pointless and beautiful
Description of my driving experiences.
I had fun at the swimming baths with Leon, Kat forgot her swimming costume so I didn’t get much of a swim.
Rather than a stomp in the woods we drove up to Hest Bank and over to Priest Hutton to look at possible rental properties.
We looked at the dormer bungalow in Hest Bank, the cottage in Priest Hutton and three cottages in Caton.
The property in Caton looks wonderful, we just have to get Kat through the credit check!
[ADDITIONAL: Added from paper notes on 03/SEP/2009].
I feel fed up. I failed my driving test again yesterday. I was in such a blind panic I just couldn’t concentrate. Kathryn got back from work at about 12:20 and my driving test wasn’t until 14:00. Somehow at 13:30 we were driving back to our house to pick up the paper bit of my driving licence and the other documentation I’d forgotten. At 13:40 I was attempting to find a garage to put some fuel in my car! At 13:50 I was still looking for the test centre in Heysham, despite having been there once before. By the time I actually made it to my test was in a complete unprepaired flap! It was a complete miracle that I made it there at all. I wasn’t really suprised that I failed.
It’s just frustrating ’cause I know that I often drive at test standard for a couple of hours at a time. When it comes to actually doing it in test conditions I fall to pieces. Who would have thought it! Damon suffering from “performance shyness”!
I’ve just spoken to my dear friend Cassie and she told me that she shouldn’t have passed but her examiner passed her anyway. Seemingly due to her inability to distinguish left from right! This has cheered me up a little.
I will work on making sure that I am suitably prepared next time and if there is any justice it will be third time lucky!
Cat’s Eyes on an empty carriageway lighting the route to the horizon…
Not the “Highway” or the “Freeway” but “Carriageway”! How long since carriages the main mode?
I had my Sixth lesson today, and I think I like it best as it was today, when I have only one day inbetween my two weekly lessons. I had had to start the car with a hill start, and then it was back to the side streets for more cornering practice. I managed to slow it down a little and I think I dramatically improved the timing of my gear changes. Stalled a few times still and so got a bit frustrated. I understand how to drive, intellectually, but the body is taking a little longer to catch-up. As well as practicing getting around corners I also got to stretch my wheels by driving up to campus where I encountered my first mini roundabout.
It was good to get onto a straight road after all those corners and I got my trusty Renault Clio up to 50mph for the first time, sailing through gears happily and smoothly. On the way I got to negotiate my first stopped traffic lights which was relatively simple, although it was a strange feeling to be in stationary traffic and not be a passenger. I was sort of tempted to stare about, but knew I still had to keep my eyes on the road.
Once on campus as I already said I encountered my first mini roundabout, which was fairly obvious …and of course I got even more practice at driving carefully at low speeds.
I could learn to really hate speed bumps. I got to drive myself home for the first time today!
Despite the fact that I was looking forward to today’s lesson… I found my fourth driving lesson a little unsettling. Having a lesson the very next day after the previous one I didn’t have time to think about what I had and hadn’t achieved yesterday, to mentally go through it. …as a result I felt as though it hadn’t really sunk in as much.
Due to the fact that I had expressed suprise to Stuart at the change of location and the necessary change in driving style, he had decided to try and get me to practice cornering back off on the country roads so we could get in a bit of distance too. …and of course I’d got it into my head that because of what we did yesterday we would be again on the small roads practicing T junctions. So I was even more confused than normal.
You wouldn’t believe how dissappointed I am not to be able to go driving today. I hadn’t realised how much I was looking forward to my lesson until it was canceled. Oh well next lesson on Wednesday 5th of May. Which seems a long way off… *sob*
Well I got through my first driving lesson without killing anyone! I’m learning to drive with a company local to Lancaster called KWIKTEST.
Whether however I will be quick to get to my test remains to be seen.
I didn’t do too much on my first lesson, but I enjoyed what I did do.
I started the car and set off a few times. The process being:
I then proceeded to drive in lots of figure of eights… I also managed a little reversing. Although I stalled a few times when attempting a hill start! *growl*
The thing I found most difficult was mirroring my hand movements on the steering wheel… I am supposed to practice with a frisbee… So I hope you can all picture me sitting in front of EastEnders driving along with my yellow frisbee!
My first ever proper driving lesson is booked! On the 21st of April 2004 I will begin the process of leaning to drive. So if you’re out and about on the roads of Lancaster on the 21st at around 4pm… *B*E*W*A*R*E*