There's nothing better than a good heater

At 6 a.m., when the temperature is hovering just above freezing; when exhaled breath looks like steam in the frigid air; and when sitting on a vinyl bus seat feels like sitting on a block of ice with no pants on -- there's nothing that is more appreciated than a bus heater that pumps out warm air like there's no tomorrow. So, if anybody out there has a bus like that, I would appreciate borrowing it for awhile. I'm cold, and my bus is colder.

As you can guess, I'm back to driving Bus No. 23. My bus is in the shop again, and I'm not a happy camper.

Bus No. 23 DOES have a heater, but it's one of those new-fangled psychological heaters. Here's how one works -- you flip the little switch that's labeled "Heater," you hear a lot of heater-like noises, and your brain tricks you into believing that actual heat is coming from the little bitty vents located nowhere near where you're sitting. You do feel warmer for awhile (about 37 seconds), but after that, you just turn off the noise and welcome the cold quiet of the morning. The only thing colder would be outer space, but not by much.