Driving the School Bus

Well as most of you know I am now officially a Bus Driver. I got my CDL over Christmas break and I now drive for Nauvoo/Colusa School District. I never aspired to drive a bus. I never even thought about it. This year as school started I offered to help drive kids to early bird chorus in the school vans. The school asked me if I would be willing to get my CDL to drive a bus I said no but they said they needed a driver for the smaller handicap bus so I agreed. After about a month and a half of training studying and testing I got my CDL. The handicap bus already had a new driver so they gave me the Nauvoo route. I was ok with that because by that time I had actually driven a big bus and wasn't so terrified. The route was crazy, lots of hills and gully's gravel and blacktop, The winter and Icy roads have made for some interesting adventures but I do pretty ok. Last week there was an incident with one of the bus drivers and he had to switch routes or lose his job. I got his route and his bus. My old bus was just that, OLD. But it was dependable and got me out of a few tight spots. It was cold and rickety and the seats are all taped up. The new bus is just that, NEW!! It is sweet and it drives like a new car. It is alot bigger than my old one and longer but my route is easier. I pick up the kids in Colusa in the morning then I drop off the elementary and Jr High kids from my route and pick up the High School kids and drive them to Warsaw High School. In the afternoon I pick up at the High School and drive back to Nauvoo, I meet the bus on my old Nauvoo route and unload the kids to him, I meet the Colusa route driver at the Jr High and drop those kids to him and I drive the Niota kids home. :) The best part of all it pays more than my old route. I have only been driving for a month and a half and I love it! Even if the roads are rotten most days. The kids are great and I am having a good time.