Driving

Christin and Grace are getting their fair share of teasing when it comes to driving lately. Since, they both might be getting their permits soon. Of course everyone is teasing them on how they think the girls are going to drive, what will they do when it's raining, someone cuts them off, they get lost, etc.

And then of course the teasing gets turned to me and my driving abilities and how I drive during certain circumstances. The girls LOVE telling dad and mom all about my driving when their not in the car and the things I say, do, or threaten to do. Of course everyone laughs, no one expects me to do what I say I will do but, they love teasing me and my driving.

When it's raining (which it does a lot here) I have a white knuckled grip in the steering wheel and the girls are all pretty sure that my noes touches the windshield in trying to get a full view of the street. No talking is permitted of anyone and I mutter the entire time "I HATE, HATE, HATE driving in the rain!! I would MUCH rather drive all night then an hour in the rain!".

Don't even ask about being late. I spend the entire time muttering "I should have been there __ minutes ago, do you know what it does to people when your late?!" and driving like a mad thing, when I am late is when cruise control is my best friend or I would have broken any and all records for most speeding tickets ever!

Then there's the rush hour traffic and the muttering to other cars that if they DARE cut me off I'll....I'll....I'll...Not sell them their goats milk!!

Yep, that's me a speed demon (even though it took well over a year for it to come out and there are still times I'm asked why I drive so sloooowly.), crazy mutter, and very impatient driver.

And the girls? Well, Grace will let almost anyone over, she'll drive no fast then the limit, be kind to all and take the rain when it comes with no other thought about it.

Christin, will be a little on the fast side let one in every three people over, might mutter a little-but nothing like me, and think it's great to drive in the rain. :D

And I? Well, I'll be more than happy to drive any and every chance I get! lol

For Y'alls Info...

I HATE driving in the rain, I would much rather drive all night then two hours in the rain.

Just thought I would warn you, as I'm going to be on the road a lot in the next two weeks and it looks like we might get more rain, esp. this week. So, if your in the greater Houston area and see either a big blue van or a small blue station wagon going 20 miles under the limit while it's raining you know it's me dealing with my phobia of driving in the rain.

"Welcome to the Adult World"

Or, so says my mom...

In the last week I've locked my keys in the car and got my first ticket. Imagine that, after almost three years of driving I had to go and do both in the same week!  And here I was hoping to go longer then that!  :-S

I Did It!!!

What I did was really nothing much and every other Texan I have talked to, think I am crazy. But it was one of those crazy fears you just can never get rid of and are always thinking about or tying to avoid it some how, some way, for some reason or another.

So, what did I do that I have been saying for nigh onto three years that I would never do, but ended up doing this past Saturday? I drove down 290 between Hempstead and Brenham.

Every person I know who has heard of my fear of driving this 20 mile stretch of 290, has kind of given me the look of "What are you crazy?" and some have given me that question verbally as well. While others have kind of shaken their head and said "You and your driving phobia".

In truth it was a stupid fear (as most of mine are). I didn't want to drive that stretch because of all the accidents I had seen but not been in, they were all on this stretch of road. A year a part, but both were enough to make me feel certain that I would rather not go to Austin (which I love to visit) then to drive that stretch of road. (I was quite traumatized)

But, I have had to remind myself--no matter the reason--that no matter where I am if that is the time that God has planned for me to die I will, no matter where I am and I need to stop worrying about that stretch of road.

So how did it come about that I was driving this stretch of road? We were down to one car. We have been borrowing a truck each Saturday to drive to the market in Houston, and the station wagon has been going to Austin. And this week dad was flying out of Austin around 4 o'clock and they needed someone to drive the station wagon home as dad was driving home from Colorado.

Since we were borrowing the neighbor's truck, they didn't want me to drive it and they were not going to drive it to Austin, so that left us with only one option. An option that I was NOT looking forward to at all!! Dad drive him and myself up to Austin, I drop dad off at the airport and then drive back by myself.

I had to make the 2 to 2 & 1/2 hour drive home myself. Part of which was that 20 mile stretch that I had been trying to avoid until last week. (I didn't drive it last week, because I was afraid that I was falling asleep).

I made the drive, I didn't die (as you can tell), I didn't get lost (Which I rarely do) , I didn't fall asleep, it all went very well. :D Dad however, beat me. He got to his destination before I got to mine. Dad landed in Denver 45 minutes before I pulled into our driveway (I'm blaming it on the stop at the Wal-mart in Bastrop, which took me about an hour).

