The Big Exam...
10 December 2011 | Halifax
Alex, mild and misty...
After 3 months of perfect attendance at Thursday evening classes along with a full Saturday every month...
After 3 months of pre-class Swiss Chalet suppers...
After 3 months of OMG I didn't read the chapter before class...or walking out of class going OMG ???
After 3 months of "complaining" and "learning", of researching and studying, of not understanding and calculating...
And all 3 months led to this morning that found Hunny and I waking up bright and early, having a double shot of coffee, and heading over to the St-Andrews Community Center, for hopefully one last time, to write The Big Exam.
The pass to receive Basic Privileges was 70% and an 80% would allow you access to the HF bands as well (or 5 w.p.m. in Morse code, but dit dit dit dah dah dah that wasn't happening anytime soon).
So we sat down in the stark white room. Lights were on high. Pencils were sharpened, and laying perfectly side by side, sharp pointed leads facing up. Calculator on, batteries charged. Check. Guy next to me has a pencil sharpener, check. And a few sheets of paper, all nice and blank, were just waiting for each and every one of us to hastily scribble down our pre-memorized formulas and mnemonic memory aids.
10:00 o'clock came and silence descended on us like a big down-filled comforter, you could hear the clock tick, the leads writing furiously, and then a few sighs escaped...
I checked my answers, and checked them again, guessed at a few and corrected a few (which they say you should never do), then promptly said enough is enough, crossed my fingers and a few body parts and squeezed my eyes closed as I handed it in and waited with baited breath and knocking knees while The Examiner checked off my XX's and added a few OO's where the XX's should've been and weren't...
Fortunatley I only had 10 OO's and I am more than giddy and happy to report that not only did I pass with flying colours, but I passed with the Basic and extra privileges... I got an amazing 90%. Dave was still writing as I left the room.
And then much to my happy-ness, Dave came out to report that he successfully passed with an amazing 93%.
Ok, so he's now officially 3% smarter than me.
And we're OFFICIALLY HAMS !!