Not the best start to the week

It all started when I went to leave for work last Friday morning.

As I hopped in my car it felt funny, I realised as I went to start it that the interior light was not on, then click....... nothing now power, dead battery. So I was forced to quickly don my gear and take my bike.

Friday night I searched everywhere for my battery charger but no dice, I vaguely remember lending it to someone, or throwing it out, hell I don't know.

I went out Saturday afternoon to find jumper leads and ended up getting the car going Saturday evening. Upon it firing up I noted that the headlights, fan, demister, indicator and hazards were all turned on. I suspect one of the little'ns played in it last Thursday as I took a company car to work.

Once started I took Mr C and Miss L for a drive up the mountain to let it charge back up, got home turned it off, started up fine. Off, on, off, on a few times all good.

Sunday I went to go get some groceries and again it was very flat so I again jump started it and left it sitting running for an hour or so. Turned it off, then on again then off then on all good (again)

Monday morning after a terrible nights sleep and about a dozen sneezes when I woke up that worked wonders for my healing ribs I went to leave for work and again.........click.

At this point I had 2 options.....
1) get out, unlock the house, go inside, get the bus keys, start and move the bus to where my car was, jump it, move the bus back, put the keys back, lock the house up leave for work.
2) Roll start the car down my driveway

Its also worth mentioning that my drive is steep and goes down under the house to a small garage and also to a gate that access the equally steep back yard.

Of course I went with the roll start option, of course the car didn't start til it was at the bottom of the hill and.............. of course I couldn't get back up.

I turned the car around in the back yard and tried to get it back up the drive but the combination of wet tyres and front wheel drive worked against me made it impossible. After a few attempts the car was bogged and there was nothing I could do.. I jumped in the bus and left for work.

This then presented a new problem. Most auto parts stores here in whoop whoop are open 9 to 5 which makes it impossible for me to get to one as i'm at work. I contemplated paying top $$$ for a low quality crap battery that wouldn't suit my car from one of the local service stations but in my hour of need & stress (wondering how I would get a battery, let alone get the car started let alone get it back up the drive way) Mamma bare came to my aid.

She posted a query on our local community network and received a few responses that recommended a battery place that was hidden behind the shops in the main street. After a phone call she had securely the correct battery for my car, at a great price.

Again this presented another issue. In my haste to get to work I not only took the bus, but both sets of house keys and both our stroller and jogger prams. At this point I would have quit instead she made a quick call to one of our local friends who had her daughter run their spare pram down to us (Thank you sooooo much J) then set off on about a 4km round trip pushing the 3 year old, carrying the 1 year old on her back and keeping tabs on the 4, 6, 8 and 10 year olds as she went.

When I arrived home, she not only had the new battery ready for me to fit but had overseen our 10 year old in making a delicious spag bowl for dinner. I fitted the new battery and when I still couldn't get the car up the steep and slippery drive she towed me up with the bus.

You wouldn't see me walking with all 6 children on my own over that distance (the home trek is all up hill) that's for sure. I'm proud to say that after so many years together I was truly amazed by her determination to sort out the issue. I was also happily reminded why she is the the woman I love. So thank you.... .again so much for saving my ass.... again :)

So now my car has to be locked when its parked at home and a lesson I always try and teach the children served as a timely reminder for me.

Cutting corners results in more work sooner or later.

The descent

Until Next time.......

Ouch

As I eluded to in my last post on our trip to the water slide park I pulled up pretty sore after one particular trip down the speed slide.

On the drive home my chest continued to hurt more and more, it got to the point where I had to use a clothes peg on the seat belt to keep it off the left side of my chest. The night came with more pain, I had a touch of a cold and at one stage let out several sneezes in a row. The pain felt like each sneeze was someone kicking me in the ribs. I slept ok (more exhaustion from the busy day) but with Tuesday came further pain.

I kept my movement to a minimum when I was at my desk in the office. We had dinner with family and had 2 beers and felt better until bed time. I spent the whole night trying to lie in a position that didn't hurt. With that night came shortness of breath (made worse when I was horizontal). I dragged myself out of bed and off to work on the Wednesday but spent most of the day hunched over my desk trying to restrict my movements. Lunchtime came and I decided to try and walk it off but unfortunately after the uphill stretch back to the office I was well and truly spent.

On advise from both Mamma Bare and my boss I decided to take myself to the hospital to in the least get some decent pain relief. The doc was confident I had a rib fracture despite not being able to determine which one on XRAy so I took a prescription for some decent pain meds and headed home.

After a day on decent meds i'm feeling better, I wouldn't want to run or make any sudden movements and certainly not sneeze but general activity is more tolerable.

While I'm not young I'm certainly not old and had I been carrying a little less weight and been maintaining a better level of fitness I'm sure I wouldn't be hurting as badly now.

I've been eating healthy since I started my new job and have had little or no coke in 2 months. I've also been trying to exercise every lunchtime with at least a 30 minute walk, this has been coupled with plenty of activity at home, hiking, walking the bike trails with the boys etc. Its a great thing to be fit and healthy. MB has also been keeping up the healthiness with good eating and upping the exercise. Every time I catch a glance of her I'm impressed with how fitter she looks every day.

I hope this rib injury will only see me out of action for a week or so because I don't want to lose momentum that has been gaining speed since before Christmas.

EDIT: Funny thing I had some coke for the first time in ages last night, the combination of 2 glasses of coke and watching a little to many eps of Sons of Anarchy I didn't go to bed til 05:00 this morning. Coke is Evil kids

Until next time.......

Crafty

I need to pimp the wares of the creative Apwool.

My birthday beanie is awesome!!!!!