Scared More Witless Than I Am.

Sooo....... we don't need a LOT of money up here, but when all our appliances and the roof and the car and my teeth and the computer die at the same time, some part-time cash is going to come in handy. I mean, my art works out for non-emergency situations but this got a little ridiculous.

I've been testing for the Commercial Driver's Licesense to drive a school bus, and now I have my learner's permit. And today Bob Cain, who keeps the Cape Flattery school buses so clean and safe, was out letting me haul the first big rig I ever drove around the Clallam Bay area roads.

Talk about scared. What really scared me was the brakes -- they didn't seem to BE there! They're air brakes, and I'm used to the Squash-Me-Hards on the VW bug. Trying to back the bus out of the bus barn I managed to feather the brakes into exhaustion and had to put it into neutral with the parking brake so the compressor could fill the system back up. But Bob let me do it. Well, I'll have to do it twice a day anyway, now won't I?

I just know what's going to happen. I'll end up driving the Neah Bay route. Yeah, go look at this: Washington State Maps

It's truly twisky-betwiskt. And I hear the woman who drives it now needs some time off. When I threatened as a child to "go live with the Indians," I didn't know it would mean DRIVING THEIR SCHOOL BUS.

So if you hear any reports of a Cape Flattery School Bus going off the edge into the Strait of Juan de Fuca..... just hope it's not me.

My father the truck-driver must be laughing his head off in Heaven.

At least I haven't got a Has-Mat license!

Yet....