I Like Driving In My Car!

Well, it's actually hubby's car, but I like driving nevertheless! Though I don't much care for parking, possibly because I can't do it in it!

We decided to have a run out to Gretna, then Penrith yesterday so I drove us to Carlisle and then we swapped because I'm not allowed on the motorway yet!

I reckon I did pretty good, even if I do say so myself, AND even if I was stuck at 45MPH for most of the way because of some Land Rover with trailer in front of me ALL THE WAY from Cockermouth to Carlisle! Not to mention the EEJIT who joined the front of the queue somewhere along that road who insisted on doing 30MPH, when it's a national speed limit?!?!

Hubby told me to overtake but I didn't dare in case I mucked it up and ended up in a ditch or something! Which, incidently we nearly did at one point because I looked in my rear view mirror a little too long at one point when someone was over-taking and I headed straight for a concrete kerb type thing at the side of the road. D'oh! I'd done so well up till then too! I think that was round about Wigton, so I was almost there without any hiccups!

I made hubby drive back though, it was getting late and the night was creeping in fast, not helped by the heavens opening on us as we headed back towards Keswick! Plus there was an EEJIT on the road who pulled out on us from Keswick, not even looking to the right before emerging!! I reckon we'd have been dead if I'd have been driving, but hubby slammed the brakes on and had to swerve round him to avoid crashing, as did another 2 cars behind us! We were actually at the junction when he pulled out, so how he didn't see us I'll never know! He'll definitely have heard the blast of the horn though and I hope he's proud of nearly causing a 4 car pile up!

I don't want to sound ageist or anything, but this guy looked well past retirement age, and if he was, then may I suggest that he shouldn't even be ON the roads if he can't use junctions properly??

Taxi!

My father-in-law got to see my (lack of) skills driving earlier! After finishing my driving lesson, I went into the house, grabbed a quick drink and it was time to go back out again. Hubby was doing a few things for him so I drove up, revving the ass out of the car again because I was now used to the Yaris!

We needed to get some more essentials (yes, again!) so I drove up back down to Morrisons, then father-in-law back up home, then us home again! All the while I was getting better, but still revving like mad. At one point, hubby said, "You can go into 4th you know..." but I was only doing 30MPH so I stopped in 3rd! With it being a bigger engine I should really have been in 4th apparently, but I'm not doing that now coz I'll just confuse myself further!

This time the space I had to get into at home was big enough for a bus, so I simply drove into it and straightened up. Thank god!

He's talking about taking the kids to Keswick or Allonby tomorrow, so god help me if we do!! I know I have to practice on faster roads, but Keswick??

43 3/4 Hours.

Well predictably we did my test route today with it being my first lesson since that fateful day. This time round I didn't make the mistakes I had on the test, though it did take a little getting used to the controls again, so we've decided that I won't go out in our own car the week before the test, then hopefully I won't mess it up on the test day!

I'm saying I didn't make the mistakes, but I did squeeze through a gap I shouldn't have, and realised after I'd done it, AGAIN!

I still debate the failure on Scaw Road, though my 3rd gear incident kinda sealed that fate anyway so thats just life I suppose.

We had a couple of parallel parks to end with and I think I need to practice these the most before the test because I just can't judge when to turn on each attempt! Probably doesn't help that each time is different, but I've got a bit of time for practice so fingers crossed.

I did have one mishap on the lesson, which could've been 2, and that was trying to get reverse in 1st gear! In our car reverse is top left, lifting the stick collar, whereas my instructor's car is bottom right! I almost did it doing a turn in the road on Stanley Street, then DID do it on my road when we got home! What a plonker!

My instructor remembered about the road I didn't want to go down today so we went down it and did another parallel park before heading up through town and back home for one last park.

It's back to 1 1/2 hours again next week to try and get me sorted again, but now I have to go out on errands!

We Need A Few Things! Where's The Keys..?!

