Same thing, every year

It's that time of year... Grad Nights. And Days. And Nights. And Days..... get the idea? We deal with lots of different types of groups, among them schoolkids. Well, we get slammed with LOTS of school runs this time of year, every year. No problem, I don't have an "issue" with dealing with kids (some drivers do), but there is a downside here, too. Like, this time of year has lots of crazy hours, long days, and quick turnarounds. And, these runs are, shall we say, not very lucrative? Nonetheless, we all work hard to make this time of year a success, and will again this year. Oh well, check back in a few weeks from now, just don't expect to hear back from me quickly .

May Gray

Hello again... It's that time of year here now.... what we call May Gray and June Gloom. With global warming, it seems like it's happening a bit earlier in the year. Used to be the time frame was late May thru early June. Now, it starts in early May. So, what is "it"? This time of year, the desert starts warming up. That creates a thermal low, which acts like a giant vacuum cleaner, and sucks the marine layer in off the ocean. Marine layer is the typical cloudiness sitting on the Pacific Ocean when the water temperature is below the mid 60's. Right now the water temp is in the low 60's. Our prevailing breezes are from the west, off the ocean, as well. So, this time of year is actually the lousiest time of year to visit San Diego. Many days are totally overcast, occasionally drizzly, and generally yucky. Today's not too bad, the sun's out, but it's kind of chilly. Still, all in all, not a bad day.

A Positive Development

Hello again.... it's busy at work, but I've noticed that "insanely busy" doesn't seem to be the case any more. The company I drive for has had a protracted effort to hire more drivers, and I think I can honestly say that, for the first time in my almost-25 years there, that our staffing appears to be adequate. What does that mean to me, and my fellow well-established senior drivers? Uh, how about, that we can actually have a "life", even when it's busy? All those years of crazy hours are, hopefully, behind me now. There seems to be a new, better understanding with management of the importance of not "burning out" drivers, especially the most-experienced ones. This is a good thing!! Perhaps also in the mix is the new reality that drivers, good drivers, are becoming scarce, and the company can ill-afford to lose anyone, especially the experienced ones. All of this bodes well for me, as I have fought (griped, bitched, etc) for years to work LESS, not more. All dispatchers hate getting phone calls from unhappy customers, complaining about a driver who, in the customer's opinion, is not "up to the task" in some fashion. As a result, senior drivers tend to get the bulk of the runs that are the "more difficult" type; typically, single-bus moves out of the county, with the need for a working knowledge of where they're headed, and maybe some personality to boot *grin*. Well, that may not sound too complicated, but consider the responsibility involved with:
1) safely transporting 40+ passengers to their destination(s),
2) actually knowing where you're going,
3) negotiating your way through Southern California's notorious traffic,
4) being casual, easy-going, and congenial with the customer the whole time
5) exuding an air of confidence that puts the people at ease
6) have contingency plans for traffic, bus problems, change of schedule, etc.
7) do this day after day, with all sorts of different types of groups,
8) more often than not, have no clue what you're doing tomorrow!
That's just part of this job. Obviously, some of the above-mentioned items overlap, but each is unique. The job can be both exhilarating and depressing. But, for me, the biggest annoyances are LONG hours and QUICK turnarounds. So, the recent developments at my company go a LONG way towards mitigating my two biggest issues. Hurray!!! Maybe I'll stay till I retire *grin*

Busy, busy, busy

Hello again! Well, it's *that* time of year.... it's busy as H*** at the bus company I drive for. It actually was very placid, almost slow there for a while. And, during a timeframe that historically has been busy. So, while I'm not happy it's extremely busy right now, I'm not bummed either. Gotta have bursts of business, when my life revolves around driving, to cover for the lulls. Don't get me wrong, here; I'm looking forward to things not being so hectic. But, I guess what I'm saying is that I recognize these times as a "necessary evil". Oh well, it'll (hopefully) be over soon..........

Change of Plans

Hi, from Pismo Beach, CA! You never know where I'm gonna land up (and usually, neither do I...). I was *supposed* to be on my way to Yosemite tomorrow morning, but had a conflict with another trip that returned from last year. It's a "worker", a 4 day trip up the coast of California, with distributors of nursery plants (working for a VERY well-known National company), visiting a number of nurseries. Everywhere we go, the nurseries lay out the 'ol red carpet, it's BIG business. Anyhow, it a lot of work, but very, shall we say, lucrative? I have 2 drivers "in tow" with me, one from last year, and another well-established driver from the company we work for. I'm watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean right now, crystal-clear skies off to the west. A good omen for tomorrow......

OK, now this is different....

