Friday 13th part three.

Given that I made mention of the date this morning more for fun than anything else and that I'm not normally the superstitious type today is getting kinda scary!

PG and his charge returned home safely despite their earlier mishaps and mid afternoon I set off for town to play hunt the birthday present and to get my hair cut. Not 10 miles from home my car started to behave very strangely. One of the few down aspects of life in the middle of nowhere and working part time is that one has to make sacrifices such as no new car every second year. That said my car is only just 3 and I wasn't expecting too much in the way of misbehaviour from it just yet. So, said car began showing definite signs of firing on less cylinders than it ought to be and then suddenly presented me with a none too attractive red light blinking furiously on the dash. Lights on the dash don't generally concern me overly but this one was the shape of an engine block and didn't exist in the manual, which I had rapidly referred to.

I carried on albeit slowly, not prepared, if possible, to be stranded miles from civilization and slowly made my way to a service station. At this point I could smell burning and well aware I was surrounded by gallons and gallons of fuel decided it wise to no longer ignore the situation.

I called the local (25 miles is local here) Citroen dealer and described my plight. Worryingly I was rapidly asked if the vehicle was still under warranty, no of course it isn't when are they ever when one needs them to be. I politely told him my warranty had expired 5 weeks ago. That's a pity says he, a pity for who I wondered.

The upshot of this protracted conversation was that they required the car like now but their tow truck was out God damn it, so it was suggested I drive very slowly to them and should I smell burning again I was advised to decamp.....Like I needed that advice!

Eventually, harassed and hot I arrived, hair appointment and shopping cancelled. Two mechanics and a lot of equipment pawed over the offending vehicle whilst muttering between themselves about coil blocks and sums of money way up in the hundreds. I was not happy. As a skeptic where superstition is concerned I was beginning to feel decidedly uncomfortable.

They departed and another mechanic armed with some nifty computer arrived....this guy was nice (sshhh no mention to PG please), hooked up his gadget(no tittering please), pressed some buttons and hey presto........car fixed! Perhaps this 13th wasn't going to be quite as dire as I was beginning to fear.

Once back inside I stood clutching an already over used plastic card, feeling relieved that this wasn't going to be such a big job after all, whilst I waited for my bill to be prepared. Aforementioned nice man, winked ( I love a man that winks) and beckoned me outside, handed me my keys and said.....'on the house hen'.

Result!!

A very strange Friday the 13th!