And I doubt I'll have any access to the internet. Man, it's hard to live with out a computer...Well, live in the way I was used to, anyway.

So, I'm off to GH School tomorrow for five days in Red Deer. I've been told it will be, er, interesting. I shall have more details when I return, and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to update the blog till then. Actually, considering how busy they'll have me going, I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to update will be. So please bare with me.

Still having issues with finding a vehicle. Have my eyes on a van that I may switch with Michelle as she could use it a lot more than I, but I'm not sure if it'll work out. I know I need a car, I'm just having trouble getting on. Wish me luck!

Well, that's it! A new part of the adventure is starting tomorrow. I've got the jitters, y'know. I'll end it here because I should really go do laundry. No, I don't smell!

...but I saw someone else today. It just happened so fast. I didn't really expect it to go anywhere. Honest!

I just walked by and saw her through the glass in the door. I went in and said those two sweet little words, "How much?"

"Five bucks!" she responded, and I said let's do it.

She sat me down, and minutes after the buzzing started, my sparsely growing frock was gone. Um, then she rinsed me off. That was a nice feature!

I had to do it. My stupid hair is growing in so weirdly on my, um, crown that any growth up there just angers me. I want everyone to know that that was the first person to ever lay hands on my scalp other than Michelle since Kathi cut my hair for my wedding.

There! I feel liberated! I got it off my chest, and everything is fine. We'll work through this, Michelle, right? I gotta wear more hats!

I actually got the call on Monday at around 4:30pm. I'm to go in for orientation on Friday, and then I leave on Sunday for green hand school for five days. Hmm. I wonder what that'll be like. From what I here, the instructor is a pretty interesting guy, but I guess I'll have to wait and see for myself.

Well, it's a beautiful day in the Hat, I must say. I am actually walking around in a t-shirt, and all the little patches of ice and snow are disappearing before my very eyes. It's too bad, though. I was kind of hoping that when my family comes out in March that we could hit the local hill for a bit of skiing/snowboarding. The hill is called Hidden Valley, and it's not too intimidating for first timers (like my girls). Here's a map of the hill. See? Not intimidating at all. Read up on it! It sure is a heckuva lot cheaper that Mt. Washington!

So, anyway, now I'm just playing the waiting game, I may be booked into an H2S course before then, but I'm told all the day classes are full. There may be evening classes, but I'm not holding my breath. We'll see, though.

What is H2S, you ask. It's hydrogen sulphide, and it is highly poisonous. It is very common in the petroleum field and ground water. This course is how to detect it and avoid inhaling it. Fun, huh? If you want to read up on it, just click here.

Anyway, that's all for now. Except, I was wondering if someone could pass this on to my sister. I know she doesn't have a computer, but she may be able to view it at work. I've noticed that some of the entries have disappeared due to the length of this blog so far, but to get to the ones not visible anymore, all you have to do is click on the archive list on the left there. I know we're still in January, but Blogspot still archives when the length of the page gets too small. So, um, yeah!

Alrighty then, time to go. Talk to you later everybody!

Nothing outlasts the Energizer bunny. Nothing! Aaaaaagh! I'm going nuts! I called the frac manager earlier today to ask what was going on, and he told me that they were still awaiting my medical results. What?! They took that blood over a week ago! What are they doing? Going through it blood cell by blood cell? Admiring the pretty shade of red it is? Taking sips and flapping their bat wings come night fall? GET A MOVE ON ALREADY!!!

See? I'm so upset that I used three exclamation marks. That's a sure sign of insanity, that is.

So, how's it going with everyone? Well? ANSWER ME! I've been keeping busy by walking my poor soles' off. I'm pretty sure I've run over the mileage on these poor Aasics, but they haven't blown out on me yet. Besides walking, I'm watching a bit of the ol' boob tube. Saw Shawshank Redemption last night, and I have to say that even though I've seen it before, it is still a pretty amazing movie. And written by Stephen King, no less. You ever wonder why most of Stephen King's horror movies suck really, really bad, but when they make a movie adaption of one of his drama novels (Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, The Green Mile, etc) they are nothing short of awesome? Well, have you? Me neither!

