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9:01 p.m.
2002-01-22
A Reassesment of Stick Shift and Hills
Everyone shudders or makes some ghastly face or ungodly noise whenever the phrase "stick shift" is brought up in polite conversation--whether they know how to drive it or not. Even I have been known on occasion to do or say such things. Now, however, I have first hand experience.
Tonight was stick shift night.
And, after learning rather quickly (go me!), I have to revise my opinion. Once you get used to it, stick isn't all that horrible. It's the hills that suck royally. You have to put your right foot in two places at the same time, and you tend to squeal out of the hill whilst in first gear to avoid colliding with the person behind you, or not getting out of the intersection fast enough. Whilst I was learning to deal with hills, I kept singing "I hate hills" to some random tune, while Hans cracked up in the passenger seat.
So, to be brief, stick = okay, hills = not cool. I don't think I'll ever like hills anymore.
But that's okay. I will be driving the stick car from the house on Hillside (no hills, thank God) to the train on Green Bay (no hills), parking, walking to the other train, then, after class, walking back to the car, driving back to Hillside (no hills), parking (on an incline, but that's no biggie--you're parking, for Christ's sake), and going in the house to the insane little dog jumping on your legs and the happy big dog who just wants to get the hell outside.
I just saw the most heinous flash of lightning and heard a very threatening roll of thunder. Storms in general scare me--but storms in January in Chicago REALLY scare me. Oh, the dreams I will have tonight.
I hate hills.
Quote for the Day: "Can we stop scaring the innocent farm boys now?" --me
(if anyone can remind me when I said this and with whom, I'll love you forever--it has totally slipped my mind. ::grins sheepishly)