The One with the Spasy Speedometer

Our speedometer on our new* car is insane.

A serious mind of it's own.

While driving to our Bible Quiz this morning, I utilized our new Christmas gift.

The handy dandy GPS.

Our global positioning system** has numerous readings on it's interface.

One of which is a speedometer.

Super cool.

That's how we found our Civic's speedometer runs 3mph slower than real speed.

(aka. It says we're driving 65. We're actually driving 62.)

As I got on the road with our Escort I noticed the gps speedometer.

It said we were driving 5mph slower than our car speedometer read.

Then on the drive home the car speedometer was all over the place.

Up to 10mph off from actual speed.

I was driving 55 and our speedometer read 65.

No wonder so many people get angry driving behind me.

And I'm not normally a "grandma driver" so I was always perplexed.

Also why my solo trip to and from my parents' home pre-Christmas seemed to take longer than it should have.

*"new" as in "four years older than our 12 year old Civic.

**yes. I had to look that up, Kevin.

We arrived at the host church 30 minutes sooner then I predicted.

Sweet.

I prefer being early to being late.

In fact, I'm a bit annoyed when others run late.

And I'm really hard on myself when I'm running late.

Which is why I prefer to be early.

All this is probably my dad's genes coming out in me.

Ok.

No "probably."

Definitely.

Our car ride was quite familiar.

As I had just been in a vehicle on the same roads less than 12 hours before.

But that was totally worth the time with family.

Over Chicago style pizza (for the 2nd week in a row).

To celebrate Dad E's birthday.

The ride was also surprisingly roomy.

We normally have 3 quizzers, Kevin and I stuffed in our tiny vehicle.

This time we were down two people.

Kevin had a Teacher's Certification Basic Skills Test to take.

He had to leave at 6am.

Yikes!

And our girl M was still recovering from her emergency surgery.

The three remaining had a great time.

Though not quite as entertaining as when the five of us are together.

That's just an unbeatable combination.

An especially great part of today's quiz (for me at least) was talking with so many wonderful people whom I haven't seen in too long.

(This probably because the one church where I know most everyone has gone to a different district's quiz for the last two months.)

I caught up with a former Senior Teen Camper from my summer counseling.

At SBC.

In 2005.

She was something like a freshman.

Now she's a sophomore in college.

Geez Louise.

I'm not old.

But sometimes I feel like I am.

I also caught up with one of mine and Kevin's mutual friends from college.

Well, actually, Kirby was a buddy of Kevin's from 8th grade.

They quizzed together.

Camped together.

When to youth group together.

Lived in the same college dorm together.

Geek(ed) out over science together.

And now quiz master together.

Kirby and I became friends my freshman year of college.

In our writing class.

Kevin then tried to set us up on the date.

I'm pretty sure we shared some conversation over smoothies once while on campus.

And I bought his chemistry textbook.

But neither of us went for the other.

I think it worked out for the best.

Kirby is marrying his girl this May!

I've seen him quite a few times since he transferred from SAU in 2006.

But most of those times Kevin and him are (as previously mentioned) totally geeking out over science.

Which I think is great.

Because Kevin has all too few friends who truly understand all the chemistry stuff he's done.

And I understand none of it.

But I'm a really good listener. :D

But this time around, I was actually able to talk to Kirby.

We had a couple really great conversations.

About marriage.

And grad school.

And careers.

And youth group.

And spiritual leadership.

And evolution.

And old friends.

It was really fantastic.

And now I'm home.

I made it through my first day of leading the quiz team solo.

And I just spent the last hour learning a brand new (to me) song.

That Pastor just asked me to sing during the service tomorrow morning.

I guess here's where the term "break a leg" would be entirely too appropriate.