How about grandson Zach passing his driving test, aged seventeen and a bit, more or less the UK’s minimum age. And how shrewd of him to pick a post-Christmas day with minimum traffic on the road. I had a theory about this. He’s excelled at virtually every one of the many sports he’s tried which says much about his powers of physical co-ordination. And co-ordination is central when one’s behind a car’s steering wheel.
A note to US readers from someone who holds US and UK licences. Things may have changed since I took the US test but it was an absolute doddle compared with my experiences in Catford, a cramped suburb in SE London. In an underpowdered vehicle (me bulky, the examiner even bulkier) that made hill-starts a nightmare. The US examiner (in his Boy Scouts hat) got so bored he decided to throw me a whammy: “Say, bud, whatsa max. fine for dropping trash from a car window?” I guessed $100 and he grunted. He so wanted to fail a furriner.
More non-Christmas news. Our bank statement arrived today (the day after Boxing Day) so I re-established my financial situation. Ill-health for both of us has led to heavy expenses during 2023, not least the Stannah stair lift. Despite this I find I am comfortably off at a time of year when balances usually plummet. Sufficiently flush to discuss another costly villa rental in France in the summer. But that’s not self-indulgence, more an extended language test.
Did my singing lesson this morning, launching into eight of the nineteen songs forming Schubert’s Schöne Müllerin cycle. Some untouched for months. A super stimulant. Begone dull care.
That photo bears a striking resemblance to you. I’ve often wondered about the tradition of posing with the hat secured to the lower lip. Many law enforcement agencies here in the U.S. pose similarly. The foremost internet answer is that the practice thwarts an enemy in his attack from the rear, lessening the chance of strangulation by one’s own hat strap. Seems then that there should be an addendum to “keep a stiff upper lip”.
ReplyDeleteMikeM: I haven't invited Zach to react to your comparison; it doesn't seem fair.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought the State Trooper hat was antiquated and impractical. The strapping etiquette seemed essential; without it the hat would blow off in quite a mild zephyr. Unless they kept their Glocks under the brim.