Hi, got something kind of unusual going on today... in fact, this is the first time it's happened in 30 years of driving buses. I'm picking up a group here at the mobile home park, taking them to a nearby Native American casino. A lot of people here, of course, are aware that a tour bus driver lives among them, pretty hard to miss the highway coach parked outside the gates when I'm able to stop home in the middle of some days. So, of course, they booked thru the company I drive for, and requested me! So, in about an hour, I'll be picking up everyone at the front gate (can't easily get the bus into the park itself) and off we go (Jacqueline's coming along too) to the casino! Just a short day, little 5-hour deal. Should be lots of fun....

Nice weekend in Mammoth Lakes

Hi again, we just returned from a weekend in Mammoth Lakes. I say "we" because Jacqueline was able to join me, and ride on the bus. Made it seem more like a vacation than working. The weather was pleasant, but turning as we left on Sunday afternoon. Perfect timing! We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, even though it was a short one. I just checked, the mountain has received 8-12" of new snow, and more is falling, so I guess we really did leave at the right time. It was in the 50's during the couple days we were there, and we exploited the nice weather by going for a long walk on Saturday, followed by dinner at a local pizza place, where Jacqueline and I had our first "dinner date" about 12 years ago.

Sittin' at the library

One week into the new truck, and all is going well. I just installed a box on back yesterday, black plastic, like the one I had on the Ranger. It looks really sharp, the black offsets to "Desert Mica" paint really nicely.
I'm in Anaheim, have a bus group at Disneyland. The nearby Anaheim City Library has wi-fi, so here I am! Besides, it's 90 degrees outside. March 12th, can you believe it? It's because we have a Santa Ana blowing, a wind reversal. Usually our breezes are out of the west, off the ocean. Typically in the fall and early winter, we'll get a reversal of that pattern, and our winds will come in from the desert, hot and dry. Kind of unusual to have this pattern at this time of year, however. It's supposed to "break" later today, tomorrow's supposed to be about 10-15 degrees cooler. But, for today, the Anaheim Library feels pretty good! Fellow driver Theresa is along, she's busy reading a book, or using one of the library's computers. I'm using my laptop, of course.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

What's new? Lots, here. My vehicle "companion" of 1/2 of my adult life, my Ford Ranger pickup truck, bit the dust a few days ago. With me through thick and thin, this truck has seen 'ol Scotty through 2 decades of change. Approaching 300,000 miles, I knew it wasn't going to be around much longer, and little telltale signs were there that it was rapidly approaching its demise. Still, I'd hoped to have it last long enough to cash in on a California program designed to get older, less-efficient vehicles off the roads. Jacqueline and I took a long drive this past weekend, in the truck (She suggested we take her car, I insisted we take the truck), and it started acting up before the drive was finished. However, in the fashion that is its trademark, it got us home. Then, crapped out. The clutch went, and not in the typical way. Usually, the clutch will start slipping. Never happened with this truck. Rather, something let loose, internally. So, tomorrow morning, I and a Mexican guy here at the mobile home complex will go to DMV, and transfer title. Mexican guys are amazing, they can fix anything! I have neither the time nor inclination to fix the truck. In fact, I already have a new truck, my first new vehicle in 20 years! I'm now the proud owner of a 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup! Still getting used to it, but that new vehicle smell sure is nice! Anyhow, the transfer of the old truck is tomorrow morning, and the clock is telling me it's "tomorrow" already, so I'm outa here. More on the new truck to follow............

Happy Birthday to me!

Good morning! As of this morning, I am eligible for the senior citizen's menu at Denny's *grin*. I'm grinning because the alternative is to cry.... just kidding. I realized years ago there's no sense in worrying about the things you can do nothing about, like thinning hair or advancing years. More importantly, I am able to do just about anything I want, have no aches or pains, and am happy. In other words, not too different than when I was 30. Except, my life is so much richer and more fulfilling than when I was 30. That actually was a bad year for me, my first marriage was on the rocks. See? 55 is much better!
I got a special "birthday greetings" from Microsoft yesterday; a check (or, a "chit") worth $138.01 towards computer software or hardware, part of an antitrust class action lawsuit I jumped in on years ago. I'll use it to defray part of the cost of my new computer. The 2nd item, at first blush, was even more interesting; my order of Vista Home Premium arrived! It was part of a package when I bought my new computer. However, it's the 32-bit version. I wanted the 64-bit version. No joy apparently. After attempting to exchange online, and failing with the usual cryptic message from Microsoft, I called them today, and was told that the 64-bit exchange was only possible if the OEM had included that in their package. Mine didn't. Waa waa, I don't wanna spend my $138.01 check on a 64-bit version of Vista (plus more out of my pocket). Now I'm contemplating my choices. I had been considering running Vista on my laptop, and the 32-bit version would be a good choice for that. However, there are some unanswered questions I have about certain software I consider indispensable, and whether that software will continue to operate under Vista. The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor simply says "No data available", which makes me concerned. Running the 64-bit version on the laptop would definitely not work, since I already know there are no 64-bit hardware drivers for this particular device. Soooo, maybe I could use this copy I have in my greasy little hands to upgrade the laptop, and go buy the 64-bit version for the desktop. Hmmm, I'll ponder that one....
The other possibility is to do with the "main" desktop what I've done with this (#2) desktop; dual-boot Windows XP and Kubuntu Linux. It's available in 64-bit, and it's free! Pretty hard to argue with that. After a whole lot of time and configuring, I've gotten most everything to work correctly, and it handles all multimedia formats. But, it doesn't have that capability by default. And configuring can be a real pain. Microsoft eliminates a lot of that, but at a cost. Oh well, no need to do anything today, after all, it's my birthday! Why would I want to induce a headache today? *grin*