I guess I'm just wasting space right now, eh? I guess I should give a shout out to Chad to tell him thanks for the offer of the vehicle, but I'm looking for one that wouldn't require one of those stairway trucks from the airports so my kids could get into it. I guess I could fashion a rope ladder, eh?

On a sad note, I just learned that my buddy Tymen's mother passed away on the 15th of this month. Those of you who know Tymen, could you keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers to have strength through this trying time? Those of you who don't know him, well, you could too, actually.

Well, that's it for now. You've probably just wasted 5 or 10 whole minutes reading this entry. That's time you'll never get back, y'know? Don't come crying to me, though. I didn't make you read it! No, you can't have 5 minutes of my life. I need all I can get! Stop looking at me that....

So, I'm a little p.o.'d. I WAS supposed to be going to green hand school this Sunday which means that I was to go on payroll, but apparently I won't be going till next Sunday...I hope! As far as I know I'm booked in. What cheeses me off is that I could have come back to Victoria for 2 weeks before attending green hand school. I could have spent time with Michelle, gone swimming with the kids, borrowed the second season of Corner Gas off Dan. Ugh! I tried to come back for the week, but flights just didn't work out at all. Thanks to my dad for trying, though.

So what am I going to do for a week in the Hat? Find laundry facilities, I guess. Um, exercise a bit, too. Read? Maybe. I have cable....

Nope, this sucks! Hopefully I can get that computer off'f Ty and Mel soon so I can talk to all of you guys. They frown upon plugging a mic into these library computers and using MSN.

Well, I'm going to go hunt down a phone book and a laundromat. Wish me luck!

This town isn't as backwater as I thought it was. Just kidding, um, about the "backwater" comment. This place is really very nice. Last night, without any warning, the skies opened up and dumped about 2 to 3 inches of white, fluffy powder on my doorstep. It's beautiful, I tell you. Just beautiful! And seeing as I'm renting, hah, I don't have to shovel the walk! Mwah hahahhahahhah!

Speaking of my doorstep, I now have one. I rented a basement suite from a guy named Brent. He's 6 years younger than me and has his life together. His wife's in Lethbridge getting her education degree, and he has some sort of job that involves the manufacturing of waste vehicles. But he's in the marketing division which means he flies around the world to wine and dine clientel, um, clientelle, er, clients! No spell check on this computer.

The place is actually pretty huge, especially for what I'm paying for it. The place is completely furnished, and Kay and Carl lent me some sheets and a pillow and a comforter and they fitted the bed perfectly. The only downfall is that there's no laundry facilities and I'm cooking on a hot plate. Or I would be if I had and pots and pans. Ty and Mel said they'd lend me some, but I've had a little trouble getting ahold of them the past day or two, so I've been eating peanut butter sandwiches using plastic cuttlery. I mean, I could buy the stuff I need, but what would be the point if I'm just doubling up on the stuff that Michelle and I already have?

On the car hunt, I've had some dealers trying to talk me into some pretty serious vehicles. One tried to talk me into a 2004 Jimmy that had everything. I mean, everything. Even leather heated seats. But the I find out that the Jimmy's discontinued and that its value can only go downhill from here. Also, a very nice salesman, and I mean it that he's nice because I'm pretty sure I could finance a very expensive vehicle and then say, "No! I think I'll take the 1972 Volkswagon Rabbit!" and he wouldn't care, has been leading me towards a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer. While these are very nice vehicles and something that would really suit the family in the conditions that exist out here, they are expensive. I mean, I'll be able to afford the payments once I start working, but I really, really have to think frugal gormet style here. So, I'm pretty sure I'm going to put off the vehicle for a little while.

