Driving Miss Daisy...NOT!
Week 17 was all about the cones. Everywhere you turned there were cones. And not the frosty cones we all love on a hot summer's day.
Bright, reflective, orange cones.
Backward driving-cones, changing lanes-cones, driving home in your personal car there were images of cones, in your dreams-more cones.
Orange cones were always used for agility drills and/or used as dummy defenders in my world of basketball, and now I see them as other vehicles and pedestrians.
This week we drove, drove more, and drove a little more in every direction possible. We have heard that in the academy driving is the best part. I kept saying there is no way anything can get better than this or that, but it is true...driving was pretty fun. Not much beats driving fast in a car with lights and sirens. At times I was not in the driver's seat, but in the passenger seat with a classmate while they were driving and at times it felt like the "Tea Cup" ride at the amusement park.
We had an audience most of the time as well. There is a heard of deer at the track that would camp out just close enough to watch but far enough away to not be in danger of our rookie driving skills. You can tell our class was not their first rodeo.
The biggest lesson learned at the track and throughout the entire driving course was multitasking and precision. It was difficult at times to time a turn, not hit a cone, look ahead, talk on the radio, and stay in the lane. After five days of practice and repetition it became much easier.
We had a blast at the track. One evening of night driving one of our classmates brought his grill and we had ourselves a nice little cookout. The instructors were very professional but were also a lot of fun. I can't imagine an instructor not enjoying themselves and watching all of us break in their brand new cones.
Week 18 was short because of the holiday. We were able to take advantage of some time with Director Baca for some exam review which is never enough time. There is so much we have learned it is not possible to review everything in a short amount of time. We were all sponges and absorbed as much as possible.
After a few days back in the classroom, we were in much need of a break. We were all extremely thankful for the extra time with our families and the extra time to study our tails off for the POST exam. When we return we have nine days left!
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