Yesterday, I was driving on this tremendously fun county road between Here and There.  You know the kind, “Dangerous Curves Ahead” (which can be said about a great many things, but I digress), and there was a small car ahead of me.  The driver of said “small car”, by all appearances, was afraid of the curves (always embrace the curves… curves are fun!).  The driver’s fear of the twists and turns in the road interrupted what had the potential for a FUN (that’s right, all caps) ride because… I LOVE CURVY ROADS!!!  Give me a vehicle (even motorcycle) that grips the road well and handles great and I’ll see just how fast I really CAN take those curves at.

Now, this particular county road, meets up with another county road at a T intersection, and said small car and it’s driver were going to be turning off (as the turn signal indicated) to the right.  Elated, I shouted, “YES!” followed by my evil giggle because I knew I’d be able to let loose, but why wait?  So, as they slowed to make the corner, I was about to step on the gas (there was a great curve JUST ahead), I noticed that the driver was making the dreaded “wide right turn”.

For those of you who do this, I have to ask… Why?  You have a small car.  It’s not big.  It’s not like you can’t see directly in front of you due to a massive hood out in front.  Why must you swing it wide to the left when making a right turn?  Are you afraid?  Do you not have confidence in your driving abilities?  Are you not comfortable in your vehicle (personally, mine feels like second skin)?

So, then I began to think about all of those occasions where I have noticed drivers of small cars swinging wide to make that right turn.  For the love of Pete (who IS or WAS Pete anyway?), just TURN already!  You don’t need to be afraid of the right turn.  Right turns are like Cruise Control – they’re you’re friend (and mine as it gets you out of my way).

Employing my best Obi-Wan Kenobi, I said, “This IS the turn you’re looking for” as she began to veer off and hit the gas.  The rest of my drive was unencumbered by other slow drivers and I “Yee-hawed!” and “Weeeeee’d!” to my heart’s content, punctuated by wicked grins and giggles as I took each curve faster than the posted limit.  Each twist and turn, rise and valley, giving me yet another reason to smile in combination with the fabulous weather to drive in.

To that, I say, “WEEEEEEeeee!”

P.S.  This is what I found on “For the love of Pete” from http://www.joe-ks.com/phrases/phrasesF.htm

“This phrase and phrases like “for Pete’s sake” are euphemisms for the phrases
“for the love of God/Christ” or “for God’s/ Christ’s sake” and hail from a time
when those phrases were considered blasphemous. Nowadays phrases like “for the
love of god” are commonly used, but the euphemisms are still used.

Why Pete? Most likely it is a reference to the catholic Saint Peter. 

Other phrases with similar origins are: “Zounds!” (archaic British slang), is
a contraction of “christ’s wounds”, “oh my goodness” and “oh my gosh” for “oh my
God”, and “gosh darn it”.”