Yep, ya'll guessed it right. I got my license. I am legally able to drive.

The road test itself was so short, it felt like we were driving for about 30 seconds.

One bad thing i did was forget to take the emergency brake off. Yipes! The examiner was in a hurry; he didn't seem to want to wait for me to adjust the seat and mirrors after (e:Uncutsaniflush) got out of the car. So, i drove off and made the left hand turn he wanted me to make. Then, i heard the squealing and realized why that left was such a challenge. Off the emergency brake went, and i am not sure he even noticed 'cause it goes on and off with the left foot, not with a hand brake between the seats. Thank goodness the car seems to be running ok.... don't think i did too much damage.

Once done, he said that he "took 5 points off" (i think i need to do some research to find out what that means) because my 3 point turn and parallel park were "perfect, but too slow" and i should be careful because "it's busy around here" and i need to "get it done".

When i asked, "does that mean i passed?", he laughed and said yes. Told me to sign the paper right away and keep it with my learner's permit until my license comes in the mail...

So, it looks like i gone done did it....

I just logged on to the DMV Road Test Scheduling System site.

I put in my zip code, and it gave me all the nearest test sites including as far away as East Aurora and Niagara Falls. Most of the appointments were mid to late May. Although the idea of that much time seems sweet, because of this job, i need to get this done as soon as i can.

So, i kept clicking around. Suddenly, there was a new appointment for this month in Niagara Falls! Damn. Someone must have just cancelled one! So, i jumped all over it.

Now, i am freaking a bit. I have a road test scheduled at 2pm for the 28th. That, my friends, is this upcoming Monday! THIS MONDAY!! Yipes!!!

Anyone willing to loan their car, their patience and their nerves of steel to help me practise driving this Saturday? (e:Uncutsaniflush) is working that day, or he would be it. He will be available on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday before the test....

OMG... what did i just do???

I did the 5 hour pre-licensing course today.

One more thing checked off my to do list.

The class itself was kinda lame. Mostly, what i got out of it was that the Tonawanda road test site is decent. Not too many difficult intersections, unlike the Buffalo site.

And that if people do the Buffalo road test site, out on William by North Ogden, be careful about the school zones; you will fail if you go even 1 mile over the school zone speed limit of 15. Apparently, the school zone up in Tonawanda, on Roosevelt Ave., between William and Grove will be on Delaware, so it should be around 30MPH.

Also useful was knowing what, exactly, the examiners will be looking for. Basic car handling skills, including things like how to hold the steering wheel when making right hand turns (seems us righties don't do right hand turns properly and do not begin the turn with our left hand as, apparently, we are supposed to), how jerky the stops and starts are and how well the driver can maintain a speed.

And, i think i also learned i need to practise my parallel parking. I've not done many of them...

I have a lesson on Friday morning. Perhaps that is what i will want to focus on.

Some of you might be following the saga of me and the state job. I reckon most of you don't give a shit, and that is a-ok with me.

Right now, i am trying to figure out what i want. I got a call from my contact regarding this job and she says i need to get a driver's license ASAP, all caps. She wanted to drive me to the DMV today, but it just doesn't work that way.

These days, new drivers need to do a 5 hour class and get a certificate saying it was completed. Most drivers ed places do this on Saturdays, but i am working this Saturday, 10 am 'til close at 6pm.

It was suggested i blow off work, don't go, get someone to cover for me, quit if i have to. Even though i hate my job and the people i work for, i could not do that to the people i work with. I have some integrity.

The boss is going away and we were told in a mandatory meeting a few weeks ago that no one can take off any time during her managers get away (some sort of thing the managers get if WE do all this work for them... *grumble*) or during inventory, which happens shortly after she gets back. No way on earth i would get any time off, even if i asked, and i just cannot screw anyone over like that, even if they would do it to me in a flash. I just can't.

Kinda puts me in a high pressure situation.. get a license and get it right now. Like before April is over, even?!!?? Not sure i could pass without a little practise and (e:Uncutsaniflush) is working a lot right now, too. So he has barely any time to take me. We seem to work such opposite shifts, too.

I need to do this all on my terms. I still have to be myself. I still need to get a license, so why wait.

