Wow! 200th post. I couldn't have imagined that when I started my blog after returning from Ranger U in October 2008....and what a journey it has been but I've loved every step of the way and made so many friends along the way so thank you to all of you who have left comments and made my ramblings feel so valued.
Now, talking about journeys and ramblings I haven't blogged since Wednesday as it feels as though a year has passed and not just a few days. First of all, as I was leaving to fetch Tanya from the airport I had a huge nosebleed that lasted 20 minutes but as I was in plenty of time that didn't matter so off I set with a hand towel on the seat beside me just incase. So far, so good.
11.10 and an hour and twenty minutes into an hour and a half journey to the airport and with me humming along to myself and thinking tra la la the car starts juddering violently and I think OH **** and luckily the motorway was quiet and the man in the car beside me realised what had happened and slowed to let me skew onto the hard shoulder. Yes, a tyre blow out - not just a common or garden puncture but a complete shred job!!! ...so I don the lime jacket, put out red triangle and get on to asistencia and the lady asks me where I am - how the bl888y h888 do I know where I am - I am stranded on a motorway 10 minutes from Valencia airport without a road sign in sight and she asks me where I am!!!!
This is now 11.39 - I know this cos its logged on my mobile. Luckily a Gurdia Civil Trafico arrives and speaks to lady. He leaves telling me a tow truck will be with me in 10 minutes.
I then speak toTanya to tell her I have a puncture and she says OK, a man she sat next to on the plane has offered her a lift to Moraira (next town along from where we live) so I phone Colin (on the golf course where else) and he agrees to collect Tanya from unknown man so to give Colin Tanya's phone number . ....are you with me so far......I reach into the drivers door pocket to get a biro when a lorry whooshes past and blows the door so far back and it now won't close (this is the door that Colin broke last week when changing my flat battery if you remember) so not only am I stuck on a motorway I have no idea where but I now can't close the bl888y door on the road side of the car!!! Oh joy!!!
Eventually. asistncia tow truck man arrives, looks at spare tyre, tells me he doesn't have the correct tool to change the tyre and will have to take me to a garage. Its now 12.39.
12.55 we arrive at garage where being Spanish they are just closing up for lunch and garage man says yes he can mend the tyre at 4 o'clock. I can't wait till 4 I say I have a shop to open at 5 and a class of girlies coming at 5.30 so I persuade tow truck man to take me to the Honda garage. A trip round the heavily trafficed streets of Valencia and we arrive at large Honda place where tow truck man asks Honda man for loan of said tool - keep with me ladies this will benefit you in the end I promise - and Honda man says no and goes off on his scooter presumably home for lunch. By this time my mobile has run out of money so I persuade helpful lady in Honda garage to use her phone and call Colin to put money on my phone so we can keep in touch.
13.45 towtruck man decides to take me to his yard from where the tow trucks operate. This is down one trackroads through orange groves - will anyone ever find me again I think!!!
Colin collects Tanya from unknown man - she says he's cute, single, lives near her and damn she forgot to get his phone number! but hey ho we have other things to think of so Colin and son Jon (who is here on his annual holiday) drive the hour and a half to Valencia, take another half an hour finding the man who has gone to meet them to guide them through the orange grove roads and arrive at 17.00 - yes 5 o'clock by now. Tanya has been left by the pool with Jodie, Jon's girlfriend.
Colin leans into the car and between the seats he picks up a tiny gadget - ladies this is where you need to listen carefully - it is about 1 inch, silver and sort of circular and it is the tool to release the security nut on the tyre -so go and locate yours now so you don't have a whole day wasted for a 5 minute tyre change.
Colin and Jon changed the tyre pfff just like that leaving the mechanics in the yard open mouthed. Jon jumped in the car and drove home with me and we got back at quarter past 7.
Sorry, it's been such a long story but please make sure you know where the gadget is because if I had known the man could have changed the tyre at the roadside - well maybe!!!!
To keep the story short I have missed out the bit where I phoned Inga and asked her to pop to the shop and put a notice on the door, the bit where I ran out of battery so no contact for 2 hours and lots of other bits too.
Anyway yesterday was another long story and as Tanya and I didn't get to bed until just before 5am and no we were not out partying I need to go and rest my weary eyes so
Bye for now
Sue
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