Foot To The Floor!

Hello, 

Pulling into my road after my driving lesson on Friday evening I felt OK about the last couple of hours handling lots of town driving and weekend traffic. Conducting a near perfect parallel park outside my little flat I turned off the engine and took my Ugg-clad feet off the pedals and relaxed. 
"So where was it that you went for the operation?" My instructor asked me. Confused I worried what he was on about. I mean I had a bandage on my arm where I had my Implant replaced the following evening, but I wasn't sure what he meant by that statement. 
"I'm sorry I am not sure I understand?" I asked timidly. 
"Well that's the best I have seen you drive. Ever! So where was the personality transplant done?" My Instructor replied, chuckling to himself. Thankfully I took a sigh of relief and explained that I thought things had been a bit jittery on the pedal control since I was wearing heavy winter boots with thick soles but my instructor reassured me and said that I should probably start calling them my 'Lucky Boots'. We talked for another few moments about my upcoming test and what it would entail. Suddenly I realised that my actual real-life driving test was in a matter of weeks. Six-weeks and three days to be precise. And yes, I am crapping myself. 

I am honestly actually looking forward to it, even though it has come round so fast. I am stunned at how quickly I have learnt everything. I mean granted I still cannot bay-park for shit, but I figure that we will get better in time with that one, but all the manoeuvres I was dreading; Emergency stop, Reverse round a corner and Parallel parking I am all fairly OK with but for some odd reason I have got worse as time goes on with my bay-parking. It feels like only yesterday I was getting in the car for the first time and being pleased that I had driven home or that I pulled out onto a busy road for the first time, now I am less than two-months from finding out whether I have passed my test or not. Eeeek!

I am not expecting to pass first time. I mean obviously it would be a bonus for me as I wouldn't have to shell out another sixty-something-quid in order to retake my test but I acknowledge that realistically the odds will be forever stacked against my favour. An average of seventy-percent of people taking their driving test for the first time will fail, according to my instructor anyway, so the likelihood of me failing is slightly inevitable. My Father always taught me one good thing at least and that was that if I set myself up for failure and prepare for all the horror that it brings, anything else will be a bonus. I suppose in a squaddie sort of way it makes sense, I'm just hoping I have taken everything on board and get a pass first time!

Something else that I will have to consider is if I should bring my instructor along for my test itself. It would be my choice on the day if I wanted him there, watching me from the back seats of my White Beema. (Which I have since hugged, knowing now that it will be the very same car I take my Exam in. I don't know why, I just thought examiners had their own testing cars?) I am erring on the side of caution here as I would prefer for obvious reasons not to be judged by two people, one whom I have come to know rather well, but also I am thinking about some of the things my instructor said to me on Friday evening after my lesson. He explained that not only does he like to become familiar with the body language and conducts of a Driving Exam but also what roads they take so he can show and practise with other learners. He also talked through the interesting fact that once an examiner has finished and is making their decision on whether I am a road-worthy person, if for any reason the examiner is unsure on whether I am capable of certain situations or is unsure of how I handled what happened during my forty-minute Exam, my instructor was right there in the back seats of the vehicle so can judge as well for himself how I handled it, either agreeing or disagreeing with the examiner. In a small way having my instructor in the car with me may be a plus point since if I was to handle a manoeuvre or road situation poorly or less than satisfactory then at least my instructor could explain that in actual fact I had done that move or street a billion times before and I had been fine with it, reassuring the examiner that is was simple nerves or anxiety that slipped me up. Nevertheless this is all a few weeks away and many more lessons so I am not too thoughtful of it yet.

You know what else is only a few weeks away? The kids going back to feckin' school - Well yes, and no I cannot yet sympathise the pain and torture of Peppa Pig on repeat but I am sure I will some day. No its soon going to be my birthday. Urgh! A whole twenty-five years on this planet. That's more than a quarter of my possible lifetime already gone. Poof! Disappeared! But it would seem as though I simply cannot wait until my Alice in Wonderland inspired thirtieth Birthday Party. I want one now. So why not. Well the answer is that in all fairness I couldn't think of any reasoning not to have one, apart from the money it would cost me. I need to be careful though as Mr. Warehouse has only just got a permanent and full-time role so we will be going a few weeks with little money so I need to go easy on the plans. Maybe we shall save the Flamingos and fireworks for my twenty-sixth? 

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx