A day which redeemed itself eventually

Well, what a day!

I managed to leave work an hour over shift , and got to the car park opposite the BBC . When I say opposite, it is as the crow flies. It used be a quick little walk across by another little car park, but at the moment it's a longer walk.

The new Jubilee Square which is under construction  has cut off the entrance to our building, and we have to go around the block to go through the back door at the moment. Which is nice.

Anyway, I got to my car in the delightful NCP Car Park, walking up one flight of stairs, inhaling the revolting smell of urine soaked steps, and got to my car. As you drive out of the car park, you turn right  - you're on what is called St Nicholas Circle.  A huge traffic island  with a Holiday Inn plonked in the centre of it. Which is nice.

As I drove out around the circle, my car died . Just stopped, lights flashed on the dashboard, and that was it. No power whatsoever. You can imagine the delight of all the drivers coming up behind me. Despite my putting the flashers on, and gesticulating wildly for them to go around me, there were horns going, a few signs ( who knew two fingers or even one could convey such a fervent message?)
and I really did start to worry. How could I get the car to a safe position? Would my back end get shunted?

No one came to help....I was trying to phone for help without success, but then I gotr lucky. Help arrived - it wasn't the  cavalry, because he'd got out of a car, but he really was a knight in shining armour. His name was Paul Dickinson and he was  from British Gas...taking charge of the situation, he caught the attention of two Polish guys walking past .They couldn't speak any English, but with sign language he got them to help and all three of them pushed my around the traffic island to the hotel with the car park I'd just come out of.

Paul, thanks very much! And I'm sorry it took so long to get your breath back.And thank you to the car breakdown man with no teeth who arrived and was so cheery as he helped get the car started.

Three hours after leaving work, I finally got home, tired, and hungry.

But there was good news....for the last few months, I've been trying to find a suitable suitor for my lovely little dog Boo.  She may not be fussy, but I am, and I'd been looking for another black patterdale cross border terrier for her to have pups with. I'd even mentioned on twitter that Boo needed a dog....and I got accused of pimping her out on the internet!

Anyway, the problem has become a pressing one...Boo is in season and Shreddie, a lovely Jack Russell who also lives in the village ,is determined to have his evil way with Boo. He sits outside our gates howling to get in. He follows Boo on her walks with Mr Thinking of the Days, and today was lying in wait in the lane hiding in the long grass, and as they walked past, he pounced. |Boo had to be carried home held high so he couldn't get her.

Anyway, tonight I've sorted out the bridegroom (well it is "wedding season") for Boo. He's such a handsome chap , exactly what I wanted and he's so like Boo to look at , it's untrue.

 

They're meeting on Saturday and I'm going to be encouraging her to do what I told my children never to do, and that's sleep with someone on their first date. And apparently  their "date" is going to cost me seventy pounds.

Still, that's cheaper than what my car is going to cost me tomorrow, as I need a new starter motor, battery and a few other little bits.

But although I was so cross and flustered earlier ,stuck in the road in a car which wouldn't move, and cursing all the unhelpful people who honked their horns at me, it's a great feeling that there are genuinely nice ones who go out of their way to help someone. People like Paul Dickinson.

I'm also excited about what could happen in about nine weeks time. The patter of tiny paws ...now that's a day to look forward to.......


Today's track is from the incredibly talented Jimi Hendrix...a song that I found myself singing as I drove home tonight - Cross Town traffic

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Books, and the day I couldn't put one down,...

You know I love reading. Crime, chick lit, historical novels, non fiction, biographies , young adult fiction, picture books.I'm a voracious reader of books and I'm even writing one.

I have my favourite authors of course ...but I'm willing to read anything, which transports me to a different world, which engages me, which makes me laugh, cry or think.

I'm lucky enough to be part of a group of children's writers, which meets every fortnight....once a month we meet for lunch....we all read a children's book and critique it. It's all very civilised....it's not a bitchfest where we pull a novel apart ...unless it is really dire! No, we begin with a drink (coffee, tea or a cold drink), we all bring a dish for lunch, a salad perhaps , a pasta dish, some chicken ...who knows...it's all very ad hoc. We eat, chat, talk about the publishing world in general...and then we discuss the book in question....over coffee.

Last week it was here at my place....and the sun was actually shining, so a very rare event indeed....coffee in the garden........

left to right...Alex Gutteridge, Pippa Goodhart, Sue Hague (who's an illustrator and Debbie White I love this photo of the giggles....

The other meeting per month is a workshop. We all bring something we want advice on...it may be the merest germination of an idea, it may be a  chapter or a synopsis we're not sure about...but we all pitch in with our ideas and comments. I have to say this is a lovely, cohesive, supportive group  which means so much to all of us, and it's a prolific group too with well over a hundred novels and picture books published by everyone.

So it's especially good to attend a book launch...when it's one of  "ours". A few weeks ago, it was the launch of "Last Chance Angel" by Alex Gutteridge at the Reading shop in Oadby, and our group were out in force.

Left to right: Rose Griffiths, Debbie White, Alex Gutteridge, Me, Ros Adam and Josephine Feeney

As well a wine and canapés...so delicious, there was a beautiful, and I mean beautifully stunning cake, which exactly matched the cover of the book.



So, a little break for cake, and then another group photo...but our group is not complete...the outstandingly talented and creative Pippa Goodhart was unable to be with us.

 And yes, we're all holding the copies of the book which we bought...and it was particularly gratifying for  us all to get a mention in Alex's speech...

It's one thing listening to the germ of an idea, to hear a chapter in isolation and comment on what we like, what we don't or make suggestions for another way of expressing something. But to read the finished novel is a completely different matter entirely.

So what did I think to the book?  Honestly? And I am going to be honest here.....it's an engaging and gratifying read.

Teenager Jess has an accident and lies in a coma in hospital but Darren, the somewhat tatchy Angel of Death, has accidently given Jess the kiss of death a few days too early.

Jess manages to persuade Darren (after all it was his fault ) to let her live those days back in the real world until she has to go up to heaven...but the thing is, she must remain  invisible to all her friends and family. So dropping in all them all unseen, Jess learns so much more about them all....their lives, how they feel...and how they are all so desperately worried about her in a coma. And it
's at this point of the book  that Jess learns some emotional truths....and I, as  a reader became so emotionally involved in the story. So much so that I as lay reading this book under a tree in the sunshine on a surprisingly hot afternoon, I cried.

But Jess is no angel, she's a teenager, so breaks the rules and does see her family.....but through doing so, she realises how precious life really is...and how she has taken certain things for granted. No more about the storyline, I want you to read the book, and personally think that every teenager should read it. But it's not mawkish or overly sentimental., there's just the right of pathos, energy and humour in this...yes even  humour, especially when it comes to Darren,the Angel of Death.

Today's track has got to be my favourite song about angels, performed by one of my great musical loves. ...I give you...Jimi Hendrix and Angel HQ.