zoom zoom zoom!

lani's driving timeline:

fall 2001: acquire drivers' ed books. study. kind of.
january 2002: fail permit test
march 2002: fail permit test (again)
august 2002: pass permit test
may 2004: fail drive test for license because the emergency brake was on the whole time.
july 2004: pass test, acquire license.
sept. 2004: rear-end a minivan in my parents' truck. cry copiously.
sept. 2004: get rear-ended. this was not my fault.
feb. 2005: acquire a car. a "no frills" '91 bonneville with 250,000 miles. (the distance from the earth to the moon, in trips home from college by my husband's roommates.)
spring 2006: run into a stupid pop-out side view mirror because a stupid bike swerved right in front of my stupid car and didn't even STOP!
fall 2006: acquire a new car. one that actually works.
august 2007: run into an open gate, splitting my grill, denting my hood, and breaking my back window. read about that here.
sept. 2007: get hit by a truck while walking to work. read about that here.
winter 2008: start using hand-me-down car from little brother due to the many issues my car has adopted.

yesterday:
my boss (jay), and his son kylen drop in at grace right before 5. their car ran out of battery and they need a jump.
auto-woman to the rescue!
i pull on my superwoman-cape-of-competence, jump in my car, and zoom off to the stranded SUV (with jay and kylen in tow). it's pulled off on a teeny shoulder on one of the busiest streets in gresham, right next to a very busy intersection. to properly position myself to jump their car, i have to turn a full circle and end up facing them on this teeny shoulder. did i mention it was rush hour?
so jay stops traffic, and i go in for landing #1. it doesn't take. my back end is now blocking traffic and the light is green. i sit there with a stupid grin on my face (usually the best option when other drivers are glaring at your tush), and wait for a red light and landing#2. 2nd time's the charm: i'm in.
next, i'm instructed to "pop the hood." great. i have no clue how to "pop the hood". i just got this car, ok?! (um, alright, i got it like 4 months ago, but still...)
so i found a lever that looks good, and i pull on it with all my might. the hood isn't "popping" so jay comes over to lend a hand.
"uh, that's the lever for the trunk. your hood lever should be up here."
(he reaches up and pops my hood. MY HOOD! the nerve...)

the rest of the jump is uneventful and successful. of course, my part was over.