And yet again, I was proven that my fear was stupid. :D

Cars

I have posted twice about driving. Once I talked about not really wanting to drive, but having to get my license for the dairy. The other post was on the car troubles that I had my first time out of the house without a parent (just what I need, right?!).

Well, now I am going to talk about driving a stick shift and our car troubles we are currently having.

First about driving a standard (or stick shift).....Well, I have known for ages that the car that I was going to learn to drive on was a stick shift and truth be told I was happy about that and it looked way to fun to pass up! (Plus, being able to drive something that some of my family members couldn't drive added some pleasure, but that was/is pride so that's another post.) But when the time came I was not taught to drive a stick shift, I went back and forth between the big 15 passenger van and our little 4 seater geo!

The main reason being, that the geo was what dad drove to work and since I was 'working' in close to the same area as he was, we drove together (or else I didn't work) and the 15 passenger is what our family drove to church. Also, dad didn't want to risk spilling coffee or breakfast on himself while I tried to learn how to drive with a clutch in the Houston morning traffic. lol

And another reason I never really drove a stick shift was I could never really grasp how it was done. I would stall out six times in as many feet, give you whip lash once I got us going and never got higher then 2nd gear! We couldn't figure it out, but necessity made it necessary that I learn to drive one as that is what I had to take to markets.

One day while I was talking with mom about it and she was telling me how she learned to drive a stick shift, all off a sudden we understood why I couldn't drive one...Dad was in the car with me! Now I love my dad dearly and if it weren't for him a TON would be missing from my life, but again, that is another post. Most times I can get over the pressure of having him watch me do something; I did it for keeping score at a ballgame, shooting a gun, pasteurizing milk, typing posts, making soap, etc. But driving a stick shift was a whole 'nother matter.

So, mom suggested I try it without him in the car, I had a license why didn't I run to the local tea house a couple days and maybe once to the library and see how things went from there. Well in those runs I stalled the car out a grand total of twice! And on my first trip to the market without parents I stalled it out four times in 70 miles! Now, I am sure that there were a few people who laughed at me while I jerked into first, but at least I got there and back home safely.

After that first week I had it down pat and like I thought I would, I LOVED it!! I drive my little geo everywhere I can and love it, I drive it every Saturday to markets, sometimes to church, to run errands, etc. All the time!

Now, for our car troubles....

If you have been in Sunday school with me the past few weeks it's been almost comical the way my prayer request have been...Week #1 "We have three markets all at least 50 miles from our house and one of cars is acting up and we need it to keep driving safely for us."

Week #2 "Well, we still have our three markets, but two cars that drive properly and the third one still drives but not any faster than 45 MPH, we would appreciate prayer that "princess" (that nick name for this one van) would act properly. Thanks!"

Week #3 "Well, we are down to two cars, for good. But one of those two has to go into the shop because it won't start, we are praying that it is an easy fix, prayer that it would be an easy fix and that we can get a larger car so we won't have to borrow a friend’s car for markets would be greatly appreciated!"

Well, this week it's going to be even better! The car that we thought might be an easy fix, was beyond easy, I could have fixed it with some coke (but don't tell my machine that I said! lol) So, we were up to two cars, our big blue 15 passenger and my little 5 seater geo.

On the way to market Tuesday afternoon our 15 passenger van blew a spark plug, something my dad never knew you could do. Thanks to some friends from church we were able to get to market, and thanks to some friends from the market, who were able to take some of our stuff home for us we were able to make market and back home with all that we needed, as well as visit with our friends from church. :D

Now, God has blessed us wonderfully and we have been able to get a station wagon (my dream car!) for one of our markets, but we will have to skip one market this week due to lack of car space and hopefully we will be able to get our old truck that used to belong to our uncle fixed for next weekend.

Now how does this all relate? Driving a stick shift and our car troubles? Well, the two working cars that we have, plus the truck that we are hopefully going to get fixed are ALL standards! I guess it's a good thing that I was forced to learn how to drive a standard!

Oh, I Forgot!

So, this past Saturday on my way to Gorgan's Mill Farmer's market I have Linnea in the front next to me asleep, Noah right behind me non-stop talking and all my product and stuff for my both in my little geo. (Which, I might say I have gotten quite good at driving!)

AS I am leaving the Magnolia area, driving straight into the sun, something I think everyone hates doing, but something I am still learning to deal with. And to my right I see two dogs running on the side of the road, I check behind me to see how close the person behind me is driving, since I had just noticed they we either about to pass me or ride my tail.

