Today's rambling: Are ya curious?
Written on Friday, Aug. 08, 2003 at 7:30 p.m.
while feeling a bit

The crowd at the DMV was absolutely amazing. Virtually the entire waiting area was full, there was a line stretching back from the front desk thing, and by the time I got my papers stamped and left to go round to the back of the building, there were even a couple people standing outside. I heard someone tell one of the guys that he could either mail a form in, or sit and wait...but it was over an hour wait. Thank goodness I wasn't there to get permits or anything of the like.

Around back, I pulled into the waiting lane, just as I'd done every night this week. I was the only one there, which was a big surprise. Last time I took this test (which was back in...2001, I think), there was a big line of cars waiting to be tested. Was I just lucky today, or has the DMV streamlined their testing procedures? Either way, I was both relieved and nervous to see that I wouldn't have to do any major waiting. 'Course, we had to sit there for around 5 minutes (if that) for the instructor to show up, and in that time I kept glancing fearfully at the parallel parking cones. They were set up differently this time, and I think the space was made a little longer than it had been when I was practicing.

When the guy finally walked out, I wanted to whimper fearfully. I'd been hoping for someone who at least looked nice, but in my mind this guy didn't look like the happy sort! He was an older guy, kinda wide around the middle, and he definitely didn't look like he was very cheerful at the moment. Then again, in this heat and humidity, who could blame him for being a little less than genial? Mom was convinced that he was a nice guy, though, so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. After she was told to leave the car and go wait by this one set of doors, the instructor proceeded to tell me things like "turn on your headlights," and blah blah blah. I messed up with the headlights! X_X I was so nervous that I ended up hitting the wrong switch...but then I scrambled and turned the right one, so it was okay. After all that basic stuff was over, it was time for...

The parallel parking. I love writing the word 'parallel'. Anyway..."You can put the car into reverse 3 times," he told me, before telling me to go ahead and attempt to park. All my limbs were trembling, but I kept my mind focused on everything I'd been doing for the past week. Used my little visual system to tell me when to straighten the wheels and then turn all the way to the left, but I messed up! Oh no, I thought, I've failed it AGAIN! I tried compensating by not going in as far after I'd straightened my wheels, but I felt bad for the instructor because I kept hitting my brakes a little too hard (in my flustered state, I didn't even think about smooth stopping at that point!).

Somehow...I made it into the parking spot. The instructor, sounding impressed, said, "Hmm, you made it all in one go." I just wanted to sit there for a moment and laugh relievedly. Not only did I get it totally right this time, but I did it all at once! It's a good thing I did it perfectly, too, because I'm no good at fixing those sorts of mistakes!

The actual driving part took place on little residential streets. The speed limit is only 25, and I'd traversed them so much with Mom that I knew what to expect and everything. Turn left here, turn right there...I was doing great. Still tense, and still kind of trembling, but a little more confident now that the parallel parking was over. The only 'mistake' I made was stopping first at the stop sign, and then pulling forward to the white line. I took driving lessons years ago, and I swear I remember the woman telling me to stop at the stop sign first, then going up to the line. But it has been awhile, so I probably mixed up what she'd said. At any rate, the instructor informed me that you only have to stop at the stop sign if there isn't any white line or crosswalk, but I didn't get any points taken off.

I also could've sworn that the final part to the test was parking in one of the perpendicular parking spaces. But when we came back into the little parking lot, he just told me to follow the white line and stop at the end. "You're a very safe driver," he told me, opening the car door, "but with experience comes confidence" (or something like that). "Make sure you don't get a lead foot."

"Oh my gosh," I breathed, "You mean I passed?"

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I was so elated that I almost jumped out of the car and hugged him. He didn't turn out to be such a mean guy after all! My mom, upon hearing the news, did hug him. *giggles* He made some joke about us being related (our last names are the same), and then that was it. I drove back around to the front of the shopping center, handed in my little sheet thing...and then I was hoping to get my photo taken as the crowning glory to this momentous occasion. But apparently, because I'd gotten a photo ID a couple years ago, they just used that photo instead!

