Eat Your Heart Out Lawrence

On Tuesday I borrowed the car. The object being to purchase a toilet seat as a third replacement for a broken one. The toilet is not your standard one. I was also going to investigate why the cistern refused to fill up. This year, with greater confidence, I pulled off the lid. It was, to me, a fairly foreign arrangement, but it was immediately obvious that the water supply tap was practically off. After 2.5 years you can now get a good flush.

Because Villory Boch toilets are not your standard ones, I made my way passed Placemakers to Plumbing World. After great indecision we came away with one that we thought would fit, but with an option to return. I also puchased a special toilet roll holder.

We also purchased mirror fitting and concrete mix to fix in the swing. This time from Placemakers. Unlike shopping in B&Q when you can be the only one around, including assistance; there seems to be 5 assistants for every customer. Which is most annoying?

On the way home we called into the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Gardens. This is centotaph in honour of the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. It is a large area of green with different views of the city and Rangitoto.

After lunch we unpackaged the toilet seat to find that it fitted. However, it was badly scratched and so back to Plumbing World. Very annoying, but a satisfactory job was done.


On Wednesday we tackled the swing. Mum and I took turns digging the four holes. Mum is much neater. I am quicker. Once levelled in went the concrete. Another job done.

On Thursday the tropical storm struck.

CRASH
On Friday the rain still came down. Sally did not have a sitter so mum and I got up early. I went with Sally and bought the car back to take the girls to child care. It was too wet to do anything.
There was no going outside, so the two mirrors got hung. Another job done.

At ten to four I left to get Sally. It was only drizzling. I was pleased with how well I knew the route and managed a difficult island. I little down the road I noticed a bright orange car approaching the next junction on my left. The approach raised concerns and I was ready for evasive action. It appeared to stop and then suddenly turned right across my bows. I put on full anchors and for a minute (no second) I thought I had avoided the inevitable. But, the inevitable is the inevitable. I pulled up. So did the man behind me who gave me his card and left. Somehow the orange car had done u-turn back into the street it came from.

A little old lady got out of the car and my first words were "What did you do that for?" We exchanged details. I got to Sally who miffed that I hadn't totalled the car.

The insurance man will not be charging us excess has he was convinced that it definitely was not my fault. The car goes in on Monday. I am grounded until it is restored to health.

My 30 year unblemished record is down the pan + a lot of inconvenience.

On Saturday mum went with Sally to take Zoe to ballet class. Ian, Emily and I went off to Plumbing World to pick up the toilet roll holder and my missing phone, which Ian found in the car as we parked at Placemakers. I swear it wasn't there when I looked. We had coffee and breakfast. Rather, Emily drank Ian's coffee and helped consume my chocolate whiskey cake.

Today, Sunday, mum went with Sally to Zoe's swimming class. It has generally been a quiet day. Sally is photocopying my passport and driving licence for the insurance claim.