http://www.busdriverjim.com
While I was doing the Parade (see post below), Tori was going up for her first balloon ride. Steph knows the balloon people, having provided their propane over the years, and got Tori a ride with three seasoned balloon pilots.
and, the great photo-journalist Steph shot a flawless video of the launch, here:
I took a different approach to the Parade this year. Instead of standing midway in the madness I went to the start of the parade as it made the turn off of Elm Street on to Main Street (yes, I know…)
It worked out good, saw a couple folks and some kids that I know in the parade and I suppose because I was bare-shirted working on my tan, the Laid-Back boys tossed me a free Route 66 tee-shirt. Click the photo below to see the 132 shots I took.
There’s a baby in the house, with an unusual name. I asked how his name was spelled and found out Ari has two first names, hyphenated together. What the heck, why not! He’s also pretty darn cute…
Tomorrow’s our big moving sale and I think it will go well, we’ve got some good stuff. There’s an ad in the local paper with a post on the local Facebook garage sale site, it’s 4th of July weekend and we’re right off of Ski Hill with lot’s of tourists going by.
To top it off, we’ve got company from Washington. Jimmy and Sandy are here with kids in tow: one pre-teen girl, a 2.5 year old energizer bunny girl and an infant boy. The house is full, somewhat empty of furnishings, and loud.
Should be fun!
I’m convinced that trees have a soul, as do every living entity. I’ve watched our trees grow magnificently over the last 13 years, and I’ve seen a few get sick. When they get too far gone, Steph has them cut down.
All of the stubs are now starting to rise from the ground as if being pushed up by the roots of the surrounding trees. It wouldn’t surprise me if they started growing again…
My nephew Brian and I hung out at Lava Hot Springs yesterday. The sun was hot, the water was hotter and he and I were just plain hotties. It’s probably a good thing we don’t travel together too often, the cosmic vibrations bouncing off of south Idaho could cause Yellowstone to blow.
I just came upon this speculative map of what the western U.S. would look like after Yellowstone erupted. Very interesting, it looks like Driggs and Vegas could become beachfront property and Salt Lake City would go down (maybe, good riddance).
I drove to Green Canyon hot springs for a soak today. It’s only 32 miles from my driveway and today it was better than normal. As I settled my body down into the geothermal goodness one of the staff came out and told me that they had just drained the pool, cleaned it and refilled it just two hours before, and I was the first one in it. Clean, fresh and hot, that’s down!
Some pretty flower weeds popped up in the back forty. I’m a pretty smart guy but when it comes to horticulture I don’t know shit. Maybe they’re wildflowers, maybe weeds. Who cares, I like…
I’ve been asked lately how retirement is going? Well, it’s great, thank you. I’m doing all the things I like to do like weight-lifting on the deck semi-naked under a warm sun, driveway dancing to a Seattle radio station blasting from my Echo, driving to town for my fruit, watching Netflix, evening ab-workouts and playing with my cat. All without the complications of working at an 0700 to 1600 job!
I’m really kinda amazed at how easily I’ve adapted. My time is now mine, not somebody else’s. I make my own schedule, not follow the one dictated by a stupid tablet in that rolling office called a bus.
Moving sale coming up in a couple of weeks and then hopping back in the river for the next float. Glad to be alive!
Our poor neighborhood is going through a construction boom. They finished the house between Brian and I and a new one is now going in across the road. Our well water has suffered from the last new well and now a new one is underway.
The subdivision has five new builds going on, including one right behind Brian that I just saw start up today. Our years of quiet are over and that new water monster is scaring the catshit out of my kitty.
Pipes found herself a cozy little spot on the deck umbrella today. She was a bad girl last night, kept the daddy up past his bedtime waiting for her to come home from catting around. Shotgun was on my lap…
Well, it’s over, yesterday was my last day as Bus Driver Jim and I am retired. I have to admit though, that I came home last night with a heavy heart. Not that it’s over but that it all seems so futile now. Day after day, year after year of dragging myself out of the house every morning to start up a bus in frigid weather and drive people around this valley safely and on time, apparently had no value to this hell hole they call Paradise.
That’s alright, I’m a big boy and I accept that. It was my job to get the valley’s precious, pretentious, over-entitled kids to their gymnastics and rock climbing appointments. I got paid to be the bitch to seniors that rode free, and if they pissed on my seats or stunk up my bus, it was my duty to clean it up without complaining.
I’ve driven the bus here for twelve of our thirteen years in the valley. I look back on it now with bitterness instead of happiness and that’s very sad. My employer TRPTA has been good to me and I appreciate that but I no longer work for them. I have tempered each blog post through the filter of my job and I couldn’t always say what I really thought about things around here because of that relationship, which is now over.
I am now free to speak my mind, so stay tuned…
Exciting times in Driggs, there’s a new Five Star restaurant starting up soon on North Main. It has a most unusual name, the Grand Teton Grill and from the looks of it, should be spectacular!
According to the sign, you should be able to get drunk with your family, and have fun!
And peeking through the window reveals the presence of world class condiments!
Can’t wait…
Ever have one of those days?
