Saturday 26 May 2012

Round the Bend ... Literally

The awkward moment when, in this post, I tell you all that I'll be back to posting regularly ... and then fail to post on Thursday.

Bad Charley! *whaps head with a lampshade, Dobby-style*

However, I do protest, I've had more on my plate than I expected. Mum's been working for a few days, so I've been running about sorting things; father's day cards, my meals and putting markers in my borrowed books on Romanticism so that I can use them as references for my Extended Project later this week.

Oh, and I'm going to see The Avengers on Tuesday. I'm still slightly traumatised from the ending of Thor (which I watched with my friend at school ... and yes, I cried. I have a huge soft spot for Loki, alright?) but from what I've heard it's a movie well worth seeing. I'm ridiculously excited about it.

And, biggest news of all...

Charley's learning to drive.

Driving is one of the weirdest things I've ever done - and that, my friends, is saying something. It's like a fish being asked to swim backwards ... only I'm hoping this won't kill me, however high the chance is. Hand-eye co-ordination was never a strong suit of mind and thus, coupled with multiple actions that I'm supposed to perform at once and a gearbox that walked straight out of the mouth of hell, means I occasionally make a mess and panic. 

However, I like to think I'm improving - Mum's been taking me out every day and we've been pootling around the army camp (which, surprisingly, is not as suicidal as the proposition might sound from the outset) and I've been practicing Look-Signal-Manouvre, changing gears, manipulating the accelerator and brake, fiddling with the mirrors and attempting to work out how to use the clutch without looking. Some of these activities have met with more success than others.

Note: no fatalities have occured as of yet, unless you count a few squashed pinecones, an already thoroughly dead piece of roadkill, and a few suspected heart palpitations in my driving instructor. 

Also, the clutch hates me. Just sayin'.

Other than that, I'm just popping by to let you know that I'm going to start drafting up my first few reviews of books in the next few days, as well as working out a few new Writerly Guides - which, by the way, if you have any ideas for, I would love to hear!

And now I shall leave you with heart-melting cuteness:


~ Charley R

29 comments:

  1. Ah, we sound rather alike...hand-eye coordination has never been my forte, and when I learn to drive goodness help any cats, birds or pedestrians that get in my way.

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    1. Hehe, same here - thankfully they seem to see the L Plates fast enough thus far, so no casualties yet! *crosses fingers*

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  2. Nice Harry Potter reference by the way. It is a fine art, flawlessly working Harry Potter into our day-to-day lives, but after so many re-reads I am getting rather good at it (not meaning to boast or anything ~flips hair~)

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    1. Heehee, thank you! I was wondering who would spot that ;)

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  3. I should probably see 'Thor' some time, on account of my massive Loki fangirl thing. :D

    I'll be able to learn to drive in a few months. I'm not really looking forward to it, but I've done a lot of cycling so in terms of actually understanding roads, routes, short cuts and laws, I guess I'm a bit ahead.

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    1. You should. Oh gods all, the end .... the end is heartbreaking ... I wept. Copiously.

      Hehe, trust me, you think you know the road? It's a very different beastie in a car. Trust me. 'Tis scary and awesome and weird. Especially the weird xP

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    2. I'm trying to find someone who's got it on DVD so that I can borrow it, but haven't yet. Also, you cry at EVERYTHING.

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    3. Yes .... yes I do. It's unfortunate.

      Better than the raging hysterics I've been known to burst into in other situations xD

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  4. Congratulations on driving! How would it sound if I asked some of our mutual writer friends to pitch in as a sort of insurance to bribe anyone you maim, kill or scratch slightly in your learning efforts? Wait... Considering your progress so far, [we might need a lot more money than I originally supposed] you probably don't need any assistance.

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    1. Hehehe, I have my Nazgul messenger ready to deliver the aforementioned "insurance". And yes, you would need way too much money. I suspect doom may occur when I go out onto the open road with my mum xD

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    2. Yeah, I'm not so sure about this idea anymore. I'd rather just bribe you to not run me over.

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    3. Probably. Though you might be counter-bribed to run me over. I'd be better off staying away from you altogether.

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    4. An excellent plan, my friend ;)

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    5. Okay. *nods* I'll do it, then. *stays away*

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  5. I think you've definitely made the right choice, in learning to drive basically as soon as you can. I didn't want to start lessons and the lark back then, and have ended up doing it all now, 5 years later. I now kind of regret that >_> but oh well. My test is booked up for July, so should be all over soon.
    How are you finding learning all the 'highway code' rubbish? XD

    And you haven't seen The Avengers yet :O
    Being the movie freak that I am, I've been to see it 3 times... What? Tis a good movie, I regret nothing XD Hope you enjoy it!

