Our Lady is Driving the Wretched Ones

Were you aware that Notre Dame is French for "Our Lady"? How does the Hunchback of Our Lady sound to you?

I guess I had best update on my extremely fascinating life. I passed my driver's test yesterday. Yay. :) It is a great relief to me! It's also a bit weird to know that I can go anywhere I like (as long as my parents let me borrow their car).

The driving instructor dude was very nice and friendly. His name was Terry or Tony or something and he had very, very bad teeth.
I was about 95% sure I had failed because I made, like, a bazillion mistakes. If he had wanted to fail me he so could of! I expected to have a few points because I had probably been driving way under the speed limit, I hadn't really been paying attention to the speedometer. I figured I had a few more points for that one time I almost missed my blinker and the other time when I did miss it, more on that. I figured I might have one or two points for my undignified y-turn (which looks nothing like a y!!) I almost missed a turn he asked me to make. And I probably made some other mmistakes besides those.
However Terry or Tony completely ignored all those mistakes but one. I got an F in parallel parking and a B- in reverse driving. I started out way to close to the car when I paralleled and that really threw me off (and I almost forgot that sneaky blinker). I didn't back up very straight at all and I apparently didn't check traffic to his satisfaction before I started and I didn't use my stupid signal. Why should I use a blinker when I'm not even making a slight turn?
One thing I did do well was not fall into the tunnel vision trap, I was really afraid before I started my test that I would end up totally ignoring my surrounding and just stare fixated on the road ahead. I actually think I looked around me more often than I looked at the road ahead of me. He said I did okay with my y-turn--I think an "ok" is pretty good for a first attempt! He also said I did a good job at intersections, changing lanes, checking my blindspots, and one other thing. Go me! :)

When we got back to the DMV and he stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations. You passed!" I thanked him profusely. I worried for a minute that I would cry from relief and happiness in front of everybody but I didn't! Everyone was so nice to me! Everyone offered their felicitations and one lady was like, "We haven't had a reaction like that in awhile." I got a new picture for my license--yay! Except for the fact that it'll be just as horrid as the last one was. Lame!

On the way home I asked Mom if she minded if we went to the bank real quick before we went home. She said why don't I just drop her off in front of our house and go to the bank myself. So I did! My first "solo" was a six minutes round trip. Haha

Back to the subject of Victor Hugo. Before I went for the test, I figured if I passed I was entitled to a small reward for passing. It is my nifty way of justifying purchases. Back when I was away every day I thought the reward would be a cellphone but I decided a few days later that that was a lame idea. After that I figured on a laptop since I needed and wanted one. My final reward was Les Mis tickets.

Thing is? I just so happened to get a license just when I'm broke. Boo. :( My background check needs to hurry up and get here. Also, social workers should realize that some people don't have time to wait around endlessly. Tickets aren't officially on sale for non-groups yet anyway. I really want to see this musical!

I think my introduction to Les Misérables was about a decade ago. One of my little sisters pulled the (abbridged) book off the shelf and begged, "Daddy, read this to me." Us children were instantly hooked! :D
Following the reading of the (abbridged) book there was the Radio Theatre dramatization that we listened to all the time.
Sometime after that we came in possession of a CD with a few of the songs from the musical on it. On My Own, I Dreamed a Dream, Castle on a Cloud, and my personal favorite Who Am I? (Before you think badly of my parents for letting us listen to that CD let me inform you that the CD did not have At the End of the Day or Lovely Ladies or Master of the House or any of those songs on it.)

I have been singing those songs (plus later acquired favorites) for ages! I've seen the recording of the 10th anniversary performance of the musical on DVD. I've also seen a few of the Les Mis movie adaptions (which more or less stink).

The only thing left is to see the musical live! And read the book, which has been on my to-read for years, I confess. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is also on my to-read list. Because it has a neat title, was written by Hugo, and I've heard it is good.