Success!

Wow, it's been a while. The last week and a half has been bumpy. I went through an "episode" (how old fashioned does that sound?) aka, a psycho weepy point where my entire world felt like it was collapsing. The good thing is that somehow through that I have made an appointment with my doctor, whom I will be visiting with in a few short hours.

The good news is, I am a fully licensed driver in the province of Ontario. I started to learn how to drive 10 years ago! Really! I took lessons, but slacked off and never did get my G2-which for those who don't know, allows me to drive alone, even though not fully licensed. So I've depended on someone for a ride for a very long time, which in most of Canada is a BAD thing. Weather, distance, schlepping ten tonnes of parcels. It never became a huge issue until I had children and I even got by when it was just one. I could easily fit a stroller on the bus and walk where I needed to. Which pretty much limited me to a 2km hike to the mall. Serious grocery shopping was limited to weekends or whenever Dearest was available, which cut into quality time.

I started to take driving seriously though when A Dude was about 6 months. I had taken lessons from other instructors and it never really sunk in. I bit the bullet and the pocketbook and signed up for Young Drivers. There is a reason why they're so damned expensive, it's because they got through to me! I had a great instructor and after two failed attempts (I'm really not that bad a driver, really!) I ended up with my G2, which was good for 3 years. So I set on my merry way, smiling for a month every time I set off on my own. Dearest basically didn't see me for a month, every time he came home, I rushed out the door just to go for a drive. I forgot all about parallel parking and backing in, and pretty much shoved everything I learned out of my head as I evolved into "Manic Granny" driving style.

Then a month ago, a notice came that my license was about to expire and I'd be busted back down to a G1, which meant I couldn't drive alone. Not good! So in my fragile ego state, I booked my G2 exit exam, which includes a highway test and sweated bullets for a couple of weeks. Yesterday as I literally shook my way through the exam with the nastiest piece of examiner on Earth, (Seriously MTO, tell your examiners to kill the snarky comments, I know making or breaking drivers is the only source of power in some of their lives, but being an unprofessional jerk is going to come to roost when they rattle someone so badly someday they drive into a telephone pole...jussayin) I somehow passed. I was shocked, I thought I failed, all his nasty comments jarred me, I wouldn't have called that my finest hour in driving, but I made it. I never have to take a test again. I never have to back into a spot, or parallel park if I don't want to. Best thing is, I never have to worry about it again.

So I'm back to driving with a grin on my face for a month. I never thought 3 years ago that I'd be able to move and groove on my own accord. Don't believe me? Ask some of my buddies who comment on my blog, they know. It's funny, how car dependent I've become, but I think it's a vital skill to have and can't believe I put it off for so long. So to all mamas out there, to all women, get a license. If you plan on living in the downtown core for all your life and walk to wherever you need, great! Get a license! You never know when life, work or a roadtrip with the galpals comes up and the ability to get behind a set of wheels and go is so liberating!