BUENOS DIAS AMIGOS !!
JOU HAVE YUST RECEIVED A MEHICAN BIRUS!!!!!
SINCE WE NOT SO TECHNOLOGICALLY ADBANCED IN MEHICO, DIS IS A MANUAL
BIRUS.
PLEASE DELETE ALL THE FILES ON JOUR HARD DRIVE JOURSELF AND SEND THIS
E-MAIL TO EBERYONE JOU KNOW.
TAN JOU POR YELPING ME.
JULIO MANUEL JOSE CARLOS ARMANDO RODIRGUEZ LOPEZ MARTINEZ Y GARCIA
MEXICAN HACKER
Did great yesterday! I felt much more confident again, and I was able to navigate slow turns a lot better than I had been. Granted, we were only in a parking lot, so it wasn’t the “real” road, and I didn’t have hills and ditches and fences to worry about, but still. I did well on the turns. I practiced some swerving stuff, too. That was fun! 
Going back to the lot again today to get more comfortable. Gonna be on the damn road for real soon! Now I just need to learn how to deal with traffic and slow cars and turns and unexpected things. That will only come with experience, though.
I think it was just hormones. :S Typical.
I’m going riding again today. I’m not nearly as nervous as I was last time, and I’m determined not to let my fear get the best of me like it did before. I still can’t figure out why I was so bad. Hormones, maybe? hehehehehe
We’ll see how it goes, at any rate. I think we might try hitting a parking lot again today - just because. Give me some more “get used to the feel of it” time without the pressure of streets again. Maybe I won’t walk away feeling like such a big failure this time again. Perfectionism sucks, man.
I love coffee. (__)o
Just wanted to say HI to everyone. Been busy and all that jazz. Failing at my own blog on my domain (http://jules.draaz.com) for a change! 
Hope everyone is well.
So, things have been crappy for me lately when they should’ve been the best for me in a long time. I’ve known for awhile now (or I’ve thought, anyway) that I have “Adult ADD” because it’s so difficult for me to stay on-task without getting distracted. I’ve coped with it for a long time, never realizing it was even an issue, until recently. It seems to have gotten worse, and it seems to be affecting my work negatively. This is something I cannot abide!
In addition to that, my anxiety level has gone through the roof. I find myself worrying excessively about EVERYthing, even stupid insignificant things. I didn’t realize this was a problem until one day last week when I was able to “take a step back” and see what I was doing. Add to that the bouts of inexpicable depression here and there, and I’m pretty sure my medication needs to be adjusted. Soooo, I made an appointment to go see the doc tomorrow to try raising my dosage a bit to see if that helps.
I’m also thinking of looking into some therapy for myself (because I enjoy it) and possibly some ADD treatment of some sort. *shrugs* We’ll see, I suppose.
Skip and I might go riding this afternoon if he doesn’t have to work. I may just end up going home and sleeping, though. I’m exhausted this afternoon. 
I got my permit, and I’ve had four riding episodes so far. Here is a summation:
4/9/05
Riding Lesson #1
Location: Parking Lot
Obstacles & Terrain: Curbs, sand, and more curbs
Speed: 10 MPH
# drops: 1
# falls: 1
Top gear: 1st
New skills learned: moving, turning
Biggest lesson learned: when stopping, don’t be hesitant about putting your foot/feet down
Notes: bikes are heavy and deserve lots of respect
4/14/05
Riding Lesson #2 (PICTURES!!!)
Location: Parking Lot
Obstacles & Terrain: curbs, sand, gravel, cracks, debris
Speed: Unsure
# drops: 0
# falls: 0
Top gear: 4th
New skills learned: shifting gears, turning with signals, stopping at a certain destination, turning from a dead stop
Biggest lesson learned: confidence, shifting gears
Notes: bikes are heavy but fun when you get going and feel more comfortable
4/20/05
Riding Lesson #3
Location: neighborhood
Obstacles & Terrain: ditches, fences, gravel, sand, hills, stop signs, curves, light traffic
Speed: around 30 MPH
# drops: almost one
# falls: none
Top gear: 4th or 5th
New skills learned: stopping at stop signs, turning onto streets from a stop, starting a turn from a stop on a hill, navigating ditches (heh), turning without slowing so much
Biggest lesson learned: respect for the street
Notes: bikes are heavy, streets can be scary, basic street skills are more difficult than one might think
4/22/05
Riding Lesson #4
Location: neighborhood
Obstacles & Terrain: same as lesson #3
Speed: around 40+ MPH
# drops: almost one
# falls: none
Top gear: 5th
New skills learned: being panicky and nervous, how to properly stall the bike on a hill
Biggest lesson learned: fear is debilitating and useless when riding - it takes time
Notes: bikes are heavy, stop signs and turns mixed really suck, getting the right level of throttle is very important for “take-off”
My last lesson wasn’t so much fun. I still can’t figure out why I was so nervous/scared. I’m guessing I had been thinking about it way too much! Maybe next time will be better.
I’m going this Saturday to take the test to obtain my motorcycle permit. 
I’ve read the book, and I’m quite sure I will do fine on the test. At least, that’s why my husband tells me. If it’s anything like the driver’s permit test I (very vaguely) remember (from, like, 17 years ago), it’s a piece o’ cake-like-substance. We’re also going to get me a helmet that day, so I can actually start riding the damn thing.
I had my first little lesson last night. I’m sure it was quite funny to watch… me in the yard on the bike, going about three feet forward then pushing the bike back. Going forward… back… forward… back… LOL I was just getting a feel for the clutch!! (And our yard isn’t a good place to learn how to ride.)
So, I’m excited.
… the motorcycle! Get your minds out of the gutter. 
Hubby finally went and got his license today, so I perched myself up there behind him on the bitch seat at lunch and took a lil’ ride! Now, I really want my own helmet. I borrowed my friend’s, and it was too small.
Must take test for learner’s permit soon, so I can learn to ride myself.
VROOOOOOOOM VROOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!
(LMAO! How corny was that?)
For a long time now, I’ve thought that it would be so much better to be in a simpler life. I’ve watched things like Little House on the Prairie and The 13th Warrior and thought how great it would be for things to be that simple. (In some ways, of course. I know the life was a lot harder, so don’t think I’m totally crazy.) It has been my thinking that I wanted my own little farm where all I had to worry about was taking care of my animals and my vegetables. A dream of sorts. Now, I’ve known that, regardless of this being something I think I want, I might not actually want it once I got it. It’s a lot of work.
Funny how sometimes things happen to make you realize you might not want those things you say you do. Yesterday, our electricity cut off for about 2 to 3 hours, and I realized something. I like my technologically advanced life! LOL. I really do. Now, I’m sure that I’d be fine in simpler times if the whole context was there - community, etc. However, I don’t think I want that much work. I’m spoiled.
So, my mind is at-ease a bit more now because something happened which made me realize what I might actually NOT want.
I have a headache this morning, but Coming to America is on, so it’s all good.