Crisis averted

I parked in Morrisons car park yesterday lunchtime while I popped in for a few bits and pieces. I was in there less than half an hour, but nevertheless it was time enough for some wazzock to scrape all down the side of my car. I wasn't best pleased. There is CCTV on site, but needless to say it didn't cover the spot I was in.

It was lucky that my son was home to make me a soothing cuppa when I got in, or I might have gone into serious meltdown mode (don't tell my yoga students). Once I was calm, I took the poor thing to the workshop where I've had other work done and they managed to sort me out. It's all fixed now and I didn't bust a blood vessel.

Good as new

So as my contribution to Celebrate the Small Things, I'm celebrating excellent customer service. Thank you, Feakins of Kettering, for not only doing the repairs, but also chauffeuring me home, then picking me up again when my car was ready for collection.

 Celebrate the Small Things  is a blog hop. Visit Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week. Originated by VikLit) and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge and Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog.  

Ending the week with a smile

Well, with the help of a fairly substantial number of digestive biscuits I have survived the week. It was touch and go at a couple of classes, when I thought my voice was going to give up  - and why do I always want to cough when I've just settled my students into their relaxation? - but it didn't. I even made it to ukulele practice, for a very squeaky rendition of 'It's Five O'clock Somewhere'. Do you know the song? I was amazed how many people didn't.

I've managed to keep on top of the word-related work, too, which fortunately has been quiet this week. On the other hand, that means earnings have also been down, and I've had to have a lock replaced and a leaky roof fixed. Next job is to tart up the living room where the rain poured in, and after that the rendering on the whole house needs sorting.

A couple of things have made me smile, however. First, I have generously passed on my germs to my husband who is so muddle-headed with cold that he was out of the front door yesterday before he realised he was still wearing his slippers. Second, I spotted a nice bit of shelf-stacking in Morrisons. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put a tower of wine at the end of the nappy display should get a medal.

Emergency childcare essentials

Supermarket sweep

I had a bit of a Chuckle Brothers moment in Morrisons yesterday. I had parked on the lower, covered level of the car park to get some relief from the driving rain and ferocious winds. But when I came out of the store the lift had stopped working, so I turned my loaded trolley into the headwind and struggled towards the travellator. The only way I could move at all was with a peculiar crab-like motion, pushing the front of the trolley, then the back, until I reached the top of the downwards track.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind

With relief, I slid my trolley on to the grooves and set off. I was about halfway down when, without warning and for no discernible reason, the travellator stopped. This caused much hilarity amongst the people gliding serenely past me going the other way. Sod's Law meant that no one else was going down, so there I was, stranded and alone, unable to move in any direction. I whimpered, 'Help!'

A couple of people offered suggestions in passing: 'You need to call someone.' How, exactly? 'Have you tried pressing the emergency stop button?' How would that help, even if I were prepared to abandoned a week's worth of food to go back the way I'd come? I looked around in vain for a trolley man or anyone else in Morrisons livery, but all the staff seemed to have disappeared.

Eventually, a burly man going up showed some sympathy and trotted back down to me. Grasping the front of my trolley with both hands, he towed me down to the ground as I thanked him profusely for his gallantry.

And then, in true superhero style, he was gone.