Drew's Schedule

The Railroad

So. If you read that whole other Railroad post (linked above) heaven bless you. I know it's a bit painful. I'm just trying to get through this so I don't have to edit myself so much! lol

Drew's Schedule - and I use the word Schedule VERY loosely...

He rides trains from Point A (home) to Point B. Back and forth. Right?

So we're home. He can check a website and watch a train list and a list for his board and watch when it'll be his turn to go out.

Now you'd think this could be regulated but there are so many trains, and so many people, and so just... MUCH involved that it's a miracle they estimate as well as they do. So sometimes that site is fairly accurate and sometimes he'll get called way early or way late.

On the site next to the train time it says "tentative" - when it is closer it says "prompted" and that's when you know for sure what time but generally that is just minutes for your "call" comes.

From the moment his phone rings he has 90 minutes until he has to be on his train. So generally he leaves the house an hour after his phone rings & that gives him time to do his paperwork, etc before he gets on the train.

Taking the train from Point A to Point B takes anywhere from 3-12 hours.

At Point B they have to rest for 8 hours (they get a hotel room for each trip). After the 8 hours watching the website begins again. They rarely get called out right after 8 hours. Normally it's 10-15. If they are there longer than 16 hours than they get paid a certain amount of money per hour. So the railroad tries to get them out of there before that.

Then they get on a train to go from Point B back to Point A. Again - 3-12 hours.

And once they are home they are only required to give them 10 hours rest - but generally it's 20-24 hours.

So if you add that up he is gone anywhere from 16 hours (rarely is it that short) to a couple days.

But in general he is home every other day.

Thus is my life. So if you know me and say "Will you be at ______?" and it's two weeks away. Forgive me if I can't give you a definite answer. I'll know if I'm coming the day before or that day! LOL

Actually, I still keep something scheduled for Leah. We have:

Monday: Movie Monday
Tuesday: Preschool (Homeschool)
Wednesday: Dance Class
Thursday: Preschool (Homeschool)
Friday: Library Day (We get books. Attend story hour and do a craft)
Saturday: Play games (just some undivided "Yes, I'll play Candyland with you." time)
Sunday: Church (which she LOVES)

This way she has some very regular things about her life even though daddy comes and goes so much.

And sometime he's with us and sometimes he's not!

Luckily I'm also a spontaneous person so this Railroad life is not a big deal to me. I know a few very scheduled people who think it sounds like a nightmare! lol

That's my life!

Edited to add - okay. That's SUPPOSED to be my life. This last year he has worked with such irregularity it hasn't been . But it looks like it's back this way again now! And honestly I miss having my best friend around all the time. Sigh.