going down the road, feeling bad...

ok- so leah story of the day- my dad re-teaching me how to drive a standard. so i learned how to drive this little '91 honda civic or whatever two summers ago, but then ended up driving a different vehicle because of the winters here. then, when it was finalized that i'll be here and working all of this summer, i get the civic again. this time for real. i think. so anyway, i learned how to drive the thing back then, but never really practiced or perfected it. so today we decide to have a touch up lesson, which my dad decides to begin with my backing out of our uphill-inclined driveway. now, im the type of person that likes to know why things are the way they are- for example, what words actually mean in french, not just how to pronounce phrases. then i can use the same words in other situations. same goes with cars… kind of. i at least want to know what i will be doing and why and when, before i am expected to do it so i can know how to use it in various situations, right? yeah well we all conveniently forgot all of this and so i manage to get out of the driveway, where i stall the car in the middle of the road, not a busy road, neighborhood and all, when TWO cars decide to come down the road toward me… except that there is almost no room to get around me on either side and i conveniently forgot how to start the damn thing and get it out of the way fast enough… so while im trying to figure this out, both cars edge past me on one side, one of which is driven by a gym teacher from my high school who once yelled at me in front of an entire blood drive group that i had organized (but who otherwise liked me?), and the people nonchalantly standing outside the house across the street talking hear and see the whole thing… and just kind of stare. ok, i dont get embarassed easily, but this whole 19 year old learning how to drive AGAIN thing was pushing at my limits. so after these cars impatiently pass, i get started again but dont really remember the things from two summers ago, all of which have to happen really fast when you first get started. thank god for my dad, who can handle anyone in a car (you know, professional driver and all…) - he put up with me when i ended up almost crying because i was frustrated and didnt want to do it anymore… and after starting and stopping about a bazillion times along our long windy road, and then starting and backing back down the hill of our driveway about a bazillion more times, we drove around the area in both directions and managed to actually smile a little. him more than me, but i was thinking about smiling. by the end of it, he said i did extremely well for my "first" time, but he said that last time too. i dont know if i can do it by myself though. i mean, the basics i got, but it's the tricky stuff like downshifting into turns and how many times to take your foor off the clutch… oh boy. this may be a long summer. but next time christian needs me to make a lowe's run with her car- i will be able to confidently answer, "yes! i can drive a stick! send me anywhere! i will triumph!" take that, convention! (that phrase really isnt appropos at all, it just makes me feel better when i yell it at random intervals throughout the day).

wow can you tell i dont get out much anymore? i'm enjoying this no responsibility thing way too much for my own good. please call me and save me from myself. four days till the beach! woo hoo!