'Twas a bad omen!

Elizabeth just called; she has the Proctor Verification Form in hand and is sending down more information to BR. She asked how I was doing, and I let her know that I will be taking my driver's test later today. She wished me luck with it. :)

Soooo, I will simply update this entry later today when I know whether I'm driving by myself or not.

EDIT: no solo driving for me yet.

I took the tutorial several times again this morning, reviewed turns in the Drivers Handbook, and felt very good about taking my behind-the-wheel test.

When we were ready to leave, Dad asked me to back the van up a couple feet after straightening the wheel, then to pull up by the steps so he could rinse the windshield and back window. I got in the van and tried to adjust the seat forward. It did no budge. I turned the ignition, but the van did not turn on. Stone dead.

I got out, told Dad, and after some swearing, he found his starter and got it hooked up to the van's battery (a new battery), and got it to start after a couple tries. He had removed the boat's battery just in case, so we took it with us.

Dad drove fast because we were now running late. We hit some traffic, but arrived in time at the DMV. We then had to gather the registration, and Dad had forgotten the insurance card, but Sherry (who was my instructor) was able to pull it up. She left to the back of the building as Dad went back outside and switched the van's battery with the boat battery (the van's had died again). She finally came back after several minutes and said, "I just wanted to make you a little nervous...." I told her that Dad and I had had our share of nervousness for the day with the battery dying and all.

I got in the van and Sherry had me test the blinkers, lights, and brake, then the controls inside the car. I passed all that with flying colors. Next, she had me turn left out of the parking lot and right onto another street, where she had me back up. FIRST mistake: I did NOT look over my right shoulder as I did so. Dumb!

Later, I ended up turning right on a red light.

Sherry, in a kind voice: "Did you see that sign over there?"
Me: "...Red light?"
Sherry: "'No turn on red'."
Me: Shit!

(That was my second right turn on red (not for the test, rather in total). Bad Jill, baaad.)

When we got back to the DMV, I learned that I had gone too fast in a residential area (5 mph over the speed limit) and I followed other cars too closely (which kind of confused me at first, because I am excellent about keeping a safe following distance on the freeway).

Sigh. Got back outside, Dad was waiting in the van, I shook my head at him. He looked over my score sheet and then commented on how much longer my drive was than Cammy's, later saying, "However long Cammy's drive lasted, yours lasted twice as long." (And apparently I backed out from my parking space better than Cammy did.)

Cammy's drive was ridiculously easy from what he described to us. His driver (who immediately commented on his Pink Floyd shirt) had him go to Brunswick, over the overpass, and then had him circle back to the Grass Valley DMV. She did not have him practice backing up and he had no city intersections to go through. Dad said Cammy "got it easy and lucky", and I supposed that maybe he did. Dad also said it might depend on who you get for your instructor.

Dad says he feels responsible on account he didn't take me driving in Auburn much, but I don't feel he is responsible. I guess it just wasn't my day to drive. "Wear your Depeche Mode t-shirt for your next appointment," he told me. Good luck? :D

So, whoever told me Grass Valley is hard and Auburn is easy... is screwy in the head. =P (Oh God another emoticon-type thing!)

I'm not jealous that Cammy has his license already. I no longer regret waiting to drive after graduating from high school. It's just a bummer when you can't get something over with the first time.

SOOOOO - I am going to go draw now.