I know it's a stupid thing to worry about the picture that's on my license. Nobody I've ever talked to has been happy with their picture. But this one was taken quite some time ago, and AUGH! It's just vanity, I know, but I mean it when I say that it was beyond the usual bad picture. My hair's all ratty-looking because it was in dire need of a trim at the time, I hadn't put any makeup stuff in at that point, so even though my thin spot was smaller back then, it was still blatantly there...and that was the embarrassing period where I'd overplucked my eyebrows, so I'd marked them back on...I'm getting embarrassed even discussing this here! It irritated me so much that I'd have to go the next four years with that detestable picture plastered on my license. And as if it's not bad enough to have it there once, the new licenses have your picture on it TWICE!

Okay, enough with the vanity issues. The important thing is that I can now legally drive...which isn't doing me a whit of good right now, since Mom refuses to let me use her car by myself and I won't be getting my own at any time in the foreseeable future...but I've got it. So there we go. :P

My laptop, which was so nicely lost by the folks that Gateway hires to do the repairs, is apparently in Tennessee. And was given to somebody, from what Mom told me. After getting my license, we drove over to the mall and stormed into the Gateway service center, where all hell promptly broke loose.

Okay, it really wasn't that bad. Nothing happened, but the guy told us to call the Customer Service center (or whatever it's called) because "a prod from the corporate center does a lot more good than a call from the [town] store." So, Mom called them when we got home and hopefully they'll actually get something done. I'm still so angry about it, though. I know mistakes happen, but what's the purpose in sending a computer all the way to TEXAS to get repairs? There should be service places in each state, not just one all the way down in DubyaVille.

Ermm...Sorry, Texans. That was just Angry Girl talking. I like you guys, honest!

Before going home, I got sucked into American Eagle and bought yet MORE shirts. I couldn't resist the white T-shirt with "Goats really like to nibble," because it reminded me of something that Geoff's called me a couple times. *laughs* I know, it sounds weird. I'd put the phrase down here, but with my luck it'd come up in a search and who KNOWS when he or his brother would feel like searching for some of their weird phrases to see if they show up anywhere! I still have to try on all the shirts I just bought, but I think they'll all fit.

We also stopped at Ruby Tuesday's for a late lunch, and I got this one alcoholic drink that was SOOOOO good. It has vodka, coconut rum, peach schnapps, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice in it. It was on special today, which was why I ordered one, but I'd been fearing that it would taste really bad. Vodka and I don't get along too well together, but this drink was so smooth and refreshing...Even if you never go out to one of those restaurants, mix those ingredients together and see if you can't create the delicious concoction I sampled today. I had two of 'em, and I only wish I had the ingredients here at home 'cause I think I'd make another! It didn't even really taste like alcohol, which was great. (LOL...I know, I know, why drink alcohol if you don't want it to TASTE like alcohol, right?)

Yeesh, I've been rattling away at this entry for around an hour! Probably would have been done sooner, but Emma/Ceb was online and I haven't talked to her in a few months. It's always nice to play catch-up, isn't it? That girl is such a sweetheart; I never want to lose contact with her. ^_^

But anyway, Geoff said he was possibly going to call me tonight to see if I want to do anything tomorrow (or to decide WHEN we're doing something I guess, hehe), so I guess I ought to go. I have to hold out 'til tomorrow with the whole license thing, because I want to actually show it to him instead of just telling him on the phone. I want to savor the surprised expression on his face. ;)

Janette: of course, the examiners WANT you to pass - it can't be fun having to tell people all day that they failed
Berry: Yeah, really!
Janette: (I mean, telling lots of different people, not following the same person around for 24 hours reminding them "you failed!")
Berry: *rolls around laughing* That would be like some bad nightmare! Come out of the bathroom: "You failed!" Open the front door to go somewhere: "You failed!"
Janette: *giggles madly*

(hehe...Jam has that posted on her blog, but it just kinda fit today, so I decided to insert it!)