last Saturday evening: boiler goes out just as I am putting Dan to bed. No idea how to restart or if there is actual problem (Rik does not get back from course until Sunday afternoon).
As a consequence of above, spend over an hour on Sunday morning trying to find "boiler-repair man". Contact various companies all of whom advertise 24/7 call-out service. No-one can get an engineer to me before Monday morning! Not even British Gas - who are more interested in trying to get me to sign up to their homecare service plan .....GRRRRR!!! I can't book an engineer for Monday morning because that's the only day I'm in work this week (so I need to be there) and I dont know what Rik's plans are - nor can I contact him as he's in an exam.
So we go Sunday and Monday without heating. Rik comes home and we book an engineer for Tuesday morning and boiler is fixed - fan had seized. Hurray!! £300. hurroo
Monday afternoon an ongoing crisis at work kicks off again: particularly difficult since I'm out Tuesday and Wednesday; and boss is about to go off sick with vomiting bug. Crisis made worse by the knowledge that it's been brought about by officers not doing things they should have in the first place - what's new there?!
Wednesday: I'm supposed to be taking a flexi day although have already agreed to attend a court hearing in Frome which shouldn't take too long. Plan to do some Crimble shopping.
Reality: Kept waiting at court for over 2 hours then told that actually we don't need to be in court at all. Including traveling that's 4 hours taken up. A further two hours spent fire-fighting by remote e-mail of this crisis and other problems. Not much of a flexi day; no shopping got to.
Wednesday evening: call from Rik to say that he's lost his rail season ticket. Had it when he got off the train this morning but now doesn't. He'll have to buy full price tickets until First Great Western decide to give him a replacement or a refund. [full season ticket - £3500] Rik himself is having to deal with his own work crisis which means he's late leaving work and called to emergency meetings on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday: I'm working again - have to go to West Somerset to staff a planning committee. Fine except that my period's started (by the by this was totally expected so not a problem in itself) and brought with it a not-so-nice headache. So I have 3 hours travelling and a 3.5hour meeting whilst really wanting to collapse in a corner. As a result of that headache, Dan misses Music with Mummy in the morning and is quite sad. Rik, meanwhile spends most of the day on conference calls (when he's not on Dan duty)
And we've saved the best for last. Friday
Rik's in Swindon at his emergency meetings. Because he's lost his travelcard, he's taken the car. On the way back he leaves the M4 at J18 to avoid fog and, whilst on the A46 someone crashes into the back of his Saab (details as to what happened still scarce). Saab is apparently pushed into a field and may well be a write-off. Rik, I hasten to add, apart from a couple of bruises, is fine - he's been checked out by paramedics and rapid response teams! Though traumatic in itself, recovery people say they can't move the car in the dark (too difficult) and then won't bring him home. The AA say it will cost £300 if he wants to be brought home because the car's not coming with him.
Eventually the recovery service take pity on him and drop him about 3 miles away in Warmley. I then plead with a local taxi company to bring him home which eventually happens just after 7pm (he was due home around 3!). £10
On the upside the insurance company have given us a very nice silver BMW 3 series Coupe to tide us over whilst the fate of our poor Saab is decided. If it is a write off, well that's enough £8-10k added to our "bill" for this week.
Oh and Dan has a cold - but bless him he's being very good about it really.
Well Rik and I are going out tonite with Mums n Dads from my Friday group - just hope THAT goes smoothly!!!! please .........
