First Day of School

It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Now, I'll admit, when the Girl began preschool, I wondered how the time could go by so fast. When she started kindergarten, I thought the same thing. Last year, when she started first grade, and would be gone all day, I thought I'd hate it.

But I didn't, and I still don't. In fact, I kind of like it. Isn't that terrible?

It's nice, getting my days kind of to myself again. Sure, I have to get up early to get showered and dressed and all, and there is still the Boy to deal with as well - but it's nice all the same.

Of course, this year, there had to be a hitch, and this one came compliments of the school system's transportation department.

See, they send out bus passes in August. And we didn't get one this year. It didn't really dawn on me until yesterday (seeing as how the Girl only found out who her teacher was last Thursday, I can't say I'm surprised - they love to procrastinate) so I called the transportation department.

Well, they took the Girl's name and our phone number, said they'd look it up, and call me back. This was at 3PM.

By 4:45, when I didn't hear back, I called again. Got someone new. Someone new proceeded to tell me that yes, a bus pass was sent out.

To our old address.

Insert headsmack here.

Now, last year at this time, I already made arrangements with this same transportation dept. that as of October 22, 2007, my daughter would be taking the bus from the new address. They updated their system.

Apparently, someone screwed up.

Last year, I must've filled out the same updated information forms half a dozen times. I'm not exaggerating. For the last set, my husband actually went to the school office and filled them out in front of someone because he was so tired of giving them the same information over and over. Now all school correspondence reaches us and it became painfully obvious that the left hand and the right hand don't communicate all that well with each other.

So this secretary basically tells me the system's updated (HA!) but that it won't go into effect until Monday. Well, that's not good enough, I tell her. Now I have to make arrangements to get the Girl back and forth to school for two days. Arrangements that I should not have to make because they screwed up. Hey, they don't know I'm home all day, right? And that's beside the point any way.

Well, I'm sorry, she tells me. There's nothing I can do.

(Now, mind you, I'm sick. I feel better today, but I felt like hell yesterday. Not a good day to piss me off and that's what this secretary was doing. I understand it wasn't her fault, but still...)

Then get me someone who can help me because this is totally unacceptable.

So she puts me on hold forever. I'm convinced she figured I'd just hang up. She doesn't know me at all. I'm like a pit bull with a steak bone and I ain't hangin' up for nuttin'.

Long story short, I won and put my daughter on the bus this morning. Sometimes, being sick is just what you need to get things done the right way. She'll have her bus pass on Monday (yeah, right) but at least she could get on the stupid bus today. We'll see what happens tomorrow.