What a run of bad luck!

It started in August with my fan oven going and I had to get the element replaced.  Then at the start of this month I took Edwin up to Carlisle with some of his things , and the alternator went on my car, although I was lucky in that I managed to get back home, and to drive it to the garage, but that cost money as well.  Then Shadow, my Scottie, was limping, but when I looked there was nothing in her paw, nor was it cut, and there didn't seem to be any broken bones.  I though she had sprained it slightly or overstretched herself.  Just around two weeks ago I thought that perhaps she had jarred her nail as she was still limping, I hadn't taken her to the vet as there was nothing obvious going on.  Anyway, on Wednesday evening around bedtime I noticed that her claw was at a funny angle, she must have broken her claw inside the toe and it had only just emerged. SO the next day I got someone to help me and I bathed it and got some of the puss out of it.  I rang the vet, but the only appointment they had was when I was at work, so I took her down last Saturday morning.  The vet cut her damaged claw off and then bandaged her foot, he gave me antibiotics, (the strongest they have for dogs,) and said he'd like to see her mid week.  I made an appointment for Wednesday. Unfortunately it wasn't the same vet, and this wants to lance the swelling and x-ray the foot....to the tune of around £220 with the x-ray, £120 maximum without an x-ray.  I don't have that kind of money spare, so I paid for the appointment and another lot of antibiotics, and said I would think about it.  After doing some research, and bearing in mind that Shadow is much more active and the swelling is going down slowly, I have decided to put off it being possibly lanced.  What I have found out is that an abscess occurs to stop infection spreading, and when the threat of infection has gone the abscess is reabsorbed into the body, so lancing an abscess seems to me to be going against nature.  I will see how she progresses.
Anyway, all in all over the past 6weeks I have had three unexpected expenses and just hope that is all for now.

Cars!

Is it really worth me having a car?  I have wondered this a few times recently.  My car spends more time parked outside the house than it does going anywhere.  To give you another illustration of how infrequently I use my car I'll say that yesterday is only the third time id have put fuel into it, the previous being mid to late April and the very first time was the day in January when I brought her, Aurora Rover, home.
Yesterday, Edwin and I went to Carlisle to take some of his stuff up as he is going back on Sunday in readiness for his second year of his Illustration Honours course.
As we got near to the lowest of the Carlisle exits, (there are three,) the battery light came on, and didn't go off.  I did go off when we set off back, but soon came back on again, and stayed on for the rest of the journey home.
I rang John where I got the car from and he said it sounded like the alternator and I should bring it in this morning.
So, after a bad night's sleep, tense and tired from the drive, (I was worried that we wouldn't make it back home,) and Edwin had gone to a party, I thought he'd be back around two at the latest, but he wasn't back at gone five, but did come in around 5.30am.  So...I didn't sleep much last night, I took Aurora, she does need a new alternator, so that is an expense I hadn't anticipated. 
I'm really worn out now, and half asleep, due to the rather long walk back from John's, both dogs are flopped on the floor, dozing.  The funny thing is Spark, who was 12 on the 21st of August, seems to be less tired than Shadow, and she's not 8 until the 18th of this month.
If my arthritis wasn't getting worse I would seriously consider selling my car, but I don't think I should in the long run as there will come a time when I will need to use it more than I do now.

New car, well, new to me

I've collected my new, to me, car today.
I've called her Aurora Rover, as she is a Rover 25 impression, and very pretty.  Smaller engine than Midori MG ZR, and petrol rather than diesel so is 6 insurance groups lower.  Samantha bought Midori off me, as she has a 90 mile round trip each day to work.
I like driving, but as my ankle is slowly but surely collapsing again, the diesel car was a little heavy on the clutch for me.

Am I too soft-hearted?

In the past, sometimes , even though I haven't had much cash, if anyone asked me if I could "lend" them some money, I usually have obliged. 
Now, perhaps I being naive, but when I went to school, "lend" meant that you would get what ever item was on loan back.  I lost some very good cookery books in this way.
It's not just money, books have similarly been loaned, only for me never to see them again.
So why when I usually don't say no if someone asks for a loan of some kind do I feel guilty about asking anyone for a loan of anything, or even some help?
My point here might seem a little obscure, until I clarify things by saying that my monthly income has shrunk over the past few months, and although I knew it was coming, I didn't realise just how much income I would be down by.  I could have worked it out, just didn't think about it.  So until I get used to things, money is a bit tighter than usual.  So I don't need things happen like they did yesterday. I was driving back from getting my haircut, in the rain, when my wipers packed up on me.  I knew it wasn't the fuse due to a noise I heard prior to them ceasing to work, so I drove, very carefully to the garage where I take my car, as it was closer than home on my journey.  A rod has "come off" or snapped, I don't know which, and it is going to cost around £40-£50.  I do have the money, but I like to keep a "safety net" in my bank account, in case of emergencies.  Ah, well. 
Back to the original point.  I did lend someone around £500, which they promised they would pay back.  I could really do with it now, it would make things a lot easier, but I think they have forgotten completely.
Right now I am telling myself I will never loan anyone anything again, but I know deep down I probably will, given the right circumstances

What happened to the snow ploughs?

