Thursday, November 19, 2009

Hello? Hello?

Boy, now I know how to figuratively kill a room- mention Ted Harrison! Geez. No one has any love for graphic, rainbow-y representations of the Northern lights? Crooked Yukon buildings? Really? No one?

Now! Onto more information to bore you! I am finally learning how to drive a standard vehicle. Yes, I did not know how to do so before. Actually, up until Monday, I had not been behind the wheel of a car in 8 years. When I moved away from home, I left my beloved beast- my first, last and only car- behind. I still miss that vehicle. It was a 1984 Buick Skylark, dusty pink exterior, chocolate brown interior, grandma-driven before me...It was basically like driving a big, squishy mattress down the street. Boy, I loved her...But really, I've never liked driving for the sake of driving. I come from a car family- my Dad used to drag race out at Mission (a 1975? Ford Fairlane), and my brother raced zippy go-karts around puberty- but I've never seen cars as anything other than transportation. Sure, I can pick out a classy vehicle (I have fine taste, too), but generally cars elicit little more than a shrug from me. Here in Edmonton, what with Entitleades and other such gas-guzzlers out in droves, they often elicit eye-rolling and mockery as well.

Where was I going with this?

Oh yes! What with the horrible sprawl of Edmonton (the most poorly planned city in the world!), and the continually unpredictable shift of my work schedule, it is getting increasingly difficult to operate as a one vehicle household- and not only a one vehicle household, a one driver household. I feel better knowing that, in spite of my currently limited experience, I could actually drive Shawn to a hospital in an emergency. So who knows, fair readers! You may see me driving my own vehicle in the New Year. Ugh.

In other news, I have a lung inspection tomorrow. There is a $20 fee for lung inspections apparently. In an odd way, I'm looking forward to it. Mostly because I will (hopefully) discover the reason(s) I have periodically not been able to breathe and been susceptible to annual bouts of bronchitis over the past few years, but also because it is not invasive enough a specialist appointment to be scary. Since my cilia have been free from their nicotine/tar paralysis for several years now, I would have thought their now happy wriggling would have improved things. Alas.

Also also, there are potential changes afoot! Big changes! They are exciting, and a bit scary! I am reading about superstring theory and quantum physics to put it all into perspective. I find knowing that the building blocks of everything in the universe is essentially nothing, and that we create our own realities comforting.

And if you managed to read to end of this entry, even without the promise of photos, congratulations! Your attention span is longer than the average adult of the insta-generation! Now scroll down and feed the hamster!

6 comments:

Not Available said...

Chout!

I think it's true that we create our own realities, to a small extent. But so often, a pseudo-quantum science gets applied to real life. Films like "What The Bleep Do We Know?" or "The Secret" apply ideas like super-position to things like basketballs, and that's just not how the world works.

Everyone should know how to drive a standard. The first time I tried, when I was 14, resulted in tears of frustration, but now it's easy like Pam Beasley.

I hope you find out what's wrong with your lungs.

Chris said...

I agree that it's always handy to drive. Like you said about emergency's. You never know. But come on, Edmonton - worst urban sprawl. I'm betting at more we are 2nd worst...right behind Calgary.

Even with out the promise of photo's, your blog is great. A little place to get it out! So I hope if you do change blogs, we'll know..maybe an under construction tag line - Blog V2, now with more updates.

Guns said...

Steve- I completely agree about "What the Bleep"...And though it is a good, gentle intro to the ideas of quantumness, there's a little too much hokey-pokey, I'm-okay-you're-okay (and Marlee Matlin) for it to hold up much past the first viewing. As for my foray into standard driving, I think I did very well! Though you can talk with Shawn on that one for confirmation.

Chris- I'm glad you stop by! And there will definitely be a clear indication of where I've gone if I start my blogdom anew! Now watch my nerdiness take over- statistically, Edmonton is the largest city in area in North America with the smallest population. We win the sprawl award- not Calgary. It's one of the few things I "learned" whilst trying out higher education!

Anonymous said...

I loved that car, but remember it was actually a "Skyla" as the "rk" fell off. I cried when we left her at the car dealer.....good for you on the standard driving. Just for the record I always read your blog, now about that lung thing...call me!!

Anonymous said...

...changes????????

jaime said...

I can't believe you're back driving. I remember we had some good times in the Skyla. They just don't make cars that colour anymore. The stereo was one of the best parts. I'm pretty sure I had to twist some wires just to get AM. Between the Skyla and Reggie (remember Reggie, the 1980 dodge omni? Of course you do...how could anyone forget!), we were some pretty happenin' teenagers. Reggie would have been sweet if not for the whole 'mechanically unsound/piece of trash' thing.