Change in the Weather

The weatherman says we're supposed to get some precipitation tomorrow.... maybe. It's currently showing a 40% probability. Not so certain is whether it'll be rain or snow. I suspect it'll be rain here in Yosemite Valley, but snow up at Badger Pass, where my passengers go every day (I take them there). I normally chain up a lot on this trip, but haven't had to yet. I got a sneakin' suspicion that's about to end. What's a pain is the following morning, Monday. There's always a few people who want to take the YTS bus up on Monday morning, then I pick them up at noon, on our way out of Yosemite. Fine, except it's usually that last 1000 feet of elevation gain that requires the chains. Highway 41 tops off at 6000 feet, Badger Pass is 7000'. Oh well, if it happens, it happens. I'm not going to worry about it.

Bizarre for February

I'm sitting in the lobby of the Yosemite Lodge.... why? Because this is where the wifi is! The only alternative here is a VERY slow (26.4) dialup connection in my room. Sooooo, here I am. It's amazingly warm out, I actually wore a tank top up to Badger Pass this afternoon, it was that warm. Like, mid-60's warm. Really bizarre for this time of year. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Only problem with sitting here in the lobby.... too many passengers pass through. I've already been "hit on" twice by ladies wanting (no, not that.........) to have me open up the bus for them because they forgot something *CRITICALLY IMPORTANT* on the bus. You know, like a jacket (lady #1) or snowshoes (lady #2). Never mind that either one could have easily retrieved the items in the morning. Oh well, I guess that means I'm still on duty...... Anyhow, enough ranting, I'm so happy about the weather, I'm gonna stop bitching :)

Off on another adventure

Hi! I'm just now getting ready to depart on a 5-day winter trip to Yosemite National Park. It's an annual event, in fact the picture on my home webpage is from one of these February trips. I'm all packed up, and ready to go. The forecast looks good, but I'm not taking any chances. It can get nasty there quickly, as I've discovered in the past. So, all the gear comes along. Gotta run, it's getting close to depart time. Bye..........

25 Years, and Running...

I'm in Mammoth Lakes, nothing too unusual about that, at this time of year. However, a couple items *are* significant; one, there are precious few ski trips this year, due to the lack of snow (that'll do it every time...), and this marks my 25th year of driving Mammoth ski trips! Hard to believe, a quarter-century of running US395, braving the elements and incompetent drivers. How things have changed; many of our trips in the 1980's involved alcohol, LOTS of alcohol. Not the drivers (grin), the passengers. Often, we would arrive at midnight or later, with a bus that was absolutely trashed. Bags and bags of trash off the floor, empty beer containers everywhere, the bus smelling like a brewery, and, occasionally, the "remnants" of someone's dinner, that they had been unable to keep down, due to too much alcohol. Those were the "bad old days", IMHO. Nowadays, a rowdy crowd is an aberration, downright rare. GOOD! At last count, I'm somewhere near 250 trips total, more if you include other "snow" trips I do to other locations, like Yosemite and Bear Valley. Oh, and BTW, I got a wife out of this deal! In the winter of 1985-86, I met Jacqueline, who was a housekeeper at the Sierra Nevada Inn, in Mammoth. We were friends for a number of years, but after her husband passed away in 1993, we started dating in 1994. She moved down to San Diego later that year, and we were married in 1995. Pretty amazing how things work out.
Anyhow, I'm kickin' it here at the Shilo Hotel, utilizing their Wi-Fi, but thinking about going for a ling walk. The weather's beautiful for January, too nice, in fact. The town needs snow, badly. But, at least for me, it makes my job much easier. The group this time requires very little service, another bonus. Oh, and it's crazy back in San Diego right now, tons of work, drivers putting in long hours. This is *MUCH* better (grin).