There's another reason, though, that I think I want to put off the vehicle. I've been walking like a mad man. I have actually walked all the way around Medicine Hat, and you know what? I feel really good. I have actually, get this, I've actually lost a little over 10lbs since I've gotten here. And don't blame the diet! No, no! Ty and Mel fed me well and so did Kay and Carl. Carl even fed me a couple of beers, and since they were Coors Light I can only attribute this miracle weight loss to exercise, good food and light beer.

So that's it for now. I'm hungry! I may actually get a hamburger because I still need a pot and a pan and various other utensils. Oh, and just to stroke my ego, I would appreciate if anyone, I mean anyone, would post comments to my blog. It would just reassure me that it's being read. So far, only Dan has posted comments, and believe me, Dan, I appreciate it. Just click on the link below the entry and you can insult me to your heart's desire. I'll be reading!

I think I got a total of three hours sleep! That's on top of all the sleep I lost worrying about finding a place to live. I had to sleep in one of the dingiest, dirtiest motels I've ever had the, uh, what's the opposite of priveledge? Oh, misfortune! On of the dirtiest motels I've ever had the misfortune to sleep in. Not that I did a lot of that. The place is called the Park Lane Motel in Medicince Hat. They don't like me bad mouthing them? Sue me! If they were ever awarded a star, they should give it back. The place smelled like the inside of one of those smoking rooms you'd see in a Montreal mall. And that's before you get to the room. After a brief overview of the room, I dubbed the Park Lane in French, le Motel de Urine.

Upon getting to the room and deciding to turn in, I pulled back the comforter...Then quickly put it back. I didn't like the look of the blood stain. So I laid on top of the comforter! With my clothes on! With the lights on! And I stayed awake for hours. One wall was concrete, the other drywall, and I swear it was the concrete wall that was making all the noise. That was okay though because it was drowning out the loud whir comin from the dirty, skanky little bar fridge beside the wardrobe. Even the obligatory bible beside the bed had been savaged.

But you know what? Kay and Carl rescued me from staying there again. Not only that, but Carl took me for a ride to look at one of the places I was qualifying, and now I finally have a basement sweet (it's suite, I know! But it's sweeeeet!) to call my temporary home. The only thing it lacks is launry facilites. Oh, well! Guess I'll smell a bit!

On the vehicle front, I've got two dealers battling it out for my business trying to sell me a 4x4. Let's see who wins. I think it'll be the guy that goes the lowest. Teh heh!

Once again, I don't know how long it'll be for my next post. I'm using Kay and Carl's computer right now...with their permission, of course. Now it's quarter to 9pm, and I believe I need to catch up on some much needed slumber time. Thanks for all the well wishes everyone! Keep the good thoughts coming.

Well, tomorrow I have to find a new place to live be it a motel, a room or whatever. Not having much luck though because the motels are expensive and no one really wants to rent a room to a guy who only wants it till the end of February. Things just keep getting more interesting. So, why may this be my last blog for a while? Well, tomorrow I may be in a place with no internet which doesn't really matter because I won't have a computer anyway. Ty's lending me his PC, the one he doesn't use because of this pretty Mac I'm typing on, but I'm only bringing that along when I've got a better place to stay.

Also, after this week is up I'm off to Red Deer for Green Hand school. I'm pretty sure they're not going to going to have PC's for my personal use there. So, I'll try to get to an internet cafe or something every once in a while. Please don't stop emailing me as it gives me something to look forward to, but please don't be offended by my lack of response as I won't have the means.

I also went car hunting today. Not to successful because when Ty managed to actually take me around to look, all of the auto dealers were only open for another hour or so. So I got to test drive a Subaru Outback Impreza. Way out of my price range! But fun to drive, none-the-less.

So that's it for now! I'll update you all as soon as I can. Hopefully next time I blog I'll have a car, a place to live, and since I'm making wishes, I'll have forty kabbilion dollars.

Oh, and I also made contact with some people that I haven't seen since I last lived in Calgary 15-16 years ago. Kay and Carl Elter live in the Hat, and I may have dinner with them tomorrow. Neat, huh?