As I look back at the dogs, I decided to put on my breaks knowing that they could come running out and I don't want the guy behind me to hit me! (That is my worst fear and the biggest thing that kept me from driving sooner). Right as I am about to hit the brakes a deer runs about a car and half length in front of me! I really hit the clutch and break then! It was running so fast I didn't have a problem and I didn't even wake up Linnea!

Boy did that scare me! I had pictures in my mind as it is running in front of me of a deer on my hood, my car totaled (small car and medium deer do not go well together!) and I was thinking how I would explain to dad and mom that I got to market late that day! lol

I will tell you I can laugh about it now, but I was a wee bit scared when it happened and was a little jumpy the rest of the drive there.

I think that was my fun and learning experience for the day!

Driving

It has become a joke among people who know me, about when I will get around to getting a license. :D Whenever I make a comment about my car, my license, driving or anything along those lines, I get rolled eyes and "Yeah I'll believe it when I see it!”

I never really wanted to get my license. I had seen more than enough accidents to make it clear that I didn't want to; I would rather let my experienced parents drive. Plus I never really had any where to go. The only place I really liked going I either went with my family.....Ballgames, church, market.....And if there was a time when I wanted to go somewhere by myself that tended to be the library and dad works two blocks from one and mom is always driving by one so she would drop me off while she ran her errands. So, why pay for insurance, take time and add stress to our lives by me having a license? Well, that is what I a little over two years ago. :D

I was a month short of my 18th birthday when I got my permit. And I didn't even want to get it! One Friday mom and I were going to bible study and left early one Friday morning, mom never telling me why. Once we got in the car she said "We are surprising your dad, you getting you permit TODAY!!” (Surprise my dad?!?! What about surprising me?!) So, I got it, passed the written test with flying colors got my permit, walked out to the car and got in the passenger seat. lol There was NO WAY I was going to drive then! That night I showed dad the permit as we walked down the street to go to an Astros game. He was so excited he wanted me to drive home! NO WAY! Not, in the dark, not in down town, and not for a while!! Little did I know he would have me driving in the country in the dark for my first time! But, I did and I survived.

Well, I drove almost everywhere afterwards, that I could. Getting as much practice in as I could an enjoying it VERY much, much to my surprise. I have some great memories from learning to drive. :D Most of them have to do with something that I said and dad's reaction. I am sure that he never thought it would be this bad to teach me to drive. (Hey he's been "teaching" me since I was 8!) One of them is from my first time behind the wheel. I am coming around a curve way to slowly, but I didn't want to go any faster. When dad asked why I replied with "There is a mean looking bull on the other side of that fence, and I don't really care to find out if he is as mean looking as he seems!" That left dad speechless for a few seconds!

When a year came and my permit expired we planned on getting my license ASAP, but so much came up, a sick grandfather, a new baby, two out of state trips, the dairy, never really giving us a free Tuesday to go in and get it.

Now here we NEED me to get it, the Woodlands market is my market. With mom and dad at two other markets at the same time, they need me to be filling in there. I will be driving there ever week; a license would be a nice thing. :D We tried three times to get it. Tuesday I couldn't take the test because the ground was wet and it might rain and Wednesday I couldn't take it because one of the workers had to go get her husband, who had been flooded down in Hobby.

After two days of trying to get it and nothing happening we went in the third time, yesterday around two. We would have gone in bright and early, but mom had a Dr. appointment and I had a late start on the yogurt. So we get in there and I walk up and the lady says "I thought you would have been here earlier!" Oh, boy! So, we get an appointment time, and then go out to sonic. What fun, mom and me time!

We get there, pray (as I am sitting in the car near to dying!), start the test with the inspection, the lady gets in the car, looks back and sees our white board from market the night before and asks "So, what do y'all do sell milk?" "yes, mama goat's milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, kefir and a new coffee flavored milk drink" (The salesperson in me kicked in! lol) "I think you know some friends of mine _____, I think they used to buy your milk, they said it was great." (And yes, I did know them).

So, we go on with the test were I flunk parallel parking, but did well on everything, but one turn and passed. She was so busy asking me about my siblings, family, goats and dairy that she forgot to grade me until she was getting out of the car! And no, it was not my fault! I was not going to talk, because I was advised by more than one person not to, but I do have to answer questions when asked, don't I? lol

So, we go into the office and as she is getting my information she asks me if anyone in my family will be in Hempstead tomorrow, because she would like some chocolate milk. lol

So, I got my license, didn't kill anyone or even come close :D made a sale, and kind of enjoyed it. :D I now can drive and prove to people that I am as old as I say I am! Now I need to get driving a standard down pat.