Big Bus Trip -Again!

Well, for the second time in the past almost 17 years now, this morning I put my son on a bus again.

This time it's taking him to the panhandle area of Texas and it's for his current job.

Seventeen years ago this November -the week before Thanksgiving -I put him on a bus to take him to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri where he was going to begin his basic training for the Army then.

That trip kept him busy -and away from home, from me, from his sisters -for a little over four years.

This trip is expected to keep him busy -at work, hopefully out of trouble too -for the next three to six weeks. After this particular job ends then, he's not sure where he might be going.

Could be to Mississippi or perhaps Louisiana but it could also mean a tour up in North Dakota in the months of the year that most folks don't really care to be in North Dakota, ya know.

He's currently working for some gas company that has been putting down cables and stuff in this area to then detonate something or other to get some kind of seismic readings that I gather will let the company know about gas locations. Probably has something to do with the Marcellus Shale Gas Project in the local news here of late.

You can tell, can't you, how in tune I am with this whole project, I bet? Not very!

All I know is that for the past three weeks now the kid has had a for-real, paying job and right now, that's about all that mattered too. His employment status for the past 10 months hasn't been to fruitful having lost his CDL (trucker's) license last December which then meant he lost his job and finding other employment in these hills is not exactly the easiest thing to do these days.

Come to think of it, I can't remember a time in my entire life when finding a good-paying, decent job in this area has been an easy thing to do. Work is never very plentiful in this section of the state.

Right now, to get him "relocated" -temporarily anyway -down in Texas, Mom had to get up -yeah, rise and shine -about 5 a.m. today and cart his butt and the bare necessities of his belongings over to Clearfield where he and a whole bunch -probably around 80 guys he said -would board a bus that would take them then I think to Amarillo. (Note how well informed I am as to exactly where he's going! Heck, I'm not even fully sure of the name of the company he's currently employed by! Sure do hope we don't have to locate him in case of an emergency back home, ya know!)

Well, anyway -I did all that -got him to the motel headquarters and ready to leave on the bus and came back home. Actually got to view the dawn this morning too -another rather rare occurrence for me and I even took a couple pictures of it too, just to prove to you that I was up and OUTSIDE between 6 and 7 a.m. this morning.

Unfortunately, I can't show you those photos right now because my storage thingy with Picasa -aka Google -is currently on a hold status because I thought I had renewed my extra storage but the order hadn't gone through because my credit card information had changed since the last time a made a purchase there. Silly little thing like that is now screwing me up from posting any photos on my blog apparently for the next day or two until my order gets processed completely! Sure do hope the hurry that order along cause I'm sure you all are just dying to see my lovely sunrise photos from the road in front of my house. Just spectacular they are, trust me. (NOT!)

But anyway -back to my lovely son -when I returned home this morning from dropping him off by the big old bus, daughter Mandy informed me he had called about ten minutes before I got home and needed me to go to his house and get something he had forgotten there and then, return to Clearfield to bring this important item to him.

What had he forgotten? Some kind of base charger for his two-way radio that belongs to the company and well, he sort of was going to need that, ya see.

I managed to pawn the rescue mission to his house and then back to Clearfield to get this item to him off on to Mandy. I think I appealed to her sentimental side when I reminded her if she did this, then she could also have a little extra chance to wish him well and say goodbye to him this morning too.

Anyway -she made the run for me. Got over there and got the charger to him before their bus pulled away from the motel.

Sure am glad that bus didn't leave at 6:30 a.m. sharp like he had told me it was supposed to do!

And, isn't it fun dealing with kids that no matter how old they are, still need Mamma and/or sisters to come rescue them too!

Anyone reading my blog from near the Amarillo area? If so, keep an eyeball out for a tall (6'2"), very lanky but also quite handsome youngish male who may or may not be acting a bit crazy, zany, and who talks with a Yankee accent.

Just might be my Favorite Son ya know!