Friday 14 February 2014

Tears before bedtime.

My daughter passed her driving test in November of last year, but due to the fact she was still 17 and would turn 18 on 22nd Dec...and...all our car insurances were due for renewal in January it was prudent to wait until January before she got her car and was insured as she can't afford the insurance on her part time waitress job wage and she can't work full time as she is still taking her A'levels at Sixth Form College.
 
Husband (and me!) brought her a little red Ford Ka, 1.3 petrol, which we have called Rosie - although this morning I called her Ruby Roo, so we will have to see which name sticks.  So Rosie has been in my husbands garage (his new business premises) for the last couple of months and she had a bit of work done on her as well as new tyres, MOT and yesterday she got her tax.
 
Now, daughter has never driven at night, never driven a car that wasn't an instructors car so never driven a car without dual control.  Hubby was nominated to take her out for her first 'qualified driver' lesson and last night they headed out.
 
It was after 6pm.  It was dark.  My son and I moved all the cars around the drive, we have a few due to my son and my husband having a bad habit of collecting them and even though I have a constant moan and nag about 'my garden' being full of metal sculptures with wheels they still seem to multiply... we moved the 4 cars to one corner of the drive, leaving Rosie the length of the drive to the gate and beyond onto the lane.
 
Ben (my son) and I then waited in the kitchen.
 
Firstly, daughter came back in, she had forgotten the current tax disc, a legal requirement.  Then she came back in, she needed a cushion to sit on.  Now daughter is 5ft and tiny hence the Ford Ka, hubby thought that was a nice little car.  Daughter is still too small. 
 
When they came back it turns out that daughter also forgot to put her seat belt on until they had done 2 miles...another legal requirement!  She is blonde.
 
They were gone for about 45 mins.
 
Daughter came in first, in tears, hubby followed clutching a bottle of Gin.  Unopened but that was soon remedied!
 
Turns out that daughter has better road placement than me, apparently according to my husband the 'professional driver', but she has no clutch control.  My grass around the drive is now churned up which isn't really helped by the heavy rain fall.  On reversing into the drive daughter hit the hedge, gatepost, drove over the grass, all backwards without any forward straightening up of the vehicle, and clipped my lilac bush.
 
Husband told her that she isn't to go out on her own in the car until she has clutch control.
 
She burst into tears.
 
Ben and I were high fiving each other at this point and squabbling over who owed who the ten quid as we both predicted this outcome.
 
Husband is not a very good passenger.  Daughter is a new driver.  It has to be said that I will drive anything, if its got wheels I drive it, never had a problem, I love speed and I love cars - I do hold a Mechanic Certificate that I got when I was 17 and know my way around an engine, however, I got married and rarely put fuel in the car...why have a husband and do that yourself :P  But, even husband and I will have a heated debate on how I drive, my favourite tale to recall is when we hadn't been together long and had a bright yellow Allegro with an orange bonnet, I called her Beryl and I loved her, we were a bit poor back then.  I was driving and was in the centre of 5 way traffic lights and husband - then boyfriend - was trying to tell me what I was 'doing wrong'.  I do have a short temper and after telling him what to do with his advice I got out of the driver's seat, shut the door and calmly walked away, leaving him sat in the middle of the traffic in the passenger seat.
 
He now goes to sleep if I am driving, it has saved our marriage.
 
Both husband and son have driven the Ford Ka and so last night both were telling daughter that her driving needs practise, she did find the funny side of churning up the drive and not remembering her seat belt..needing the cushion..and her father stopping off to buy Gin.  I hadn't at that point driven little Rosie.  I like big cars so driving Rosie wasn't something I dashed out to do, that and these days I rarely go anywhere to warrant driving.  So this morning once again the rain is relentless so I took girlie to college in Rosie.  I would have liked her to drive Rosie to the other side of the gate, every bit of practise helps, right? but daughter was adamant that wasn't going to happen and after trying to cajole her into it for 20 mins I gave up and she walked down to the end of the drive in the rain and opened the gate.
 
First impressions of Rosie were that she is smaller than I am used to and I was quite shocked to see that I didn't move the seat much from where my daughter had had it last night, but I did remove the cushion!  I selected all the gears, repositioned the mirrors, turned the key and that rumble of a petrol engine in a little car that really wants to be bigger fired into life.  By the time I got to the gate I had figured out my daughters issues.
 
My husband is a lorry driver and my son drives tractors and massive farm machinery so both are big and strong, when they drove Rosie they didn't feel the very heavy clutch.  You do have to rev Rosie and as daughter has only ever driven the driving instructors brand new car, Rosie is a few years old, that too is different, plus the biting point is really high.  Then there was the steering.  Powered steering my arse!  You need to two hands to pull Rosie round and you definitely cant change gear and steer around a tight corner at the same time - I did try.  Husband did put bigger alloys on Rosie and I think they may be the problem with the steering.  All these points I have told husband when I got back home and he has taken Rosie to the garage to see what he can do, but on the way back from dropping off my daughter...
 
