For my sister-in-law's birthday, I got her a real cute bag and put lots of random stuff in it, like jellies. (gellies?) Remember those? They were on sale at Target. I bought myself a pair, too, and I'm wearing them today and I can't wait.
I learned to drive a standard. We're driving my brother's car to Kentucky, and it's a standard. My dad took me out and taught me, and I learned it pretty quickly, if I do say so myself. Except then later, when driving to dinner around rush hour time, I thought I'd show off my new driving skills. So four of us piled into the little car. Me in the driver's seat. Dad front passenger side. Mom and Seth in the back. Seth hadn't seen me drive yet. I was ready to show him how cool I looked driving a standard.
Except that I came to a stop on a HILL, wedged between a long line of cars in both directions. I had to keep inching forward on the hill because we were all waiting for people to turn left. I was scared to death because I had only practiced on a hill in our neighborhood with nobody around. My dad said just do everything normal. Just do it quicker so you don't roll into the person behind you.
So I went into first gear quicker, except I also pounded on the gas every time because I was scared, so everytime we moved I squealed the tires like a bat outa hell and went two inches and had to stop again. This happened I think six times in a row. My dad kept yelling at me to stop and I kept yelling at him to stop stressing me out. And mom and Seth were laughing in the backseat. And some funny smell started seeping out from the car.
I had on bad shoes, OK? They were weird flip flop like shoes. When I learned and practiced on the hill in our neighborhood I was wearing gellies. So obviously, the shoes were bad. I'll just wear my jellies when we drive to Kentucky.
My brother and his wife gave me a late b-day present. A book of poetry by Brian Andreas. I love love love it and was up way too late reading it last night. Here's one I like:
Whenever she stood
in line at the bank
or while waiting
for the bus, I noticed
her feet.
The right always in
front and perpendicular
to the left just so.
Even after 2
children she
still dreamed
of being a
dancer.
Title: Ballerina Mom
And looked what happened in New York today. Yeesh.
10 comments:
Oh, the standard on a hill! I've been there. (I wasn't wearing gellies, either.) It was in Ireland, at the parking lot for the Giant's Causeway. They were taking money for parking right at the top of the hill. Why couldn't they do that where it leveled out?
Shelly and I got out of the car and changed places. She has more experience with a standard than I do.
Man, you must have been doing really badly if your dad was yelling at you. Your dad is the most patient person I've ever met in my life. Congratulations on learning to drive a stick. You're a big girl now!
I'm going to go out on a limb here....You're a dork for wearing jellies again. Your big girl status has been revoked.
Fancy - Don't feel bad about it. Even with experience, there is no easy way to handle a standard on a hill.
I'll tell you what's nuts -- driving a standard in San Francisco. Been there, done that, and I'm an excellent driver that's been driving a stick since my first car at age 16. But some of those hills are crazy steep, and the traffic all stops close together on the steep inclines.
Just be careful not to ride the clutch. I'm sure your dad told you that already. "Riding the clutch" would be like sitting on that hill you were on, and instead of putting the clutch all the way in and using the brake to stop, you would let the clutch part-way out and rev the gas to hold your position, without really using the brakes. It will make the car's motion feel smoother, but will eat your clutch down to nothing pretty quickly.
That "funny smell" seeping from the car was the clutch burning, by the way.
And jellies? Wow. My daughter wore those in junior high, I think. I didn't realize they were still around. I thought everyone wore crocs now.
Jellies!!! Love them. So '80s. It was great seeing you guys in NYC and your adorable apartment. You're going to have a fabulous summer in Kentucky.
Remind me to tell you about when I got my first standard (for high school graduation) and drove it home from the graduation party with my dad. You'll get used to it in no time.
I love that you found a picture of jellies to illustrate the fabulousness. So great, and surpisingly, comfortable!
Hope ya'll have a good trip tomorrow. Love you.
Roy, good to hear you weren't wearing jellies.
SandinaJ, krod is more like it, right? And for the record, jellies are rad.
C-ham, crocs shmocs.
SuperC, the jellies are like $2.50 at Target. Sport 'em Super C! C'mon. Everyone's doin' it.
Tiny D, surprisingly, yes! Love you, too. Hope you guys have a safe trip tomorrow. Wish I could have spent more time with you.
I wore out a pair of red jellies last summer. They were my happy shoes. :-)
ooh! I used to have a pair of jellies! (Chic-Fil-a is my FAVORITE fast food!!:P)
Hi Fancypants!
It's been a long time - I've been a little out of the blogging loop lately. I wanted to comment on the post you had about choosing our age in heaven. That is something that has occupied my thoughts in the past!
Wouldn't it be nice to be youthful in heaven, surrounded by all of our family? But wait? Will my grandpa, who I'm excited to see, also be 25 in heaven? I'm sure he wouldn't choose to walk around heaven at age 70. But then he certainly won't seem like my grampie anymore...he'll be some cool 25 year old dude. Oh my goodness!
I guess I always tell myself that heaven is kind of a mystery, and that I'm sure God will work out all these details. But it's weird to think about, isn't it?
Hey Fancy, I totally understand per driving a stick...but it is now so much fun!! :-)
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