Tami, I miss Russian. It’s a beautiful language, and sixteen years ago, I had learned it almost to fluency. Then I lost any reasonable connection to the local Russian-speaking community in a breakup, and a lot of it has fallen away. Still, when I pick up some of my old texts, I find that more of it comes back more quickly than I would have expected.

After my first driving lesson (on the gravel roads behind my dad’s office at Miss. State) the Tuna Mobile developed a hole in the radiator. That very same day. Coincidence?? The jury’s still out to this day.

But I did not know you minored in Russian. How cool. I took 4 semesters of Russian in college. Pretty much can still sound out things but not necessarily know what they mean. And can still say “go to hell” and “practice makes perfect” in Russian. Why those two phrases stuck and not much else … who knows!

15. How many times did it take you to pass your driver’s test?
Once. I passed it in a lovely and stylish 1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88, in silver with a white vinyl top.

Is scary. I LEARNED to drive in a little Carolla – the driver’s ed. car. When it came time to take my test, though, my parents (of course) wouldn’t take me or let me use one of their cars, so my adopted mom let me use hers – a 1984 Olds Delta 88!! It was silver with a burgundy hardtop. Seriously. That’s why I got docked points for the too-wide right turn; I wasn’t used to driving a land yacht!