Car Troubles

Firstly, the weather. What a miserable grey, wet and cold day it has been. Really awful and it did nothing for my mood today. It was lifted slightly this morning when I met again with my fellow sufferers at our support group meeting. We actually managed to have a laugh which was good and we all felt the better for it. For two hours I was away from the problems and the worries, amongst friends and safe from harm. The reality of everything soon hit once I got home and the fact that we are faced with losing our (only) car by the end of the week. The mechanic we use had been trying to reach me on my mobile all morning. He'd estimated that we would need £400 to get the car into a fit enough state to pass its MOT. That is certainly more than we wanted to spend and frankly it is money best spent on a replacement. The guy mentioned he'd be interested in taking the car off our hands so that's what we'll do. The little we get for it can be put towards something new.
It's all causing much stress and anxiety. We're so reliant on having a car, living remotely as we do it is our only real source of viable transport. We could happily make do with something electric and do our bit for the environment. We don't drive very far and it would be ideal for just popping to the shops and dropping my wife at work. It'll be years I suspect until that becomes an option, we're far too reliant on fossil fuels and the cost remains prohibitive for most people, even the wealthy. I'm really not in a good place at the moment...

Arse!

My previous optimism has been obliterated. The car failed its MOT in spectacular fashion. Of the list of items it was failed on, the steering rack tops it and with the car worth just £300 at most, it probably isn't worth paying for the repairs. Today has been miserable. I hate the waiting and today I passed the time by working on the train layout. Despite having a couple of shed heaters, it was freezing cold in there. In fact I'm still thawing out five hours on.
My wife is distraught and very depressed. We secretly knew the car would probably fail but expected it to be the brake pads. Instead we have a long list of things including brake pipes, springs and a lot of welding. It can all be done, and the car will certainly pass the MOT but at huge cost. I'll find out tomorrow exactly how much but if it's more than £300 then we'll be looking for a new car. The guy we take the car to has told me he'd be interested in buying the car from us. After all, it has four new tyres and a host of spares he can make use of. So hopefully the money he gives us for it combines with the amount we have set aside will finance a replacement run-around.
It's all just the latest thing in a long, long run of bad luck. Who was I kidding to suggest that their would be nothing wrong with the car? Myself I think. I wanted to believe that we'd get away with just the fee for the MOT and almost convinced myself of it. I think my wife believed my reassurances a little too much. The reality is that whatever you believe, it will normally be ten times worse. If you think it will take an hour or two, it will be more like thee or four. If you think they'll call you, they won't. You'll end up chasing them. This is the reality sadly and trying to remain positive is often the biggest mistake you can make. Arse!

Car Worries & Other Stuff

The car is going in for its MOT tomorrow morning. No matter how much I try to reassure myself that it's running fine and has nothing wrong with it, I'm resigned to the fact that there's probably something nasty lurking under the bonnet or something worn out that we can't see. There's money set aside just in case, but as normal it's money we've borrowed. I just know it's going to be a nightmare of a day. A friend is following me there and taking me back to theirs until the car is ready to collect again. My wife will be at home nervously awaiting my phone call to let her know the outcome. Whatever happens, we'll have to deal with it. It's not that it's a flash expensive car. Far from it. I used to own and drive nice cars and spend literally hundreds on MOT's and services. I look back now and cringe at the huge amounts of money I wasted. Now of course things are very different. We drive a basic little car. It isn't the cleanest, it isn't the fastest and it certainly isn't the biggest. But it gets us from A to B relatively inexpensively. Above all, it's reliable, very reliable. It starts first time whatever the weather.
So it's pointless worrying. We're fortunate to know the guy doing the MOT quite well and he knows the car. He's also honest. I know this to be true.

A busy Sunday. My son had a party today at the Funfarm in Spalding. It's a very popular venue and takes all the hassle out of arranging and hosting children's parties. The kids love it and the parents can sit in relative comfort whilst keeping a watcfull eye on their offspring. The allocated two hours is plenty, for the kids and the adults. Definately.

I'll write soon about music. I need to be in the right frame of mind and I'm currently stressed. I enjoy listening to a varied range of music, modern and old. But what's important for me and I suspect many others are the things that we associate to the music. The things we remember when we listen and the emotions certain tracks seem to trigger. I always treat music as a type of medicine or drug. It can have an enormous effect on mood, which for some is a very useful thing.

Something new, and I'm going to journal my viewing habits. I watch a lot of TV and much of it is obtained via the Internet. So here goes, and it's by no means an exhaustive list.

Stuff I've been watching...

Sherlock (BBC1 and current series now finished)
Bones (fantastic series from the US and downloaded via wonderful BitTorrent)
Criminal Minds (ditto)
Grim (ditto)
Rizzoli and Isles (ditto)
Person of Interest (ditto)
Call the Midwife (BBC)
Celebrity Coach Trip (Channel 4)
Idiot Abroad (Sky)
Dancing On Ice (ITV1)

Last film I've watched...

Hangover 2 - not as good as the first but still funny. I'd give it 8/10.

Stuff I'm eagerly awaiting...

Whitechapel (ITV1)

Stuff I'm listening to...

The Archers (of course)
Dad's Army (original radio series)
Sherlock Holmes - The House of Silk (BBC Radio)

So there we are. I suppose I'm a bit of a media junkie!