Stick-Shift Shenanigans

So since I have been back, I have been given the keys to the Jeep. Yes, so exciting right? My own car to drive around to work and things...haha. But I will admit...this car has given me some grief. Why? It's a stick and I learned on automatic.

So now I have some stories to tell you! When I drove the Jeep to work for the first time this year (I drove it before I left VA, but I've definitely gotten rusty because I never mastered it), I stalled out NINE times. Mostly at the end of the street which leads to the main road, which is embarrassing because a car had to go around me. But then on the way back, I only stalled out once. Yay me!

Today was kind of tragic. In the embarrassing sort of way. I drove to work stalling out once and my goal was then to drive home without stalling. So after work, I got into my car and reversed out of my spot with ease. Then I make sure it gets into first gear and start up the car. The engine roars and I've catapulted six inches and come to an abrupt stop. Repeat this process seven times, with the addition to prayer, a moment of embarrassment because a neighbor was out and a phone call to my dad that went something like this:

--Dad, I don't know what I did wrong but I am STUCK in the middle of Jenni's street and I've been this way for over 5 minutes! I reversed out of my spot perfectly and now I CAN'T MOVE!

--Is your parking brake up? 

--(look over and see the parking break was up)...Well I feel incredibly stupid.  

Then I started up the car and was perfectly fine the rest of the way...that is, until I had to stop because a bus was picking up kids. I stalled then, but I started up quickly. I'm surviving the stick-shift shenanigans. 

My--I mean, my dad's Jeep...I call him, "Baby".

Clearly Sophie is not a modeling dog.