San Diego weather

Dang, this has been one cold January! Yeah, I know, friends and relatives "back east" are saying "oh, we feel so sorry for you guys", but I'm telling you, we're on a track to having the coldest January since 1950 or 1951, I heard on the news the other day. The related item is, no precipitation. San Diego is at less than 40% of normal,and it's worse in other parts of the state. Pretty weird. I'm headed to Mammoth Lakes today, my first trip of the winter. It may be my last! The bus company has almost no bookings for Mammoth because of marginal snow cover. Of course, the price keeps going up, as well. Kind of a sad state of affairs, this trip marks the beginning of my 25th season of doing Mammoth runs. There's always hope that the snow will start coming, like 1991 with the "Miracle March". But that won't help the ski season. I guess the good news is that the weather's supposed to be nice for the trip I'm heading out on, I might actually get thru the weekend without chaining up. I'll have lots of down-time there, so I'm sure I'll be posting from up there too, maybe with a picture or two included.

Melissa

Hey, Melissa... if you're reading this: GET BACK TO WORK! *grin*

Good News

The good news here concerns Dik, Jacque's cousin in Indianapolis. His long battle with cancer is over, and Dik is gone. I'm happy his struggle is over. I was thinking the other day, obituaries often say something like "lost his long battle with cancer" or something similar. But, do you realize, you never *lose* the battle with cancer? When you die, you kill it too! Meaning, you fought it to a draw. Yeah, I know, it's just semantics, but hey, if it were me, I'd be more likely to reconcile my fate if I knew, by dying, I was also killing the bastard that was killing me! Anyhow, Godspeed, Dik, to your destiny.
The second piece of good news is that Jacque's home! I was so excited to see her at the airport. She was tired from the last 10 days, but glad to be home. Ditto! It was so pleasant just to have her around the house again. Suddenly, everything seemed a bit brighter and more colorful (see last post). We went for two walks yesterday, hand-in-hand. It's SO nice to have her home!!!

It's called "Perspective"

Hi again. This past week-plus of Jacqueline being gone is starting to gnaw at me. I admire her for what she's doing, helping her terminally-ill cousin, and completely understand the need for her presence there in Indianapolis. Nonetheless, I miss her a lot, and will be really happy when she returns to our home and our life. It's been a bit of a "reminder" to me of what life would be like without her in it, and of those 11 years of bachelorhood I had between marriages. And, just like then, I'm surprized at how "gray" it is; not that it's depressing, or bad, just "insignificant". Am I having a good time? Yeah, it's OK, nothing to stand up and cheer about. It's not like I'm wallowing around the house, anxiously counting the minutes till she comes home. Nah, I'm busy, doing stuff, staying active. It's just that the quality of the time passing is diminished by her absence. She adds color to an otherwise gray existence. It's like this: those 11 years are the most significant for being "unremarkable", yeah, I had lots of fun, and there are some memories, but not too many. It's almost like a "gap" in my life, looking back now. Ironically, even though I was single, the main memories of that time concern my daughters, and my time with them, as a single dad with visitation privileges. The memories become more focused after Melissa, then Sage moved into my house. As a single dad, with my daughters there, my life began to get some "color" again. Then, my relationship with Jacqueline started, and it was like a rebirth. My world was filled with color. Maybe it's kind of a corny analogy, but the "adds color to my life" concept is the best way for me to describe how richer my life is with my loved ones around me. I really did have a good time when I was single; I have a vague recollection (grin). Of course, those memories are in black-and-white........

Bachelor Blues

I've been home for several days now, and am getting reacquainted with what single life is like. Hard to believe this was my life for 11 years! Not that I'm sitting around, depressed, doing nothing; quite the contrary, I've been quite busy. Yesterday, I watered the plants and garden, did laundry, cleaned up the kitchen.... get the idea? Today, I did more "manly" stuff. Had a 2-hour class I had to attend for work, then hiked a mountain, then jumped on the motorcycle for a ride with my friend Don, then tore into a computer! However, I also cooked up my meals and cleaned up the kitchen, and I've made up the bed every morning. Damn, Jacque's gonna realize I actually *KNOW* how to do this stuff *grin*. In reality, I do miss her, a lot. Especially when I climb into bed, and she's not there. Oh well, 6 more days.....

Happy New Year... Kind of....

Happy 2007, I just rang in the new year (Eastern time) about 45 minutes ago. Ain't gonna make it to New Year's Pacific time, however. Gotta be up and at it early in the morning, have a very long day ahead of me. It'll be nice to return home, but it will feel cold and lonely without Jacque there to greet me (see my last post). I did get to talk to her a couple times today, she's well, and doing what she needs to do there in Indianapolis.
Hey, the Chargers finished the regular season with the best record in the NFL! Home field advantage throughout the playoffs... at least as far as they make it. Hopefully, that's all the way to Miami, site of this year's Super Bowl. Wouldn't that be grand!
I'm outa here, gotta get to bed....... Happy New Year!