Oh My God...

It suddenly dawned on me this morning just how much time (or rather lack of it!!) I've got left till I take my test.

To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I'm literally scared.... witless!

There are only 4 people who know the date - Me (obviously), my instructor, my husband and my boss because I've had to organise time off work after getting my dates mixed up! I really can be a right numpty at times. Ok, most of the time!

I had a dream, well more of a nightmare really, the other week! I was taking my driving test but I was approaching a junction far too fast and saw someone over-taking in front of me. Now as I didn't slow down because of the action in front of me, I failed for careless driving!! Oh, not to mention the fact that I didn't check my mirrors once, all throughout the test! I know for a fact that I won't fail for not checking my mirrors because I literally check every few seconds! As for approaching junctions too fast, it's happened before so I guess that's a possibility!

I'm trying not to think about it too much, but being reminded each week just how fast its coming round isn't really helping! I can see that I'm gonna be a total wreck when I get up that day and am likely to be like that till I eventually pull up and find out my fate. I'll be totally devastated if I fail, but I shall tell everyone, I won't hide it and won't give up till I finally get rid of my green licence!

Someone please add more hours to the days, or even more days to the weeks till I say it's ok to stop!

39 3/4 Hours.

Today it was back to the mock tests. I didn't get off to the best of starts though and would have actually failed had it been the real thing!!

First off it was bay parks in the test centre. I wasn't in my usual position so I just COULDN'T do it! Apparently you get 2 attempts, which I found out after asking on my 3rd attempt. Hhmmm... Brilliant stuff eh? I did eventually get it though, mind I lost count at how many attempts I had. Once I was in my usual position it was a doddle! I'll just have to remember to be on the right side of the yellow line in future!

Now instead of heading right out of the test centre, we headed left today and pulled over to the side. Here's me thinking we were gonna do a turn in the road, but nope, we took a right onto the dockside! Got me well and truly fooled! I think my instructor was seeing how I did with the hill at the top, which I thought I'd buggered but may have managed to get away with it because he didn't put a mark on the paper. Not that I saw anyway!

So we headed up towards the shore and did a turn in the road which was fine (obviously coz I can do them no bother now), then pulled over again and set off again for an emergency stop. Stop I did, though thought we were BOTH gonna go through the windscreen! Maybe I hit the brake just a little too hard. Tee hee hee! However, I then proceeded to mess it up by forgetting I was in 3rd gear and sett off, therefore stalling. I'm such a plonker at times. I also forgot to check my blindspot on the left before setting off again! Now that was a definite mark on the sheet! Now I come to think about it, I did get away with that junction coz I had a clean sheet up until that point! I'm thinking I shouldn't be mentioning these things too coz I know my instructor will read it! I didn't say that... Honest...

We took a right and headed passed McDonald's, Morrisons and co down to the Matalan roundabout. Thankfully it was rather empty and we got left without a problem.

So it was right again onto Senhouse Street and onto a side street for a parallel park. I got in ok, though I left the straighten up park too late and was actually straighter BEFORE I did that! I was in though so that was fine.

Now bearing in mind that you could maybe get 3 cars side by side on this road, my instructor asked for ANOTHER turn in the road! That was just nasty. I wasn't quite so cocky this time but we still got round! On leaving that side road though, I didn't see a car coming towards me and had to slam the brakes on to let it through. I could blame the pillar, or other things, but I should really have seen it before I did so I hold my hands up to that mistake.

It was back up to Matalan roundabout and a left. Now this time I had to stop for a car on the roundabout, but I emerged from the junction a little early, I didn't give the car enough time to get passed me. D'oh!

Then there was a right at the lights and I immediately knew where we were off to! We headed off to a side street in Mossbay and he got me to pull up at the side of the road and said we'd be doing a reverse round the next corner. I really detest this corner with a passion because it runs off on it's own, then suddenly stops! Anyway, (after trying to move in neutral because I'd knocked it out of gear for some reason and don't even know why!) bish bosh and the job was done so it was off again, taking a right then a left, then another left onto St Mary's hill. We pulled into the side halfway up (again!) so it was time for a hill start then a pause at the top on the junction. Not a problem AT ALL! Funny to think that a few weeks ago I couldn't do it and now I can! Ok, not that funny then, but it is to me!

We took a right onto Rowe Terrace and then a right again onto Westfield Drive. At the bottom is the mini roundabout which I took in first and I got round no problem! We took a left and another left onto Solway Road, then took another left onto Poole Road, encountering cars at the bottom and having to slow down to let them through. Nothing else really happened on that road so we got to the end and took a right onto Moorclose road.

Now at the bottom of there is a stop junction and I remembered to use the handbrake after coming to a complete stop! Hooray!!

Then it was left, up the hill and through Harrington where my instructor told me that if the examiner doesn't say which way to go on a mini roundabout, then it means carry on straight ahead, so I must remember not to ask which way to go!

Now it was time to get my foot down as we headed to Lillyhall! Woohoo! We took a left at the lights and headed towards the roundabout, but as I was approaching 50MPH (think I managed about 45) my instructor said to take the next left. I was GUTTED! I was starting to enjoy myself and wanted to get to 50! We got round the corner and I was off again, but then had to take the next right!

This took us onto the new industrial estate where I went on my very first lesson. We pulled over to the side again and then we had another emergency stop. This one wasn't quite as drastic as the first, but apparently was better, even though I didn't skid the first time! I remembered to put it back into first gear after using the handbrake too, so no stall this time! I remembered the left blindspot check too so it was MUCH better!

