Val's Night Out...

I got quite the eye-opener last night, as I was the Designated Driver of 8 teenagers going out to Haunted Houses.
Val and I left at 4:30 yesterday and made our very familiar trip out to the west side of town, where we picked up Hunter, then we got his friend Ronado, he lives basically in Northwest High School's "backyard", we drove to the outskirts of Maize to get their friend Dale, across from the Botanical Gardens, where their friend Kenny lives, who also brought along one of those heads that you put wigs on, then I went to another familiar house, and got Julie Nguyen, picked up Jack, then went to the east side to get their friend Brad.
The head, courtesy of Dale, kept getting stuck out the window at red lights, and would try to strike up conversations with people in the cars around them.
After everyone was set, we went to Udall. It is a long drive with that many kids! At one point, I convinced myself we were lost, and went back to a gas station, but the kids went in to get directions, and have a "gas station adventure", found out I just had not driven far enough, and we found it.
Val almost chickened out, but Hunter talked her into going, and they were gone about 45 minutes or so, then were back to me.
Next up, we drove to the Twin Lake Terror. Val, Brad, and Julie went there last week, but were happy to go back, because Val knows some of the kids working. I guess a guy in their class was working and ended up taking his mask off and talking to the kids for a while. How Scary!
Starvation hit about that time, so I took them to McDonald's, then they started begging not to go home. We ended up going to Wal Mart, where they may or may not have been asked to leave, depending on the story you listen to, I just waited in the car. Dale was again thrilled because he thinks he may have seen 3 prostitutes, he always wondered what they would look like. I told him not to tell his mother.
By this time, it was after midnight, so I started with Brad and drove the kids home. They were all so sad to leave, but I made it clear there would be no boy/girl sleepovers, and since there was nothing left, it was just time. I think Val and I got home by about 2, but it was well worth it, to make the kids so happy tonight!
Ronado asked me how I could stand to listen to the kids for so long, and I told him I have learned to filter out what they are saying,although some of it was just ridiculously funny! After all, I am a lunch lady.....I hear all, I know all....