Ciao, all!

Well, today I was poked, prodded, had my ears and eyes tested, and, this makes me blush, I was fondled. Well, the doc had to check if I had a hernia. I'm just not sure what he meant by giving me flowers first or the way he invited me back to his place. I declined as I had a busy day still yet.

So, I have every darn piece of paper that I need to get my class 1 driver's liscence. The only thing I lack, however, is an actual Alberta driver's lisence. I'm still waiting! I need my class 5 lisence so I can reclass to a class 1. Waiting, I'm afraid, is not what I'm best at.

So I just got back from my driver's evaluation at Trican, and I think it went very well. Shane, my evaluater, said he liked my shifting and said he tell the boss I passed. So that's it! I'm done the formalities. I just need my liscence. Well, and a vehicle. Oh, and a place to live. Yeah.

Uh, bye.

It basically sucks not having a vehicle here. I mean, Tyler goes to work, Mel does her thing and I'm kind of stuck because I'm somewhere in limbo right now. It'd be nice if I could get out and about in this town to check her out a little, but I can't right now. Ugh!

So I got the formalities over and done with at Trican via an interview with the frac manager, Dan, and he turns out to be a really nice guy. However, I'm still not on pay roll until all of the other formalities are over and done with. Like, for instance, hearing test, physical, drug test, class 1 medical and reclassification of my class 5 to class 1 which I can't do yet till they finally mail me my class 5 Alberta lisence. So I'm kind of stuck at the moment and am literally unemployed. I have a job starting at the end of the week but it's not this week, it's NEXT week. Ugh!

Sorry to sound a little down, but I was really hoping this would all mesh together a little simpler. I was really hoping to take off for Green Hand school this Sunday and get right to working. Green Hand school is Trican's orientation period. They'll ship me off to Red Deer for five days and run me and my classmates through Trican's history, regulations, H2S and all the other aspects that an entry level employee should know but will forget immediately.

So I have to wait a week. Kind of wish I were a little more mobile. Kind of wish I was with my family. What a suck I am, eh? Someone give me some sympathy, and, no, don't tell me where I can find it in the dictionary. This is an all ages blog!

....fPASSED!!! Hah hah ah ha haha hahah! I passed! I can now drive practically any vehicle in North America that doesn't require specialty training. Wow! Who'd a thunk it?

Incidently, I pulled the same topic line joke on my Mother who has informed me that she loves me dearly but will smack me upside the head next time she sees me. Mom? You can rest at ease. I told Meloney what you said, and while I was typing away, she came up behind me and smacked me upside the head and said, "That's for you mother!" It stung a little. I'm sure you would have put more force into it, but can we be considered even?

So this is the team responsible for getting me through. The guy in the middle is none other that Willy my driving instructor. He is a very funny man, has a story for everything and won't hesitate to jump down your throat if you do or say something wrong. Did I do or say something wrong? Probably fifty times! But he got me through. The sweet little lady on the left is Jacquie who grudgingly allowed me to take her photo. She took me on my road test and put a guy who was so nervous that he could barely pronounce his name, at total ease. She's a sweety who'll dazzle you with stories of her family. The guy on the right is Warren. He's a fellow driving student who allowed me to come along on he lessons to view as much as I could. He also came on my lessons. So we learned from each other's questions and mistakes. I'm sure Warren learned more from me.

So yeah, I did it! Now I was supposed to go to Trican today to get some formalities over and done with, but we were hit with a little bit of inclement weather. It does't look it in the picture, but that was pretty well right after my driver's test, and that was six hours ago. It hasn't stopped.

So that's it so far. Um, I skinned my knuckle during the warm-up drive. You could feel a little bit of sympathy for me. C'mon! Cry for me! Oh, and I believe in an earlier post I made reference to the length of the tractor/trailor combo I was driving and said it was 54ft. I was wrong in my mathematical ways (actually, I just spouted of any old number in my head). It's actually 75ft. That's a long item to be cornering, eh?

