Today was pretty fun. I got up and went into Glasgow to go to the university to see my advisor of studies. Got a bit lost finding where the heck I was supposed to be, par for the course really though! But yeah I found her okay and we went over that I’ve picked biology and chemistry and she asked what my third choice was going to be. I told her it was between computing, psychology and maths. She said that computing was one of the hardest courses, and she didn’t recommend I do that because it would likely distract me from biology and chemistry which are my main subjects. Psychology also has quite a lot of essays, and isn’t “all it’s cracked up to be” apparently. So I was left with maths, which she says is a brilliant course if I got an A in higher, and also the way the course works, I can start off doing the “hard” course, the one that keeps the option of graduating with a degree in maths open, and if I find it too hard I can drop to the “easy” course. So that’s brilliant.

I also met two other girls studying in the science faculty, they were nice too, and picked their subjects. Then she talked to us about lecture times, turns out I’m either at uni from 9-12, 2-5 or 3-6. So I can pick and choose when I have a lie in. How awesome is that? And then I have labs a couple of days a week too. Looks like I’ve got a fantastic timetable! We also talked about registering during Fresher’s, and found out that although it has all these complex timings depending on what letter your surname starts with, which is really overly complicated for the average Fresher to understand in the drunk stupor they’ll be in, you don’t actually have to go at a specific time. You also don’t have to go to anything else mentioned. Just the registration.

So after coming away from that I had a little wander, but it started raining, and I totally missed the :03 train so I went to my flat for a bit to wait for the :43 train. Said hi to Derek who is currently on his third nervous breakdown due to the fact he has a dissertation to finish in the next few weeks. Then when I was leaving one of the girls from the office came over and said I was getting a new flatmate tomorrow called Susan. I hope she doesn’t mind moving in to a party!

Not really done an awful lot else today, I just fell asleep on the couch as per. Looking forward to tomorrow’s party, should be good. =)

So yeah. I got up this morning and wasn’t really too nervous about the driving test. So I drove to Hamilton via Hal fords because Pamela has this comfort thing where she has to buy new air fresheners for every test. So we did that, and did a nice bay park in the car park which was fun. Pretty much a perfect drive to the test centre! After her saying that most people have a terrible drive before the test because they’re nervous. Got to the test centre and went in to have a seat before meeting the examiner. I was nervous then! Proper shitting myself.

So I met my examiner, and he checked my licence and then got me to read a number plate, then he asked me the two questions. He asked how I’d check the oil level, and then when we got in the car he asked me how I would check that the power assisted steering was working. Got them both right. Got into the car and was completely calm. Remembered that Pamela had left it in gear, and moved off fine. First off did the weird roundabout that has two exits and you’re turning left but you can’t signal left because it’s actually the second exit. Anyway, remembered that. Went onto a dual carriageway and I was good at my anticipation as there was a parked car obstructing the left lane so I moved into the right lane in plenty of time. I took my time getting back into the left lane, not sure if one of my hesitation minors was for that or not.

Then we went into a housing estate where I did both the turn in the road and the left reverse perfectly. (Damn, I’ve been practicing parallel parks all week!) Then we went back out onto the main road and up to a roundabout. This is where I failed. I was turning right, in the right lane, waiting for my gap. And every time there was a gap, it was in front of a big lorry. And I’m scared of lorries. So I hesitated rather too much, sat there for over 2 minutes. So I failed for undue hesitation. I knew I’d failed then, I sat there for way too long to only get a minor.

Then onto the expressway which went well, back round the one-way system and back to the test centre. I was fully expecting to have a few minors for signalling late, or for observations, and of course my fail for hesitating. And the examiner said that was a really great drive, but unfortunately I had failed on hesitation. However I only got a couple of minors which was fantastic! I’ve never got less than about 10 on a mock test. So of course there was the compulsory hysterical tears, and I am pissed off at myself for not going at that roundabout. That shall be my new “hate roundabout.”

