The Wheels On The Bus Go Round and Round....

Have you noticed that school has started? There are just a FEW clues...and they all begin with the word BUS.
It doesn't matter when I leave my surburban, middle class neighborhood, the yellow,
50-seat child taxis are EVERYWHERE. There is no out-foxing them. I can try to scoot out of my driveway at 6 a.m., 7:40 a.m...8:18 a.m., 9:25 a.m. but there they are...with their lights flashing and an ominous STOP sign craned to the side.
These 80 foot vehicles stop every 38 feet to pick up just ONE more tow-head, boarding with an over-sized Superman back-pack and Barbie lunch box (whoops..USUALLY not the same child).
I can remember "the good old days", when I said to myself, "I will never NEVER use the expression "good old days".
(This won't be the first time I've broken one of my own antique promises.)
Any student (WAY back then) taking a bus would have to live more than 5 miles from the school or show the principal either your broken bicycle or in-operable roller skates.

The bus would only slow to a slight halt as a challenge to boarding. The "stop" was the corner that was at least 5 blocks away. You never saw what I have seen during these past two inaugural weeks of the start of school. Parents are driving to the bus stop to see little Johnnie off! Some are even shooting a video, complete with lights and cue cards, (some just hire a videographer) filming Junior climbing the stairs to his air-conditioned bus. (complete with surround sound, captain chairs and a bus-line attendant serving gummie bears & kool-aid)

Oh, that reminds me....may I have a side-bar for a moment?
THIS STORY IS THE TRUTH..NO JOKE..I"M SERIOUS!

The other day I was in a Doctor's office waiting room and a typical 10 year old "Johnnie" was there with his nagging Mother. She was rifling through his Super-hero back-pack and she found his reading assignment. She said, "Little Johnnie, it says here that you have to read a bibliography in the next two weeks. I don't think Star Wars will count"!
He responds with a bratty little exasperated sigh, "so, what's a bibliography"?
She explains with full authority, "you know...it's a..well, it's a story written about the life of a person."

(I'm thinking.."did I hear her right? Isn't that a BIOGRAPHY?")

To make matter worse and much harder for me to control my gales of stifled laughter, she went on to ask him who he wanted to read about for his Bibliography...and rattled off, to his dis-interest, about 45 people living and dead. I was so grateful when "tortured Johnnie" was called into the Doctor's office (followed by his Mother mumbling, "What about George Harrison?").

Well, I'm off to meet my great-nephew Griffin's school bus. It's a treat, actually, because I only get to do it once in a while ~ and I love seeing the little guy.
Thank heavens they drop him off right in front of the house! I can sit in the driveway and do crossword puzzles while I wait.

Today I will leave my video camera at home. He says it embarrasses him.