Tomorrow is test day! Aaaaaagh! I bet I don't sleep a wink tonight! After complaining to myself about some time being robbed away from me due to administrative stuff that Willy had to do and a faulty electrical plug on Mabel that fed the electricity to the side running lights and tail lights of the trailer, Willy informed me that he'd be making them up to me...Tomorrow morning! So, now instead of being there by 8am I have to be there by 7am. Who cares! The longer the warm-up for my test which starts at 9:30am, the better. I'm going to be peaking, I swear! Wish me luck, y'all!

So today went extremely well. My shifting went well. My back-ups went well. And, get this, my cornering went extremely well thanks to this little exercise Willy had me do. He set up pylons in the yard, and I was doing figure eights around them. Wow, it is not as easy as it looks, not that I thought it looked easy! Willy sure makes it look easy thought. But ofcourse, he's been doing it for a lot longer than I have. And I may not have done the figure eights as fast as he did, but at least I didn't flatten a pylon like some instructor I know whose name was mentioned four times already. Heh!

So that's tomorrow. And now for a bit of nerdtastic news that I just came accross. It appears as if my favourite director and favourite author are teaming up to make a movie. When he's finished with all that Spiderman 3 business, Sam Raimi is doing a film adaptation of Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men. My Daughter, Kristen, read this book and gave it a thumbs up. Everyone who knows me well knows that I read Terry Pratchett constantly and that when I am without anything else to read, I will read Terry Pratchett books over and over again. I've pretty well memorised them. And who doesn't know how much of a fan I am of the Evil Dead series; especially the 2nd in the trilogy. Wowee! I've died and gone to geek heaven! Now the wait...

Oh, and as to that little scare I had yesterday about the school being sold and me getting a new instructor, that didn't pan out in a negative way. Apparently the school, Southern Alberta Truck Driver Training College Inc (and Job Placement Centre) has been sold, but Willy is staying on to run the school with all sorts of added benefits to himself. So, I don't lose a good instructor on my last few days, and Willy gets to keep doing what he loves to do with added benefits, as well.

So everyone, keep me in your thoughts tonight and tomorrow morning. I just don't want to spaz and take the instructor over a cliff...well, maybe if she fails me...

...but I had to get back to training. Two days in a row with out any serious driving makes one forget things...LIKE CORNERING! I did something today that I was so proud of not doing for the duration of my course...I RAN OVER A CURB!!! Twice, even! Grrrrr! You know what? It's an automatic fail if you run over a curb, or anything else for that matter; curbs, pylons, shitzus! It doesn't matter! You fail! So I got a little flusterred today, but when we got back to the yard, I proceeded to do my back-ups, straight line, driver's side and blind side, and they went well. As if I had been doing them for months. Yay me! For those of you who don't know what these are, and I checked the net for pictures and couldn't really find them, here's a brief overview of each type of backing:

1. Straight line backing - backing up in a straight line....DUUUUUUUH! Easy right? Wrong! You're 53ft long, man! Any little bump in the road makes your trailer want to go places that you don't want it to go. Like, for instance, to 7-11 when you want to go to Mac's.

2. Driver's side backing - this is used to dock into a docking bay when not being able to approach the bay from a straight line (see 1.). Therefore, you approch at an angle with the driver's side closest to the target area, steering the truck in the with this is mind: the trailer will go in the opposite direction you steer. This is the penultimate square peg in a round whole except it actually works. Everything is done via the driver's side mirrors, and no mistakes are allowed. That stuff's expensive!

3. Blind side backing - it is exactly like 2. except you have lost the advantage of most of your sight. You are approaching with the passenger's side closer to the target area, and you, like all other back-ups, blast the horn to warn every one that several tonnes of equepment are heading their way, and the driver has little chance of seeing you if you don't move.

Those are the back-ups! No, they're not easy! They just get easier, that's all.

