YAY! I made it through three hours on the road in a fast-moving vehicle, and I didn't hit ANYTHING! I am SO proud of myself!

Here's a short account of what happened:

The driving school where I met my teacher (by the name of Miss Carr, believe it or not) is located in a business mall. Right across from the school is some kind of telephone service, and that's where the funniest part of the whole day took place. While I was waiting for my driving instructor, I stood facing the large window of this business, intently watching the activites of an enormous woman who obviously worked there. She sat down in a chair, and had just started typing on the computer and talking on the headset phone, when all of a sudden the chair came apart and she fell *plunk!* on her bottom! She frantically grabbed the chair, got it propped up partially (though at a cockeyed angle), and managed to get her bulk back in into it, all the while talking to someone on the phone. I tried desperately not to laugh too hard.

As far as driving goes, my instructor was a drill sergeant in another life. I've never seen anyone bark out orders so well. First she had me find and activate all of the different lights on the car, adjust the mirrors, etc., which wasn't easy considering the only thing I've ever really driven is a riding lawnmower. Those things don't have a whole lot of functions.

After we drove for a bit and I lost my deathgrip on the steering wheel, we pulled into an empty parking lot and did manuevers around cement planters. Other than almost flipping us over, I did OK.

We also took a short strip of road with switchbacks, which my family knows as "Haypin Turns", but that's another story...

Then it was on to the freeway! It wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. But I suppose that could partly be due to the fact that I didn't even KNOW we were on the freeway until she told me we were. I was too busy driving to worry about a little detail like that.

And finally, she took me out in the country, which in itself was a challenge.

I got completely turned around and gave us both a case of whiplash (sorry, Grishny, I tried :) with my braking ability, but now I can officially practice with my parents! My dad wants me to learn in his 1967 International Harvester pickup that the rats have been using as a litterbox lately (gee, I feel honored). He says if I can drive that, I can drive anything.

La"Queen of the Riding Lawnmowers"Zorra