Everywhere is saying that they are running out of grit........
Hold on!!!!!
When I was young I used to live where it knew how to snow...and did do EVERY winter!
Before the roads were gritted the snow ploughs would be used to clear most of the standing snow on the roads, and then they would grit the ploughed roads.
A few years back..I said in jest that perhaps the drivers didn't know how to attach the snowploughs to the vehicles, now I'm not so sure!
Perhaps they don't even know what the curved pieces of metal...that look a little like bulldozer buckets, are for.
I don't really understand why this snow has caused such a problem. I remember, very distantly, some very cold snowy winters, but I also remember that the roads were cleared quite soon.
Is it that the snowploughs have been lost, or are we more reliant on our "family cars" these days. After all...when I was young you were "posh" if you had a car, and most freight went by rail for the bulk of its journey. Now catching a bus , train, or walking is looked upon as a "poor man's" mode of transport....if you have a car and choose to walk you are eccentric....ok that's me...what is everyone else's excuse?

Why?

I know I've titled blog-posts why before, but it is a question that constant puzzles me.

The why today is......

Why do people buy cheap cars, then spend a small fortune on them? Well...not so much that as, add body parts etc, so you can't actually tell what sort of car is underneath all the extra bits? These cars always have a really annoying sound system that plays music that sounds as if the car is falling apart as well.

I have seen some horrors around here.

One was a Renault Clio with so many extra body parts it really was difficult to guess what the car originally was.

I have also seen a Jaguar painted metallic purple, with green skirts and spoilers......why?

For heaven's sake...if you can afford a Jaguar, and can afford to run it, why do that? There are tasteful custom made bits that can be added. Or just save your money up and buy a better car.

It also annoys me when they put noisy exhausts on. All they do is make more noise, and the car burns more fuel. It doesn't make the car any more powerful.

One I saw last week made me want to cry though...I saw a yellow MGZR with mudflaps, but they were just yellow plastic....why? MG parts are still available, and surely they do co-ordinated mudflaps.

I'm not against all attempts at making your car look different though, as the picture shows. It's Sam's car, Milly, she put the patches of black vinyl on it before going to Download last year, needless to say she didn't lose where she had parked it. It also has a horn that moos, alongside the standard one. You'd have to meet her to know it is totally in keeping, makes her car individual, not an attempt to soup it up in anyway. And it only cost her about £20 for the vinyl, and a lot of patience. [That sort of customising is good, as it makes cars individual. Like tribal markings some people have on their cars, but it would be better if they actually knew what they meant.]

What have I done wrong?

Please can I have the last couple of days again?
It seems to be a catalogue of upsets for me.
My fridge has started leaking water on the floor.....I may be able to sort it, but might have to get a new fridge.
My pc is being the moodiest machine in the world, will switch on, or won't, depending on how tiz feeling. Calling a useless heap of junk and telling it I'd get it seen to seemed to work today, to get it to switch on.
My car has been run into......Wait a minute...my parked car...with no-one in it was crashed into by a runaway car, also with no driver in it. The owner of the other car is supposed to be sorting it out for me, she doesn't want me to go through my insurance, or hers? She has a friend who has a garage who should be able to fix it. I really hope so, would hate to have to write my car off.
That was yesterday.
This morning I have woken up with my left shoulder aching like mad and going tingly. I think I have trapped a nerve to cause the pain. Just had a warm bath to help ease it. My friend is coming to put some muscle rub on it when she returns home from the barbeque she has gone to. I think an early night is in order.

Pulling?

Tonight my daughter, Sam, wanted me to drive her into Lancaster to meet up with friends. When she wants a taxi service I agree these days, but drive her in her car.

This is fun, I get to drive a car that looks like a cow.

Can't remember if I have blogged about Sam's car, but will rectify that now, by showing pictures. Also, as I was driving her, another car passed us with lads around Sam's age in it, they shouted to us. Sam said..."that's not fair, I never pull when I'm driving" Don't think I had pulled, just brightened someone's day up.