THE DAY THAT I JUST BROKE DOWN

It snowed today, not for long but a timely reminder that winter is not done with us yet. We are seriously out in the sticks and we totally relied on our little Toyota RAV with its four wheel drive in the worst of  it. So I have made sure that it is full of petrol although this time I have organised enough heating oil and wood for the fire as I have enough work to keep me going for weeks!
You may remember that a few days back Stephen was cleaning a portion of the patio as two years of the property being uninhabited had built up a layer of moss, mud and general muck. Well he still has more to do but the following pictures will show you how well he has done....

Yesterday I broke down.    Not through pressure nor was it, strictly speaking, 'me' that broke down, no it was the Previa, which I had driven across to Kings Lynn as I had to return a product to the B&Q there. Now when Stephen and I moved our furniture, before Christmas, we hired a van from Kings Lynn and after we returned the van we had to drive home in the old Astra. We made it half way around the busiest roundabout in town and all power to the car simply died, I chucked it into neutral and we literally jumped out of the car whilst it still had some momentum and pushed it up a kerb and off the road. I had suffered a complete loss of power as the alternator belt had come off.
    Now only the second time that I have visited Kings Lynn since then and what happens? My Previa's alternator belt is torn to shreds and falls off. Clearly I am not paranoid but it does seem clear to me that they have got it in for me in Kings Lynn. The rescue van came and did not have the part or the ability to fit a new one so they had to take my car home, where we are very lucky to have a small garage just 4 houses down the street. As the car was lifted up onto the loader it reminded me of when I drove the same car up to the Grossglockner glacier 12,000ft up an Austrian mountain and I wore the brakes out a tad. Through the magic of a wife that ensures all risks are prepared for and the Green Flag company who drove up the meanest of hair pin bends to save us we were picked up and secured to the same style recovery lorry...

      and then whilst Alison rode 'shot gun' safe in the cab with the driver, myself, Stephen and Claire had to sit in the car ontop of the lorry and had what has to have been the drive of a life time. The car was bouncing around as if it were sitting on a mattress and when you looked out you could not see any tarmac just the forthcoming hairpin bends several thousand feet below......

 Claire has never forgiven me for this and still scolds me at appropriate junctures today! Video attached for your enjoyment....

So the ride home was nicely tame from Kings Lynn and the driver was telling me all about the many cars that he has had to pull out of ditches, very interesting 40 minutes it was too.

My final thought for the day comes from the fact that I have been cutting wall tiles most of today on a diamond cutting disc and had to wear a face mask. Well the final thought goes something like this.

 He who wears a face mask for several hours after lunch should ensure that he does not eat a bread roll stuffed full of genuine Polish, strong garlic sausage at said lunch. Pooooooeeeeeeee!





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