Ok, so now I'm bordering on mad/obsessed. (Is that how you spell obsessed..? My spell check doesn't work!)

We needed a few vitals today, so instead of nipping to town during the day (well it WAS raining afterall!!) I waited for hubby to arrive home from work and we went to Morrisons instead! Of course, yours truly drove us there, and parked on the car park! Actually, I did find a huge gap and got between 2 cars so that I could just drive back out, but I still parked!

Hubby wouldn't take the keys back when we got out so I dropped em in my pocket and we went about our business.

Heading back home was a different matter however! I'd asked him if he wanted me to jump out near our road to let him get parked, but he refused, saying I had to do it! Now if you know where I live, then you'll know just how hard it is to keep a parking space once you've bagged one! However on this occasion it was still there when we got back! Here's where the fun REALLY started!

I drove passed the space to get myself set up to reverse, then a neighbour came towards me in his van, and another came behind me in his car! Now I was sat in the middle of the road, not knowing what to do coz I've never parked on the right before and I stalled because I didn't have enough revs on! D'oh!!

I'm not sure what either driver was doing at this point, but I found it hilarious and couldn't stop laughing while hubby guided me in. I was literally parking blind because I couldn't figure out where I should be looking or anything!

Anyway, we got in and I was parked quite well, even if I do say so myself! Meanwhile, both car and van had got passed me and parked and both drivers commented as they came by. The first saying I'd done a good job coz I was in the bay, the other saying something about a white flag that, I'll be honest, I didn't understand, but I laughed with him anyway! I was just glad I got parked without hitting a car or anything!!

Who knows what tomorrow will hold? Who knows if I'll get a slapped wrist on Saturday? All I know is I love driving and will do all I can to get that piece of paper that lets me get out there on my own!!

Please Don't Tell Me Off, I Was Desperate!!

Right, I have a confession to make and my instructor isn't gonna like it... I've been out driving in our family car for the past 2 nights. I was only out for about half an hour last night and maybe about 10 minutes (if that) earlier but I needed to get back behind the wheel after the disaster they called my test!

Last night my hubby drove us out to Stainburn then put me in the drivers seat at a layby, which I wasn't happy about because I wanted to go somewhere quiet to get used to the car, NOT sitting on a national speed limit road, approaching a roundabout!! Me thinks he REALLY didn't think it through when he pulled up there...

I got off to a bad start when I stalled trying to get out of the layby! The pedals are totally different to what I'm used to, but I did eventually get the hang of it, kind of... We took a left at the roundabout and headed for Cockermouth then turned off for Brigham. Now bear in mind that this was around 5pm, so it was starting to get dark, I've never driven through Brigham AT ALL and I haven't driven in the dark since I first started learning, so about 10 months ago! Not a nice experience at all. I was struggling with the speed at this point because I couldn't get it to stay where I wanted it because of the hills and bends, plus the fact that I was scared of the DARK!!

Anyway, we got through Brigham without anything major happening and we headed up to Lillyhall. I reversed round a corner (kind of) though it was hard to judge it like I do in my instructor's car because the wing mirror won't move down far enough for me to see the kerb properly!

Just before I started the reverse, I spotted a learner driver and instantly recognised the car. My old instructor!! I was hoping and praying she didn't see me, which she didn't because she was too busy with her pupil, and looking back now it seems rather stupid to try and hide anyway! I'm insured, I can drive, I just haven't got the paper to prove it yet.

Anyway, we pulled onto a car park and I decided to have a go at parking in a bay. Well... You can certainly tell the difference between a small and a large car! I parked alright, down the middle of 2 spaces! I've decided to leave all manoeuvres to my instructor's car and I'll just go with the flow of traffic in hubby's car! He'll just have to change it when I pass! Either that or I'll have to jump out and let him park for me!

I even managed a little hill start! Yes, I managed to stall on that too coz I didn't have enough revs on at the time. I let him drive home because by this time it was pitch BLACK and I didn't fancy trying to navigate my way back with headlights coming at me, especially when I wasn't all that confident behind the wheel anyway!