So, now for some interesting news. I was dropped off by one of the other students. His name is Warren, and we sort of buddy up. He come's for the ride along to watch me make mistakes and I go with him to see the interesting shade of green he turns when he gets behind the wheel. Driving Mabel get's him so nervous that he is almost physically ill. So he drops me off today, and just before he does, he tells me that while I was unhooking the trailer from Mabel to finish off the day that Willy told him that the trucking school had been sold and that Willy may not be there tomorrow. There may be a new instructor! What?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Now that I have all of Willy's little idiosyncrasies built into my driving a new guy is going to come along an teach me his way? I HOPE NOT! I sure hope Willy's there in the morning! I only have a day and a half left of instructional.

Oh, boy!

So what did I do today? I didn't set the alarm! HAH! I actually slept in till 9am, boys and girls! It was the best sleep I've had at Ty and Mel's yet. It's not that I'm uncomfortable or anything, it's just a different place, y'know? It's not home. But after passing my airbrakes course yesterday, I felt exhausted. So I read a bit more of The Restaraunt at the End of the Universe and zonked right out.

So, I woke up, did a light workout, then went to the gym with Tyler (if I'd have known I was, I wouldn't have done the light workout), and then we went out for lunch at a place called Houston Pizza where I. in fact, had a meal that totally didn't resemble pizza. Well, actually, it had sauce, meat, and veggies and was some what round and bready, but it wasn't pizza. It was a Quesadilla. I bet you wanted to read my blog just to find out what I had for lunch, didn't you?

Well, Michelle informed me of something that got me all teary eyed when I checked it out last night. First I'll give a brief back story. My buddy Shannon and I always get together and, not so much as berate our wives, because that would be dangerous. No, we'd get together and put a little spin on how tough it is to be a husband and father. Now, I in no way want to take away from how hard it is to be a wife and mother because we all know that Michelle has put up with me and the kids for many, many moons. It's just that when we get together, be it me and Shannon or any of my other guy friends, it's just guys, y'know? This explanation will probably only be understood by guys, eh? So we thought it would be funny to come up with a web comic that puts a tongue in cheek spin on the daily crap that husbands and fathers put up with. Very tongue in cheek! With disclaimers that say in no way should your wife kick your but for reading these comics.

So Shannon and I did a little net research to see which domain names were available, and after coming up with site names that actually existed and brought up content that not only made me blush but vomit in my mouth a little, we came up with the name "Take it Like a Husmand." Shannon secured the domain, put the website on his server and I started to learn a little HTML. We came up with some good ideas for the comic, and I was doodling again to figure out characters and looks. And then....

I came to Medicine Hat. And the whole project was put on the back burner. I promised that as soon as I could I would start submitting content, but with out a PC (I'm typing on Ty's Mac that I only know how to email and blog on) that would be a while. Plus this whole adventure is eating up my time, too. So Michelle tells me last night that I should check out the site. And I did! And I nearly cried. Shannon Porter, you're a sweet man! I'm not telling everyone what's there, but they can see it for themselves if they go to www.takeitlikeahusband.com. Check it out and say, "Awwwwww!"

I had to attend my air brakes course today. It started around 8:00 am and was supposed to got till 6:00 pm, but with all of Willy's stories, an extra hour and a half was added to the schedule. That was darn near a 12 hour day. But I'm done, and I don't have to do it again...Well, unless the government makes me. And we all know that we have to listen to the government. It's for our own good.

So now I have my Q ticket (air brakes), and I have a day off tomorrow. I've promised myself that I wouldn't set my alarm. I need sleep! So I'm watching Serenity with Tyler and Mel and then reading till I sleep. And I'm not studying! No! You can't make me.

