It's been a busy old time for me since Christmas and a time during which a couple of my aspirations have been realised.
In early February, I passed my driving test. Until recently, I've never really felt compelled to drive - not even twenty years ago when all my mates were busy passing their tests and getting cars. Sure, it was fun being driven around by them, but their fascination with going round and round the "boy racer" circuits of Fife - such as Kirkcaldy Esplanade and (the pre-pedestrianised) Dunfermline town centre - just left me cold.
I did take a number of lessons in Edinburgh during the latter part of the 1990s, but I failed my test and wasn't too arsed about spending more money to re-sit. Prior to autumn 2009, the last time I sat behind the wheel of a vehicle was at Dreghorn Barracks in 2002 when I drove an army Jeep... blindfold! Don't ask.
Anyway, for the past year or so, I'd had this growing sense that it would be great just to jump in the car and take the kids out somewhere for the day. So I began taking refresher lessons in September last year and was due to sit my practical test in early January. Of course, the heavy snow and ice which was hard-packed on Fife roads for best part of a month put paid to that and so the test was postponed and re-booked for February.
I've really enjoyed being out and about in the car of a weekend; I find I don't get bored with it and can just drive and drive and drive. A couple of weeks ago, I headed southwards on the A1 towards Berwick-Upon-Tweed before driving back up to Edinburgh via Coldstream. I didn't let on to the kids that they were in England until they saw the "Scotland Welcomes You" sign just after crossing Coldstream Bridge! A nice wee surprise for them and something for them to tell their pals at school the next day. I've also enjoyed visiting places I haven't been for around thirty years; lovely scenic places such as Anstruther, Callander and Loch Lomond. I'm really looking forward to going back during the summer months.
The second achievement was gaining a hard-won promotion at work; I start in just over a week's time. The position is a dual-site role: I'll be primarily based near Glasgow, but will also spend regular time in North West England. So no more Stagecoach buses in and out of Edinburgh for me.
Good job I passed my test then, eh?