I talked about it with Pamela and she agreed that was a fantastic result, even though it was a fail. So she drove us to get a cup of coffee and we talked about the test, I told her all the areas I did well and she seemed pretty happy. Then she drove us to that roundabout so that we could have a good look at it and make a reference point as to when it’s safe/unsafe to go. So I feel I can tackle that one now if it comes up again. So we drove home, and talked about my fear of lorries. And seeing as her husband Tom is a lorry driver, she suggested I go and have a chat with him and go out in his lorry. Just so I understand lorries more and hopefully am less scared of them. So I’m doing that tomorrow I think.

Got home and went out for lunch with parents to some garden centre place down Clydeside. Now I’m doing nothing. Trying to book another test. There’s no more tests until well into October. How sucky is that. I can’t do a test in October! So I’m keeping checking for a cancellation to go up. I’m going to be screwed if I don’t get another test before I start uni.

Well this morning was indeed my last 2 hour lesson before my test. Eek. We drove to Hamilton and went around a bit there, did all the manoeuvres until they were perfect, looked at road markings. Anticipated conflict situations. Everything was basically perfect, which has put me in a good mood for tomorrow. Well nervous though. Shall write tomorrow and tell the loyal readers what went on. Eek.

Argh, today’s lesson wasn’t as good as my previous two days. I messed up a roundabout and then kept kicking myself for it, and thus messing up other things. But the drive to Motherwell was perfect, and we did loads of parallel parks. One where this red van wouldn’t stop edging forwards because he wanted past me, and of course every time he moved, I had to stop because that’s what you’re supposed to do. So it took ages for me to complete the manoeuvre. Impatient idiot. And the drive home was pretty good too.

Then I went into Glasgow with Dad and Ben as Ben was going to Yorkhill, that was fun, came home from that via McDonald’s. I’ve had like 5 McDonald’s in the last week. That really can’t be good for you.

So yeah I came home and got ready for the Plain White T’s and met Hannah at the station, and we had a good gossip and catch up on the train. We got into Glasgow and decided on Pizza Hut for dinner, so more gossiping and catch up there. Ooh and we saw folk being arrested and searched for drugs, exciting eh? Then we found King Tuts no problem and only waited in the queue for about 10 minutes before they let us in, so we stood inside for another 10 minutes and were then allowed through to the stage. It’s a tiny wee stage! It’s quite good though. We got second row which was good.

The first support, All Time Low came on and everyone loved them. They were good, although I didn’t know any of the songs. And the dude kept coming out into the audience and the girls were all like, undressing him. LOL. Second support, Takota, were also quite good, although not many people knew their songs so they wern’t all that popular with the crowd. Then we waited pure ages for the Plain White T’s to come on but OMG it was worth the wait. They were amazing!

Lemme think what they played... Our Time Now, Hate, Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk, Revenge, Breakdown, Write You A Song, Stop, Breakdown, Tearin’ Us Apart, Come Back To Me, You and Me, Figure It Out, Let Me Take You There, Anything, and of course Hey There Delilah. And the encored with Take Me Away. Pure brilliance! Loved every minute. Okay so the audience didn’t know many of the songs off the new album, but I sure did! ^_^

This morning’s driving lesson was again, close on perfect. We went some routes I’ve not been before, and I messed up a right turn because I wasn’t sure where to position myself when waiting for oncoming traffic to clear at a crossroads, but we went round again and I got the position right the second time. I also hesitated a little too long at a junction, but it was nothing major so I’d either get a minor, or nothing for that. We also did some country driving and using the gears to aid downhill speeding-up-ness on windy roads. Did quite a lot of passing other vehicles on a single-track road too.  And had a good blether with Pamela! It’s nice driving about and talking, it’s amazing being able to do that though!

Then when I came home I headed into Glasgow to my flat to meet Imogen, my flatmate who is all the way from Essex. She was just a little bit hyped up! She’s lovely though, and she knows how to play Hey There Delilah on the guitar, so I’m going to make her teach me :D So I helped her in with all her many boxes of stuffs and she set up her sexy new computer, which doesn’t actually have the computer bit of yet.

