Thanksgiving en España

It hasn't been a festive day. It started yesterday with a miscalculation, misunderstanding on the time of the driving test. The official test is Friday, not today. Thus we could not take it and then scoot on up to the Thanksgiving dinner and the required attendance retreat of missionaries. I made a bunch a phone calls and we were told rather than lose the money and opportunity of the test. So we were excused to arrive at the retreat on Friday afternoon.

This morning we woke up, greeted our house guests who were on their way to the retreat. We said our good byes and headed off to driving lesson number two. (Number one was rough.)

Outside we had a flat tire. Lovely. Oh happy day. Dar changed it in 10 minutes flat. He was aggravated with me for not driving fast enough to get to driving school, which is ironic since he is the slower driver of the two of us. We made it on time and had driving lesson number 2. Dar got better but somehow I can't shake my bad driving habits, especially when a Spanish man is in the passenger seat hollering at me. Sigh.

Everything was open of course and so Dar got the tire fixed, we bought a new toilet seat for the broken one in the spare batheroom. Our poor guests, we think we heard it break out from under someone. Hopefully they didn't end up in the tub or with bruises!

Since we weren't going to get Thanksgiving dinner with the missionaries, Dar was thinking an American meal like Burger King. I was thinking but hadn't yet said I was thinking nice dinner/restaurant somewhere. Fortunately we were spared that decision by our Spanish pastor's family inviting us to their house for a Spanish Thanksgiving. No, it's not a holiday here but they have an American daughter-in-law and so celebrate it. We'll be leaving in a while for the 8pm dinner.

Not the normal thanksgiving day. In spite of all of the oddity of the day, I am aware I have many blessings to count. Let's hope and pray that one of them will be passing the driving half of the drivers test tomorrow. Honestly based on the practice runs with the teacher I am not hopeful for myself. It's a combination of nerves and someone giving orders and crazy traffic all around you at the same time. I can handle just driving here; I can't handle the instructor. Vamos a ver.

Spanish Driving School

For about 10 days, we've been cramming for a driving test that is long over due considering we have been driving illegally for about a year or more. We took the test today and it seemed to go okay and we expect/hope to pass. We will know for sure tomorrow and I'll post a comment letting you know. Big kudos to España for letting us take it in our native language, sort of. The English translation was a little odd like maybe they used too much babelfish translating. Here's a sample of some of the questions we've been studying.

The vehicle referred to as a private car is destined...b. for services or exclusively for transport of merchandise. (not a. for the transport of people or c. both answers.)

best way to combat road hypnosis? Answer: concentrate on your driving.

Except in special situations, all road users are obliged to obey the traffic signs...c. even when they appear to contradict the rules. uh, huh.

When two signs of the same type appear to contradict each other, drivers must obey...c. the most restrictive sign. (Shouldn't you only post signs that make sense?)


a continuous whilte line on the road which is considerably wider than normal...a. indicates the existence of a special lane. What kind of special I ask myself? Apparently I only need to know it IS special.

Which vehicles may use a lane provided for use in the opposite direction to that which is normal in order to improve the traffic flow? Answer: Huh? What lane are we talking about????

When will your private consume more fuel? a. when you drive with the windows down. (Since this is singular is it addressed to men??)

If an unconscious person is vomiting, how should you place them? b. in the defense position.

My personal favorite: What should you do if a person is bleeding from the nose and ears after an accident? c. never tampon