Driver Safety Training Review

May 8, 2014 | Before The Great Journey, Trips

So on Tuesday I had my second driver safety training.

It was the intensity training of the ADAC. First I had to drive all the way to Hannover, where the training took place. After we all got to know each other, we already went to the training grounds.
We were really lucky that day! We had some perfect weather (cloudy without rain), an awesome instructor, as well as a wonderful group (only 8 out of 12 possible participants, 4 women/ 4 men, aged 19-75, 6 cars with ABS and 2 without) plus the advantages of the intensity training.

My good old Audi 90 was one of those tech-free cars, that’s how the instructor called it…
Communication was via walkie-talkies. I connected mine with an AUX cable to my car’s radio and had the best sound quality all the time. :))
We drove from module to module and there are lots of them (like circle tracks, smooth surfaces, offroad terrain, a hydraulic plate, etc.) which all could be used side by side. Because of the small group there always was enough time to have a talk and for the ‘theory segments’.
Lunch was designed as a buffet and it was delicious! 🙂

The grey area is the above named hydraulic plate that accurately pulls the back of the car to the side. I had lots of fun… 🙂

My Audi well had to suffer… Hard breaking non-stop, sliding and slithering all over the place and some 360 degree turns.
The tech-free cars had a special position throughout the training as we had a much longer stopping way, had no support systems and all such things. Most people don’t know that. I didn’t know that either, until I had my first training back then. My next car will have much more ‘tech’ onboard for sure… 😀

The tenor of all the exercises was to get to know your car’s limits and so to recognize hazards and to prevent/ handle them. We practiced on smooth surfaces especially, because there lies the most danger. Over and over you learn how much mere 5 kph can do…

I totally recommend to everybody to take that kind of training. Especially for beginners. It is so well worth the money!

Besides

Apr 24, 2014 | Before The Great Journey, Updates

Now my life gets some swing.

I just took pictures off our old photo albums (yes, such thing still exists) and from there I present a not actually up-to-date picture of mine that you can look at for the time you read this article. 😉

Besides, I just booked in a babysitter’s course in our area. I am awaiting it and hope that I’ll be able to gain for the future out of it… 🙂

Besides, I have finally made use of my (2 years valid) voucher for a driver’s safety training at the ADAC. Since I have turned 18 that thing collected dust and is to expire in June. So at the beginning of April I will attend a intensity training with my Audi. Another thing on last call…

Besides, the bandage changing wasn’t that bad. Now I can stay home for the next weeks and rinse that thumb-sized, 1cm deep wound two times every day. Luckily that doesn’t hurt… Tomorrow they’ll decide when to draw the threads.

Next to those new appointments, the existing projects (reading books, learning roles, consume audio books, becoming a better person, learning baking cleaning laundry-ing) and getting well I didn’t plann too much for the time at home…

Besides, since a few days back I am member of the club of the frameless. B)

Besides, the sun is shining and there’s nothing more to tell for now. Have a nice day!

My first stay at the Hospital

Apr 18, 2014 | Before The Great Journey, Updates

Now I’m sitting at home, again on my big office chair, again in front of the computer, again uncomfortable around the tailbone.
Just now it’s not caused by that fistula, but by the bandage. That fluffy, plushy sticker in that place.
So yesterday I had the operation appointment.
Arrived at the hospital, I had to wear that nice gown and lie down, got one of those nice pills, the area of attention was shaved generously, I slept in a little, was waked by a nurse who wanted to know my meal preferences, I slept in again and was finally rolled towards surgery.
Pretty cool overall; you get push there lying down on the bed, you are okay with anything in the whole world (most likely because of that peculiar pill) and all the nurses are super nice to you.
The canula inserted, rolled to the operating table and hooked onto the drip, no worries, all good. I was pretty stoked already and probably asked many thigns of the people around and so on… Anyways, then the ‘good stuff’ kicked in, the narcosis.
Duuuude, that rocked! You get sick a little, then you get hot, then you get the idea behind the term ‘full intoxication’, a little cheering and then you wake of beautiful dreams and get rolled back to your room. I instantly had to tell everyone how cool the narcosis is and that I am totally fine and so on. But then I got tired again and slept it off.

That bed was high class to say the least, fully adjustable. Plenty of food, just one (very talkative and nice) neighbor and with my 4 books, two stage plays and 3 downloaded audio books I was only able to mark one stage play and listen to two of the audio books. I ended up talking with my neighbor for most of the time…
Well, in 24 hours you don’t get done much, but all that was well worth it… 🙂

As a result, I can say that I have been staying in a hospital and had an operation now and I pretty much enjoyed all of it. 😀
Only the bandange changing tomorrow I do not await that much…

P.S.: Did you notice? No word on the operation itself. 😀 That’s because I didn’t feel a thing of it, not even any pain… 😉

Sinus Pilonidalis

Apr 16, 2014 | Before The Great Journey, Updates

Something new.
That little lump has grown and suddenly I can’t sleep anymore. On Monday morning I went to the doctor and got myself diagnosed with pilonidal sinus disease. Who wants to know further details, please use google to your heart’s desire.

Until yesterday I was hardly able to sit properly and couldn’t sleep on my back… Bad times, I can tell… Luckily my big office chair in front of my computer lets me sit comfortable enough. But don’t dare moving! Isn’t that hard though in the end… 😀

Tomorrow the operation takes place and I’ll be in hospital for a few days. After that I practically have a hole in the bum… I tell you more the next days when I return home.

Besides, it will be an experience for me as I have never been hospitalized yet. We’ll see how it will turn out…
On thing’s for sure: What has to be, has to be.

Pictures!

Apr 13, 2014 | Before The Great Journey, Photos

Yep, it has been a while. A looooong while.
The last weeks I have been really busy. I had the privilege of finally finishing Bioshock (the one true computer game in my opinion), I read 3 books simultaneously, I have 2 stage plays to rehearse (one of them I embody 3 roles in) and there is that camera that I plan to master. And you guys of course.
All pretty exciting, am I right? But you have to take care for each single thing at a time and thus sometimes the others get easily overlooked…
Not that I forget anything because of that. Some things you get done quickly, some things stay longer, some things become routine. And blogging is double the fun now with all the colour… 🙂

P.S.: The pictures are from tonight.