Then she went off to Ikea and I ate Super Noodles and then as a result, missed the train I was supposed to get, and subsequently spent 45 minutes at the station. I was freezing. And then the train was also freezing so for once I didn’t go to sleep and wake up with ticket-dude going “err isn’t this your stop pal?” Fun.

Tomorrow I’m driving, then taking some shite into my flat with Dad because he’s taking Ben into Yorkhill hospital to get measured for new boots, and seeing as Yorkhill is right next to my flat, I’m going to go in with them. Then I’m coming home and going back to Glasgow again with Hannah to see the Plain White T’s. Can’t wait!!!

Well this morning’s driving lesson was brilliant. Easily my best lesson. We started out doing a couple of parallel parks, and then headed into Glasgow, and drove around in the MIDDLE OF GLASGOW. Which was very scary but fun! And we did more parallel parking there, so I think I have that pretty much nailed now. Then drove home on the dual carriageway and again Pamela was making me go fast and keep it at 70mph if possible at all times. She likes to terrify me. But we had a good blether today, she didn’t mention my driving much except to praise that I’d done something particularly well. And I finally got all 5’s on my card! Yesss!

So came home all hyped up due to my perfect drive, and then we went up to see grandparents which was kinda boring, and then Ben threw a tantrum so we had to come home and since then I’ve been sat on my arse in front of the TV. And I’m now going to bed through sheer lack of anything better to do.

Eveninggg! I’m dead happy tonight. Not really sure why. I went out driving this morning and had a pretty good drive. We did a lot of parallel parks and I almost have that right. Only thing I need to work on now is the parallel park and my clutch control/emerging at junctions. I’m bad at making the car work too hard by making it hold on a hill using only the clutch. Gas is needed!! Omg. And we were driving past the doctor’s in Carluke and she decides I’ve to parallel park BETWEEN two cars. There was soo little room and I was so scared of hitting the car in front, or the car behind, or the car parked opposite when the front swings out. But I made it in! Wahey...

Anyway yeah when I came home Dad and Ben were going out to football and Mum said she was going round the shops in Motherwell so I tagged along with her. Go some good bargains there. I got a gorgeous top for £1! Yes a quid. Amazing huh!? Umm got a couple of other tops too. Mum got bargains too. It’s a rare thing we both find something nice and cheap. So after that we went back home. Good day though. Must go sleep now. Driving at 10 tomorrow. <_<

Wells today’s lesson went okay-ish. Was getting used to driving Pamela’s car again which was weird. Have to remember to press harder on the gas. We didn’t do any mock tests we just did a general drive which went okay. Bit too much hesitation but nothing major. We did a couple of parallel parks too, I have that almost perfected! Then we came home and booked lessons for this week. Lesson every day. Woo. And a free one for her cancelling the two days before Iain.

Then after I came home I took Dad out to do some test routes. Well first we went to get biscuits from the biscuit factory in Lanark. Which by the way, smells so fucking good you actually can’t *not* get biscuits. Then we went to get tickets for tonight’s gig at Lanark. Surrogate Pink Floyd, who I’d heard are rather good. So then we went to Hamilton and did a couple of test routes, except the road markings have changed loads since the routes were updated, so there’s points where a random roundabout appears that isn’t supposed to be there, or a road just dead-ends. So a lot of turns in the road for Daddy. I actually had him quite scared of driving, lol.

Then we went to ASDA and did the shopping and then drove home, Dad driving like me. Sticking dead on 30 until hitting national speed limit and then putting his foot down and going 30-60 in like 10 seconds. Haha fun. Then we went home and told Mum and Ben that we were going to see Surrogate Pink Floyd. They were chuffed. ^_^

So we went to Lanark and got into see this band, who came on and played like, all the good songs and some stuff I didn’t know. What I can remember – Comfortably Numb, Money, Shine on you Crazy Diamond, The Great Gig in the Sky, Another Brick in the Wall, Us and Them, Pigs on the Wing, Run like Hell, Young Lust, Breathe, and Wish You were Here. They were actually amazing. And played everything totally live, which was proven when their sound system broke half way through, no tapes! Parents were well amazed too.

