I'm a real Texan!

Hey y'all, I am now a real Texan! I passed my Texas driving licence today :)

I arrived at the Texas DPS (can't remember what it stands for, but essentially where you go to get your drivers licence), at 7am. There was already a queue of about 7 folk standing waiting for it to open. You first have to go to a desk where a lady checks you have all the correct documentation, gives you a form to fill in and does the fastest eye test ever. Well, I failed at the first hurdle. I had taken all possible forms of identity with me including birth certificate, passport, you name it, however, they want a letter from my employer on headed note paper. How my employment status affects my driving I have no clue. Anyway, the lady behind the desk said she was from Glasgow, not that you could tell it from her accent, however she was pretty nice and we did my sight test (reading out a couple of letters) and she said I would have to come back with he other documentation. Well, I was determined to do the licence today, my last thing on my list, so I went home and got my letter work had written for my mortgage back home. Fortunately, the DPS don't require it to be addressed to them, unlike Abbey! I was back within 40 minutes. The lady looked at me and said, how did you get there and back so quickly - I said I drove fast :)

So I was now onto step 2 of the process. Someone then records all you details on the PC and takes photocopies of all your identity to be put with your file. You then have to sign on one of those electronic pads with a plastic pen. I don't know about you but whenever I use those things I look like a three year old has signed my name. While my lady was processing my information I had a feeling she was going to do something wrong - just something about her that did not make feel confident in her ability! We will come back to that later.

Now step 3, the written test. Well it is on PC, but you have 30 multiple choice questions and you have to get 21 correct to pass. You can skip any question and come back to it at the end. So off I started, and within the first five questions I answered three wrong. Oh no! I used my skip button for any question about a minor (someone less than 18), or anything I was sure I didn't know the answer to. By the time I had been around all thirty questions, I had only answered 19 correctly, so I was going to have to do some of the more challenging ones - the guesses! My last question to get right was a guess because I just could not remember the distance. I will now never forget that you cant park less than 30 feet from a cross roads :)

Step 4, wait in another queue to get a time to do your practical driving test. I was very fortunate as they had a space to do the test in 45 minutes, so I took it. He told me to go and get a cup of coffee and wait. Instead I went and sat outside to read my book on how to improve your putting!

Outside was great, because the parallel parking bays for the practical test were right where I was sitting, and it was free entertainment. The photo shows the parking bay with two yellow plastic poles either end of the bay. You must not hit these poles otherwise you fail (you can do the test 3 times before you have to start the whole process again and pay again!). Anyway, a lady drove up and you know when it is going wrong, but she just kept reversing and soon she hit the yellow pole at the back, then to make it worse she continued backwards until it was totally flat. Her husband was standing near me with his head in his hands (possibly this was not the first time!). Probably the most ironic thing is that nowhere in Houston requires you to parallel park, so the fact they do it in the driving test is highly amusing.

Step 5, I drove to the area to pick up my instructor. I was on time, but third in line. The minutes ticked by and the two instructor came back from their tests and disappeared inside - I don't believe it they decided to take a tea break before me. Thirty minutes after my allotted time, they reappear. 'Who are you?' I get asked. I say my name and I get that distinct impression something is not right - yup in the time from sitting my written test to sitting in my car, my paperwork had vanished! Grrrrrr. The instructor made up a temporary slip so we could get on our way and do the test. I was so nervous, ridiculous, but still nervous. The first thing you do is the parallel park. Well I haven't done one in my new car, ever, and although I could have practiced, I didn't. So I went in the space and hit the side curb with the back tyre. I said 'Oh no does that mean I fail?' and she no only if you mount the curb do you fail. So I went in again and all was fine. I assume the spectators were there watching, but I certainly didn't notice! We drove around the block and that was basically the test. Hurrah I passed, mostly all 'good', but a couple of 'fair' marks on my parking.

Step 6 is to wait back in step 2 line and get the final stamps of approval, including a digital photo, finger prints and another electronic signature. I was glad I started the process in the morning, because by the time I had come back in the building there were stacks of folk waiting. I wont get my actual card for another 8 weeks, but I now have a driving licence number, which is so important here as it forms the main piece of ID for everything you do, buy etc.

I finally got back to work just in time for lunch - perfect. Although I then sloped off a little early to go and play golf back at Willow Fork with Andy. The humidity has started creeping up and it was hot, so this evening we took a golf buggy. My play was a little better than the week before, but I still lost some balls. I did not see the big alligator, only a little one with its head poking out of the water. On one of the tee boxes I had to shoo away some more hens. as photographed

It should only take me 15-20 minutes to get home from the golf course, however driving home we suddenly came to a standstill on I10 with no exit off! So I took a picture in my boredom of us all in a six lane tailback. When we did get moving again I could not tell you why we had stopped.

It is Stuart's last night in The Cedars, he will be in the new house by midday tomorrow all things going well. Good luck Stu xxx