Friday, November 02, 2007

On Driving and Work

The kids rode the bus to school for the first time this school year. Beth's been driving every day. According to her thinking last year, that was just the way it was going to be. She would have her license, and she would drive to school every day. Just because. I really didn't point it out to her, because she wouldn't have listened anyway, but she really wasn't going to be driving to school every day just to be driving to school. Not when there's a bus she can ride for free.

But then school started, and she was working four nights a week after school, in the same town she goes to school. So, it just made sense that she drove on those days. Otherwise, she'd have to walk to work, or get a ride, and then someone (mom or dad) would have to pick her up after work. Then, since she was already driving four days, why not drive on Friday, too?

But now, she's not working. First her boss cut her down to two nights a week - which was her original schedule, anyway. Then, he stopped scheduling her at all. She's rather frustrated, since she needs the money - to pay for insurance and gas, and that little matter of a speeding ticket, and whatever else. Oh, the cat. She was supposed to pay to get the cat fixed and de-clawed next month. She drove to school every day this week until today, because she was stopping by work to see if she could get any hours there or get scheduled at the other location, which is further away, but her boss said he'd pay her more if she'd work there so that would help cover the gas. Then, he never got her on the schedule... I'm wondering if there's more to the story than we've heard, but she wants to be all independent and grown up and handle all her own stuff, so she's the one who gets to deal with it.

Anyway, no work means no money which means no gas and no driving unless absolutely necessary. So she had to ride the bus today. She's staying after school to help her dad with the sound system because he's doing sound for the school musical. Cory will come home on the bus, and then he and I will go over to the school later, picking up Subway on the way. We were supposed to get Subway yesterday, but just never found the time between setting up and watching the practice and rehearsal. Cory was rather disappointed. Me too, actually - we really didn't get anything to eat all day and all night, and we didn't get home until 10:30. Tonight will probably be just as late, and we really didn't need to have three vehicles to drive home, when we really didn't need to.