Monday, May 3, 2010

First time driving through the rain

Seems that the rain and thunder finally made it's way down here, mostly on time. As I was telling Timbo this morning, it was raining cats and dogs outside. Luckly while I was catching a couple quick Z's, the radio stream I had running told ma that the roads we'd be traveling had not been to flooded... so I didn't loose the opportunity to drive. Weather has never bothered me in any way really, especially not the rain: and I need the experience of being on the slickened roads. However fast I've been mastering the car compared to 'normal' people, it's probably not advisable to let a noob out in such conditions, but the only way that you can learn such a skill is by live fire exercise; and with my mother, only GOD knows how many chances there are going to be in order to do it in time :-S. I left a message with a friend, in case of any major accident.


The first leg of things went fairly smooth: except for having to be ordered about like a moron. My mothers continual insistence that I `improperly` stop at stop signs by coming to a halt before the edge, is also annoying me enough that it's going on my todo list, to check the state law on the ficken matter. I might not be a rocket scientist, but I know how to read English correctly. Edit: just emailed her the proof that I am correct! IAW Georgia state law, you bring her to a full stop before crossing the stop line or cross walk, other wise you can move up if needed; and either way, the laws for entering a road way require you to stop again if need be, befor entering if there are any cars to close‐whether or not you stopped at a stop sign already.


Maybe my educational background combined with my computer presence, has damaged the quality of my composition skills, but I can read this cracked up language with machine-like proficiency! Perhaps that is much to the annoyance of everyone else outside more 'technical' circles xD.


Although we arrived with time to spare at the Community Medical Centre, as usual the clinic also took a good half hour past the scheduled appointment time to accept her for the checkup >_>. So I passed the time reading a text book on electronics and EE, before powering up Dixie. Spent most of it brushing up on my CLisp, until the battery started to run low... then I got stuck twiddling my thumbs for another hour and a half. Managed to convince H.R.P. to get her prescriptions filled today in order to extend the driving time, and save her a later trip after work. By the time we left Krogers, some  9-10 hours after the storms started, it was almost free and clear out.


So far, I've had two good bits of practice today: stretches of highway where the speed limit is much higher than the rest of our area, and driving in enough rain that you wouldn't want to stick your head out the window xD. I tend to drive more cautiously than most people, because, eh, shall we say, the local drivers are a trifle psychotic at times. Life has also taught me that when death, injury or serious property damage is likely to result it is usually best to assume that the other schmuck will fuck up, and B/P to cope with it happening.

Some how, I am reminded of a story my mother once told me, form when she was learning to drive, and made grandpa's hair stand on end after a very, very near miss! Well, I'm to darn paranoid to put my mother through that lol. Threatening to gag, or strap her to the roof of the car when she is being too bossy on the other hand, is a different story. Or should we say, where I come from, the asshole in the drivers saddle calls the ball.

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