Chuga-Chuga Thunk

Armed with seven pages of a document called, "How To Drive A Stick Shift", I decided to take on driving the clunking VW bus. While reading. Because I am brilliant.

Byron wasn't kidding about the noise. It sounds like there's a dude strapped underneath the van, and he's got a rock in his hands, knocking, while I'm driving it. Oh yeah, I managed to get it into first gear and go up and down the block. I got it to start by pumping the brake, turning the key, and chanting, "Start, baby, start!"

I think it actually started to listen to my chanting, because when the engine finally did come to life, she chugged to the same rhythm. Or so it seemed. Or maybe it's the drugs I was taking.

I live across the street from a police station, and there were several cops outside, staring at me as I pulled my clunky bus out of the driveway. They actually pointed and laughed. *sigh*

We went down the street and back. It clunked the whole way. I called the mechanic, near tears. "And by the way," I said, "I have no idea how to put it into reverse." It's, apparently, pretty complicated.

Groan.