I trust you have all survived the holiday period and have finally gotten over the dreaded hangovers.
Usually new year posts start on a high with a positive outlook on the year to come. However, if you're looking for upbeat new years resolutions, this isn't the post for you.
My new year began unexpectedly with a baby sitting mission. I never intend to get myself into strange situations, but the seem to seek me out and I'm drawn to them like a magnet. Long story short, I spent the majority of my new year celebration looking after a youth who had somehow managed to minesweep the entire party and end up in a devastating state. It involved lots of tears, tantrums and traumatic chundering—luckily all from the youth in question and not myself.
At this point I was still quite optimistic, new year and all, but the next few days did more than test my patients. Between the awkward family get togethers and stuffing the last of the festive food, my faithful car decided it was done with life. I was journeying back from Manchester where I had celebrated the new year, when my car fully came to a halt on the M62—for anyone who doesn't know, the M62 is one of the major motorways running across the UK. At the time I was more worried that I had an unrefrigerated sticky toffee pudding in the front seat that wasn't going to make it back to Essex!
While I waited on the motorway bank I quickly realised the weather was changing. Lone behold all of my thermals were packed away and I hadn't thought much of wearing anything warm for my travels. Hours seemed to pass while I was stuck waiting for assistance and the rain/fog really started to set in. Finally when the guy arrived I thought progress was being made...WRONG! The man managed to lock himself out of his pickup truck taking another couple of hours for him to be rescued. After long exchanges with different mechanics
my car set off to be towed back to the south.
As if the car situation wasn't enough of a joke, I remembered to my dismay, that after reassuring my mum that I had packed my rail card (just in case) it was actually lying on my desk at home— approximately 210 miles away.
I know you must all be wondering, yes, I did finally make it home. It was a day later than expected and my work wasn't too impressed, but I made it, safe and sound.
Lessons were learned that day. Always say yes to taking a flask of tea with you for your journey and always listen to your mum when it comes to double checking!
Life has been much on the up since then, and the car eventually made it back to Essex.
I wish you all a happier and smoother start to the year, and hope my troubles have provided a little amusement in this dull January.
Here's a little snap of my lonely car...
Hannah