& LOL AT DRUNK FOLK IN LANARK XD

Okay so today was my second, and last, day with Iain in his sexy easy-to-drive car. We had a little drive to Hamilton and he stopped me outside the test centre and said that a mock test was starting. So we did the mock test, he asked me to pull up several times and I thought I’d failed for forgetting blind spot when moving off, but I kept going. Did a perfect turn in the road, even got all the observations in! Then he asked me to do a parallel park, which I did okayish considering it’s a bigger car and I have no idea where my arse-end is. But I still screwed it up and ended up miles from the kerb. There was also a lot of roundabouts on that route and closed junctions and meeting traffic.

So yeah, he stopped me back outside the test centre and said I’d passed! I was like, NO WAY. He said I’d probably have failed on the parallel park but he wouldn’t count it as it wasn’t my usual car I was doing it in. So 10 minors! For being in too high a gear for going up a steep hill, for rolling back at traffic lights, for forgetting that blind spot, for not checking mirrors once before signalling, for not checking mirrors before coming to a stop at lights, for signalling too late once, for not signalling on approach to a roundabout where I could have signalled, for hesitating right at the very last roundabout, for lack of observations at another roundabout, and for cutting lanes on a roundabout. Pretty damn good I think.

So I came home and grandparents were over, so I got to tell them about my passing. Well chuffed, lol. Then I’ve been trying to retrieve my emails. Because I was a silly fool and let the disk cleanup “clean up” my disk, thus deleting all personal files from Outlook. So I’ve lost many an important email. Meh. I’ve emailed uni again to get them to re-send the emails I need. I will be less stupid in the future. Also, my computer keeps randomly freezing. No idea why. Nothing is showing up in event logs so I really have no idea. I hope my processor isn’t dying.

Anyway, I’m going to bed. Got Pamela and her wee Cora back tomorrow, and Dad’s promised to drive me round some of the test routes so I can memorise... Err I mean familiarise myself with them. =)

Slept in ‘til the afternoon today. It was lovely. And I’ve done nothing all day, it was also lovely. I was supposed to have a driving lesson at half six, but Pamela called an cancelled as her car is in the garage ‘til tomorrow morning. So tomorrow’s is cancelled too, but she’s going to try and fit me in sometime in the afternoon or evening tomorrow which is good.

Gotta get away from here,
Find a way to disappear,
Say goodbye to everything and everyone I know,
Gotta go and leave this town,
All it does is bring me down,
I just wanna tell my friends no matter where I go,
I'll see them down the road

Today’s lesson was better (yes I have nothing better to write about than my lessons). We did a full 45 minute mock test, which I’ve never done before, I’ve only ever done 20 min blocks. So we did that round about Motherwell. Then she stopped me after it and counted up my mistakes. 4 fails and 4 minors. Which is a vast improvement on what I got on Friday in 20 minutes! And I got all 4 fails on pretty much the same roundabout. See that roundabout outside Wishaw Hospital. It’s wrong. And I hate it.

Then we drove about for a bit and practiced parallel parking as I’ve suddenly become shite at that, haha. I always end up the wrong distance from the kerb. I’m totally fine with left reverses and turns in the road. And I don’t need to worry about bay parking because the Hamilton test centre doesn’t have bays. So I won’t be doing any bay parking there. So rest of the week is just going to be practicing mock tests and practicing anything I mess up in the mock tests! Hopefully I’ll keep improving. Even if it does mean I have to talk away to myself.

Rest of the day I’ve sat on my arse doing nothing. Heh. My lesson isn’t ‘til 6:30pm tomorrow. So yay, lie in!

So today was quite alright. But very wet. I got woken up by Garrie, but I went back to sleep, but he woke me up again, haha. And it was raining. I was meant to be going into town to meet Garrie and I couldn’t really say no ‘cause he’d taken the day off for it. And then Mum wanted to go shopping. So we waited ‘til Dad and Ben were off to football and hitched a lift down to the station to avoid rain.