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    1. Ehehehe, I haven't even started looking at the theory. I can read road signs and avoid crashing into things thus far - I'll get to the rest later, haha!

      I'm soooooooo looking forward to it .... not just because of the massive Loki crush ... honest! Everyone says it's really good and positively hilarious in places. I can't wait :)

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  6. Congratulations on your driving start!

    Starting on a standard is a beast. I did it, and while I might be better coordinated than you, it was still horrible... Hill starts and stalling *shudders* (We'll not mention the bf who essentially 'showed my up' one day and was then called out for it by... oh gee I forget, his mom maybe).

    Anyway I had to renew my permit once and take the test three time before I got my license. Do not view this as oh my I'm going to fail, but that through persistence you will succeed. I had so much practice under my belt by the time I went to take the third test that, despite the fact I stalled in an intersection (immediate grounds for failure), the woman passed me because: 'I don't know why you failed the other time, because you know what you are doing'. *grins*

    Yes, I got my first permit at 16 and my license at 19 (but I still beat out my mom who didn't get hers until 21 - riding a bicycle year round in Northern Maine, is not an option). :}

    The weirdness will fade and you will prevail Charley! (after all I"m certain you have the dogged determination to do it, plus it forms a good basis for driving those weapons of world domination you'll soon be producing) *huggles for luck*

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    1. Hehe, thanks for the encouragement. I intend to make sure I know what I'm doing very very well before taking a test, so I should be just fine there.

      As for my World Domination weapons, i intend to get specialist drivers for those. My motion sickness will keep me watching atop my castle rather than on the front line .... unless I find some way ot get myself a dragon xD

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  7. Eep! I turn sixteen this year, which means I can get a learner's permit and learn to drive. And frankly, it's kinda freaking me out! My friends who have tried it say it's not too hard, so I try to remind myself of that. We'll see how I do when the time comes... ;)

    Also, enjoy The Avengers! I've heard it's good, though I personally haven't seen it. It doesn't seem like my kind of movie, frankly, but whatever. I hope you like it!

    And good luck making that clutch behave!

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    1. Hehe, we have to be seventeen here in the UK to start - it's scary! And awesome! Scawesome! I'm sure it'll be fine once we get the hang of it - it's just not something that comes naturally to klutses like me, lol. Especially that *Elvish expletive* clutch!

      Hehe, thanks. I'm looking forward to the film. Haven't been to the cinema in ages!

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  8. I haven't seen the Avengers yet! I've heard great things about it though!

    I love driving!

    A tip with the clutch. Keep your toes tight.Makes the release on the clutch smoother imo.

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    1. So have I - hence my excitement.

      Thanks for the tip! I just can't work out how to put my feet on it - my mum HATES me lifting my foot off the ground, but my legs are too long and awkward for me to place my foot in the right place to just lift it with my toes. I'm also freaked out at the prospect of stalling or lurching into the street ... can't quite find the sweet medium just yet, haha!

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  9. Oh, dear lord. It's lovely to finally meet two other bloggers who love Loki as much as I do. Because he's just amazing. So, thanks. XD

    How are your Loki feels faring? Not causing you too much trouble?

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    1. Ah, we both adore him beyond measure. Thor's nice to look at, but Loki ... just WANT! xD

      Eh, they're alright. The ending of The Avengers gave me hope he might be back ... or that the scary alien overlords might kill him in retribution for the failed invasion. That thought worried me.

      Other than that ... Miriam Joy and I just keep sending each other lots of Loki fanart. Because we're clearly obsessed xD

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    2. Because we do what we want. Also because I'm stalking every comment on your blog because I'm supposed to be revising. YAYAYYAYAYAYA for failing.

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    3. Wheeeeee! We can fail together. My "revision" this year was useless. Did well in easter holidays, but well, at school .... that didn't go so well xD

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  10. My mum actually laughed at the suggestion that I may not be awful at driving. I guess I'll just have to wait a few months to see.

    Good luck!

    -Gabi
    (planetaryelastic.blogspot.com)

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    1. Hahaha, indeed. It takes some getting used to, but even I with my terrible co-ordination am getting hte hang of it now :)

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