Greenville and prepping for DMV thanks to big Frank

This story was originally drafted back at the end of summer 2019 - I have bumped this back a MILLION times for more pressing bits and if I don't share this string of stories that are connected SOON (this is the start of an entire series, sit back and relax it gets entertaining) - a certain teen is going to be needing to renew his license . . .

One of the best meals I have eaten since
 being gluten free.  I had pork chops and
something veggies.  It was just delish.
 In Greenville.

Tank turned 16 (on 12/5/18!) in early December, but we were in no hurry to enroll him in drivers ed.  Eventually I realized that by the time Ed left for college Tank needed to be ready to take the wheel.  He started drivers ed just before he turned 16.  You can read here about the struggles to get this kid a permit.  Coach survived that ordeal.  Barely.  Now it was time for me to take one for the team.

The next night we went to this cute little place
 that looked over a beautiful park.  While we
 were finishing our meal the sky got crazy
 ass dark and the clouds rolled in and the
wind picked up to the point that I thought the
umbrellas were going to blow away. 
Meanwhile back home on the ranch, there
 was lots of nonsense happening.  Of course.

Tank has a way of connecting with people and he soon had the drivers ed instructor, Mr. Frank, wrapped around his finger.  We would see Frank pull into the grocery store parking lot while on an official driving lesson with another student, and Tank would call out, ‘Oh, there’s my boy Frank.  We have to go say hi.’  He relished the humorous exchanges he and Frank had during class and he would come home ready and willing to share some fun fact that ‘Frankie baby’ (as Tank liked to call him outside of class) had taught them.  

In the spring (of 2019, mind you), Mini started drivers ed right on Tank’s tail.  In the dream world I live in, I envisioned Mini managing to get her license before Tank, or (since that was not possible) I fantasized that Tank would rarely drive once getting his license, have no major issues, and then gladly hand over the driving responsibilities to Mini in the spring when she turns 16.  (edited to add:  this was my thought process BEFORE I took Mini on practice drives.  Not the most confident of drivers, and rightfully so).

Perhaps my reluctance to have Tank drive came back to bite me.  

Coach and I went out of town the first weekend in August (2019! - thus the resteraunts, and travel, etc).  He was teaching a class in Greenvillle, SC and I went along to relax, read, write, lay by the pool, eat out, etc.  Let’s just say things back at home were a bit bumpy, so that will most likely be the last time we attempt something so silly.  (More on that later).  

Cute little park with a play
 going on.  Super fun.

The screwballs will either accompany us or we will farm them out (which we did to an extent for this Greenville trip, but we farmed out the wrong ones), or we will beg our newly wedded former sitter to come and stand guard over the inmates with his delightful wife.  I am thinking the parents of these newlyweds will then hate us, because the newlyweds may opt to never reproduce after a long weekend with our crew and they will get no grandkids.

Before we left for Greenville, I gathered all of Tank’s paperwork for the DMV.  Because he didn’t get his permit until Halloween of '19, he could not get his license until around August 1st.  I told him that we would go to get the license when I returned.  Mr. Nervous Nelly insisted that he would want to drive more before the test.  Coach barked at him, ‘Knock it off, you’re ready.  No more practice-drives necessary.’  

The night we returned though, Coach did take him out driving one last time.  All systems were go, or were they?