Car-less

We've had a run of bad luck in the transport department in the past few days. It all began when Nige got 'stuck' in the centre of Coventry and found himself heading towards a bus lane kitted out with numerous cameras in a ploy to extract as much money as possible out of the unwitting motorist. He couldn't turn left or right and didn't want to reverse in case he ploughed into an oncoming, diesel-fume-belching bus. He came home ranting and is now waiting for a fine in the post. He swears he didn't see any warning signs (he was looking out especially) and sees it as entrapment. Call him paranoid. Or Jeremy Clarkson, whichever you prefer.

Yesterday I was ferrying children around to friend's houses, swimming lessons, the dreaded McDonald's (first time in over two years we've set foot in there!) etc, then sitting in the driver's seat once more to do another drop off and pickup, the car wouldn't start. After several attempts and knowing deep-down that I was wasting my time, I nipped in the house to call Nige for assistance. Fortunately (or not for him!) he'd just arrived home. He concluded within two minutes of fiddling that it was the fuel pump. How do men do that? I piled the children into my husband's car and continued the ferrying around in that (lucky he was home a bit earlier).
And how fortunate my car was on the drive at home when it decided not to start and not on the forecourt of McDonald's! How fortunate that it didn't wait another week or so, otherwise we'd have been stuck on the M6 on the way to Scotland. This is called positive thinking as opposed to my husband's mutterings which went along the lines of, 'These things usually come in threes,' and 'I worked those eight hours overtime last Saturday for nothing'.

So.. instead of going to the cinema today to see Kung Foo Panda, we're stuck at home. Megan has been very philosophical about it (must take after her mother!) and said, 'Never mind, Mummy, we can make the worm farm today instead!' I can't wait!