We got into town and I ended up shopping with Mum for ages. Got a couple of nice tops and some pyjamas. Then I left Mum and went to see Garrie at Central. Where were harassed by weird men. And fake homeless people. Eek. I didn’t get to spend much time with him as I had to meet my Mum again and get the train back. We went to Lanark to see grandparents and met Dad and Ben there so we got Chinese takeaway.

I fixed up grandma’s laptop and computer. How they keep breaking them I don’t know. They hardly ever use them! *Sigh* old people. Came home after that and was still soggy, so I went for a lovely bath with Lush bath bombs. Mmmm... Then off to bed.

This morning when I got up, I was going to go for a shower and stuff, but the power was off! So no electric shower, no hairdryer, no straighteners, no microwave. Feck. Disaster.

So I went for my driving lesson this morning, and she said we’d just do blocks of mock test. First block I had something like 6 fails and God knows how many minors. So that went badly. Then she made me park in ASDA in Hamilton which was scary. She suggested I talk myself through it all. So the second block I started talking to myself. Yes I’m insane. People must think I’m mad... “Mirror... Signal... Position – Left lane... Gear – down to second... Look – he’s blocking him so I can go...” But the thing is, I got 4 fails there, but I got them all after I stopped talking. Because I started off talking, and felt dumb, so I stopped.

So she got kinda annoyed with me and said I’d just to drive home. So I thought I’d practice this talking-to-self approach on the way home. And when we came into Carluke she asked me to pull up in a housing estate and do a left reverse. I really didn’t know what she was on, but did it anyway, still talking. Then she asked me to do a turn in the road, and half way through she decided the road was too narrow so I could abandon it if I wanted, but I felt like being difficult so I completed it in 7 turns. Then we drove home and drew up outside my house and she says “you’ve been on test the whole way home, and you’ve only got 4 minors” I was like, wow. Turns out I can do things when I talk to myself. Crazy huh? I got my minors for silly things – Pulling out at a roundabout (haha screw you hesitancy!), Not looking in blind spot etc.

When I got home the power was back on and I went and practiced my “show me/tell me” questions on my own car, so I now know where the oil and stuff is, and then I went out a drive with Dad to Motherwell. Just to see how bad a driver he is. Started off terrible, but he rectified his mistakes and I reckon he’s actually a better driver now. And it’s fun being a passenger and “mentally driving”.

Not doing anything tonight, too tired.

Argh, 9am lesson this morning. I hate getting up early. Anyways yeah we headed over to Hamilton and she said we were doing mock tests. So after she tested me on stuff from the book to check I still know what MSPSL stands for, we got on with a mock test. Which I effed up really badly. I touched the kerb on a left reverse, touched the kerb and failed to complete a parallel park, and touched the kerb on a turn in the road. To be fair, the parallel park was behind a van and there’s no back seats for reference on a van. And the turn in the road was on a really really narrow road!

So yeah, 5 fails and 17 minors. Not good.

Driving this morning at 10am. I’m so much better in the morning. We went off to Hamilton and I am so much better at going when it’s safe rather than waiting an excessively long time until it’s completely clear. She’s making me do right turns a lot to get over that. So yes, we went to Hamilton and did roundabouts to death. I get them now! Yess! And then we moved onto the double roundabout which is quite scary because you come right off a roundabout into another roundabout, so it calls for some mighty fast lane-changing. We did a left reverse and a turn in the road as well which went well. Today my weak point was uphill starts. Why have I suddenly forgotten how to do them? Ah well, I know I CAN do them.

Haven’t really done much else, got my legs waxed out of randomness. Oh aye, do not have a boiling hot shower after getting legs waxed. It stings. I’m off to bed now. My caffeine withdrawal is really getting to me. My head has hurt all day and I’m so tired.

Okay, so today I lay in bed all day as my driving lesson wasn’t ‘til half 5. However today’s lesson was marginally better than yesterday’s. I still can’t stay in the right lane on a roundabout, and I still hesitate way too much. But I like stopping at every roundabout! It’s nice and easy and safe and not scary. I’m a sucky driver. L Aye, and she says if I don’t improve a lot this week, she’s not letting me sit my test. Ahh!

