Driving Test Day

Practice test driving is over, it is time to do it for real.  Our appointment time is 8:15 at the DPS in a town 30 miles east of us.  We have the keys to the truck yard at our friends business and we are there at about 7:00 am to do a walk-around inspection, check that we can lay our hands on all the documents that we are going to be asked for and pull out heading east.

I drive and Cyndee finishes putting on her make-up as we bounce down the highway.  I don't see how she keeps from putting an eye out.  We arrive at the Pampa DPS on time and they start processing our paper work right away.  Cyndee has a worried look on her face and I ask her if she wants me to go first.  Her answer was a definite "Yes".  

I'll keep it brief:  I drove forward, I drove backward, I turned corners without running over curbs.  I passed.  But I did get points deducted, you are allowed up to thirty deductions and still pass.  I had nine deductions.  As the DPS Agent and I walked back in I took the keys to Cyndee and gave her a heads-up on the finer points of how to avoid the deductions I got.  The agent was amused at our exchange.

Now it was Cyndee's turn.  She and the agent head out to the truck and I suddenly find myself unable to sit.  I get up and start pacing around in the office but then I take it outside where there is more room.  I don't know why I am so anxious about her test.  She was driving like pro when we were practicing.  I guess I was worried that her nervousness might get the best of her and she would loose her concentration and clip a curb or something.

That's the DPS Agent stepping out of the cab to observe Cyndee's trailer backing skills.
 
The driving circuit takes about 15 minutes to get around but it seemed like hours as I paced around under the elm tree in front of the DPS.  But then I hear the growl of a familiar diesel and I look up to see her turning in to the parking area.  I start inside the front door as she and the agent get out and come through the side-door.  Cyndee has a pretty good poker face on and I can't tell how it went right away but then she let go and I could tell she had a good time.  That is when the agent was sure to let me know that she scored better than I did (by one point) because of my quick coaching when I handed her the keys.

Cyndee passed!  We passed!  The ordeal of becoming a Texas licensed driver is finished.  Looking back I can't believe how much of our life this process consumed.  I don't know what to do with myself now.  Well, not really, we can get down to having our adventures now.

We got the truck back to the yard in Borger and got busy with making contact with old friends and family now that business was done.

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