Cry Baby Cry

All right, so we all know that it has been far too long since I last posted. In accordance with summer, I'm just too lazy, I guess.

The last interesting thing that has happened to me has been my week at ACE quiz bowl camp, my third and last year there. As usual, I had a wonderful time. It's very refreshing to be able to hang out with people who not only love quiz bowl enough to sacrifice a week of their summers for it, but aren't afraid to admit it. Most of the guys on the Auburn team cherish their macho personas too much to admit to liking quiz bowl, though it's pretty obvious at tournaments sometimes. The way ACE camp works is that each person chooses one major (from literature, social studies, science, and math) and two minors (from art, music, Shakespeare, ancient history, and physics) to focus on. In addition to those classes, there are daily afternoon practice sessions and nightly tournaments; your performance each day determines what team you're on, what practice room you're in, and so on. When you're not at one of those activities (or eating or sleeping), you're supposed to be studying for the daily quizzes in the majors. It sounds like a lot of work, and it can be, but you quickly get to know a lot of people that you can hang out with, so it's not dull at all. Since this was my third year, I knew a lot of people from previous years, and I also had a lot of friends from a quiz bowl forum I've been frequenting. As always, I was somewhat depressed to leave camp, especially since, being a senior, I won't be returning. The nice thing about this year, though, was that most of my friends happened to be from Illinois, so I'll see them all again once the season starts in November.

Since getting home, I've mainly been moping around, watching movies, cleaning the house (my mom is still on a cleaning kick, although she's working again as of yesterday, so that should be lessening), and so on. I also attempted to get my driver's license the other day. It's kind of a sore subject, since most of my classmates have had their licenses for over a year; those with early birthdays are going on two years of driving. I've had my permit for over a year, but I've been slow to get my license, a combination of caution and laziness on my parents' part and mine. On Tuesday, my mom mandated that I had to get my license; with her working now, I need to be able to drive to take the class I'm signed up for starting next week.

The DMV is surrounded by rueful legends, and all of them are true. A small, grubby building dominated by the colors gray and beige, it's full of disgruntled people (customers and employees alike) who would rather be anywhere else. Upon entering, I took a number and my mom and I sat down in uncomfortable folding chairs. I frantically flipped through my Rules of the Road book as a last-minute measure while we waited for my number to be called. When it was, we approached the counter; I signed on several dotted lines and then was told to resume my seat to wait for my driving test. Now more calm, I occupied myself by watching the flickering television in the corner, which displayed a looping PowerPoint presentation about a certain "Toby the Tire," a program "designed to teach children bus safety utilizing animation, robotics, and coloring books." Finally, my name was called; however, upon leading the rather grumpy woman to our van and getting in, I was informed that my brake light was out, rendering the vehicle ineligible for use on a driving test.

My mom, not to be discouraged by this temporary setback, drove to the dealership where we had purchased the van not two months before. In a matter of minutes, the light was replaced, and we drove back to Belvidere to try again. Now, later in the day, the DMV was more crowded, and, having become bored with Toby the Tire, my mom and I watched the other people. We saw a teenaged girl scream curses at her mother, listened to one especially loud and nasal-voiced employee ask customers questions ("Has a doctor determined you to have a condition that causes you to lose consciousness? Has a court determined you to be mentally unstable?"), and agreed that the whole affair felt like being trapped in some alternate reality, like a TV sitcom. Finally, my name was again called, and I went out to take my driving test. I thought I was doing okay until she directed me to park downhill. I hadn't practiced this with my parents; it hadn't come up when I had driven before. I knew which way to turn my wheels; I thought that would be enough. Unfortunately, one of my wheels went over the curb as I parked. Panic-stricken, I righted myself, and we finished the drive. The examiner turned to me and told me that I would have to retake the test; the curb incident was a problem too great to be overlooked. I was, and am, pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. Even this kid who went before me, who could have been Joe Szeluga's twin (messy hair, vacant eyes, baggy clothes), passed his test.

My mom has a day off from work tomorrow, so we plan to return to the DMV for a second attempt (or third, if you count the whole brake light thing). I'm pretty worried now; I've practiced parking since the first try and have done okay, but it all comes down to that one time; what if I screw it up? Failing once is bad enough; failing twice would be unimaginable. I am going to practice some more tonight; hopefully I'll get the whole parking thing down. Maybe by the next time I post, I will have my driver's license. I can dream, right?