A Popular Service

I take the car to the garage on Monday but they send me away again, they can’t look at it until Wednesday. So it’s fingers crossed that it gets me to my committee meeting, which it does. Before I head out to the meeting Daughter arrives having run from hers to ours. Wow. Quite the athlete.

Dog TV is no longer broadcasting. I wondered if the Lad had perhaps turned it off so that he could chew on the shower gel in peace. I wouldn't put it past him but I get home to find that the camera has simply stopped working. It was quite old, even if it’s rarely been used.

Tuesday brings the threat of ‘heavy snow’ according to the local paper. Damn. I’ve not got my shovel with me. L says it’s raining in Nottingham. Yes, raining here in Derby too but... hang on... what’s this. As I walk to meet my friend for a few beers it starts snowing, very very lightly. Then it stops. That’s probably that for another year.

With L being largely AF, I am out on the lash for the first time this year. Unfortunately my friend also isn’t a big drinker so it’s just a couple of pints and then off for food. At least I talk him into an Indian rather Wetherspoons. I barter with the chap outside the Shalimar to get the two-for-one offer that should end at 7pm, it’s 7.15pm. He has little choice than to agree if he wants our trade.

On Wednesday, the garage equips the car with a new set of spark plugs and a timing coil. So it’s good to go again, which is good news for the Lad’s training. He does the seesaw tonight which must look pretty daunting if you’re a young dog seeing it for the first time. L’s always said she thinks it looks dangerous, which is all the more reason for him to quickly get the hang of it and not to fall off it.

Meanwhile L is off to see if she can keep up at her new running club. If not she reckons she’ll be joining Notts Womens’ purple army instead. I’m sure she’ll be fine.

On Thursday I do my weekly long run and make it all the way home, a distance of 24km (15 miles). Then after a quick recovery shower, I pick L up from tennis as usual.

On Friday I’m in the gym after work when I get told that I’ve had a delivery of Maltesers from L’s Mum with instructions to dispose of them. It is a popular service that I offer.

Derby are on TV again away at Preston but I don’t pay for that. A mere league game without the threat of penalties isn’t going to be very exciting. In any case, L is playing tennis outdoors despite the fact it’s freezing, so I will have some serious warming up to do when she gets home. That’s another service that I offer, I think it's popular. 

(Friday 1^st February)

False Economy

I take the car in to the garage this morning for a pre-holiday check up. It passed it’s MOT at the end of June but the exhaust only got through by the skin of its teeth and the whole car is rattling somewhat...

However the garage say everything is fine. Yes, the exhaust is a bit cracked and a bit noisy but it would be false economy to have it fixed now. The chap says it would be much better to wait until the whole thing gives up the ghost. 

‘Like half way up the M6 on Thursday?’ I ask. 

He does one of those shrugs that mechanics are quite good at. He says he doesn’t want to take my money off me unnecessarily. Really? He’s in the wrong job.

‘But...’ he says. Ah, there is always a but. ‘You could do with two new tyres’.

So the car is all sorted but I was nearly looking for another co-pilot for the trip.

Due to her recently acquired criminal record, Hastings Direct have decided that they will not insure L any more. Why they couldn’t have told me this last week, when I first raised the issue with them, I have no idea.

Anyhow I quickly did an on-line search for a new insurer and it produced a list of 70 who were willing to take our custom. So we have now jumped ship to Swinton and the entire premium with them is less than it was at Hastings. So, result. Hastings must lose a lot of customers this way.

L says she feels bad for causing so much hassle. Hassle? She means excitement. I’ve never lived with a criminal before.

(Monday 14^th August)

Imogen

The car has been losing water for some time which has caused the heater not work. Luckily it hasn’t been that cold so far this year... Now though the water is out of the system by the time I’ve got to work. Time for a repair I think.

The garage, which at first I think has completely shut down due to them now operating out of a battered old porta-cabin, say it’s the pipe that passes through the heater that’s broken. It will be easy to fix they say, yet they still add a couple of noughts to the price.

Meanwhile it’s posh storm time again as Imogen rages, meanwhile at Derby County Storm Mel Morris (the Chairman) rages and inexplicably sacks Paul Clement.

After collecting the car I head to the pool for a swim, do my 50 lengths and then afterwards I cast my eye over the talent in the gym. I think I’ll take the one in the smart a**e t-shirt home with me.

(Monday 8^th February)

Annual Pocket Empting

The car is in for its annual MOT and service today. Presumably this will accompanied by the usual annual pocket empting by the garage.

Actually, when a couple of things reappear on the service, things that I didn’t have done last year, the garage honours the prices they quoted me a year ago. Wow. Then they also decide to honour the promised discount from three weeks ago when I had my tyres done. Wow. Business must be really good.

Something called the Monster Swim is happening in Loch Ness at about the same time as we’re in Scotland during August. No further comment.

Squash is back, although only temporarily as I’m crying off for the next few weeks to watch L in the Nottingham Grand Prix runs. It was not a good performance. No further comment.

(Thursday 20^th June)