Leaping From The Box

Here is David’s description of his participation in the Driver’s Edge program last Saturday:

So, Saturday I got to attend Drivers Edge in Atlanta. If you’re not familiar with it, Drivers Edge is a non-profit driver’s education program based in Las Vegas that travels around the country, run by professional race car drivers. It holds that in America today, people are not truly taught how to drive, but merely how to pass the driver’s license test, and it therefore seeks to teach new drivers the skills needed to actually drive safely.

All the participants were given a short test on their knowledge of driving and car care in general, and then we were divided up into four groups, to move through the four different portions of the program. I first attended a talk given by a local police officer on traffic laws and safety, and his personal advice. It was mildly interesting, but the highlight was one of the fathers asking the officer if he should teach his daughter to obey the speed limit or follow the flow of traffic. I’m sure you can guess what the answer was.

Then we moved on to the oversteer portion, where I got to drive a very nice BMW vehicle through a wet portion of the parking lot and learn what it feels like to spin out a car, and how to prevent it. That was fun, and the cars were air-conditioned, which, considering the 95 degree heat, was quite nice. The primary lesson here is to look where you want to go, not at what you want to avoid. After that we moved on to the driving posture, safety, and car care lecture/comedy act. The speaker did an excellent job of making a somewhat dull subject more interesting, and taught me to Wash BOATS.

Finally it was back to the cars for the braking and avoidance course. The idea here was to experience what ABS feels like when it activates, and it does kick a bit. The second portion was a small jink in the track meant to simulate a rapid lane change on a highway. I got a bit of a lecture here on proper steering, and how to keep a firm grip on the wheel at all times.

Finally, there was a post-test to be compared to the pre-test, and some awards were handed out. I got one for scoring in the top two of the group on the pre-test, and there were awards for the driving portions for best driver and most improved. Then they handed out various, free, merchandise, and certificates of completion, and then we were done.

Since taking the course, I’ve done a bit of driving, and have noticed myself paying more attention to the road, particularly farther ahead, and keeping a better grip on the steering wheel. Overall, I’d say it was a worthwhile experience, though the day and a half on the road there and back might have been a bit much.

This weekend I finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and began Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (books one and two). This is the third read-through for me; the first time aloud to the kids as they were released and the second time two years ago just before book six was released. Each time I read them I see more hints and clues about the future books. Of course, it was difficult to see those hints and clues in the first read-through when I didn’t have the advantage of having already read the rest of the series.

I will be very sorry for the series to end. But I have to know if Professor Dumbledore is really dead! I don’t think he is. I noticed when I reread The Sorcerer’s Stone this last time, the very first time we meet Dumbledore, he makes the statement that he would trust Hagrid with his life. Hagrid is the one who carries Dumbledore’s presumably lifeless body away at the end of book six. I am sure that Hagrid took him somewhere and cared for him and hid him until Dumbledore was able to recover from whatever enchantment made him appear dead.

J.K. Rowling is an amazing author. She meshes the world we currently live in with the wizarding world so believably. She states that she knew how the story would end the very first time the story idea occurred to her. Maybe it will seem obvious once I’ve read book seven, but right now I cannot imagine how the series will end. I can’t wait to find out, though!

David and Bill just left for Atlanta. David is signed up to participate in the Driver’s Edge program tomorrow afternoon. They will spend the night near Macon and be back late tomorrow night. For those of you not familiar with Driver’s Edge, it is a youth driver’s education program founded and developed by a professional race car driver. Here’s a quote from their website:

Young drivers are placed through this half day, four hour program at no cost, making the program accessible to young drivers from all economic backgrounds. With professional driving instructors at their side, the students … participate in customized behind the wheel driving exercises developed to address the most common driving situations that can lead to collision.

I’ll post next week to let you know how it went and whether David found it to be worthwhile.

So what have I been up to this week? Mostly playing with Miss Munchkin. I drove up to Albany Wednesday morning and brought Kat and Miss Munchkin here for a few days. They were getting housebound. Not sure yet when I’ll take them home: possibly either tomorrow (Saturday) or Monday. I could do it Sunday, but Sunday is race day and the four-hour round trip would cut into my race watching!

It appears like David is ready for Orientation on Tuesday at Tallahassee Community College He’s spent quite a bit of time online and on the phone and visiting the college, trying to get all the needed paperwork submitted. He plans to take an English Composition class this summer and then begin full-time classes in the fall. We are hoping that this works out better than Evansville did last year.

Oh, and I found a great natural foods place yesterday. New Leaf Market.It has a deli, organic and local produce, and best of all, it’s a co-op! I’ll be joining after we get next month’s paycheck!

There are also three different farmer’s markets in the area, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The one on Monday is less than a mile from me! I hope to get there next week. Last Saturday we visited the one downtown and bought loads of fresh produce and some cut zinnias. It’s so nice to have fresh flowers!