So it was right at the end of the junction and we headed for the roundabout. Now I probably should have been going faster at this point and probably would have been failed for not going fast enough, but I think 50 is too fast coming up to that roundabout, especially when the junction is so close to it!

Once again there were no cars on the roundabout so we got round no bother and ended up back on the road we were on in the first place. Once again I tried for 50 and managed this time, before once again having to slow down to take a right! We must have taken another right to get back onto the other road because we ended up going passed the Westlands Hotel and I indicated too soon, but realised and cancelled the signal.

Right again and we headed through Castle Gardens, keeping my speed at about 35-40MPH coz I knew that the 30 zone was right around the corner!

We got down to the mini roundabout by Kwik Fit and took a right into town. Once again I messed it up at the lights! I don't know why, but I went over the light for the traffic lights and stopped at the give way line to let a car round, instead of sitting at the lights until it was clear! I got away with it because the lights didn't change but that could've been ANOTHER fail!

We took a right at the traffic lights by the library, then headed down to the stop junction on Hagg Hill. Now we were sat here for AGES because each time one side was clear, a car came from the other direction! We did eventually get out though and headed down towards the train station.

Now we took a left on the hill but my mind's gone blank from here! We didn't head for Matalan roundabout because I didn't go right over, but I remember taking a left on the roundabout and then a left at the TA centre to head for home. We took a different route this time so we could do another parallel park. Hang on, I've just realised that I did 2 parallel parks as well as 2 turns in the road! Now hey! I'll be having words next week!! Anyway, that one was fine as well AND we were quite near my house when I got out for a change! I'm really gonna hate trying to get parked when I pass my test.

So that was the end of today's lesson and there's more of the same next week. Not long to go now (as my instructor keeps pointing out!) so it's time to REALLY cram it all in!

38 1/4 Hours.

Right, before I begin my update I'll say hello to my instructor who I finally told about my blog today and he said he'd have a read! Enjoy!

Today's lesson was MUCH better than the last, though I'm not sure how worse it COULD'VE been to be honest!

As usual, the blog is likely to be jumbled because I'm trying to remember what happened a few hours ago.

Well, first it was off to the test centre for a go at bay parking because it's been so long since we've done any. I made a right mess of the first attempt because I forgot to get full lock on so we gave up on that one and gave it another go. This time was much better so I started off wonky on the line! I got it in the box though and that's all that matters! Another go and that was just as good so we headed off.

Apparently lots of people are getting caught out at the new mini roundabout and pedestrian crossing ensemble by the new multi storey in town, me being no exception today! I got over the roundabout then totally FORGOT about the lights, till my instructor pointed out that they were on green and we were ok! Oops... Back round we went for another go, hitting the other mini roundabout at Kwik Fit in the process. Not literally because it's painted on the floor, though nothing would surprise me these days! I seem to have trouble reducing my speed when coming up to certain mini roundabouts so we decided to try approaching them in first gear instead. I must say, I found it much easier and decided that the problem was that I was panicking about stalling so wasn't getting slow enough just in case! Hopefully that's that problem sorted anyway.

Now the last time out we'd focused on junctions on a hill coz to be brutally honest with myself, I was RUBBISH! The problem being that I was fighting with the brake and clutch and more often than not, stalling or over-running the junction. Today, none of that happened! I got myself into first gear in plenty of time and almost crawled up the hill, pausing at the top and getting out really smooth! Had I not been sat behind the wheel at the time, I'd have been punching the air and jumping with joy at finally breaking my nemesis!

Just to make sure though, we headed to Seaton and tried there as well. Guess what, I managed that one too! Yay!!

We also did a couple of reverse round a corner while we were up there, and while I thought I'd botched one of them up, I made it round without hitting the kerb.

I can't really remember what else we did, oh, except for having a rollercoaster ride round the one way system by the train station! Apparently it was fine, but I certainly slipped in my seat, although I was in full control of the car.

When it was time to head home we looked for a parallel park on my road, the best one being halfway down. Typical! It's bad for parking anyway so I was kind of expecting it. I really surprised myself actually because I didn't think I had a cat in hell's chance of getting in the space, but I managed AND was straight!

Oh, there was a turn in the road at one point in the lesson too, but I can't remember when it was, just remember that it was fine.

Next week it's back to the mocks, but I must remind my instructor that we need to practice the stop junction on Hagg Hill, because I've only done it a couple of times!

36 3/4 Hours.

Well like I said, I'm utterly USELESS under pressure! I now know the date that my test will take place (don't ask, I'm not telling!) so today was an absolute disaster! According to my instructor though, as soon as someone finds out, 9 times out of 10 their next lesson will be terrible, although he could've just been saying that to pacify me!

We went back to hill starts today because I now believe that that is the one thing that will let me down on the test. Maybe not the hill itself, but give way junctions at the top! I had 2 attempts on St Mary's hill in Mossbay, both of which were dire, then we headed to Seaton for a go on the hill by the shops. The first couple of attempts were absolute garbage, but I did actually manage it on the 3rd attempt. I think my problem has been trying to fight with the clutch and brake, instead of slowing down enough before getting to the junction and using the clutch and accelerator to keep me up there! I did eventually manage it though and even managed to get a parallel park done in between the 2 areas. That wasn't the greatest I've ever done either, but I got in and didn't hit the kerb or the cars either side of me!

I managed to almost clip the roundabout at Matalan at one point too, as well as speeding along the road heading to the train station!

Yep, it was a "great" lesson today, let's hope the next is less eventful! It won't be next week though, I'm out on the town the night before and didn't really fancy trying to drive with a hangover!