So today both my kids were at a birthday party at the sports centre and we'd agreed that I'd drive home after we'd picked them up. I wanted to do this anyway and had decided I'd do it before that fateful day last week so it was important to me, just not in the way I'd have liked really.

Anyway, we got the party, got out and popped the L plates back on. Went in, got the kids and came back out where hubby passed me the car keys. I don't know if he actually noticed, but getting them keys in my hand put a smile on my face like you wouldn't believe! My daughter saw him give them to me and asked if I was driving home? I replied yep and they both cheered! Both were told they'd have to sit still, quiet and behave while I was driving, which, to their credit, they did! Though that could be down to the fact that they were both scoffing party bag stuff at the time!

Now on the way home, we were heading down Westfield Drive when I came to a parked car and a car coming the other way. What did I do? Yep, carried on to which my hubby asked, "Did you do that on your test?" Yes I did, and that's why I failed within the first 5 minutes of getting out of the test centre! He says he now understands WHY I failed and I really need to work on that from now on. I knew I'd done wrong as soon as I'd done it this time actually, but knowing then isn't good enough when it comes to the test, so I agree with him (for a change!).

So we get to the bottom of the hill and take a right along the speed humps which the car had no trouble with at all! Hardly felt them actually, but that's not the reason they're there so I kept my speed down to 20MPH like I usually do. I then took a left at the traffic lights because hubby decided that the front right tyre was a bit soft and needed some air (no **** Sherlock! Less than half the pressure it needs!!) so we'd nip to Morrisons on the way home.

I was feeling rather pleased with myself by now, but not too cocky to even contemplate driving onto Morrisons garage and negotiating the bollards whilst trying to get to the air pump, so we got over the roundabout and I pulled off to the left and on to the industrial estate to swap seats! I may have been enjoying myself, but I'm not that daft!

The only other thing to report is a squeak that the damn thing has developed, and "it only happened after you'd been in it last night!" Yes dear, whatever you say...

D-Day.

Well, today was my test and it didn't get off to the best of starts to be honest. In the hour before, we were practising hill starts because I haven't done them for a while so I thought I'd better familiarise myself again! 4 attempts it took me and I even had the clutch burning at one point! It STANK!! We had a couple of parallel parks too, just to make sure I was ok on them and on the second attempt I got it. We had a little drive around for about 10 minutes, just to get me settled down before the actual test and then it was time to head for the test centre. One last turn in the road outside, then it was into the gates and I parked in the bay so I was ready for setting off.

I'd taken my stress drops with me and I still stand by the fact that they work because they calmed my nerves no end! I met my examiner and we headed outside, I read the number plate, answered the 2 questions and we got into the car.

I was still feeling a bit jittery as we headed out of the gates and onto the roads but I soon settled into it as we got to the traffic lights at the library. So it was down to the mini roundabout at the multi storey and I was asked to turn right onto John Street, where I encountered a minibus. I got past him and we headed to the stop junction at the bottom, which I remembered to use my handbrake on!

We took a left onto Harrington Road, then a right at the mini roundabout, then another right onto Ashfield Road. We carried on to the end, then took a left onto Westfield Drive, then a left to head towards the sports centre. At this point I was thinking emergency stop, but there were too many cars about so it wasn't possible. He got me to pull over on this road, then told me to set off again when I was ready. Now while I was sitting waiting for all the cars behind to move off around me, a fire engine came the other way with sirens and blue lights going so all the cars behind me stopped! I was sitting there thinking, "Oh god, do I sit where I am or do I go??" Anyway, I decided to sit there and let the cars get past once the fire engine had gone and I don't THINK I got a minor there...

