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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Only One Test Left

Yesterday we had our January refresher, in the cold garage. (The garage does have heat but you can only warm it up just so much.) The good news was the announcement that we'll be moving to the new garage over vacation next month. It looks like they still have lots to do on the outside of the building but word is that the interior is looking great. The new building will have a large meeting room in the office end of the building. And we'll have our own fueling station so no more trips to the truckstop!

Immediately after the meeting I had my behind the wheel test. We have to take it every other year and it is the same test you take to get your license, including a full pre-trip, railroad crossing, highway travel, backing and parallel parking. I passed but the pretrip portion wasn't pretty. I kept thinking I'd turned switches on only to get outside and discover I hadn't. I don't know what my problem was, I do an excellent pretrip twice a day! (I have never tested well but if an examiner observes me without her clipboard I never have a problem. Maybe they just need to stop telling me it's the offical test!)

This morning I had my defensive driving test and that went well. We take that test annually and it is just the examiner riding with you on your regular route.

I took my physical performance test back in November so all I have left for this year is the written test which I'll take (and hopefully ace!) next week.

I am not loving my new bus since my return. It does not like cold weather any more than I do. It is so darn big that I'm having trouble reaching things. I can barely reach the lights to clear them of snow and grime with the broom. I can't reach high enough to scrape the side windows or upper portions of the door. I can't reach the handhold and even if I could I doubt I could get my leg up high enough to use the toe-step. My window keeps freezing shut as does the fuel door. Today the temperatures were the coldest we've seen so far this year. I am extra grateful for the mechanics this week for helping me out without complaint!

4 comments:

  1. I'm the same way with tests. I failed my driver's license test twice because those clipboard wielding examiners make me very nervous! We're probably not alone :)
    I don't envy you having to go out and drive in the temps that are predicted. I hope everything works!
    Yes, we're staying inside as much as possible. I have to work Friday, but I'm hoping not to tomorrow.
    Molly (formerly known as Max :) has just recently begun developing more of a personality. She's a slow bloomer :)
    Perhaps your mom doesn't have enough cover to attract the woodys and blue jays. I hope they find her feeder! I saw 6 downy woodys at once today...all vying for a place on the suet. They're such clowns :)

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  2. This is the worst weather, I don't envy you. I hate to even take my van anywhere.

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  3. Wow...I don't envy you having to take those tests every year or every other year. We don't here - but it would probably make me a better driver if we did.

    We are out today! Thankfully. I still had to go down and have my bus running over an hour before starting time though - that was a bit frustrating. Roads were bad so I'm really glad we canceled.

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  4. Hi Kerri - Wasn't it Max that was always underfoot? I would have thought she'd be constant entertainment! Tomorrow is supposed to be brutal, I'm hoping for a snow day. Stay warm if you have to work.

    Pam - I hope today is the last cold day for you guys. Things should improve here by Saturday but then we'll be piling up more snow.

    Edith - I think the tests really make a difference in how we think about our driving and help cure the bad habits we all fall into. I'd be happier if my tests weren't due in January though! I've been very spoiled by our mechanics this week so I feel very bad that you had to get to work early just to close! Too bad they can't decide earlier. We're under a windchill warning and lake effect snow watch for tonight so I'm hoping for a 4 day weekend. I haven't worked a full week since before my surgery.

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