Satuday Stories - Driving 05-13-17

Diane never had a  drivers license before she moved to California in 1957.  Of course, she had driven the cars of various boy friends, but needing to drive wasn't a big deal back then.  She rode the bus as did almost everyone she knew.  Her mother didn't learn to drive until Diane was a senior in high school - she also took the bus, even to the grocery store.

When Diane moved to California her uncle took her out driving and it was just like she had always driven - possibly the result of observation? - and it didn't take many practice drives before she was always in the driver's seat.  But she had to have a student license before she could qualify for a "real" license.  The first time she drove on the freeway she had a licensed friend in the passenger's seat, one who had not ridden with her before.  They knew where they wanted to go and knew they would take the freeway.  Turning onto the on ramp, Diane increased her speed so when she merged into traffic she was going about the same as the cars in the lane.  She looked over at her friend to see that she was white-faced and gripping the hand rest.  "When did you learn to do that?  I thought you hadn't driven on the freeway before?"  Diane was surprised, it seemed to her she had just done what everyone else did when entering a freeway.  Again, it was probably observation.  Soon she had her license and was driving everywhere she wanted to go in her used, bright red Mercury convertible, mostly with the top down. She worked in downtown Los Angeles and had been just a rider in a carpool until she was licensed and took her weekly turn with all the guys.   Within a few months she drove to Oregon in her flashy car - no problems.  It was before I-5 was built, so she drove up on Hwy 99, getting lost with everyone else in Sacramento, and winding through the Siskiyou Mountains on mostly two lane roads with strategically placed passing lanes.  Her first grand road trip.  Over the last sixty years she has driven many hundreds of thousands of miles and has visited every state except Alaska - she might have to leave the road and take a cruise to complete the fifty states.

Originally her California license was a letter followed by five digits.  Sometime, long ago, the state re-numbered everyone by putting an additional two digits between the letter and the numbers.  She wonders when it will be necessary to add more digits to accommodate all the drivers in the state. 

She is always excited to be "On the Road Again".

 

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Life and Figs 08-28-15

I still have little KoKo, he goes home tomorrow.  Yesterday was a tour de force for both of us.  I needed to do a written drivers test and couldn't get an appointment in time at the local DMV.  Four years ago I had the same problem, but was driving up to the Monterey area a few days before my birthday, so I made an appointment at the Goleta DMV (just north of Santa Barbara).  That worked out okay, so this time I made an appointment at Bellflower so I could leave little KoKo with Sherry, Corky's mommy in Long Beach.  She takes care of a dog now and then, I suppose it satisfies something in her as Corky (and now KoKo) did for me. 

When I started the car to leave it made a terrible noise, so I drove it around the block to see if it drove okay and it did.  We were off to Long Beach with a lesser noise, but something that obviously needed to be taken care of.  However, I hadn't planned that into my day.  I left KoKo with Sherry and gave her three toys to toss for him.  The drive to DMV and the testing took about an hour and half, it seemed to include an inordinate amount of sitting and waiting for my number to be called.  It was moderately air conditioned, but about 150 bodies give off quite a bit of heat - whew.  I took the test and missed one question which is bugging me because I think I had the right answer, but they didn't and were too busy to explain.   I did the eye test and had my picture taken, it can't possibly be as bad as the last one.  They won't let me wear my hat, even though I tell them nobody recognizes me without it.

Back to Sherry's where I hauled the SAQA Traveling Trunk into the house and went through all the samples, there are 61 in this trunk.  I'll  present them to my art quilt group in SDiego on Sunday and then ship them off to their next destination on Monday.  More on this after the  Sunday meeting.

Sherry took KoKo for a long walk and met some other dogs who wanted to play - KoKo really got a workout and has not been so demanding today.  It was cooler in Long Beach than it has been here.  Today it was 101F in Placentia with a humidity of 22%.  Way too hot for Auntie Del to go for a walk.  So, I'm glad KoKo had a tremendous walk last evening.  We have been out in the backyard half a dozen times today.  Don't want any accidents!

This morning I was at Castner's, the auto repair place, when it opened at 7:30am.  They hoped they could replace the failed part of my power steering before they close today, but here it is 4:20pm and they haven't called to say it is ready.  If not I will rent a car for the weekend, but I would rather be driving my own vehicle. 

I love figs and they have such a short season that I am never satisfied.  Trader Joe's is selling "Tiger Figs" which I had never heard of.  They are quite small, like ping pong balls, but very sweet. Not as sweet as the wonderful honey figs they grow in South Carolina, but a good second place.  Of course, one needs to eat them pretty quickly, so I am having my fill of figs.  If they still have them when I go next week, I will get another box.  Maybe two!

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