Driving

Driving.  It's on the opposite side of the road. 

I don't remember feeling so anxious about driving the last time we were living in Australia.  In some way, I think driving in Houston has scarred me a bit (any transplant Houstonian will understand this).  I realized that I have this weird fear of other drivers screaming at me over something stupid I do while driving.  Again, the scars from driving in Houston.  Andrew did the driving our first week here.  I'm a visual learner so watching him drive was helpful.  I got behind the wheel this past weekend and it was interesting.  My excuse is, I was terribly sick, therefore everything looked and felt a bit fuzzy.  My other excuse is that the brakes on our rental car are EXTREMELY sensitive (Andrew will attest to this).  You lightly tap them and wham, it's like you stopped going 50 mph.  Sooooo, there was a lot of lurching and whip lash.  After that episode, Micah has taken to asking who is going to be driving when we get in the car.  I think I scared the poor kid. 

I find it important in the beginning for Andrew to plot out the drive for me so I don't get confused, panic, and do something horrible (like drive on the wrong side of the road).  Over the weekend, we plotted out the drive to the grocery store and the zoo.  Two essentials.  I drove to the grocery store on my own Saturday.  Today, we decided to go to the shopping center where the grocery store is, to pick up some items I forgot.  Should have been a piece of cake, I knew how to get there.  I shove the boys in the car, ask for no crazy town in the back seat (if you've driven with my boys you know what I'm talking about) and we head out.  We go about 4 blocks when I look ahead and see that the bridge is totally blocked = they're doing darn road work on the road and there's no access.  I verbally cry out to my Savior saying, 'Sweet Jesus, help me'.  Micah hears this and instinctively knows this is bad.  Especially after our driving trial over the weekend.  Ethan is doing his usual asking for 500 things from me while driving and at this moment is asking, 'mommy, gum? Gum, mommy? Mommy, gum? Gum? Gum? Gum?' multiply by a million.   Micah is hushing him saying, 'Shhhhhh, EP, shhhhhh, mommy needs to concentrate.'  (the poor kid).  I'm essentially driving on the backroads of Cottesloe and have no idea where the heck I'm going.  In my head, I'm telling myself over and over, don't panic, don't panic, don't panic.  Now, I get lost all the time in the States (I have been late to countless small group gatherings due to my inability to follow a GPS).  In the States, I can call Andrew and he can usually help me out.  However, Andrew scared the poop out of me and told me never, ever, ever to get on the phone while driving = 400 dollar fine (I imagine it's something less but my husband wanted to make an impression on me).  I just keep driving.....and concentrating on driving on the right side of the road and turning into the appropriate lane...and looking right at the stupid round abouts.  Finally, after about 5 minutes (felt like eternity), I see a coffee shop that our real estate agent took us to.  And I see a big sign that says, DETOUR.  Hallelujah!  After a series of turns and an ugly turn around, we are back on the right road.  And sweet Micah asks, 'Mommy, what happened?' 

What's about to happen is mommy signing up for that driving course.