04 Monday Nov 2013
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So, I went from complaining about my test being cancelled in my last post to finally passing my driving test! First time as well!
And on Sunday, I bought myself a car.
And today I drove to Newport Pagnell and back to get my hair done.
I feel proud!
Check it out – my tasty Volkswagon Fox…
Watch out, Great Britain, Ellie is on the roads…alone…DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN!
09 Monday Sep 2013
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My test was cancelled. Cancelled! I shake my head in despair. All I want to do is buy a car and be able to drive to work – why is that so hard? I now have to wait until October. No, not even just October – the end of October! By the time I’m able to drive, everyone will be driving hover cars or teleporting everywhere. Then I’ll have to go through the process of getting my new teleportation licence. Gah!
On the upside…nope. There isn’t one. Damn you, DSA! If only you had a competitor company I could go to instead…
14 Sunday Jul 2013
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It seems such a long time since I posted on this blog, but much has happened!
I have now completed all of my manoeuvres – turn in the road, reverse around a corner, parallel parking and reverse parking into a bay. I think I’ve just about got them down (when I’m not accidentally turning the wheel the wrong way). I’m yet to do an emergency stop – or rather, I’m yet to do it on cue. I’ve done many an emergency stop at the wrong moment, ha!
But now for the big news – MY TEST IS BOOKED! I’ll keep the date to myself, but at least I know my instructor has faith in me…
…this is despite me head-butting the window in my last lesson. (I DIDN’T REALISE HE’D WOUND THE WINDOWS BACK UP, DAMNIT!)
What an embarrassment I am! At least I’ll know not to do that in my test.
Wish me luck 🙂
23 Thursday May 2013
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So guys, I expect a round of applause…I managed to go an ENTIRE LESSON WITHOUT STALLING?! Are you impressed? …probably not, but i don’t even care! I’m ridiculously proud of myself. It’s just a shame that my next lesson isn’t for another 2 weeks…I may have forgotten how to drive by then.
Fingers crossed it’ll all become muscle memory and I’ll no longer have to think about driving…well, within reason of course. I didn’t even stall when some children decided to stand and have a chat in the middle of the road. Or when their mum gave me a dirty look (which was rich considering she was fine to stand there and let her children mess about in the middle of the road).
Hopefully this a turning point for me. I literally cannot wait to do my test.
Also, I am going to London on Saturday with my family and boyfriend. The museums won’t know what’s hit them!!! Can you tell I’m excitable today?
Ellie out!
15 Wednesday May 2013
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I think I should start by saying hello again. It’s certainly been a while. The last time I posted was back when I went to Preston with my university friends and that was…*runs to check calendar*…almost three weeks ago. I haven’t written anything since then – and I’m not just talking about blog posts! As an avid writer of poetry and fan fiction, I feel incredibly disappointed that I haven’t written anything new for some time. This will change today! I can feel my mojo returning, so I will be spending my lunch break writing to you (whoever you are) and hoping that you find what I’m saying a little bit interesting.
I have just had driving lesson umpteen-and-one…yes, there have been that many! And I can happily say that things are moving forward (especially the car, which is good) and despite my clutch control problems, I am doing manoeuvres, I am not crashing into anything or anybody *touch wood* and I am doing a lot more driving by myself.
With any luck, I will be taking my test in the next couple of months and then I will be on the great car hunt! Fingers crossed I continue on the road I am on and keep improving. There will be no more rolling down the hill!
*All driving/road puns intended*…
In other news, it hasn’t stopped raining here for days and it’s giving me the blues. The slightly better news is that I am going to the pub tonight so I could care less about the rain today!
Anyway – I should probably get back to work now. I’ll keep in touch.
21 Sunday Apr 2013
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This Friday, I will be travelling back up to old Prestonia for another meet-up with the old gang. I am excited! We’ve decided to go for our big night out on Friday and then have a quiet film night on Saturday. I have about a thousand outfits to choose from and one tiny bag to fit everything in…but I am determined to travel light!
Also, I am about to watch Office Space. I hope it’s good!
19 Friday Apr 2013
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So, this was the lesson after my theory test and also turned out to be a SURPRISE LESSON!
I’d written down that my lesson was on the Tuesday, but instead it was Monday, so when I answered the front door in my PJs with cake crumbs on my chin, I also had a mini heart-attack. Mad dash upstairs. Pull on some jeans. Boom! I’m suddenly in the car and I can’t really remember how I got there.
The bad side: I was so full of chilli and cake that the entire lesson was spent with me feeling rather sick every time we went over a bump.
The good side: Since I had no reason during the day to work myself up about it, I didn’t have the time to get nervous. Consequently, it was the best lesson I have ever had! I think I should have surprise lessons every week…
Roll on next week when I will not just drive the car, I will BE THE CAR! Yeah, you heard me. I mean, what?
04 Thursday Apr 2013
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Welcome to the driving intermission. Whilst my instructor is away for the Easter break, I’ve substituted my weekly lesson with my driving theory test. I totally passed! I now have 2 years to pass my practical test, so let the countdown commence!
There was a brief moment of panic when a case study came up at the end of the questions…I wasn’t aware we had to do those…but my heart quickly jumped back into action again when I realised it wasn’t so hard. And what’s with all the questions about vehicle registration documents? Surely that’s not something I really need to know until I actually pass my test and want to own a car. Not that it matters. I passed, so that was the happy part of my day.
Now to the not so happy part of the day. Without going into all the details, my nan found out today that she has cancer and will be going for chemotherapy from next week. At 88 years old, I am wishing her all the best in the world because she’s still fighting fit despite her age. This was completely unexpected, but I’ll be with her every step of the way (despite her often cantankerous ways!) and she knows that.
So there you have it, the ups and downs of my peculiar day which, in the usual Parker tradition, has ended with a low – so it’s only fitting that this blog post also ends this way.
26 Tuesday Mar 2013
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You will be very happy to know that yesterday I claimed victory over the dreaded clutch! I’m still not a pro – in fact I’m very far from it – but I can now pull away at traffic lights and roundabouts without stalling like a moron. My foot technique has changed which has helped because I’ve managed to find a comfortable position where my foot isn’t hanging in the air like a man swinging from the gallows.
The only downside is that my next lesson is not until April 9th which is ages away, so I’ll probably be terrible again by then. My mum said she’ll take me out with her during the week, though, so maybe if I keep practicing I won’t be awful anymore.
Next up: the theory test. That is next week’s challenge. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Ciao and kaplow!
P.s here is a picture of a toad with a moustache. Enjoy.
24 Sunday Mar 2013
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It’s taken me far too long to write this considering lesson #8 is tomorrow, but part of me is hoping that the snow will postpone it…
Back to my last lesson. I would love to say that it was a mixed bag (as I usually say) but this time it really was appalling. I cannot work the clutch. That is the simple truth of the matter. I think it’s because the clutch in this car is so high that I can’t keep my heel on the ground to press it – and it’s bloody difficult to control your foot when it’s hanging mid-air! Tomorrow I’ll grill my instructor about what I can do. Worst case scenario I’ll have to get one of those foot-steps that raises your feet while you drive. Or lower the seat really far and try wearing some ridiculously long-toed shoes. Like converse or Doc Martens…because that would TOTALLY go well…
I can’t say I’m really looking forward to tomorrow – because of the snow and because I am shit.
Hopefully, I’ll get the hang of it soon. 7 lessons is rather a lot to still be stuck on the clutch. Laaaame.
killthebeans 