So, I managed to drive around a pretty populated district by Medicine Hat airport. Guess what? No one died. I turned, I parked, I turned some more. Getting to be pretty confident with this stuff. Then we went on the highway, and I proceeded to split shift, no problemo. Split shifting involves engaging a thumb button on the gear shift that puts you into the high version of whatever gear your in and drops your revs about 250 rpm. Say you're in 5th with out the button engaged. That'd mean you're in low 5th. Your revs get up to about 1700 - 1800 rpm, and you push the thumb button forward, your rpms drop 250 and you're in high 5th. That's splitting 5th. Easy, huh? Well, there's 18 flippin' gears in that monster, and you gotta know where they all are.

Speaking of the airport earlier, when I got in to Medicine Hat last Sunday, Jan 1st, the first thing I noticed was that there were quite a few cats in the terminal. Now, the terminal isn't that big, but there were four cats sitting there gaining loads of attention. They had water bowls, and I'm not sure if I saw a food bowl or not. I found out, and should have figured for myself (well, I did actually), that these were the airport's mousers. They keep the building rodent free, and, I guess, are a sight more welcome that mice.

So, anyway, I got Mabel back to the school's lot which had turned into such a muddy mess due to the warm air and melted snow that Mabel's tires were spinning if I wasn't too careful. I proceeded to perform driver's side and blinds side back ups and they, too, went off without a hitch. Score two good days in a row for Derek.

Now, tomorrow is air brakes day. 10 hours of calss work. Long day. So I'm going to read my air brakes manual and get some much needed sleep. Oh, and I'm attaching a picture of me and my new girlfriend, Mabel. Isn't she a beaut?

...the written test this morning. Still have some driving to do today. Willy says he'd going to unleash me onto some populated areas this afternoon. Poor people of the populated areas. They don't know what's coming.

So I got two wrong on my written test today. No, I don't know how many I was allowed, and no, I didn't ask how often or how many times I could write the test. I didn't want to jinx myself. So one of the questions involved allowable length. I had the right answer at first, but I decide that a perfect score was kind of showing off, so I decided to change it to a wrong answer. Well, the part about changing the answer is true, anyways. I also messed up the colour of the clearance lights of the trailer. They're supposed to be red, not amber. Sheesh! But I passed, and I don't have to write it again.

The lady who gave me the test looked angry. Not that she was. It just looked like she had something foul smelling under her nose. But she didn't treat me badly. She just gave me the test, passed me, and then gave me a vision test again. I think I need galsses once again. She didn't jump the gu at all. She just had me read the smalles line of numbers in that goggle vision testing device that all motor vehicle branches have. They were blury; I need a real eye test.

So, for now I have my test permit. Now to drive some more. I may tell you later today what happened during today's driving lesson. But not if it's too embarrassing.

Well I'm dog tired right now due to reading a tonne of stuff, driving a tractor-trailer, trying to get back into working out (Tyler's going to kill me), and not sleeping properly because I'm not is familiar surroundings. Also, the bed's unfamiliar and I don't have Michelle next to me at the moment and Rylee isn't crawling in between us at 2:30 am. The absence of this actually robs me of sleep. Go figure!

So to sum up events so far:
1. Decided to go to Alberta, Medicine Hat to be precise, to chase down an opportunity that a friend, Tyler, put me on.
2. There is a position that starts in May that is right up my alley and will use that degree I worked so hard for.
3. Due to a lack of experience, and a lack of job, I am to get my Class 1 driver's license and work as a grunt till May (I hope that isn't insulting to ACTUAL grunts. It's just what I've been told).

So this Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006, I started my training. And this is the rundown until today:

Tuesday, Jan 3/06 - Met Willy. Willy is an Indian. Don't tell me they're called Natives because he's the one that keeps calling himself that. Willy is cool! He took me in Mabel, the truck's name, to a back country road of which Medicine Hat and all of Alberta have a plenty. He taught me to upshift. After a little while, I got it. It was just odd not using a clutch to shift. I've heard of double clutching, but Willy says that's hard on the gear box, and who am I to argue with Willy. We end the 3 hour lesson by getting onto the highway, heading back to Redcliff (the small town just outside of the Hat that houses the driving school) and my sphincter begins to pucker. I'm driving tonnes of machinery down the highway at 100 km/hr. That is so freakin' cool. I may enjoy this after all.

