all in the past...

I think my dear little car is going to give up the ghost very shortly… she is making the most rumbly of noises. If memory serves me correctly.. its the wheel bearings… I had a little Metro years ago that had the same problem which was suitable fixed by “Chris at the Garage”… even though we were never allowed to take my car to “Chris at the Garage”.. we always had to take it to his mums house.. where he worked on cars in his spare time to supplement the crappy wage he got from “The Garage”…..

I used to take so much care of my little Nova… she used to positively gleam…. but now she has that tired look.. her bright blue has taken on a dull tone and the scratches on the passenger side rear wheel arch are a telling reminder to how tight the parking is at work.

When my car was broken into last year… I was devastated… not by the actual break in.. not by the missing stereo and Puddle of Mudd cd… not by the screwed up lock or the buggered up lights… but by the incredibly CRAP job that the nominated garage made of the repairs. Lets not name names here.. but they’re known in these parts as Bodgeman and Ripoff as opposed to their real name. When my insurance company told me which garage I had to use I told them catergorically that I did not want to use that garage. But.. (and with hindsight I was a fool to accept this) the Ins Company told me that they had never received any complaints about the firm and that if I wished to use another company I woudl have to pay them myslef and then claim the money back from them. I just wasn’t in a position to do this so had to use the Bodgeman and Ripoff company. Needless to say they screwed it up royally. The clock light has never worked since… the dash board lights randomly work..or don’t as the case may be… the on the drivers door has NEVER stuck on properly.. the lock is hard as hell to use and the actual door panel is subtle shade of COMPLETELY THE WRONG BLOODY BLUE…… but.. I comforted myself in the knowledge that it didn’t really matter because I was moving to the States. The car would hang on for a few more months until then.

I was going to give the car… as a gift… to a young guy who lives right around the corner from me… hes about to start taking driving lessons and he has always been a good friend to HB and I just felt to repay that friendship in some small way before we leave. I still intend to do so though he may not be so gracious in accepting it now as he would have been 6 months ago when she was looking really good and not on her last legs.

I didn’t care that my car insurance would go up if I made a claim because I didn’t think I would be here the next time the insurance was up for renewal. At least I can start thinking this way now… I’ll not have to concern myself with MOT, or car tax this year.. because thats all due in November… the Visas are taking 4 months to be aprroved… (if we file in April then we should have approval by August) and then we have the interview and medical.. so I should be about ready to leave by November…

My goodness.. I may.. finally.. get to choose a Christmas Tree with him this year….

OK.. tears… laughter… sick feeling…. time to go….