Zoom Zoom

Today was the fateful day.
The day of my N/Road Test.

I awoke and began the day by burning my forehead with my straightening iron, followed by a quick cup of coffee. From there I went on my third and final driving lesson. My instructor, Richard, was a little nervous for me. My shoulder checks weren't quite making as many appearances as they should've, my parking was less than adequate and my intersection comfort level hadn't exactly increased. He said if I practiced a little parking and did more shoulder checks I should be okay. Giving me 2 hours to work on that. Without the use of a car at home.


...sweet.

Daddy arrived home around 11 and we chilled for a while. I tried to get in the zone. I read, listened to some calm, Jesus-loving music, breathed a lot, probably blinked and swallowed too. At aprox. 11:30am we pulled out, well me to be exact with a left turn signal and shoulder check. I glided my way through traffic like a wave pushing through water. It was beautiful. Okay, I'll admit, when I pulled into the parking stall reserved for road tests it wasn't the best parking the world's ever seen, but it was in between the lines (and maybe slightly on one...)! We walked into that much loved ICBC office and handed them the necessary ID, smiled, and waited to be called up. Finally my name was called and I signed a form and stood there listening to words I probably should've tried to remember. Then, the moment that would most likely decide my fate arrived: the name of my driving instructor.

"Alright Lauren! You're all set to go and your papers are ready. Your appointment's for 12:45pm so you just sit tight and when the instructor arrives they'll call your name. Let's just see who that is, hm? Alright (lots of keys clicking) it's Jerry! Shouldn't be long."

This, was really more important that any shoulder check could ever be to me. JERRY! I GOT JERRY! See, he is famous amongst the teens around here, due to the fact that he's the most forgiving examiner. Easiest to pass, hardest to fail deal. From there on in I didn't feel a ping of nervousness. I had Jerry.

Jerry arrived and for the first time I saw the man behind the name. He was a guy. A guy in his 40s I guess. Anyway. He asked me to hop in the car and do a few routine things. Jerry stood outside while I sat in the driver's seat, window open, following his commands. Left signal, right signal, headlights, hazards. Then...then he asked for high beams. I stared at the driving wheel in despair. I had the headlights on. It had to be on the same switch. Before I knew it I'd hit every turn signal and windsheild wiper combo when finally, I smacked the thing on the left and, voila! High beams! All went fairly well. However the worst point was when he asked me to parallel park. It's not that I'm bad at it. I just didn't know how to. Sending up a prayer, I pulled up next to the white SUV as he had requested and began running through steps that seemed fairly logical in my head. Went behind the car, got next to the curb perfectly, put the wheels straight and set that baby into park. A little shy I turned to face the examiner...
"You know, that was the best parallel park I've seen in the past week!"
"...you're being serious??????"
"yes! It was excellent. Perfect."
"...I've never parallel parked in my life before..."
"...okay well let's go now."
Brilliant! Miracle story of the day right there. Eventually we ended up back at the ICBC place where I sat in incredible anticipation as he went on and on about my driving and mistakes and good things and potholes. Just as I was begining to lose hope he stuck out his hand and said
"let's head inside and get you a license then, congratulations on passing!"

....

I CAN DRIVE. Frickin scary.

Driving...

Since I was a little late on going for my L (zambia, exams, camp, and other life things got in the way) my parents decided to get me a few driving lessons recently. Let me take you through the driving journey of Lauren thus far, before we get into lessons...
I got my L early August. Mother took me into the boonies of Peachland and I was taught how to start a car, park, and turn off a car. It was thrilling. And for a month, I was able to drive between my house and the jail...er...middle school. Not much really changed after that, I would take the same roads, avoid any and all intersections, and only knew how to park if pulling up parallel with the curb. One day I decided to be adventurous, take my driving skills to a new level. I took the opportunity to drive, with my mom obviously, out to my friend's Danae house. We got a little lost, and I had to turn around in somebody's driveway. We were way out in nowhere land, and turns out, this person's driveway was along the edge of a cliff. Panic set in as I saw myself heading for the edge of this. Rather than press the brake, which honestly was what I was going for, I accidentally hit the gas. This was not good. Basically I stopped like an inch from the cliff and didn't drive again until February (this all occured in around late october). Even when I began again, it was the same roads, same routines. Finally in May/Juneish I ventured out into the world, and handled some intersections...in my small side of town.
End of July rolled around, and then, I had my first driving lesson. My instructor's a mad man I tell you. Not sure what he was thinking...but our first lesson he takes me through an intersection, then tells me to change lanes (we don't even want to go into how horrible that was) and head across the bridge into Kelowna. From there we parked in every way possible, hit every retardedly complicated intersection, and had some fun in a round-a-bout. Never be a driving instructor, people like me DO exist. Anyway since that lesson I attempted the actual highway, some parking, etc., and I have to say I improved!
And then this morning came.
Second lesson.
First I backed out of the driveway the wrong way after almost forgetting to take the parking brake off. After that we went for a lovely drive into a couple intersections, where I had to ask again and again the rules of turning on reds. We ventured into Kelowna, practicing all the things we'd done before. This left him disappointed and frustrated, and me slightly embarassed and super choked. All of this wouldn't be a problem, I would be okay with my bad driving skills, if it weren't for the fact that I just booked my N test for next Tuesday.

NEXT TUESDAY.

Which means, this next week, is driving boot camp. I am going to drive until my hands second instinct is to hold the wheel/turn the wheel/hit the turning signal...okay you get it. Lots of driving. Lord knows how this will ever happen. Anyway...there wasn't much point in putting this all out on a blog, was there? Well...it helped me de-stress...a little...ugh. Seriously. This N thing has to happen. It just has to. If I fail though, I have to say I won't be too shocked or disappointed, because I'm fully aware it's a long shot. Prayer, anybody?