So today was shite really. My lesson got moved to 1pm as opposed to 10am. I was glad, I don’t like getting up early. Lesson went unbelievably crap. I couldn’t do anything right except from a few of the manoeuvres. It was so annoying. I was constantly in the wrong gear, wrong position etc. Really really bad lesson. But she said it was okay to have a bad day. So I shall pick up tomorrow and do well. I will! Freakin test in 2 weeks and 2 days.

This weekend has been incredibly boring. Really. I’ve done nothing. I learnt some stuff on the keyboard actually but apart from that I’ve achieved nothing. I have driving lessons every day this week, in the hope that by the end of the week I’ll be up to test standard. Blahhh. I wish I could just drive.

I’m finally realising that I do have a hope in hell of passing this driving test. Today’s lesson went weirdly well. Well in that I wasn’t petrified the whole time. I did everything pretty good, even the most evil closed junction which is a stop, at the top of a hill, going onto a busy road. Hellish. Hill start and peep and creep and clutch control and anticipation. Urgh. Did it well though and it well boosted my confidence! Then when we were driving round, I started not being able to pull up the correct distance from the kerb. So we went in circles, and it turns out I can only pull up my required 6” from the kerb when I don’t think about it. Weird.

Coming home she told me I could pull up outside my house on the other side, or I could do a turn in the road, a right reverse, a left reverse, whatever. So I opted for a left reverse. Damn I love them. So easy! So yeah, good. And I’ve booked my lessons for next week, but she says it’s quite likely that half way through the week I’ll be up to test standard and not need many more lessons so I can cancel my intensive ones and cut down on them up until my test. Wahey! I’m actually feeling okay about the test now. Scared shitless, but okay.

2 day blog. Yesterday I had my driving lesson at 10 and it was only a 2 hour lesson this time. We drove up to Forth and I got in trouble for driving too close to the kerb. I happily go along at 60mph less than an inch away from the kerb. It’s so annoying actually. And I drive like and old woman because I don’t accelerate fast enough. But not a bad drive overall. Did a better right reverse coming home too.

Then Dad said we were going to get Mum, and that I could have a lift into Glasgow if I wanted, so of course I said yeah, so I could take more crap than I would usually be able to take. So I took my guitar and other random shite. Once in Glasgow we went to McD’s for food and then went to my flat where my mother slightly freaked out at the volume of alcohol I am in possession of. Then just as I was saying bye to Mum, Garrie arrived, so we just set off to go and get Aidan and Guy from Partick station, despite the fact we had no idea where Partick station was. And yeah, we got lost finding it, but we did find it, and with it we found the Aidan and the Guy.

So we walked back to my flat and sat and talked for a bit, and the guys played stuff on my guitar and talked about metal music that I had no idea about, lol. Then Anthony said he was coming, so we walked up to meet him and then came back to the flat to discover my lock is broken and the door isn’t opening. But Big Derek let us in... And yup the lock is actually broken. Because his key doesn’t work either. Weird. So yes, we drank and talked and played cards. And I got drunk very quickly again. Was a good night though.

We walked Aidan and Guy out to their lift at 11:30ish and then Anthony decided he wanted a chippy so we walked up to get him a chippy and Aidan phoned to say he’d left his bag, so he wanted us to go and get him and get the bag. But IDK what happened after that because I was drunk. I think he must have went back without the bag, so as not to miss the train home or something. Anyway. Me and Garrie and Anthony went back and didn’t drink that much more, well they didn’t, but I drank half a bottle of Wkd as my drunkenness was wearing off. Lol.

Then Anthony and Garrie fell asleep, but I wasn’t sleepy so I didn’t sleep ‘til like half 5am. And then I was awake again at 10am. Haha and Garrie and I went and jumped on Anthony to wake him up. And ummm we cleaned up the mess we made in the kitchen and my room, got showers and went into town to meet Aidan to give him his bag back. We found him in some music shop and somehow ended up in a guitar shop. Damn metal heads. After that we all said bye and went home. Fun. I fell asleep on the train and woke up at Wishaw. Close call.

I’m having an early night tonight because I don’t feel all that well and I’m effing knackered!