Random Observation at 1:15 PM

I’ve thought about it, and can someone please tell me why school buses stop at railroad crossings?  I understand that they don’t want to get hit by a train, should one be coming down the tracks.  The problem with this logic is that the bus is already on the tracks when it stops.  I don’t walk out into the middle of the street before I look both ways; why does the bus stop on the tracks and then look to see if a train is coming?  Would it be faster to stop, look, and then if a train is coming they throw it in reverse right quick and back off than it would be to just drive over it?  

Maybe they just want to be able to have the bus driver make an announcement that all the kids should brace themselves and secure all loose objects in the event that a train should collide with the bus.  Or maybe it’s written into the bus driver’s contract that he is to be a sacrifice to the train gods if their wrath is somehow incurred, so he has to pull up on the tracks a little bit—but just his little compartment up there.

By the way, I finally did find out about Bloomington, and it looks like we’ll be staying in Kokomo.  They found an outside candidate that has more HR experience than I do, and usually it’s a prerequisite that you’re in your current position for 24 months before being promoted, anyway (I’ve been in mine for about 19 months, which is why I was kind of surprised when they asked me if I was interested in the first place).  So I wasn’t too upset to hear about it.  Actually I was kind of expecting it after not hearing anything for the past however long.  Apparently the higher-ups spent the better part of a week going back and forth between the two of us (or so my boss told me), so that’s always nice to hear.  And also on the bright side, I don’t have to move.  I freaking hate moving.  I guess we have friends here too, though I can’t think of any names at the moment.