Adaptation to COVID world

Went on a Bumble date this afternoon, my first during the whole COVID mess. We got along well and will see each other again this week but it was sort of weird in the fact that both of us have been pretty good at distancing/masking/etc. and we didn't quite know how to act at the end of it. I was even a little reticent on asking her to meet up because people aren't exactly expanding their social circles right now. But she was fine with it and we sat outside at a brewery that was super safe in terms of distancing and what not.

 

Your cat’s name is Banner? About three weeks ago we got a dog from the pound, and his name is Banner. I’d never heard of that name for a pet, and now there’s another one.

 

Outstanding. I can only imagine what that has been like. I'm having a hard enough time not getting to meet my niece, who was born in April. My little brother and his wife have been restricting who sees their daughters. Big sister is two. Of coruse, we're going to respect whatever makes them feel safe, but I definitely want to see more of them.

 

This all definitely makes me appreciate things a bit more. My daughter was scheduled to take her road test on a Monday when New York shut things down back in March. She was actually out practicing with my wife when I got text telling me that it was cancelled indefinitely.

We weren't able to get it rescheduled until this past Friday. Then we got another text about a cancellation. Something about them not having the necessary supplies. (They did do a temperature check.) They rescheduled us for this morning. We went early sos he could drive around a little and practice parallel parking one last time, which she nailed. There is no building where you go to test. Just a sign by the start of the road. The person giving the test walks over from a nearby parking lot. After waiting 15 minutes (we were early), she was very wound up and nervous. She's a good driver, much better than I was at 16, but she doesn't always handle being nervous well. Waiting over three months didn't help.

I stood by the side of the road as they got ready to leave. I noticed her turn signal wasn't on. I tried to subtly signal her, but she didn't know what I was trying to tell her and just looked at me like I'm an idiot. Any parent of a teenager knows that look. She pulled away without using the turn signal. So all I knew was that she messed up the very first part of the test.

Turns out, that was her only mistake. She passed. Of course, I'm proud of her and happy for her. Of course, she's going on a short drive by herself for the first time today, just to her boyfriend's house and back. I may be just a tad nervous about my little girl taking my car somewhere by herself, but it's a short drive and she needs to get used to it, right? I've got to let her do this stuff sometime, right?

What have I done?

 

I remember the first time I drove alone, I kept looking at the empty seats, appreciating the fact that I was doing it alone.
You will worry, it's what we do.

 

I was the same way. I'm still more comfortable when I'm alone in the car. I know I make her a little nervous. I know her mother makes her very nervous. I know she takes it very seriously, which helps. It's still little girl. I joke about it being my car, but really, it's about her being safe.

 

So happy for you, Moddy.

I am on my first trip since mid-March. Opie’s temp keeps spiking and spiking higher so I drove him to Gainesville this morning, to the University of Florida vet hospital. I took a horse to Cornell once and had a great experience with a teaching hospital having all resources available and be willing to think beyond the obvious, so I’m a believer in them. Still not allowed into exam room, but at least I get to wait in a building today.

 

She (yep, she) came with the name and since she responded to it, we didn't change it.

 

I remember the first time I drove alone...I went to the bank and cashed a check I stole from my mom then drove 3,600 miles round trip to Vegas where I shrewdly invested $4,000 on hookers, cocaine, steak dinners and blackjack.

You got's nothing to worry about, @outofplace

 

You really don't want to know how many wrecks I had before I was eighteen. There were only two of them that should have killed me and both left me able to walk away without a scratch.

No worries.

Look on the bright side, she's not contending with testosterone poisoning. When she drives, anyhow.

 

Now I know why she's pushing back about the app that tracks her phone.

 

Ha! Well, she survived her first bit of driving on her own. That consisted of driving to her boyfriend's house, then bringing him here to show him how well she drives. Then she drove him back and returned. That led to a conversation about wasting gas, though he isn't far from us. She managed to follow the rules so far. (Text when she gets where she is going and then text again before she leaves that location to head home.) We'll see how long that lasts without a fight.