I did find a place that has one of those 5 hour classes on Tuesday night. It will be a time crunch for me, to get from work to the class, by bus, in an hour, but i will do what i can. Will make for a long day, too... 9am - 4pm, then a 5 hour class starting at 5pm, after working until 9:30pm the night before. I can do it. It is possible...

But...

Do i actually want the job? This job? I have been questioning that lately. Too much. Wondering if smoke was being blown up my ass or if it is and has been something i actually want. Is it just because it is a state job, with good benefits, even for part timers? Or do i really want to work with the developmentally disabled?

I reckon i can figure that out as i go. If i do get the license and the job and start the training... if i hate it, how much further behind am i? In another job i hate, but at least i get benefits.

A while back, (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i saw a review in the Buffalo News about this restaurant. Unfortunately, my stomach was at a point in which i could eat so little and one of the trigger foods when i ate out was Indian. So, we weren't eating out much and never eating Indian.

I've never found out what is wrong with my stomach (sucks to not have health insurance), but i do have flare ups when i can eat almost nothing without cramps. Tea and toast, and somedays, not that. But i digress.

But, yesterday, i felt brave. Been months and months since i had Indian. And i missed it... oh, how i missed Indian food.

So, we went to the Palace of Dosas (not much of a website, but, it exsits). It was soooOOOooo yummy.

Sorry, (e:Paul), i didn't take pictures, didn't have the camera with me.

(e:Uncutsaniflush) had the masala dosa lunch special.... the dosa was HUGE. About a foot long!! He gave me a hunk and it was superyum! It came with some sort of creamy minty stuff that had a kick, some soup that had peppers in it and a couple of bread things -- one that looked and tasted like a savoury donut (yep, i am from Hamilton, the birthplace of Tim Horton's) and the other like a slightly bland piece of corn bread.

I had what i thought was the other lunch special, the Thali, i think it was called. It was huge... rice with nann and a pompadom, and 6 wee dishes of yummy things to scoop up and eat. There was a riata (please, forgive all my mispellings) that was amazing and had chunks of cucumber. There was a spicy bell pepper dish that was sorta like a soup. There was a spinach and chick pea dish that had a bit of a kick and a slight mint taste. There was a tangy tomatoey soup that was spicy. There was a legume dish that was mild. And, much to my surprise, a desert i liked. Surprising because it had 2 things i rarely like in deserts -- raisins and tapioca. It was a nice finish to the meal... mangos with raisins and pistachios.

Turns out, when we got the bill, i had the full version, the dinner one, i guess you could call it. A bit disappointing that there was a communication problem, but it wasn't expensive at all.... for both of us, the bill was 20 bucks and change.

I loved the fact that i had all these choices (despite the fact that there are technically only 2 lunch specials) for me. Everything was vegetarian...!!!!!!!!!!

We just renewed our Buffalo Zoo membership and since we did it early, we got some coupons. Some we will use, others, we won't. So, i thought i would ask if anyone here would be interested in them.

Anyone want 10 free train or carousel ride coupons for the Buffalo Zoo? Email or post it me with your address and i will mail them to you.

Well, we finally figured out names for our girls, (e:LeeTee,43805).

The more outgoing but less dominate one was called Decca before; she is dark brown and has a white chin and belly. So, we named her after the Linux mascot, Tux.

The timid but dominate one was called Uh-Oh before; she is beige all over. We decided to name her Tofu.

So, there you have it, Tux and Tofu. :)

We made a vet appointment for them tomorrow. I signed a paper at the SPCA promising to take them to the vet within 10 days of adopting them, and tomorrow, both (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i have the day off, so he can drive us.

Yesterday, my our DM was in the store, as she usually is on Monday. Of course, that makes things run less efficiently and it makes our manager artificially cheerful. My manager asked me if we found names yet, so i told her. Of course, the DM was a moron about it. How could you have rats as pets? Do they have rabies she asked!? I shake my head at the sheer stupidity and lack of knowledge some people have.

Don't mock my rats!

Not too long ago, i got a letter letting me know that i got a perfect score of 100 on the civil service test ((e:Leetee,43764)) i wrote back in early February.

I got another letter. This one is for a group presentation and individual interviews on the 14th of April. A cattle call of those with a good score.

Wish me luck!

We don't like the names they already had, so we have been trying to think of new ones... while waiting for them to be less afraid and see some personality come out. One of them is far more timid, but is dominant. The other one likes to climb and is far more inquisitive.