Joyride

When I was 16, I got my first car (my brother's old truck). It was a stick-shift, so my dad agreed to teach me how to drive a stick, like he did for my brother and sister. So out we went to the local high-school parking lot, and I got into the driver's seat, just like my brother and sister did years before me.
What followed, was perhaps the most frustrating two hours in my entire life...
My dad (which has never been the most patient of people) tried in vain to teach me how to handle a clutch.
"Just jam the clutch down, then let up, and jam the gas! It's not that hard!" He repeated it over and over again, just getting louder the more confused I got.
I got more and more frustrated as the truck lurched forward and stalled every single time. After an hour and a half, I was determined to get the process down. It's not that hard - I should be able to get this!
Then the Irondale basketball team got done with their game, and everyone in the parking lot pointed and laughed at my immobile car. That's it, I was done, and my dad was more than happy to crawl back into the driver's seat as well. A few days later, the truck was sold, and I had an automatic car, and never attempted to drive a stick again for almost two decades.

Yesterday, the boyfriend pulled over and said he'd give me another chance to learn how to drive a stick-shift. I got in the driver's seat and my heart immediately started racing just remembering the frustrating time I had at this task before. He explained the basics (I was so nervous I honestly don't remember how he explained it). I put the car into gear, and after a small shudder, the car started moving!
"AAAAAHHHH!!!! What do I do now?!?!?"
"Go into second."
There I was, driving down the side of the road at 30 mph grinning like a 16-year-old idiot learning to drive for the first time.
"Oh, and you might want to move onto the road as well..."

I can't say that my driving was flawless by any means, I did stall the car several times. I'll get it right eventually. Today we're having a lazy day. Bryan's playing Constantine, a game based on a movie based on a comic book that I like. I don't have the patience or hand-eye coordination to complete it on my own, but I'm more than happy watching him play. :)