We took a right at the roundabout, then took another right onto Poole Road where he told me to turn into a side road and we did a reverse round a corner. Luckily it was uphill so there was no chance of me rolling back!! All was fine there so it was back off up Poole Road, then back onto Moorclose Road. At the bottom I was told to turn left up into Harrington, but as I was emerging from the stop junction I clipped the kerb with my back wheel! D'oh!! I instantly thought, oh well, that's that failed then...

I kept on with it though and we headed onto Scaw Road. At the end, I was told to take a right heading towards Lillyhall. As I got to the junction my right side was clear, but there was a lorry approaching from the left. I weighed up the situation and decided that yeah, I could get out no problems so off I trotted. I did, get my speed up, but then I managed to hit 3rd instead of 5th which knocked me back down to 40MPH! We took the next left onto the industrial estate, then left again to head down past the Westlands Hotel. We then took a right to head back into town, headed back along Harrington Road, down towards Matalan roundabout, took a right to the train station and headed back to the test centre.

The last manoeuvre to be done was the reversing into the bay which I nailed! I was dead chuffed with it, but already knew that I'd failed so wasn't at all surprised when he confirmed it. Yet when he got my instructor over to explain what had gone wrong, he didn't mention the kerb incident which I thought I'd failed on! In fact, I'd failed within the first 5 minutes when I didn't hold back for the bus on John Street and then when I pulled out on the lorry! Though he did agree that I got my speed up, but the 3rd gear...

To say that I'm gutted is a complete understatement. I'm absolutely DEVASTATED and to top it off, I then had to go to work, bleary eyed and everything. The worst thing is the fact that I only got 6 minors, so had I held back on both failing occasions and got minors for hesitation, I'd have still passed because I'd have been well under the 15 minors allowed!!

Still, as everyone has said, it's an experience under my belt and I'll know for next time, whenever that might be. I'm not giving up though so keep watching this space.

Yikes! I'm On A Countdown Now!

Wednesday 14th February, 21:38.

Well as long as I manage to post this properly and it's saved as a draft and not published right away, by the time you read this I'll have already taken my first (and hopefully last!) driving test...

Less than 12 hours to go and I'll absolutely papping it now! So much so that I've just stood and done a HUGE pile of ironing! Still got some to do mind, but I can't concentrate on it anymore...

The one thing that I think will let me down is a junction on a hill, so I'm hoping we don't head towards Seaton, even though I did eventually get there on Saturday! I'm hoping and praying for a reverse round a corner and a turn in the road, but I've got a feeling that they'll give me the other 2, then I'll just have to cry. Don't get me wrong, I can do them all, but these 2 are my favourite because I can do them the best!

I need to go through the questions more tonight too. I tried again last night and kept getting muddled up trying to explain about how to check the tyre treads and about checking tyre pressures! Not that I'll actually need to know once I pass my test mind, that's my hubby's job!

I'm thinking I should actually take some stress drops AND Gaviscon tonight to settle my nerves and my tumbling tummy, then most probably do the same in the morning. I'm getting picked up for my last lesson before the test at 8:15 which is bad enough in itself because I'll still be half asleep so I reckon I'm gonna need all the help I can get!

No point in asking for your good luck wishes because, like I said, it'll be all over before you read this so I'll sign off for now and get back to you tomorrow night...

Ailsa - Extremely frightened, feeling sick and generally not looking forward to the next 10 hours where I'm supposed to actually SLEEP!!

42 3/4 Hours.

Yet another interesting one today!

First off it was round to the test centre for some bay parking. There were already 2 cars there when we got there so we had to sit for a few minutes beforehand so rather than waste it just sitting there, my instructor went over a few things that could happen on the test, such as getting in the wrong lane and correcting myself. That's all good and well saying what to do, but will I remember?? Anyway, I won't NEED to correct myself because I'm not going to make mistakes... I hope...

So when both cars headed out it was my turn. I got myself into position on the right hand side of the line and set off. I knew instantly that I'd turned too soon but my instructor said to turn to the left slightly to correct it, which worked. I got in, but we gave it another go which was fine.

