Colds and Cars Bahhhhh

Oh dear what a day today was! After spending £60 in ATS for my new tyre I went to work and rang my garage to get the car booked in. They wanted to look at it at 2 O'clock so that meant using some of my TOIL hours up to go and do that (I don't like using up my well earnt extra hours by doing unpleasant stuff but needs must!).

Carol, my co-worker is having a rough family time at the moment so I did lots of sympathetic listening today. It looks like one of her son's is splitting up with his live in partner of 12 years (he cheated on her with her best friend - what a cad!) and there is a young child involved too. Carol is very upset as she loves her grandchild so much and indeed his mum too. Of course she can only try and guide her son because she doesn't want to fall out with him either. Oh dear families sometimes cause so sorrow........

At 2.00pm made it over to the garage and after lifting the bonnet up and hearing lots of tutting or sucking of teeth from the two mechanics they diagnosed that the alternator adjuster had broken which means the alternator belt is slipping off and if this happens it could totally knacker my engine. The worst part was that they didn't have the right part and didn't recommend that I drive it at all until it gets fixed. Well that's fine in principle but I could hardly walk home to Eastleigh (about 25 miles) and how would I get to work in the morning and then back to the garage. So, I had no choice but to drive home very carefully (praying all the way) and I made it back. Just the trip to work in the morning now and then to the garage again to get through now.

Felt really rough with my cold when I got home - I think the stress of the car (and money it is costing) added to my headache too so went to bed early for the second time this week. Had to get up several times to answer the phone though as friend Wendy called to finalise arrangements for my birthday get together with her and Julie next week. We are going out the night before, the Monday, and the plan is that I will go to my Weight Watchers class (and hopefully come out smiling), then drive over to Andover to pick up said friends, then off to cinema to see either Sunshine or Perfect Stranger, then a cheap meal somewhere followed by cheap drinks in Witherspoons - sounds good to me. Peter has the Tuesday booked off with me and we are going to go to the http://www.wealddown.co.uk/. Dad also phoned to ask about the car and to check when they could see me to give me my 'large' present next week - I'm never sure if my dad is joking or not - on one memorable birthday he bought me a wooden loo seat as mine had broken so his presents can be a little random !!!! I shall wait and see with anticipation.

Later in the evening I watched The Hairy Bikers with Peter and part of It's Not Easy Being Green before falling asleep.

Oh and had rubbish post today too. A job I had been tentatively looking at as a possible change of direction sent a 'no thanks' letter to my application. I suspect they were eitehr horrified when I said how much money I wanted (as you had to state that on the application) or they wanted a 'young thing' and almost 43 is pushing it - but who knows! I know I was more than qualified for it so my nose has been slightly been put out of joint in not getting an interview.

Good things today

Beautiful sunny day

Making arrangements for my birthday next week

Bad things today

Car trouble

Money trouble

This darn cold