Blown Gasket

My usual trip back to Birmingham ended in misfortune on Friday evening. About fifteen minutes after setting off from work, the engine overheated, so I pulled over, let it cool down again, and tried setting off again, with the heater on full blast to try and take out the excess heat off. Needless to say I didn't get very far before I was forced to pull in and call my breakdown service. Happily I managed to make it into a pub car park, so the 45 minute wait was made very comfortable.

After poking about with my car for a bit, the breakdown bloke towed me back to Harry and Margeret's house, and I had to call Lou to let her know that I wouldn't be home until Saturday. I was gutted.

Next morning I took the car to a garage, who diagnosed a blown cylinder head gasket. I had been hoping it was just the water pump or something cheaper to fix. I'm looking at at least £270. I had to take the weekend to decide if it was worth it, as the car probably isn't worth that much.

It didn't take long to realise that we'd have to just pay for it though, as we can't afford a new car at the moment. I just hope that this doesn't mark the beginning of a series of expensive break downs. My old car went for years, and then within the space of a few months everything started going wrong with it. I think this car will be okay though as it still feels like it drives well. My last car had felt 'ill' for a long time before the engine died.

I dropped the car off at the garage this morning. I still haven't heard back from them. Fingers crossed they don't find a load of other things seriously wrong with it.

Someone Wants To Buy Our House

After a flurry of viewings over the weekend (three to be precise), we have actually been made a decent offer on the house. Just three grand below our asking price, and at the level we had already decided would be acceptable. Get in!

There is a now the very real possibility that we could be moved out of Birmingham, and into Chester in about six weeks time. If all goes smoothly. Which it never does...

Back To Work

The first day back at work after the Christmas holidays. I set my alarm clock to get me up nice and early, but fell asleep again, and didn’t get into work until 9.30am. I spent most of the morning trying to refamiliarise myself with the stuff I had been working on before Christmas. The project I have been assigned to is a week behind schedule before it has even got going. The controls I was meant to have finished before Christmas are still not done, because I needed to see the original designer, who was off the week before the holiday. I am meeting him this afternoon, and then, hopefully I will be able to get going again.

It was good to have a proper Christmas holiday this year. Last year I had to work for a few days between Christmas and New Year, because I couldn’t afford to just take the time off. The main benefit of being a full time employee, rather than a contractor, is that you get paid holidays. I can look forward to Bank Holidays again, rather than viewing them as a days lost earnings. And, of course, I will be able to take a proper two week break from work at some point this year, which is something I have not done since our honeymoon in 2002.