and couldn't really hurt someone in an accident. I named him Moe. He's popular with the littlest kids and tolerated by the older ones. My kids are pretty good, but there's a few things we need to work on.
The clouds are shrouding us
In moments unforgettable
One of the best things about driving bus early in the mornings at this time of year is watching the geese fly over, enjoying the salmon-sunrises, the fields by the bus yard, and the trees starting to turn yellow. My second favourite is the beautiful full-view of the new Cathedral in Saskatoon on my morning run, and the steeple poking up above the trees every few streets - I feel like God's giving me a chance to say good morning every weekday and come in close on Sundays.
Oh praise the One who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
If that wasn't enough of a heavenly reference point, these early mornings in late summer have been full of sun rays coming through the clouds, reminding me of my summer at Emma Lake. Paul and I went to the lake a couple weeks ago, as I mentioned, and we also headed out to Jackfish Lake again on Saturday, which was very relaxing except when Murphy made a break for it and ran down the lakeshore about four city blocks before Paul carried him back. In the end it was a wonderful trip despite that one hiccup.
Friday after my morning run, I came home and made a big special breakfast of grapes, french toast, and breakfast sausages to celebrate a couple of things - my first bus run without screwing anything up, and Paul's first weekend in ages where he's totally caught up with work and staying caught up. I think our stress levels are going to go gradually downhill from here, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I can really feel my health suffering from the stress levels of the crazy back to school time and all I've had to do for the job.
I've had two sessions and some training for my new staff person in the past couple of weeks - and despite all the bus stuff, I'm fairly caught up with Admire work, and I think I will be completely caught up by the end of the week - at which time I think I will take a couple of days of personal time since I don't feel like I've had a total "day off" for quite some time. I've had some time off - I've visited with Sarah and Andrew and talked with a few friends and family lately, but it hasn't been a big part of my days.
Despite all the things that are happening, I have continued to feel like myself, and for the first time in a long time I have had several months of total coherence. It's starting to feel normal to be stable, and the changes we've made in a lot of areas are very positive. I need to work a little more on work-life balance once all the bus hullabaloo dies down, but for the moment I am fine.
The wheels on the bus go round and round, and so does my routine. Routine is a foreign country I haven't been to since college, but I'm enjoying my return visit in a lot of ways.
And really, that's all I have to say. Life is getting better on a daily basis these last several weeks. I feel like I'm finally in a place that I can relax into a day-to-day routine that's good for me and for Paul and Murphy, too. I'm a little too busy, but that will likely fade as the summer wanes. I can tell you with certainty that I am really looking forward to my sabbatical this year! February can't come soon enough for that - but for now, let my favourite season of Autumn be long and colourful and beautiful to behold.
Innocence can never last
Wake me up when September ends
This last month has been a total blur of bus-related things and photography related things. The chaos of the first week of school has hit and gone, and the second week of school is upon us. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on parent phone calls and route planning, and I honestly wonder if I had known more of what the job entailed if I'd have ever gone out for it. There have been some scary things coming over the radio - situations on other busses. But I think I might have made the right decision doing this, in the end. The challenge is high, and the stakes are too, but the multiple and various rewards seem like they may, collectively, be worthwhile.
My bus is the purple bus because there's so many busses going around that they colour code us. I found a pink foam fish at a Garage sale that I deemed safe for a bus mascot because it weighs pretty much nothing and couldn't really hurt someone in an accident. I named him Moe. He's popular with the littlest kids and tolerated by the older ones. My kids are pretty good, but there's a few things we need to work on.
The clouds are shrouding us
In moments unforgettable
One of the best things about driving bus early in the mornings at this time of year is watching the geese fly over, enjoying the salmon-sunrises, the fields by the bus yard, and the trees starting to turn yellow. My second favourite is the beautiful full-view of the new Cathedral in Saskatoon on my morning run, and the steeple poking up above the trees every few streets - I feel like God's giving me a chance to say good morning every weekday and come in close on Sundays.
Oh praise the One who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
If that wasn't enough of a heavenly reference point, these early mornings in late summer have been full of sun rays coming through the clouds, reminding me of my summer at Emma Lake. Paul and I went to the lake a couple weeks ago, as I mentioned, and we also headed out to Jackfish Lake again on Saturday, which was very relaxing except when Murphy made a break for it and ran down the lakeshore about four city blocks before Paul carried him back. In the end it was a wonderful trip despite that one hiccup.
Friday after my morning run, I came home and made a big special breakfast of grapes, french toast, and breakfast sausages to celebrate a couple of things - my first bus run without screwing anything up, and Paul's first weekend in ages where he's totally caught up with work and staying caught up. I think our stress levels are going to go gradually downhill from here, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I can really feel my health suffering from the stress levels of the crazy back to school time and all I've had to do for the job.
I've had two sessions and some training for my new staff person in the past couple of weeks - and despite all the bus stuff, I'm fairly caught up with Admire work, and I think I will be completely caught up by the end of the week - at which time I think I will take a couple of days of personal time since I don't feel like I've had a total "day off" for quite some time. I've had some time off - I've visited with Sarah and Andrew and talked with a few friends and family lately, but it hasn't been a big part of my days.
Despite all the things that are happening, I have continued to feel like myself, and for the first time in a long time I have had several months of total coherence. It's starting to feel normal to be stable, and the changes we've made in a lot of areas are very positive. I need to work a little more on work-life balance once all the bus hullabaloo dies down, but for the moment I am fine.
The wheels on the bus go round and round, and so does my routine. Routine is a foreign country I haven't been to since college, but I'm enjoying my return visit in a lot of ways.
And really, that's all I have to say. Life is getting better on a daily basis these last several weeks. I feel like I'm finally in a place that I can relax into a day-to-day routine that's good for me and for Paul and Murphy, too. I'm a little too busy, but that will likely fade as the summer wanes. I can tell you with certainty that I am really looking forward to my sabbatical this year! February can't come soon enough for that - but for now, let my favourite season of Autumn be long and colourful and beautiful to behold.