From: Rachel DeWald
Date: Apr 5, 2007 4:26 PM
Subject: blog
To: me.myself@andi
So here I am sitting at the airport waiting on Reina's flight to get in. I am categorically the biggest dumbass because I failed to check online for flight status before I set out on the bus for Heathrow. Sure enough after the hour's ride I got here early to be sure we didn't miss each other and found her flight to be delayed. Not by a little, by a lot. Two hours to be exact and as I sat in the cafe sipping a blendy drink the time ticked later and later.
Surely it's been a half hour by now, glance to the watch, nope 5 minutes have passed. So I got up to walk around and found this little internet cove. Only my blog site is apparently blocked due to high porn content. That's news to me, last time I checked there were no nudie pics on my site. So I have resorted to typing a little email to myself in order to pass 20 min on the computer. It's like talking to myself, only the people around me in the airport won't know I am crazy since I am just typing away.
Surely it's been a half hour by now, glance to the watch, nope 5 minutes have passed. So I got up to walk around and found this little internet cove. Only my blog site is apparently blocked due to high porn content. That's news to me, last time I checked there were no nudie pics on my site. So I have resorted to typing a little email to myself in order to pass 20 min on the computer. It's like talking to myself, only the people around me in the airport won't know I am crazy since I am just typing away.
While I have a few minutes, let me tell you about my first driving experience in England. This morning I had to go pick up the rental car that Reina, Josh and I will be driving to Dover this weekend. They are closed tomorrow for Good Friday, so I had to go all by myself. I signed for the car and all was well until he handed me the keys. My mouth went dry and it felt like I was a teenager going out for my driving test.
First of all, the car is manual and it's on the other side. So I had to shift with my left hand. While being on the right side of the car. So I left the car rental place without a hitch. Actually I did great for the first mile or so which was just a straight shot. :) Then I came to my first roundabout in which I would have to not only make a right loop around, but also end up in the left lane at the other end of it. I didn't know who had the right of way in a roundabout so I just went for it, deciding that for the day, I always had the right of way. Second obstacle went by, surprisingly, without a hitch.
Most of the way home I hit no traffic, I actually never had to stop. That is, until I got to town centre. Now it would have been so easy to make a right onto my street, but you can't, so I had to take a loop around the town and back to get into my complex. For the first time I had to stop at a light. When the light turned green I tried to go, but failed to find first gear. Instead, I consistently found 3rd gear and kept stalling. Not knowing the car I could not get it turned on again. People were honking. Finally, I resigned to the fact that I would not be able to get first gear and I threw it into 2nd and just punched the gas.
Finally I pulled into our parking lot where I passed our parking spot on accident. No big deal right? I will just reverse. I can't for the life of me figure out how to put the car in reverse. So I had to pull the car into some empty spots turning as far as I could. Then I turned the wheel back the other and left it in neutral allowing the car to roll, very slowly I must add, backwards. Then I was able to go forward to the parking spot. I had to do this a second time when I needed to adjust into the spot. Pulling up the parking break and turning off the car, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I had made it home alone! Now I have to drive two hours into the country, this should be interesting. LOL!
First of all, the car is manual and it's on the other side. So I had to shift with my left hand. While being on the right side of the car. So I left the car rental place without a hitch. Actually I did great for the first mile or so which was just a straight shot. :) Then I came to my first roundabout in which I would have to not only make a right loop around, but also end up in the left lane at the other end of it. I didn't know who had the right of way in a roundabout so I just went for it, deciding that for the day, I always had the right of way. Second obstacle went by, surprisingly, without a hitch.
Most of the way home I hit no traffic, I actually never had to stop. That is, until I got to town centre. Now it would have been so easy to make a right onto my street, but you can't, so I had to take a loop around the town and back to get into my complex. For the first time I had to stop at a light. When the light turned green I tried to go, but failed to find first gear. Instead, I consistently found 3rd gear and kept stalling. Not knowing the car I could not get it turned on again. People were honking. Finally, I resigned to the fact that I would not be able to get first gear and I threw it into 2nd and just punched the gas.
Finally I pulled into our parking lot where I passed our parking spot on accident. No big deal right? I will just reverse. I can't for the life of me figure out how to put the car in reverse. So I had to pull the car into some empty spots turning as far as I could. Then I turned the wheel back the other and left it in neutral allowing the car to roll, very slowly I must add, backwards. Then I was able to go forward to the parking spot. I had to do this a second time when I needed to adjust into the spot. Pulling up the parking break and turning off the car, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I had made it home alone! Now I have to drive two hours into the country, this should be interesting. LOL!
