fredericks | Progress

I've taken a step towards getting my license by obtaining my learner's permit today. Again, since I'd gotten it in the past but I slept on actually taking driving lessons and the road test so it expired, but still. I spent a surprising amount of time angsting over the mandatory written test even though everyone kept saying it was easy, but I ended up passing it with no problem (perfect score, and aren't I a sad little bee because I took pride in getting all the questions in that idiotic exam correct? gah). All told getting my learner's permit took two hours (the bulk of that time spent waiting for the DMV folk to get off break and grade my test), and I ended up leaving afterward to head to the beauty parlor to have them attempt to do something with the mop on top of my head.

I'd originally planned to attend a union event up in Albany today, but I bailed and rationalized that I would be better off using the day to initiate the whole "obtain my license before Labor Day" plan. Being off from work today has been great. Next Monday is Memorial Day, and so a number of nurses have decided to take the next couple of days off in order to extend their three-day weekend. Which means I'm basically guaranteed to be stuck seeing patients every remaining day this week because we're going to be short staffed. Which is fine, I just can't stand not knowing what's going on when I walk into the office in the mornings.

This weekend I got the chance to meet up with

emily_goddess and her sig-oh, and we spent time in my favorite museum in the city, the Museum of Natural History. It's always great to meet people who you've interacted with for an extended period of time online and find that they're just as awesome, intelligent, and funny as they seem via their posts/comments. I seriously have, like, the best FL; I'm totally blessed.

On the reading front: I finished a new book, The Gumshoe, the Witch, and the Virtual Corpse by Keith Hartman. The book is a bit of a hot mess, with a number of intriguing plot points and characters that aren't very fleshed out, but it was a nice cotton candy-type read. And, hey, I ended up ponying up for the sequel so I guess I didn't think too badly of it. I'm also trying to drag my way through Kate Griffin's A Madness of Angels. I realize if I feel drawn to a protagonist I can force my way through a book even if I'm not too fond of what's being presented. I'm about a hundred pages through Angels and the protagonist (Matthew Swift) remains an enigma (wrapped in gift paper covered in cellophane), but the urban fantasy aspect is novel enough to me that I'm trying to stick things out. However, Griffin's habit of describing the dress and attire of every major character introduced is more than a little grating. Today I also started Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America's Obesity Epidemic. I'm ingesting it with a shaker of salt at the ready, but I do concur that labeling obesity the cause of all of people's ills oversimplifies things to an absurd degree.

On the TV front: Kurt Hummel wearing flannel and singing Mellencamp will haunt my nightmares for a long LONG time. However, Chris Colfer's go at "Rose's Turn"? Pretty nifty.

Supernatural finale? Season 5 started out with a lot of potential. Lucifer was a nuanced seemingly complex character, the brothers appeared to be heading for a real showdown, the whole "angels/demons" dynamic didn't seem too strained, and then? Meh. Personally I'm hoping for a Crowley and Castiel spin-off ala Good Omens's Crowley and Aziraphale. One can only hope.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Good luck on the road to driving... I got my licence less than a year ago so I know it's a frustrating process (esp. the DMV wait times) but also rewarding.

My brother got his permit recently and he said he was in and out in under a half hour. I think I managed to catch the DMV folk during the lunch period which is why I was left waiting for such a long time. The hardest part for me will be learning how to drive, I think. I have this recurring nightmare about losing control at the wheel that is more my subconscious trying to tell me anything at all besides I'm destined to be a bad driver, but it still makes getting behind the wheel a bit unnerving.

To write my beginner's test and receive the actual permit took 3 hours at Access Nova Scotia - not untypical. Fortunately I did my road test in a small town so the office was much less busy.

I remember dreams like that, plus having an accident in which I did lose control of the wheel during a snowstorm didn't help. Probably not too reassuring... well, operating the car is pretty easy, and gauging the flow of traffic comes with time. You'll get it. :)

Yay permit! I took forever to get mine but it was sooo worth it. Even if not in NYC, it still gives you the option to rent cars and just have that independence.

I LOVED Kurt doing Rose's Turn! It was just so amazing :)

Heh. It was just laziness that stopped me from getting mine again. I need to be able to get around, though.

And Kurt's great when he's not in creepy stalker mode, most def.

Congrats on the learner's permit! I was freaked out about the written test too. And I was freaked out about the entire process up until actually driving my own car a couple weeks ago. :)

*grin* Thanks. You're my role model at this point, btw. I'm going to try to start driving lessons next weekend.

I'm a role model? Go me! But really, if I can learn without a car to practice on, and little confidence in my abilities, I'm quite sure you can do it too.

Yay, learner's permit! Don't forget to let me know if you want to come out and take the planet killer for a spin. I can teach you all my road rage techniques. I also loved Kurt's version of that song but the Mellencamp was horrifying. I'm anxiously awaiting the next episode on hulu but can we have one episode that does not center around Rachel at all? She's an awesome singer but gah! more ensemble, less Rachel-centric please!

Obesity as the root of all American evil is just another in a long string of people not wanting to take responsibility for anything that happens in their lives. It's Soda's fault, it's corn syrup's fault, it's sugar's fault, etc. etc. You'll have to let me know how that book is. I've got Food Inc. on the reading/watching list coming up.

*grin* Definitely. One of these weekends when your schedule frees up let me know and I'll bug you for a ride. I'll even pay for gas!

How'd you like the last eppy of Glee? Is it up on Hulu yet?

And if I can buckle down and get through that book (non-fictions have to work hard to keep my interest) I'll tell you how it is. I've already taken a couple of breaks while attempting to make my way through.

Congrats on the permit! And thanks for mentioning the Fat Politics book -- looks interesting.

Thanks! And, yes, it is pretty intriguing. I just have to keep my attention cap on while I try to complete it. I'm such a lazy reader. I have no idea how I made it through college. :/

Definitely let us know what you think about the book when you're done. I have a few dieting/health books that I've been meaning to read but I'm not sure if they'd be more interesting, helpful, or infuriating so I haven't started in on the pile yet.

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