drive me crazy

So, I have been driving the girls around all week. Let me tell you, I feel like an idiot when I drive here. First, I learned how to properly drive a manual on Sunday. Rich took me to the parking lot of the Coop parking lot.
[sidenote: The Coop is a grocery store, the most expensive on in the area according to Rich and Anne; but it is Andreas favorite place to shop for food in Switzerland. I am not sure if building we go to is a mall or what. It is very confusing. There were other stores in the building, clothing, jewelry, and such; but everyone refers to the build as the Coop. Even the Migros's building, Rich's favorite place to show for food, because it is cheap and has comparable quality products, looks like a mall.]
Well, back to the driving story. One the way to the Coop I stalled both times I had to come to a complete stop, which would have forced me to be in first gear. I trying and trying to restart the car with no luck. Both time Rich and I had to switch seats. Rich was so patient and such a wonderful teacher. He added to the knowledge imparted upon me by Brice and Julie[thanks guys]. After Rich told me about I could give more gas then what I was letting up on the clutch, the stalls became less frequent. I think I stalled today for the first time since Monday.

After Rich and I felt I had finally gotten the hang of things he had me drive to the stables where Raylen and Tabea would have camp that week. This is where things started actually getting hard. First of all, there are hardly any street name signs here. The best way to know where you are going is to know the town you are headed towards. Rich showed me 7 different ways to get from the house to the stable. The issue with this area is everything states looking the same to me, corn fields, sun flower fields, vineyards, and round abouts[one in the center of most towns].

Friday, on the way to pick up the girls was the first time I did not get confused and take the wrong turn. I had to take one of the seven ways to get there and another to return home. For some reason, from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning, I forgot the way I used to take to get there. Some how I would end up on my return route, but my brain was still trying to make turns for the route I used to take there. I made the same wrong turns every single time. It was a bit embarrassing, because the girls would say, "No, this is not the right way. This is the same thing you did this morning." Oh, well, all those wrong turns actually helped give me more confidence in my skills. Some of the maneuvers I had to do in order to get back on the correct path. On Tuesday I had to go up a steep incline from a stop. The problem was I was in someone drive way with them standing in their tomato garden directly behind me. I was more frighten of running in to The Tomato Man, as Rich and I call him] then I am of running in to people's cars.

While the steep-up-hill starts are scary, the roundabouts are a bit as well. I can never remember the rules for indicators[blinkers]. The Europeans are big on those. While I am as well, I still don't fully understand the round about rules yet. If you are going to exit at the one in the left, you put your signal on until you get to the exit point, then you put on your right. I am still a little fuzzy about what to do if you are going straight.

There so much more to talk about but it is much too late and I am finally sleep.

peace, love and applesauce

p.s.
I get to see Britney G next month. Anyone else want to call October for a visit?