Tuesday, March 06, 2007

ten things I'd like to learn...

I just finished a horribly depressing driving lesson (I know I'm capable but the instructor says I need to pay him 6 more hours of instruction because I am "not even ready to drive with my husband"- and I'm not sure if he is saying I'm a bad driver because I'm a bad driver or because he needs the money and this is his job after all...)
Really, I'm not that bad. I'm getting better, I've been practicing as much as I can, and Dennis has even decided that it's not worth it for me to pay this guy money to teach me. I've had 6 hours already, which is the required amount of time for a teenage driver to pay to have and I'm almost flipping 25!!

So, I'm discouraged because I feel like I should be just about ready to take the driving test. I need my license. I need to have that independence and freedom and really, if Dennis decides to put some kind of cream on himself again that causes us to spend the night in the ER because he's got a rash, then I'd like to drive him home.

This all being said, these are Ten things I'd like to learn:
1. I'd like to learn how to instinctively know which direction to turn my wheel when backing up/pulling out of a parking space. I know logistically but it takes me a second.
2. I'd like to be able to back out in a straight line. It's going to be on the exam.
3. I'd like to be able to keep consistent driving speeds, especially when I'm making turns.
4. I'd like to not be so paranoid about the people driving behind me.
non-driving learning things:
5. I'd like to learn to make sushi rolls. I think people who do that are so cool.
6. I'd like to learn to sew simple things like buttons and pant legs.
7. Again, like last week, I'd like to learn to walk in heels.
8. I'd like to learn another romance language- portuguese (helpful in brazil), latin (helpful in religious discussions and if I wanted to listen to mass given by the Pope), italian (just really kind of sexy), maybe french (eh. why not?).
9. I'd like to learn how to pot/re-pot a plant. It's something I think you kind of just figure out but I've got about three plants that need new pots and soil and they are kind of dying.
10. I'd like to learn how to barbeque things. I know it's not rocket science, but I'm terrified of burning my eyebrows.
*11. (I just thought of this- I've really always wanted to learn photoshop. It's a program I'm too cheap to buy but I think if I had it and learned it, it would widen the horizons because right now all I have is "paint")

3 comments:

-atomik kitten said...

I have Photoshop and I hate it.

When making a turn, put your foot on the brake...not the gas. LOL

Unknown said...

I have the funniest backing up story to tell you, but I don't want to discourage you so I won't :-)

When I went in and did my test for my license I was so nervous walking into the DMV I thought they were going to take one look at my wobbling knees and accuse me of being drunk and cancel.

Sounds like the instructor was a turd. The driving school I went with was nice - they sent you out on 3 two hour drives - and you could either use the 3rd hour to do your drive test or if you felt like you needed another practice you could schedule a 4th lesson to do your test.

Don't let what the instructor said discourage you - I hadn't driven in almost 7 years when I finally got off my duff and decided to take the test - I didn't get my license out of laziness - not lack of wanting or needing it - plus I was catching a ton of flack from certain family members for not having it.

Finding the right speed and keeping it comes naturally after you've been driving a certain car for awhile - after so long you just sort of know without obsessing over staring at the speedometer that you're going a certain speed.

If you want the phone number for the people in Simi I did my lessons with I can give it to you - I know it's a drive from Malibu - but it might be worth it - considering your last experience with a drive instructor.

Whatever you do though, don't let it discourage you - after all, you and I have a lot of similarities I think and if I can pass the test than I know you can too.

When I took my final drive test, he had me stop to do the back-up in a straight line test and I stopped right at the corner in front of a stop sign and instead of failing me he asked me, "If you were alone and driving, would you have parked that close?" When I told him no he asked me why I did it just then and I was completely honest and said, "Because I'm scared shitless right now and I have little green polka dots behind my eyelids everytime I blink....I'm probably dying." And I still passed.

That's not my backing up story though - one of these times I'll tell ya :-) Good luck, don't give up and keep your chin up - you'll do fine.

Anonymous said...

Aww.. don't get discouraged sweetie. If it make you feel better, I actually took almost a year for driving class, because I got lazy and discouraged too after my driving instructor told me I am "difficult". He actually threaten to bring a stick everyday so he can hit me with a stick everytime I did something wrong! LOL!

You'll get through it. I know. ;)