Almost

It had been arranged yesterday that we make our Christmas visit to the 'outlaws', PG's parents, we were to leave directly as he finished work and spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening with them.....we didn't, at the very last moment they 'cried off' (don't ask, grrrr) which left us almost literally stood on the doorstep with nowhere to go. I suggested tentatively that we hit the shops, we had afterall expected to be making a long drive, so perhaps we could just use the opportunity of a free afternoon together and finish off our Christmas shopping? PG didn't even wince, and off we set to Edinburgh. Result!

Shopping was duly done, oh God help my credit card balances, pizza was happily devoured, the place was not horribly crowded, there was a cozy festive atmosphere despite this being a mall and we, yes even PG, enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

Our final purchases made heralding the end of the annual search for interesting and inspired gifts at last, we set off home. I decided I would drive, we were in PG's enormous 'bus' and as I have to do my share of the driving south on Christmas eve I considered I needed to acquaint myself better with it.

Not ten miles from Edinburgh a light began to flash on the dashboard, accompanied by a small alarm! PG has a bad habit of allowing his petrol tank to run very low before filling and true to form we were heading toward the last drop of fuel. I diverted to the nearest town. This is a town of substantial size but it transpired, after much petrol wasting driving around in search, that even as early as 9pm there was no filling station open! Oh happy days. We called into one of those 24/7 grocery stores who confirmed the situation and sent us heading off to the nearest 'open facility'.........another ten miles away! In retrospect we would have been better going back to Edinburgh but hindsight is a marvelous thing!

By this time the situation is getting a little 'tense', we are on country roads, we don't know our way, I am miffed with PG for always letting his car run low and he is miffed with me for 'nagging', we have about 2ml of petrol in our tank, it's pouring with rain and I'm driving a 'bus' I am far from familiar with! PG's suggestion that "it doesn't matter if we grind to a halt, we (that's me) can call out the recovery service you belong to" didn't endear him to me any the more. Yeah right, like I'm gonna call out the RAC because we ran out of petrol....you are walking sunshine! Though the idea of being parked up on an unlit road with no hard shoulder in the dark and wet didn't fill me with glee.

Eventually we spied our 'Mecca', an open filling station just on the opposite side of a stop light, which of course was on stop. As we sat and waited for the lights to change to green the attendant beginning to shut up shop. Arghhhh.

I made an 'executive' decision and in my now state of near rage, jammed the car into first, checked the traffic, dropped the clutch and jumped the lights........we made it! 'Very nice attendant lady' kept one pump open just for us and we were saved!

This wasn't quite the misdemeanor it sounds. Sure, it was something the local constabulary would have 'had' me for but to access this Mecca, though I had to jump the light, I didn't have to move into the path of any traffic, only a 'keep clear' hatched area provided to keep access to the petrol station free, the junction was another 20 yards ahead .....and hell, I think I would have preferred a ticket to being stuck in nowhere's-ville for hours on end waitnig for the RAC.

So finally we made it home, laden with bags to be unpacked....at 11.30 pm to a kitten made more manic than usual by her extended time alone and without human entertainment!

Oh, but PG did buy me a flashing santa hat for my phone so I am considering forgivness...ok, I'm cheap I know!


Heh!