We Finally Made It Home

Peter —  December 24, 2009

Monday we were scheduled to go to Bristol to visit my parents.  We decided not to because of the weather.  Good decision.  Our neighbour took 4.5 hours to drive 6 miles home from work!  So we went Wednesday instead.  Had a good time, left at about 6:30pm to come home.  Our car overheated about an hour from home.  We stopped on the side of the motorway, let it cool, topped it up and tried again.  We only got a few minutes down the road, but did make it to a junction.  Stopped again, checked satnav on my phone (GPS) and found there was a petrol station less than a mile away.  We gently drove there and called out the RAC.  Their busiest day of the year . . . but eventually we got through and they sent a patrol.  Water pump gone.  He couldn’t get it fixed or get the water to circulate properly.  So after almost an hour of trying, he left us to wait for the recovery vehicle.  The problem was having 8 people to transport since most of the transporters only hold six at a real squeeze.  So our good friends joined the adventure by driving out to us in the church minibus, took seven home and left me to wait for the recovery vehicle.  Now with less people to transport they were able to get to me much quicker and so I arrived home with the car just minutes after everyone else.  3am to bed and a lazy start to today.  Hopefully the car can be fixed in the next week . . . but we’re super thankful for friends helping and offering to help, for that providentially placed petrol station that was open 24 hours (not too many of those around), for great attitudes in the car, for the RAC (good thing I have stayed loyal to my old employer!), and for the fact that the car might not be ready for scrap just yet!

We’re enjoying Christmas today and Melanie’s parents fly home tomorrow.  Hope you have a great Christmas!