Taking my children out in the car this morning to enjoy our morning walk with the dog. One of my snotty kids (three of them have colds) said, “Mummy is a better driver than you.”
Picture: envyxme
I replied, “WHAT!”
Clarification was forthcoming in the form of, “Well Mummy has never crashed the car like you.”
Ah. Yes. That’s right, mummy has never crashed the car - but I have – and I’ve never been allowed to forget it.
The truth is, there’s nothing to debate about the initial remark anyway, Mummy really is a better driver than me - she has a certificate to prove it.
My thoughtful child reminded me of the event at exactly the point where the incident happened. Nice timing!
It happened on a narrow track leading into the woods where the local authority built a chicane. This obstacle consists of metal bollards forming an ‘S bend’ and it’s just wide enough to get my seven seater Chrysler through.
It’s designed to stop trucks gaining access to dump industrial waste, and usually I’m glad of its presence.
So on this fateful day last year - around this time of year funnily enough - I had been in the woods with all of the children walking our three dogs. Toward the end of the walk one of the dogs decided to do a bunk so I spent 10 minutes shouting for him and getting myself into a terrible state.
I decided to get into the car and drive to the other side of the woods to see if I could head him off. I suspected he was returning to a spot where the grass was sprinkled with the calling card of a female of the species. I hadn’t tested it myself but all three of the dogs had frolicked there earlier so it was either that or a body in a shallow grave.
The children started whining because it was cold and they didn’t want me to leave without the dog. Our youngest child was still a baby and was starting to cry. I wasn’t having a great time and a dark mood descended upon me.
I was going to throttle this bloody dog when I found it.
I loaded the children into the car trying my best to ignore them but they were managing to get under my skin.
I set off toward this chicane that I’d negotiated hundreds of times before and predictably they all chose this moment to really start shouting and screaching.
For a split second I lost my concentration and as I turned into the bollards I heard the sound of metal being scraped and gouged. It was a sickening sound immediately followed by a sideways jolt as one of the bollards acted as a pivot against my turn.
You’d think I’d have stood on the brakes and stopped. But oh no. I was in such a rage I just carried on and made sure I took the entire side of the car out instead of just one panel.
I’ll tell you how this story ends when I post again on Thursday.
_
I’d just like to draw your attention to a fellow blogger who is currently looking for online work. I’ve wracked my brains but I’ve been unable to help.
Scribbles08 has written about the kind of work she is looking for and goes on to describe her situation.
Please have a look and see if you can offer any suggestions. Thanks. Dave.
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