Next it was out of the test centre and we headed in the direction of Maryport. I may have jumped the junction slightly, but as I told my instructor in my defence, there were 3 cars all indicating left, then another car popped up behind them as I was turning out of the junction so I was - in theory - already on the road and they were obviously going too fast to get right up my backside! That's my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it!

As we got to the roundabout at Northside we took a left and headed for Seaton, which really is my pet hate! Not so much Seaton itself but the back road to Flimby! I may have mentioned it once or twice before today...

When we got into Seaton we had a go at reversing round a corner, which I did manage, but forgot to stop for a pedestrian! D'oh! I nearly hit the kerb at one point too I think but I got myself sorted and got round ok.

So we headed back up to the main road and I managed a pause on a slight hill junction before heading out onto the dreaded road! The reason I hate it so much is because it's a national speed limit road and doesn't have any white lines WHATSOEVER! I hate it with a passion and don't intend to EVER head that way EVER AGAIN once I pass my test!

We took a left onto the road which heads for Flimby and I managed to slow down too soon again, but at least I was at a nice speed when I got to the corner!! Now at the end of this road is a Give Way junction which is also on a hill so it's possible to head out of the junction in 2nd gear. This time I headed towards it too fast and couldn't really slow down fast enough even though I had my foot to the floor so we decided to do it again. Now logic would tell you that we'd head through Flimby and turn back towards Seaton but oh no, I think my instructor had his insane head on today!! Halfway down the hill he got me to pull up to the side outside a house, which I did expecting him to then tell me to carry on when I was ready. How wrong was I..? Nope, he then said, "Right, we'll have a turn in the road." My face must've been a right picture and all I could say was, "What here??" In my head I was thinking, "Are you insane?? Do you have a death wish?? I'm going to die!!"

Anyway, I psyched myself up, waited for all the cars to pass and started the manoeuvre. I knew from the first move that I wasn't going to get round in 3 so asked if a 5 point turn was ok. He said that was fine so I carried on. More cars came and passed, then I got one bloke who couldn't get passed so had to sit and wait on the hill. Oh joy of joys! I'm just glad it wasn't me sitting there! By about the 3rd turn I was knackered and felt like I was gonna break out in a sweat, but I got round in 5 and breathed a huge sigh of relief!

We headed back up the hill and passed the junction that I'd initially managed to fluff up, took one big circle and headed back, coming at it from the other way. I still managed to slow too soon but I got round and back down to the Give Way junction, hitting it much slower this time and getting out no bother. This time there was no stopping on the hill, except to give way to other cars, and we headed right down and out of Flimby, back towards Workington.

We took a left back into Seaton and my instructor asked if I'd like to give it another go, to which I instantly shook my head and said, "No, yer alright!" No hesitate whatsoever much to his amusement!

So it was up to the junction on the hill that has alluded me time after time after time. This was to prove no exception so we took a side road to get back round and give it another go. This time I actually nailed it, at last! Hooray!! Mind there was a car coming that I was giving way for that I was willing to get a move on so I could get out, otherwise all my hard work would've been lost on having to use the handbrake! I actually did it though so I was dead chuffed.

Nothing exciting really happened after that, except when attempting a parallel park on Corporation Road and a bus squeezing past me when my nose was sticking out! I thought he was going to wait to avoid taking my front end out but he didn't! Impatient bugger!

By now it was almost time to head home so we set off, me whooping for joy in my head that my instructor had forgotten about the little road near my house that I'd mentioned last week! There was time for one last parallel park halfway down my road, then we had a little lesson under the bonnet. Everything was fine there, except I forgot to say that you have to lift the windscreen washer top to check it. The lights and everything I'm fine with and I showed how to check the parking brake so I think I should be ok with that.

Next week will probably be more of the same which is good because I actually enjoyed todays lesson! I was extremely pleased with myself which can only be a good sign...

41 1/4 Hours.

Right, first off... the next person to say, "Won't be long to your test now..." is likely to get a slap! Each time someone mentions it my stomach does somersaults!

