Didn't mean to leave it this long to post some thoughts, but have been out and about doing things, like local studies volunteering, knitting group at local U3A, lunching with friends, including a former housemate visiting from Melbourne, reading group, plus routine domestic chores like climbing Mount Ironmore, a Mummy-and-Martha day in Town.
An overheard conversation in Oxford Street John Lewis on this occasion made us both crack up, we were in the furnishings department, a young guy with wife was heard to say in an exasperated voice "Oh no! Not cushions!" We wonder what cushions had done to him for him to be so against them.
It was on last Monday morning when I was off to Reading Group that problems with big diesel car started. Well, the car wouldn't start, horrible grinding noise. Abandoned big car and went in little petrol car to discuss the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, well we discussed for all of 10 minutes and spent the rest of time catching up on all the news. I suspect most Reading Groups are like this, especially so if they are held in members' homes, I've never been to any other but maybe there is much more analysis of the book in a library setting.
Our good family owned and run local garage collected the car, apparently the problem was the battery, which was replaced, additionally we asked for a service as the car hadn't had one for a while, like 15 months. That is the conundrum. We don't drive it very far or that often so the battery, which supports all sorts of electronic whizzy gadgets, doesn't have a chance to really charge up, especially as much of our driving is in town traffic jams. We try to be greener, using public transport more, train journeys down to Dorset are less stressful than driving back in the dark and rain, but then not using the car for long journeys means they don't run so well. Nothing like a long steady run to clean the engine and charge the battery, especially so in a diesel car. Neither of our cars are new, little car is a N registration, big car is 04, but both are low mileage so no point in changing them for newer models. Two litre diesel is not a good town car choice, but in a previous life it was Ian's company car.
Other conundrums that could cause me to wonder; why does the road and pavement sweeper come just before the refuse collection so that all the rubbish that inevitably blows from our multitude of boxes is blown around for another week?
On that note, time for bed.
We absolutely need two cars here - both of us are self emplyed so need to have transpot and have no pulci choice - but I only did 2500 miles last year so my car often suffers battery issues :(
ReplyDeleteSweeping the road? such luxury !!! lol
Since I don't drive (I have even written a blog post about this subject, here: http://librarianwithsecrets.blogspot.de/2010/02/why-i-do-not-drive.html ), my feet or public transport are usually the way for me to get from A to B. When I see how stressed out my colleagues are who arrive to work by car, fresh out of the daily traffic jam, I am glad about that, in spite of often having to deal with delayed trains and missed connections. Also, in winter, they have to get out at least 10 minutes earlier to free the car of ice and snow, somethng I never have to do :-)
ReplyDeleteYour reading group sounds cosy. I think I'd like to have a reading group in my home. They are far less common in Germany than in England; maybe I could start a trend here.
I try only to use my car on runs long enough not to be bad for it, but I've not been very good about riding the bike recently.
ReplyDeleteI've been invited to reading groups, but I don't feel I want to analyse what I've read, even if I've loved the book - I think it's the obligation, makes me feel like school. I'm probably wrong and would really enjoy it!