Crunch Time

Those actuaries, they know their stuff. 
The most likely time to be involved in an auto accident?  Why, Friday afternoon.

On a typical day, Grant walks to my office, 4 blocks east of Garland High, rides the alligator 3 floors up and then waits for me to get to a good stopping point with whatever 'awl bidness' business I am working on, and then he takes the keys and drives the Toyota 4Runner (affectionately known as just "Q") 3 miles home for driving practice with his Driver's Permit. 

Vicky Aguilar, works on the 4th floor and gets off work at 3.  I did not know her until we met by accident on Friday, October 8.

Grant had backed out of the parking space, began to pull forward when Miss Vicky also began to back her pickup out of her spot, 5 spaces in front of us.  Grant stops - Miss Vicky continues back - Grant honks - Miss Vicky continues back - I hear the sound of a crunch & a thud; was that the sound of the bumper and grill caving in or my stomach dropping helplessly into my lower loins?) as Miss Vicky continues back - Miss Vicky then stops, comes out of the truck and says "I didn't see you!" [or apparently hear the horn either - but I make a written note of her quote].  Important information is exchanged between Miss Vicky and myself, camera phones were deployed and all the while I am thinking this is just a bad day for everyone, no sense in getting overwrought.  No damage to Miss Vicky's truck.  I suggest that we talk later that evening and see if there might be a way to avoid getting the insurance companies involved.  We drive home. I return to work and renew my auto policy online (expires 10/31/2010) - just in case.

Later in the evening I talk with her husband, and he says that maybe $1000 in damges he could handle himself and maybe a friend of a friend who does auto body work might be able to do a deal.  I tell him I'll get estimates in the morning and see what the damages appear to amount to.  Saturday I get 3 estimates, all around $2750 mas y menos $50 for replacement of left headlamp assembly, front bumper and radiator support.  I tell Mr. Aguilar that the damage appear too severe to handle without insurance and that I will file a claim.  Claims Rep comes by the Sunstone office Monday morning, writes a claim ticket for $2958.  I drop off Q at Sergio's Auto Paint & Body on Monday afternoon and get Sergio to throw in some touch up body work on a few other dings not from the crunched grill.  Deal is done.  Q returns to his rightful place in the garage on the following Saturday.

I am still waiting for by $499 deductable to be refunded to me by Miss Vicky's insurance, since it has been determined that she was at fault, as traffic in the through lane has right of way over vehicles backing out.  I have a bad feeling about this last $500 though.  Be careful out there, especially on Fridays. TGIS.

Bus(t)ed

Grant has been kicked off Bus 406.  Actually the driver gently invited him not to ride his bus anymore; "Hey kid, I'm not supposed to be givin' ya rides anymore ya know."  News to us.

We just figured the transportation department for the GISD pulled a snafu again as the new school year began.  Earlier in the Summer we had filled out the forms sent to us to make sure the bus was routed through our neighborhood as it has been for the past 15 years, with a stop at Corley and Ladywood around 6:30 AM.  The first day of school - No bus.  It has happened before.  We drove him in the car and Grant caught the bus home from school after Day 1.  The next day the bus stopped and picked him up in the morning, but when he boarded for the ride home in the afternoon the driver told him it was against policy for him to ride the bus.  Indeed, there it was on the website: the district will not provide transportation to students living more than 2 miles from campus unless they are enrolled in the IB Program (International Baccalaureate), a super-sized AP curriculum that functions as a magnet for Garland HS.  Grant had been taking some IB courses, but rearranged his schedule and dropped the IB class, so according to policy, "No bus ride for you!"

Now Grant continues to play cello in orchestra, also a magnet program for Garland HS, but apparently not the clout of IB.  The bus still comes through our neighborhood, but it only accepts worthy passengers.  May be next year only students with a GPA of 3.25 or above will be bused? Or may be only those who are proficient in Spanish III or above can be transported?  Or, only those who are athletes will be eligible to ride? 

What a pain. We did not bother to raise a fuss or cuss about the bus. We now just drive Grant 6 miles RT to school in the morning and he rides back with a friend or walks to my office 4 blocks from school and I drive him home.  The bus policy makes no sense.  I pay taxes for a transportation department and the bus goes right past our house, what is gained by not stopping?  I would vote for that the School Board save expenses by cleaning out the buses everyday themselves ... with their tongues. 

Driven with a Purpose

Driving lessons continue.  Grant drives to and from school and takes the wheel for local excursions and shopping jaunts.  After a few weeks of lessons, instructor and student were headed home when the student pulled off the Lavon Highway and into the parking lot. 
Instructor: "Where are we going?!"
Student: "To the 'Bell'."  "One cheesy gordito crunch, one crispy taco and a medium Baja Blast please.  Do you want anything Dad?"
Fast Food Worker: "That will be $5.68; please pull up to the window."

Operating a vehicle is no longer an abstraction, one can use a driver's license to feed yourself!

A Fair Day

Historic tradition is for Dallas and surrounding suburbs to give students 1 day off during the State Fair of Texas in October.  Garland Schools got Monday, Oct. 4th off from school and a free ticket to attend the Fair.  After several starts and stops in getting everyone coordinated, Grant & 3 friends scheduled to board DART Blue Line at 8:50, ride to Pearl Street Station and then Transfer to Green Line and exit at Fair Park Station.  This is the second year DART train is able to take Fair-goers from Garland down to SE Dallas to see Big Tex - host of the Fair, and all the attractions - saving gas and parking dollars big-time, plus parking hassles. 

Even without parking, money flows quickly out of the pockets at the State Fair, but Grant managed to get it all done for just $40.  Including must-have samplings of "Fair Food" [Translation: Deep Fried EVERYTHING]  Years past have featured Fried Coke, Fried Twinkies, Fried PB&J, Fried Peach Cobbler, Fried Guacamole, Fried Pop Tarts ... Grant's "Fair Food" included funnel cake (fried), Root Beer (Fried Lone Star Beer this year is off-limits for under 21 crowd), Hamburger (grilled!) and for dessert - Chicken Fried Bacon.  He took in the car show & got photos in the driver's seat of a 2010 Corvette and Camaro.  Also rode The Texas Star (largest Ferris Wheel in North America) and saw the open air Bird Show, with a variety of trained birds that sometimes do what their handlers want them to do, and sometimes not.  Returned on the DART train and sat across the aisle from Jason Castro (and his entourage), runner-up contestant on TV's American Idol. Arrived home by 7.  A fair day.