I wrote this wee poem for my friend Katie who asked how my driving test went on Monday:
There was a young lady from Kirkie,
Who's driving was a little bit quirky,
She ran over the cone
and was promptly sent home,
She'll try it next week at 1.30.
Katie sent this back to me:
Boo boo to the DMV
Up there in Nuevo JersEY
They should have just known
That a car ain't a cone
And let that wee slip up just be.
I am considering giving all bad news in verse from now on...cross your fingers for next time.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Closer to the garbage can soldier!
With my road test just days away, yesterday I had to enroll in Sgt. Randy's Driving School Boot Camp. Randy (my boyfriend and usually a very laid back guy) takes it seriously if he says he will do something, which in this case is teach me to drive. For the last three months I have gotten away with driving now and then to local places and navigating the pot holes on camp but it was time to bite the bullet and learn to parallel park.
My boss has been kind enough to lend me a company car in which to take my test, a totally sweet Audi which I have never driven before and I am under some pressure to pass. In my wisdom I have told everyone I have spoken to in the last three months when it is. (Monday 2pm in case I didn't mention) So it was off to the basketball courts with two garbage cans for cars and two planks of wood to represent the kerb. I made it on my first try but as my eyes were closed didn't feel that was enough and Sgt Randy stepped in. After the first thirty times, I drove to another spot and told Randy I would just park there instead but there was to be no nonsense and I think I got a few extra parking push ups for my smart mouth. I did also accidentally put the window up one time during vital instruction and drive off another time in the middle of a critique and may have had another "couple of laps" added there. Sgt. Randy was strict. I tired easily. Trying to get to of any more practice I told it it was clearly a hit or miss whether I was going to get this right on the test and tried the usual methods of persuasion. Pulling up closer in the car I say...
"You know, I think we should just go and watch some West Wing."
Randy loves West Wing and I had bought him Season four on DVD and he had not had time to watch it yet.
"Yeah as soon as you park that car a couple of more times properly we can do that"
Next time I tried.
"I'm feeling like maybe we should go take a wee 'nap', what do you think?"
This has never failed me in getting what I want but he replied,
"Get back in the car soldier and this time pull up closer to the garbage can like you were told!"
Eventually after not being able to learn this as I imagine normal people do I turned it all into a timed move as if it were dance choreography and it was with this that I had success. I don't know how other people do these things but this is how I drive and remember things. I guess all of those Saturdays practicing the time step and Thursday evenings pirouetting were not a waste of time. Give it a try. Pull up and reverse one two, to the left one two and the right one two and straighten forward one and back one.
Feeling much more confident after a few more successful maneuvers round the garbage cans I pulled round for what Randy promised was the last time. I looked at the clock and realised that we had been out there for several hours then at Randy who was shivering in the wind. I guess it would have been much easier for him to give into me and be comfortable at home on his day off but he kept me going. My big brother Jim told me the last time I was home that if Randy could teach me to drive without us falling out then he was a keeper. He's right. So today I am writing my victory speech for when I finally pass my driving test Monday or not. I'd like thank Jim for his good advice, (It was followed by never get a Dalmatian Puppy but that is a whole other story) Roomdog for being impressed with the written test victory, My parents for paying for the dancing lessons, and Sgt. Randy, for the hours spent driving and explaining, being patient and making me do it. Season five of West Wing is on it's way to you.
My boss has been kind enough to lend me a company car in which to take my test, a totally sweet Audi which I have never driven before and I am under some pressure to pass. In my wisdom I have told everyone I have spoken to in the last three months when it is. (Monday 2pm in case I didn't mention) So it was off to the basketball courts with two garbage cans for cars and two planks of wood to represent the kerb. I made it on my first try but as my eyes were closed didn't feel that was enough and Sgt Randy stepped in. After the first thirty times, I drove to another spot and told Randy I would just park there instead but there was to be no nonsense and I think I got a few extra parking push ups for my smart mouth. I did also accidentally put the window up one time during vital instruction and drive off another time in the middle of a critique and may have had another "couple of laps" added there. Sgt. Randy was strict. I tired easily. Trying to get to of any more practice I told it it was clearly a hit or miss whether I was going to get this right on the test and tried the usual methods of persuasion. Pulling up closer in the car I say...
"You know, I think we should just go and watch some West Wing."
Randy loves West Wing and I had bought him Season four on DVD and he had not had time to watch it yet.
"Yeah as soon as you park that car a couple of more times properly we can do that"
Next time I tried.
"I'm feeling like maybe we should go take a wee 'nap', what do you think?"
This has never failed me in getting what I want but he replied,
"Get back in the car soldier and this time pull up closer to the garbage can like you were told!"
Eventually after not being able to learn this as I imagine normal people do I turned it all into a timed move as if it were dance choreography and it was with this that I had success. I don't know how other people do these things but this is how I drive and remember things. I guess all of those Saturdays practicing the time step and Thursday evenings pirouetting were not a waste of time. Give it a try. Pull up and reverse one two, to the left one two and the right one two and straighten forward one and back one.
Feeling much more confident after a few more successful maneuvers round the garbage cans I pulled round for what Randy promised was the last time. I looked at the clock and realised that we had been out there for several hours then at Randy who was shivering in the wind. I guess it would have been much easier for him to give into me and be comfortable at home on his day off but he kept me going. My big brother Jim told me the last time I was home that if Randy could teach me to drive without us falling out then he was a keeper. He's right. So today I am writing my victory speech for when I finally pass my driving test Monday or not. I'd like thank Jim for his good advice, (It was followed by never get a Dalmatian Puppy but that is a whole other story) Roomdog for being impressed with the written test victory, My parents for paying for the dancing lessons, and Sgt. Randy, for the hours spent driving and explaining, being patient and making me do it. Season five of West Wing is on it's way to you.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
A Wummin's Work
I try never to mention my job in my blog as it seems to be the only area of my life work has yet to consume. I live on-site and every conversation I have is about my job. I work with Randy and socialize with work people, read books for work and put in hours that would put Dickens to shame. Today I realised that it has been two weeks since I have written anything and can feel the temperature change today with my windows and doors wide open which can only mean the start of my "busy" season. I am off today but had 19 work phone calls by 8.30am and solved four separate crisis events by noon. So I started to think about what has been going on since my last post. I have been to Europe (mostly for work but also for a little spoiling by my mum) all over the ti-state area (for work) and to the annual conference (to learn things for work.) I could write for days about the negative things about work but I did read somewhere recently that if you don't like what you do and refuse to change it then the only sensible thing to do is practice loving it each day. In that spirit here are some of the highlights of the past two weeks.
- Realising that after not seeing some kids for a year I can pick up exactly where I left off and relate to them immediately. Also that I get to have them back again in the summer.
- Meeting up with some old (work) friends in Europe who have such great memories of this place and also seeing that there is life after.
- Being motivated to work harder by the other people in my profession at the conference. They might be all Birkenstocks and backpacks but they can also be inspiring.
- Hearing Lisa Loeb sing Stay live at the conference...strange connection I know but totally awesome all the same.
- Michael Brandwein's new book Training Terrific Staff Volume two. Yes Roomdog I am in possession of a copy and it is genius as usual.
An old Scot's saying goes "A Wummin's work is never done" which really means that women do everything and keep it all together. This afternoon I dedicate to getting the house work and laundry in order so that maybe, just maybe I will have some time to chill and this "wummin's work" will be done for a while. I also read that if you are what you do, then who are you when you don't . I'm still working on the answer to that one but when I do the answer just might be in my blog which I will try to keep a work free zone.
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