Wow! I love Rosie.  My daughter will get her confidence back up and get used to a different car then she will love Rosie.  Rosie goes like the clappers, she is small so fits in all the nippy spots that is needed for city traffic and down the country lanes she is zippy...I did slow down to go past the dog walker near the massive puddle...I might not go out much but I am certainly going to be going out a bit more for the time being, everything I have ever said about Ford Ka's I take back.  They are huge fun and the 1.3 goes well!!  All I need now is a bit of road and a full tank of petrol :P
 
Seeing as this blog is picture light, here are some flowers I have been making this week, they will be on eBay at some point.  I do have some auctions running at the moment click this eBay link to take you to the auctions 
 
Catch you later I really must get husband to bring Rosie back I need to go out! 
 



15 comments:

  1. Oh, the woes of learning to drive or to teach one to drive.

    Your daughter did better than mine. She smashed me between our two cards and it required the fire department to get me out from between the cars. She is an excellent driver now.

    I love the floral designs you make. In that last photo, I love the red flower.

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    1. Oh my goodness! Its so scary isn't it? I am now wondering if mine should ever have past her test, I have taken her out twice now and she is just not confident enough to be safe.

      At least I have glass to relax me! LOL

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  2. Easy to forget how we all have different driving styles and tolerances for the foibles of our own cars. I'm so pleased you figured out the differences in the new car as you daughter's confidence will be really boosted to know she wasn't all to blame. As a newbie she'd never have known the differences and just put it down to lack of skill. Her only problem now may be that Mum and Rosie are nowhere to be seen!

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    1. LOL it is a great little car, unfortunately my daughters really under confident :/ still practise makes perfect!

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  3. love it, Yoke has a KA - TuTu, its been from here to Lincoln and back but normally only to work and back, about 6 miles a day its a 52 plate and still going strong, at least your daughter did better than mine, both of them started lessons then decided they did not like the tutor, then when we changed and booked a set of lessons with another they 'liked' - well we lost track with other things happening and realised she had not had any for a while - she just decided not to do them anymore no idea how many they had or did not have but my answer now is - I paid - you bombed - you want to learn - you pay. So now neither of them can drive and moan about not able to get anywhere. Ah well life is full of little lessons - choice - consequence :-)

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    1. Oh dear Tomcat its going to be expensive for them now. I am loving Rosie I actually parked her in a teeny tiny space in Hereford the other day I was so chuffed my big Peugeot estate would never have fitted...not so good on the weight loss programme though, I parked closer to my destination because she is so nippy...less far to walk!!

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  4. Your flowers are gorgeous! And I have no doubt that your daughter will get the hang of Rosie! That scene brought back so many memories for me! Unlike you I was a bit of a slow learner with driving and needed all the help I could get! My pop was my teacher like your husband and..Ha...there were plenty of times he came home and opened a beer! Loved this post...gave me a big chuckle!!! All the best this week! Nicole xoxo

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    1. Hehehehh Nicole, my flowers are inspired by the beautiful ones I keep seeing on blogs and yours is one of those blogs :) Glad I am not the only parent that needs a stiff drink when I get back. Lx

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  5. No he sabido si reir o llorar. Su hija conseguira domar a Rosie, todos lo hacemos al fin y al cabo. Solo necesita practica y tiempo. Y tambien paciencia.
    Sus flores hermosas.
    Saludos desde Chile
    Maru

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    1. Hola Maru gracias por tu comentario preciosa Espero que algún día ella se domar Rosie.

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  6. I love your flowers-just gorgeous! The story of your daughter and learning to drive-well that sounds just like me back at that age-she just needs lots of practice and confidence-and some patience thrown in-

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    1. Ha Kathy...with a bit of gin or wine for the mother LOL. She will get there I am sure and having heard some stories from other parents we are not alone. I am loving the flowers at the moment and seeing beautiful blogs with gorgeous flowers from all over the world is so inspiring.

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  7. Hi Laney! Thanks for visiting me. Lovely to meet another UK blogger through GYB- and one close too - my family is in the Forest of Dean:). I sympathise with your daughter - I'm only 5' too,and it was a real problem when I learnt to drive. I still need cushions! Your beads are so clever - I love the red rose - just fab!

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    1. Hi Jules, its amazing the internet to 'meet' people so close! Forest of Dean is beautiful and I haven't been there for several summers, if you are ever over this way shout and come for a coffee :)

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  8. Oh Laney I could just imagine you getting out if the car and leaving Jim sitting their in the middle of traffic, made me chuckle. I am sure after you have now given your expert opinion on Rosie, C will get more confidence with time. I actually failed my first test through lack of confidence mainly with gear changing!! Did not stop me, I think I am an excellent driver just ask my hubbie!!! I am sure he will agree!! He has too 80)) ((twisting arm up his back!!!))

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