So there's this dog who lives down the street from me named Einstein, who I've known ever since I was a toddler and he was a puppy. When I was five, he was big enough to carry me around on his back. Whenever a play-date or birthday party went wrong (which was often; I was an emotionally unstable little tyke), I'd run down Sorrel Dr. and visit Einstein. Since his owners weren't home most of the day, he stayed tied up in the yard--I could always say hi.

By 6th grade, the owners had started leaving a leash outside so I could take him around the block, down to the creek, or over to my best friend/next door neighbor's backyard. The friend (who I'm still ridiculously close with; I've known her as long as I've known the dog) only lived next door for one year, but we taught that dog to do tricks and jump hurdles. He stayed in the yard until dusk in the summer, until the 3 of us collapsed, exhaused, under a sprinkler.

Now he's 14-- pretty damn old for a dog. His back legs don't really work right and he has trouble with stairs (and curbs, and pebbles, and flat surfaces) and can hardly walk from his house to mine. But he's still the same quirky dog who loves empty milk cartons and ice and only eats his food if he's being watched.

((That didn't really have anything to do with anything, but I'm taking care of him this week while his family is away, so it was just on my mind and I decided to write about him.))

So today after I brought Einstein back home to sleep in his air-conditioned living room, my dad and I went grocery shopping. We get there and there's this whole giant section of the parking lot totally empty, and he just goes, "So, you want to drive around?"

Woah. Hold the phone! So for the past year I've been like, "hey mom, wanna let me drive?" "So let me drive!" Mostly in fun because I don't like, know HOW to drive. So when dad suggests letting me drive it was like, WOAH.

His car is a stick shift, so we spent 20 minutes sitting there (me behind the wheel!!!!), with him showing me how to start it, how to move. We put it in neutral and I practiced turning the steering wheel and just stopping, and then I faced it uphill and I put it in gear and... killed the engine. Like, 5 times. But finally I got it going, at which point I realized I had no idea what to do, so I just stopped doing stuff and the car stalled.

But it was neat! I got to drive! Now of course, I'll be bugging him to let me drive again... but it was so cool! Definately the highlight of my day.

AND then we got home and there was company coming-- a bunch of the parents' friends coming for sushi and to watch "Our Fathers," which is this long (and confusing) movie about rape in the catholic church.

It was actually a decent movie, though.

And now I'm REALLY hungry. I've been hungry a lot this evening. I guess I'll have some cereal and then go to bed.

...i got to DRIVE today!