Some Friday 13th..

Quoting from my Facebook status;

I had such a panic trip to Wicklow - on the N11, I could SWEAR I heard a "meow", from the back seat direction.. I went, fuck, did Oscar get in to the car while I had two doors open for a while?!? So, I was thinking, what am I going to do, I want to have some practice time before the test, which I won't have, if I go back to Bray.. So, I decided to stop in Rathnew and see if there was a cat or no, and if yes, drop the cat at the vet clinic in Wicklow, and phone D to go and collect him..
Stopped in Rathnew - no cat. Phew. (But WHAT was that sound?!?) I even looked under the bonnet. No cat anywhere..
Also, my passenger side windscreen wiper blade went - OF ALL TIMES, just before the driving test, and on a rainy day, too.. I dropped in to the petrol station in Rathnew - they didn't sell those..
I still had time to go and practice my three point turns and reversing around the corner, was feeling OK with those, went to the testing centre..
Nerves..
My rules of the road *etc* questions went OK, I think. Then we were off, and of course, he picked the worst of the three possible routes..
I forgot to use the hand brake once (nerves..), probably didn't use enough mirrors (nerves, mainly..), half-fucked up a junction (although, he did admit that it was partly due to the person driving down too fast from the right), and after all that, stalled as I'd sort of given up by then. When he asked me to turn to the same bridge, later on, I knew we were heading back to the testing centre, and I never even got a chance to do what I'd practiced, earlier on..
I would classify that as an epic fail, and unless I start taking valium or such, I don't see how I'll ever pass the driving test as I'll always be nervous. I just can't stand being in a small space with some stranger - especially when they're telling me what to do.

My learner permit is about to expire (as I'd had it for a long time before I even started my lessons, and then I had a 5-month break from driving, last winter..), so I had applications ready for a new learner permit and a full driving licence, although I pretty much knew that I'd fail the driving test.

I'll apply for a new learner permit on Monday - the motor tax office in Wicklow had already closed on Friday, before my test, so I couldn't go and submit my application after the test.