rainy

so it's raining. like everywhere else in the eastern states because of the dying katrina.

school started this week. i was terrified. i couldn't sleep at all sunday night into monday morning. around 3am i finally was able to doze off. up then around 7-8am. I had classes at 2, but had to make sure i had to get lost time.

so the basic thing is, i am relearning how to drive. for whatever reason or reasons, i didn't drive a whole lot growing up. i wasn't allowed to get my license until i was 18 years old. not through any wrong doing of my own mind you. i never stole the car, or snuck out at night and drove to vegas for quixkie weddings and divorces. it was somethign much less interesting but more powerful. i think it was something around insurance rates, and the fact that my brother sank one of our cars in a swamp soon after he got his license, and that my sister had a speeding ticket. so for whatever reason, i didn't get my license til i was 18. then i didn't drive until i was about 20. again, i dont know why, just that i wasn't allowed to. so then i drove for a summer, and then i moved to scotland. where i didn't drive again, and they drive on the other side of the road. so i got in the habit of looking the opposite directions when crossing the street, or when driving. i gues sit frightened my parents when i came back and looked the wrong ways before crossing the streets.

again, either way, i didn't drive again, almost until i got married. all said and done, it kinda feels like i was shoved off on everyone else by my parents some days when it came to driving. so i have been relearning how to drive since we got married.

i'm doing well and it's all good, but i'm still nervous and not terribly comfortable with some situations. i have been driving to luzerne county community college , which is 42.5 miles away, for over a year, and that has gone well. trial by fire so to speak. dealing with wind, rain and snow, and sleet. but it still is backroads. not terribly difficult, a straight shot on rt 29, either way. some really good S curves and stuff like that.
but kings is in wilkes barre. int he city, with some good congested traffic. it's not as far, but more congested and more crazy people, and problems like possible parallell parking. (I didn't learn it. it wasn't on the drivers test when i took it.)

so i think i was just really scared of the driving. and then the whole 'will they like me..' nerves like a little girl before her first day of school. i hated it. so i didn't sleep well worying between the drive, and finding out where i was parking.. and the new classes.

it ended up being a rough day. almost got into a crash. got lost trying to find the parking spot. i spent almost 40 minutes trying to find the parking spot.. and it was just crazy. then driving home was just a pain.. th whole time i was driving to school, i was repeating the next step in the directions so i wouldnt forget them. just angrya nd stressful. by the time i parked i was choking back tears and nerves, and had to fight the urge ti run away and just not go.

but it went ok. got into my office. got lunch, made copies.. that sort of thing. class was class. it's the first day. so everyone was quiet and still checking things out. i am hoping tomorrow goes better.
today's classes all went well. it felt good. today's the first day i had to drive from lccc to kings for my afternoon classes. so again, a little nervous.. but directions went well and all was happy.

i heard today on the radio that the train from scranton to new york city is in the definite go stage. still going to be five or six years. but it's a possibilty. it'd be nice if there was train service from scranton to wilkes barre. or from the smaller towns to the larger towns. gas is just getting too expensive. it'd be less stressful.
so that is all here today. a good day. yay. lots of rain. and i can sleep tonight. :) don't have to be up at 5:45 am.

oh i saw a cool website that is defintely somehting i want to do. eventually when i do my phd i would love to get involved with this project. or if i can get involved a head of time or now, anyone has any ideas, let me know! check out the site. it's pretty cool.

www.neh.gov/news/archive/20050505/html