So I failed my exam.

The nice lady examiner told me I would’ve passed if I had stopped when I was supposed to - twice - at the Stop sign. I didn’t even know I was supposed to do that, but now I know.

Was a badddd morning to begin with. Firstly, the exam was at 10.15am, and we started out at 9.15am. Should have ample time right, since the driving exam place in Kirkland is supposedly just 10 minutes away? Thing is, I had to
1. fetch Lokes to work
2. Find my own way there since I’d never driven there myself - I am driving around on my Malaysian licence, which you can use for a month from the date you arrive).

So with a funky GPS-phone system Lokes installed for me and printed directions JUST in case the phone locks up, and you know it will JUST because it’s me, we set off. Just when I was about to reach Microsoft, I remembered that I had to take a piece of paper with me, which they’d given me when I made the appointment. So I had to drive my dumb ass back to the house to get it. I still had about 45 minutes, so plenty of time, although I was already anxious since it WAS an exam and I was busy trying to remember every damn thing I’d read and Lokes had told me.

So I went home and discovered that I had no house keys. Called Lokes and he told me he’d given them to me, which he didn’t. Instead of wasting time looking for them, I tried the doorbell. No answer. For about ten minutes, I stood outside my house, banging the door, the doorbell and basically screaming the house down. Then it occured to me to try the house phone. Finally, my FIL answered. Said they were bathing the kids on the third floor. I was in full panic mode now, and just flew up the stairs, grabbed the damn paper and shot off without so much as a thank you.

I mean, try my shoes. I had now 25 minutes to get to a place I did NOT know how to go to, in a foreign country. One look at the stupid GPS thing which did NOT know how to get to the next stop automatically and I tossed that out the window (not literally of course), and grabbed my printed directions (thank God for paranoia). I followed them best that I could and thank GOD, made no wrong turns and arrived at the exam place seven minutes early.

Called Lokes and he told me that I had to go in and tell the guys at the center I was there. I ran in, they asked for my car insurance, I ran out to get it from my glove compartment, and my examiner was standing there waiting for me. “I’m ready for ya,” she said, chewing gum. Ok, confused. I told her my ID was with the lady in the center. More confusion. So I ran in, grabbed my ID, came back and she told me I didn’t need to go in, just could’ve waited for her in the car.

So there I was, out of breath from all the running.

“Are you asthmatic?” she asked me.

“No, just need more exercise,” I answered. She laughed. I relaxed.

And still failed.

Sigh. So my next exam is scheduled for Feb 15th. Another 20 bucks gone. As the Americans say, whaddya gotta do?

On a completely separate note, I received news that a friend of mine, who’d had two miscarriages in the past, just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Congrats, Sue! You guys finally made it! Welcome to parenthood. It’s one helluva ride. You’re gonna love it.

And oh yea, finally got my desk AND desktop set up. So I’m happy despite the rough morning. Thank God for small mercies.

Now gimme a big one - like maybe a new brain - and I’m set.