Wednesday, Jan 4/06 - Willy teaches me to downshift. This is not as easy to learn as straight up-shifting. You have to press on the stick, tap the accelerator, then immediately rev up the motor to the appropriate rpm so you can slide the stick into gear. Willy says he's going to put toilet paper over the tachometer if I keep staring at it. I stop staring at it. Apparently a good driver should be able to shift be ear. Well, I eventually learn to down shift. All is going well, until...

Earlier on, Willy points left and says, "Take a right here." I say, "Um, do you mean left?" To which he laughs and says yeah. Oh, and I should mention that I acquired this nasty habit of saying sorry every time I heard any grinding noise while I was shifting. Weird! Anyway, it's getting towards the end of the lesson. I've been cornering, and cornering very well according to Willy, when it was time to head back to the school. We come to an intersection, Willy says to turn right and I proceed to turn left. WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING! Willy justs laughs and says that maybe he meant right because he couldn't figure his rights and lefts out earlier. So my little mistake gives us a different approach to the school. I have to turn right onto the highway and left onto the road that takes us to the school.

I made it onto the highway, no prob. However, when approaching the right hand turn I couldn't seem to downshift into the appropriate gear. I just couldn't do it. And while I'm wrestling with the stick and the revs, I'm getting closer to the turn. In fact, I completely forgot to break. Willy reaches over and applies the engine breaks and the trailer breaks and says not to turn. So what do I do? I freakin' start to turn! What the #$%* am I doing!?! Willy yells stop! It takes me a little bit of more shouting to realize he means to apply my foot brake. I apply it and we come to a stop and stall (because I didn't push in the clutch) and there's a little truck right in front of us who I could have just rolled right over. My heart is just beating out of my chest and I mutter, "Sorry" again to which Willy replies that sorry doesn't cut it. He's right of course, it wouldn't. If I would have run over that truck, sorry wouldn't have done a darn thing.

The truck pulls away and I'm pretty sure the drive didn't even notice me or the huge bohemoth that was bearing down on him. I start up the tractor and we head back to the school. I do an air brakes inspection. I finish up and my chest is tight and I feel my worst, not first, pangs of doubt about this whole ordeal. After I tell Tyler about it in the evening he tells me some similar stories that happened to him. I'm relieved, but not much. I have trouble sleeping that night.

Thursday, Jan 5/06 - Today was freakin' awesome. Not only did I come in with a "Get 'er done!" attitude, but everything went as smooth as Exlax (tm). I proceeded to up-shift, downshift, inspect, back up, unhook and hook up the trailer. I did it all! Willy says if I keep going like this I'll have no problem with the test. I just don't want to get too over confident. Also, I went for a ride after my lesson with the next student, Warren. Nice guy, about 25, and just as, if not more, nervouse about driving these gargantuous metal beasts. He even said that he felt like throwing up, he got so nervous. I relax a bit, but not too much. I still have the written test tomorrow, a medical to pass and a driver's test coming up next Wednesday.

So that's it so far. Not too brief, but it really is just a summary. Those of you who know me know that I like to write, even if it is just nonsense. Ty and Mel have been great and really supportive, and Michelle found out that our cell phone family plan has long distance minutes that we can use, so I can call her more often and not have to put up with Skype (internet phone) crackling and cutting out all the time. Nice idea, poor execution.

I'm not guaranteeing a daily write up, but I'll try to post often. Let you know how the career is unfolding and what stupid things I'm trying. Like, uh, being healthy and, uh, not yelling at old people. Yeah! That! I'll give you more of a description of some of my students and instructors later, too. Maybe a picture even. Right now, it's off to bed. Got a test tomorrow, dontchaknow...

Toodles

(PS. Love you Michelle! Love you Kristen! Love you Rylee! You too, Lilly)

Oh! And here I am when I had hair. Fond memories.