Anyway, onto today's lesson. We got pretty much everything squeezed into it today, except a turn in the road and an emergency stop but we'd done both last week anyway and they were fine.

First off it was round to the test centre for some more bay parking. When we got there, someone was already practicing on the side I use, so we went round the back and had a look under the bonnet instead. My instructor pointed out to me where all the things were that I'd need to know - dipstick for checking the engine oil level, header tank for the engine coolant (radiator), windscreen washer reservoir and brake fluid reservoir. He explained how to check and top each thing up (though I did already know, but it didn't hurt to listen again!) and gave me a print out of questions I'm likely to be asked about under the bonnet. Yet more reading! Still, at least I don't have the highway code to worry about, that's all done!

So now it was time for the bay park. I had to make a big swing round to get myself into position, which my instructor then said was very "to the right" which is EXACTLY where I wanted to be! I got 2 perfect parks so it just proved that I wasn't far enough over last week. As long as I'm that close to the bay, I know I'll be fine!

We were all over the place today so this definitely isn't going to be in any kind of order.

We headed for Mossbay and round to my instructor's favourite reverse corner (probably my least favourite!) but discovered that a car was parking in the way so that was the end of that idea! Hehehehe! So we headed back out of Mossbay which I totally messed up because I thought I was at a junction when I wasn't, then thought I was closer to the pavement that I actually was so swung out too much when leaving the next junction! What a mess! We went back round to give it another go. This time though, there was a van parked too close to the junction which was actually a blessing in disguise because I wasn't so close, could see the pavement and got out no problem!

Now because we couldn't reverse at Mossbay, we headed to Seaton instead, via Lillyhall and the town centre, all the time being followed by a black Renault Clio which was in danger of becoming wedged up my rear end!! :angry: It was so close that I couldn't see it's registration plate for the majority of the time and it was REALLY starting to tick me off, especially as it followed me all the way up to where we wanted to be.

There were lots of cars and pedestrians around when we wanted to reverse round the corner so there was lots of waiting before we could begin, then I spotted a dog behind me, but it didn't move off the pavement, thank god!

Now my instructor knows that I hate the Camerton road for getting to Flimby, so you can probably guess where we headed next... Yep, that road!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! It wasn't actually too bad today, though I did get a little too close to the grass verge after turning off for Flimby, plus there was loads of crap all over the road which didn't help!

Anyway, we got to Flimby and we looked for a parallel park opportunity which we found quite quickly, after I almost stalled the car because I forgot to go into first at a junction, oops.

I got myself all set up and was about to start when a car headed towards me. Now there was nowhere for it to go, unless it planned to head over the pavement but I sat anyway, just to make sure he was going to wait. Once he stopped I got ready to set off again, but then a car came from behind! So now I'm a sitting duck with an audience and starting to feel rather uncomfortable! Usually if I have an audience of even one, I totally mess up the manoeuvre but not this time. I totally nailed it and had a grin like a cheshire cat! I wanted to get out and punch the air with joy, however I controlled myself and simply smiled and said, "...and that's how you do it!" Let's hope I can do it like that on my test!

The one thing that I think evades me now is the junction on the hill by the shops in Seaton and today was no exception! I hadn't slowed down enough before getting to the top so I overshot it, again. I think it's because the hill is smaller than say St Mary's hill in Mossbay so there's a shorter distance for stopping. Anyway, I must remember to mention it next week and we'll give it another go. I've done it once a few weeks back, but never since!

Nothing else exciting really happened after that. We headed back through town, down Murray Road and onto Hagg Hill for the stop junction. No problems there so we headed down towards the train station and then back home. I made the BIG mistake of telling my instructor why I didn't fancy going down a certain road though. It's quite narrow and if you come across another car coming the other way (which happens quite often!) you have to pull in to let them past. So guess which way we'll be going home next week..? Me and my big mouth!! :(