I guess Dexter started school today...

[johnridley]

Chelsea started last week. I have been getting up at 6:15 with everyone else. I recall last year I was getting up at 5:30, but all week long I couldn't remember why.

Now I remember. Leaving at 7:00 (plus or minus) puts me in Dexter around 7:30. At that time, there's a big lineup at the light west of town. Either a lot of teenagers are driving to school or a lot of kids need to be chauffered (I suspect the latter since they don't turn off on the road that goes straight to the high school). That means I wait in line, on my bike, breathing SUV exhaust, for about 12 minutes to get into town, instead of the 1 minute it usually takes. Bleh.

(insert obligatory "When *I* was a kid, I rode the bus to school every day until the day I graduated, over an hour each way" blah blah)

K needs to go in early for band practice twice a week, so I'm stuck at a 7AM or 7:15AM departure (depending on whether J or I make the kid delivery) on those days, but starting tomorrow I'm back to 5:30 wakeup, with everything ready to roll and out by 5:40.

Now, if I can only actually get to sleep on time.

There are upsides. I'd much rather ride in the dark, especially in the morning. Also the early arrival means I can leave work around 2:15 to 2:30, or work overtime and still get home pretty early. Still, waking up at 5:30...

Comments

[kevinnickerson.livejournal.com]

How did Chelsea start last week? I thought that was against the law now.

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

They're moving to after labor day next year. Here's a relevant article:

http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1157067606136000.xml&coll=1

Quote:
Most Michigan schools scheduled the start of school for Tuesday. A 2005 law, designed to help the travel industry, prohibited an earlier start, although some schools started in August because union contracts were already in place.

[jennlk]

When the law was signed, Chelsea already had a contract with the teachers and transportation unions which had school starting before Labor Day. The law was written to grandfather those districts in.in