1.7.08

Playing chicken with the fuel gauge

One of the questions I get asked the most is "Do you miss London?" My answer is usually "Yes I miss my friends, and being able to drink Champagne without anyone asking what I am celebrating" I also miss Feng Sushi, The Electric Cinema, Ottolenghi, Espressotinis, Italian magazines and The Wine Factory, (Most of the things I miss seem to be food related and it is at times like this when I realise why I am not a size zero) It would however take something rather spectacular to get me back to the big smoke.

Fast forward to 4am this morning, and I realised I also miss the convenience of London. As I jumped in the van to go to market, the van beeped at me. This beep indicates you are running on fumes, and must proceed post-haste to the nearest filling station. At 4a.m. in London this is easy, in Rutland, not so much. In a town where the police station closes for lunch, the petrol stations ( all 2 of them) also operate civilised opening hours - civilised for the staff not the early morning riser.

There is a 24 hour garage about 13 miles away, looking at the fuel gauge I wasn't sure if I would make it (the beeping had been on for a while, but I chose to ignore it yesterday)
Deciding to go for it, spurred on by the fact that if I didn't we would have an empty shop as we sold out yesterday, I opted for the get there as quick as you can method rather than the 56mph method, and get there I did. With adrenalin pumping I arrived at the cash desk, and gave the assistant a king's ransom.
I can hear the tut tutting of a certain gentleman reading this, who also tuts at my inability to add screen wash, oil or water to the Berlingo, and to that gentleman I say - Happy Birthday.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, can't understand that gentleman's attitude can you.......? Nothing to do with rescuing a damsel in distress on numerous occasions......!

Anonymous said...

It is true, that the gentleman in question does despair of our general girly impracticalness. I too have been the victim of the tutting and head shaking over my blonde approach towards DIY, car maintenance, finances and many other of life’s little mysteries….
Why just this afternoon, I was “reprimanded” for attempting to use a lively garden strimmer wearing unsuitable footwear: flip-flops (apparently, toes could have been mangled had the strimmer become unruly).
It is for this, and many other reasons, that we love him