I had my second road test today...

The first time I had my road test, I had so many goof-offs. Well, I knew I had little practice. I had enough long-distance (well, 15 miles is long enough for me as a permit holder) driving practice, but I knew I needed more exposure to the busy streets downtown. As expected, I failed the first. But my in-laws said they, too, had to take the test either two or three times before they had their licenses. Okay, that made me feel better. I was not alone. My friends also had to take the road test twice or thrice. My MIL believes nobody gets it the first time.

Okay, so it was my second time today. I still did not have much practice, and truth be known, I had little enthusiasm practising in the interim, because I was still trying to squeeze in time to study for NCLEX and take care of the family and help Gary with the kitchen.

I was ready to fail again this time. We went out two hours earlier than my schedule for a brief practice downtown, and some practice on parallel parking and pulling up. During my first road test, I did good on parallel parking, although I mostly used the side mirror and rearview mirror, which I had been using perfectly in backing up. After I failed that test, the officer told me to always look behind over my right shoulder while backing up ALL THE WAY until I stopped. Oops, Gary never corrected me on that. I had to retrain myself to use the "looking my right shoulder to see the back" method, which I only did this morning, when doing the backing up straight and parallel parking. So many tries and frustrations. We finally went to the office 10 minutes prior to my schedule. The officer was there waiting for someone. When Gary got off the car to talk to him, he came back to me, telling me that the officer had to test one other applicant before he could attend to me. So I had to wait.

I had some anxiety vented off during the waiting time, I actually got teary eyed. I was ready to fail because I knew I had little practice, but I could care less because I had to pass my NCLEX more than this within a limited time (I have up to Sep 5 for that, while I could re-take the road test as many times as I need to. Maybe that waiting period and venting did some to calm me down. I was a bit laughing about some silly nonsense we were talking about, like our cat Midnight. By the time the officer was ready for me, I was a bit more calm.

I tried to relax, and I did...somehow. I avoided hyperventilating and concentrated on other motorists, much in the same way I would drive when with Gary. Went through the same downtown streets which were busy with construction and all cars coming from every direction. I managed to stay or end up in the right lane, stop where I should, wait where I should (sometimes over did it, being too cautious, but that was no big deal to the officer). I had some forgivable mistakes when I forgot to turn my right signal on when he asked me to pull up behind a car on the right (where he asked me later to back up straight until he told me to stop). But I did remember to signal when I did the same thing (pulling up) in front of the office when we finally went back to it. I did remember to let another car into my lane before proceeding, remembered who had the right of way, etc. , etc.

I PASSED!!!! I now hold a temporary license and have to have my picture taken before Sept 10th for the license.

HOORAY!

No, I won't spend the following weeks trying to acquaint myself with the roads and the town. I will stay at home and study for NCLEX (that is one item ticked off my to-do list). I have rescheduled that for Aug (because I had been dividing the past month between kids and garden and kitchen building, the past days being spent mostly on mudding and sanding. Gary applied the first coat of primer today. I (and the kids) still have to clean the whole house to rid it of the fine dust particles that have landed on most surface and which will linger for quite some time in the air. Particularly affected was the living room, which is most contiguous with the kitchen. Since I did not (and had none anyway) cover the furnitures with linen, we have to vacuum them all, wash the removable covers, remove the furnitures , vacuum the floor, wipe and mop it before putting all furnitures back in. Then I can study for NCLEX.

It's so good and considerate of Ana to offer to have the kids with her so I can study during days.