Getting used to it.

So, a month ago today, in about an hours time, my car was heading sideways at 50 miles an hour into a road sign. Apart from some lingering back ache, I seem to have recovered relatively well. The insurance have paid out for my Peugeot (though currently against me), as they are still pursuing the lorry driver, but it's all complicated by it being a foreign lorry. Basically don't hold your breath because it will take time!

 

However, I picked up the new (to me car) the week following the accident, and now having driven it for a few weeks, I can report that it is very nice to drive. I'm slowly getting used to it, learning where the front and the back are and how it handles, but I am safe to say it is a very nice car and I am very pleased with it.

 

At work it's that time of year when the foreign student registrations go through the roof. It is a relentless stream of them and there are times when you want to scream, like when you have said for the 68th time 'Do you have £34 cash, exact money' and the response is 'yes' and then you're presented with a £50 note!!! But, give it another 6 weeks and hopefully it will start to slow down. On the plus side for the last two Fridays I have escaped from the office and done registrations at Oxford Brookes and Oxford University. Okay, still the same relentless stream, but different scenery.

Bit of a week!

So, last week saw me on my stretch of four night shifts, starting on the Monday and it also the saw the start of the parking ban at the nick.

Previously, on certain shifts, we were able to park in the back yard, a rather congested space with not enough parking for all the official (marked and otherwise) vehicles, let alone those private vehicles that also had permission. However, most of the time we all muddled along, and a system of double and triple parking had developed, that as long as you left your keys either in the vehicle, or easily available, worked perfectly. But about two weeks ago, the management decided enough was enough, and now all private vehicles are banned, with no excuses. Never mind you finish at 3 am, get walking!!

So, as I didn't really fancy faffing around with the park and ride bus after doing a 9 hour night shift, after asking nicely, I managed to secure for our team, parking permits at the local college for when we are on night shifts. Monday night I found the college (with the help of Google maps and street view), and found their car park - all good. The walk back through the college grounds was a little spooky - relatively well lit, but rather deserted at 10pm. The walk to the station however took me 7 minutes, so good result!!

On Tuesday night I decided I didn't fancy the spooky walk, so thought I would park near the college entrance by the disabled spaces as there are a couple of non-disabled spaces. All good until Wednesday morning when I got back to my car and this was the result

 

 

Bit of a pisser to say the least! Manage to get home, but then have to spend time reporting the damage to the police and calling my insurance company to sort out the replacement, which is going to cost me £75 of my glass excess. I then have to arrange with work that if I am coming in for my night shift, I will need to leave by 5.30am at the latest, as the glass company can't come until Thursday so for hubby to get to work in time, he has to come and collect me 1.5 hours before the end of my shift.

 

 

Anyway, Thursday comes, the glass company replaces the windscreen and I head off to work, planning to use the park and ride to keep the car safe. Best laid plans and all that!!!

 

 

Didn't actually make it to work. I usually get on the M40 at junction 5 and get off at junction 8. Just after junction 7 they're doing something to the over bridge, so there are road works. Lane 1 is currently on the hard shoulder and lanes 2 and 3 have been narrowed. German lorry towing trailer in lane one, me in lane two, car in front of lorry brakes, lorry brakes, trailer steps out, hits the back of my car, sending me into a skid and this was the result:

 

 

Ok, the damage caused by the actual collision with the lorry was minimal, the above was caused by me colliding with a handily placed road sign at about 50 miles an hour!!! Obviously a bit of a shock, I banged my head which made me feel a bit sick and dizzy, also my leg, arm and got a bit of glass in my eye from where the drivers window smashed. And the first thought when I came to my senses - is the windscreen ok?? No it bloody well wasn't, but then this turned out to be quite minor considering. I managed to get myself out, via the passenger door, call the emergency services and end up being carted off to the JR (local A&E - John Radcliffe to give it its full name) in an ambulance.

 

 

 

 



So the car is going to be a write off, as are my uniform trousers (above) which the ambulance crew cut off me with some glee. So unfortunately the new kitchen fund has had to be raided to purchase me another car, as it is impossible for us to manage with one as we work in opposite directions!! So collecting new (to me) car on Friday.

 



 



It's a Seat Leon, 1.6 and is very good condition with low mileage for it's age, and I am quite looking forward to it.

Of course I am now having to sort out things with the insurance company, who have actually been very good and helpful so far, though because the lorry was German, this complicates things slightly, so of course will take more time. Am also having to tell the DVLA the car is going to be scrapped, get the tax back.............such a lot of paperwork!!

But I have to consider that I and still here in one piece, especially having been told by the police, ambulance crew and the recovery driver that I was lucky to walk out of it with just cuts and bruising. And on the plus side I got to keep the blanket from the ambulance - had to have something to spare my blushes!!!

A little shameless begging!

A little shameless begging can never hurt and so here goes.

On Sunday 6th October I am running a 10 km race at Blenheim Palace for the British Heart Foundation with a few people from work. There are a few of us who have taken up running recently in an effort to get fit or lose weight (or both) and so to give us something to aim for we decided to do a race, and the bonus is we get to raise money for a good cause as well.

So, below should be button to connect you to my Just Giving page. Please sponsor me, as I have said, it is all for a good cause.

The return of the wanderer!!

Well, I haven't really been wandering, just not blogging. Something was always getting in the way - life generally!!!

So, brief summary of the past year, as rather scarily it is about a year since my last proper post.

I am going to be an aunty again.........twice!! My brother and sister in law are expecting another baby (girl) in November, and my sister and brother in law are expecting another baby (girl) in January. Rather scarily they both had boys first time round and are now expecting girls second time round, so I will have two nephews and two nieces.

Christopher has now been ruling our house for over a year. Neither of us can imagine the house or life without him...........though I guess we wouldn't have cat fur all over the dining table!!!

We've had a new boiler put in...........the joy of hot water on tap, not having to remember to switch the immersion on!

I'm still running, and thanks to some friends at work, have signed up to do a 10km race on the 6th October. It's all in aid of the British Heart Foundation and training is going well - managed 5.5 miles this morning, and still have 5 or so weeks to go. 10km = 6.2 miles btw!! I am not going for any speed records, coz to be honest I'm quite a slow runner, but I still love it.

My youngest sister was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Not the best of news but she has been having chemo since December and starts radio therapy next month and is doing ok most of the time. We were able to meet up in Cyprus with her in June and we are also going to South Africa for Christmas.

I have decorated the spare room................OMG, that was a mission and a half. It took me forever to get the woodchip paper off the walls, but after many hours of hard slog and ruined nails, it was gone, and as well as decorating, we took up the carpet (well it wasn't actually fixed down) and replaced that with laminate flooring, so much easier to keep clean.

I will have worked for the police for 4 years in October and hubby has now been a bus driver for just over 3 years. Life is still good and we are still getting time off together quite frequently.

The behaviour of the traffic on the M40 and the state of the nations driving still drives me into a rage on a fairly frequent basis, but recently new law came in to make it an offence to hog the middle lane of a the motorway when there is nothing in the inside lane. I have yet to note a marked improvement on this point, but I am sure that after a few people start getting tickets, the message will get out there!

Think that about sums up the major news worthy items, though as soon as I post this, I will think..........'should have posted that..'

No I have restarted, hopefully my absence will not be as long in future!!

2013

Finally, I am back. I attempted so many times to get on and post an update last year, but something always got in the way. I will take this opportunity now to wish you all very happy new year and a prosperous 2013. I hope to be able to post a few updates what has been going on in my life since I was last on here, I seem to remember that I  promised to tell you about the Olympics, plus things have changed at work, plus a few other things that might need mentioning.