Life at the end of the 1st Bookmobile week.
It is quite warm here; as in 90-100 degrees hot.
Monday I wake at 530 IN THE MORNING! This is to insure that I will be awake for my First Bookmobile experience at 7 AM.
We go to Moses Lake and a school there. This elementary school has been without a library this entire school year. Their school library was being remodled. Today they are just returning the books class by class for 5 hours. We check the books in. We sort the cards out and give them to the kids as we will not be back next year.
We get back early. About 4 PM. But we need diesel. Our locking gas cap cannot open. The keys don't work. We have to go to the locksmith to remove the damn thing and then go buy a gas cap and by the time that is all done, we take our bloated van back to the barn and get off at about 530 PM.
Tuesday another 530 AM wake up call as we plan to leave at 630 because we are traveling to Orient. Look it up on Google Maps. It is waaaay up at the northeast corner of the state near the Canadian border. But we don't leave until 8 because my partner got in at 7 AM. Don't ask.
We drove up north on Hwy 97 to Tonasket and turned right. I bought a burrito at Tonasket. What was I thinking? We went into the back country on little two lane roads. We went over 'Toroda' rather than 'Waconda' to get to Orient. We got there at about 1 PM. Again with the returning books and now checking books out. Not so hard. There are 41 students in Grades K-8.
Then we leave and arrive in Colville to spend the night. We get there about 4, spend a wasted hour in WalMart and finally check-in, eat our dinner from Arby's and crash into bed.
We can wake up later on Wednesday. Breakfast is at 7 and we are on the road for Inchilium by 730. We have to get there by 830 and there is just enough time. It is a cute little school with nice kids. Again checking in, taking book orders, checking out. We leave about 130 and head for home, through Keller. We get on the Keller Ferry across the Columbia with a huge truck, a school bus, and a small car. It takes about 20 minutes and then we head to Wilber. We eat some very nice food at Doxie's Dinner when we stop there about 4 PM. Then the long journey home through Dry Falls, and Waterville. We arrived at the Center at about 730.
Thursday I again wake at 530 to get to work by 7 and start sorting things out putting books away, doing my book review show and at 4 PM my week is over. This is the first day I have really seen my office/desk. It is okay but I doubt I will be spending time there.
I am glad my week is over. But it was fun traveling around and seeing the kids; finding books for them, suggesting authors.
I will do some things different next week. Such as; I will pack for my night out on Sunday. That is so I don't end up with only one extra pair of trousers, two shirts (one inappropriate), 4 bras and no socks. I will take more water and I will certainly not eat a burrito.
Next week it is Moses Lake again on Monday (different school), Curlew on Tuesday and overnight Coulee Dam so we can hit Keller on Wednesday.
I am totally done in.