Wishing I was a Hedgehog

Been a bit slack in the blog writing department this week. It's not that I haven't had time, I just haven't been that stirred up to write. It's been quite an eventful week too, but, overall, a little disappointing.
All week the weather forecasters seem to have taken delight in warning us of the arctic conditions heading our way towards the end of the week. Why can't they look ahead and try to FORECAST when it might end? With five tests this week I was keeping fingers crossed that the snow and ice would stay away long enough for all the tests to go ahead.
With a good rate of test passes recently, it was statistically probable that I would eventually have a bad week; two passed, three failed. Congratulations to Andrew and Caroline; both passing first-time and both with only four minor faults.
The three that didn't pass were all perplexing. One failed for pulling up on a dropped curb, and the other two failed for exceeding the speed limit on the same stretch of road. All three were completely out of character and just silly mistakes to make. Maybe it was nerves, but it just suggests a lack of concentration.
When a pupil fails a driving test we identify the fault(s), analyse the possible consequences and try to find a remedy. Any trainee instructors will hopefully recognise this sequence as the three core competencies - essential to passing Part 3 of the ADI exam and essential in improving a pupil's performance. Identifying the fault is only the start, the pupil must understand why it is a fault and understand the consequences. Then a remedy must be found to avoid recurrence and build confidence.
In these three cases, however,  fault identification was easy enough, the examiner did that, and analysis was straightforward, but I was scratching my head when it came to finding the remedy, other than (unnecessarily) saying "Don't do it again!" The first pupil has never had a problem with pulling up by the curb, and speed has never been an issue with the other two. All three of them are kicking themselves now, while I am left scratching my head.

It was only a matter of hours after the last test that the snow arrived. Not too much to start with. In fact, I was actually glad of the snow initially, as it coincided perfectly with Kim's Pass Plus session in Inverness (one of the Pass Plus modules is 'Bad weather driving'). However, by the end of my last lesson in Ullapool on Thursday evening, the snow was beginning to accumulate and drift, and the temperatures were falling fast. I had intended to stay overnight in Ullapool as I had lessons planned for Friday morning there, so, as usual, I wandered along to the weekly quiz at The Argyll. By the end of the evening there was talk in the pub of the A835, the Ullapool - Inverness road, being closed at the snow gates. I had a decision to make: Should I try to drive the 80 miles home before they shut the road, or should I hope that I would be able to get home Friday lunchtime. With heavy snow forecast overnight I decided to try to get home before the roads were closed. It wasn't as deep as I feared, but, at 20 - 40mph, it was a long drive home, especially as the snow had brought many deer closer to the road. Almost three hours later, I arrived home, safe, but wide awake after so much concentration.
Luckily, the 2nd day of the 3rd Ashes Test was about to start so I switched TMS on. After an hour England were 78-0 and surely on the verge of wrapping up the whole series. One Australian bookmaker had already begun paying out to people who had bet on England retaining the Ashes. Another forty-five minutes later and England had scored only 20 more runs for the sickening loss of FIVE wickets. The trauma was relieved by the players taking lunch and I fell asleep. I awoke nearly two hours later and was relieved to hear that no further wickets had been lost, with Bell beginning to build his innings. My awakening was badly timed, however, as, almost immediately, Prior was bowled out (unluckily). I then listened in horror as, within just over an hour, England completely collapsed - I bet the Australian bookie must have been kicking himself. I am a curse - I will not listen to any more live Ashes coverage... they do fine when I am sleeping.

It is now Friday lunchtime. I am hideously sleep-deprived, the weather is worsening (causing the weather forecasters to become almost perversely excited), diesel is £1.35 a litre in some places, I have just two lessons left today (after cancellations), England somehow contrived to end the day 200 runs behind Australia and it seems that the three pupils I mentioned earlier may have to wait until March for another crack at the driving test. All of which means I am far from feeling festive. To cap it all, the quiz team I am part of were finally defeated after 12 or 13 consecutive victories. Some weeks I just wish I could hibernate.