548 Miles

Maintaining an average speed of approximate 38 miles an hour, managing a faintly astonishing 36-40 mpg.

The VIva did well; I fared less well, tired as I now am, and with incredibly sore eyes. I reached home 14.5 hours after I set out with a sink, a boiler and an oven in / on the car. The Oven has annoyingly left a big mark on the roof, but I guess it needed spraying anyhow. The boiler and the sink are still in the car, because I'm fracking exhausted. But I shall get them out shortly...

Photos, such as they are, from my 548 mile treck can be found here.

Feeling slightly aggrieved at the universe

So, there I was laying in bed this morning, endeavouring not to rub my eyes and thinking evil thoughts about pollen, and so on. And I planned out my day. It went thus:

- Change brake disk, brake pads, brake light lens and switch on Cherry. Book MOT.
- Get quote for oil pump on Viva from friend-recommended garage (because the oil light is persistant in it's desire to stay on).
- Hire van for Saturday's jaunt.
- Foof with kitchen, and unload the car.
- Repack hubs with grease, if I can find a jack safe to do such a task with (getting the viva onto axle stands using the pint-pump jack would be...fun). Sort out ignition wiring. Maybe strip the viva's interior in preparation for the weldathon.

That was my basic list. I got outside and the power of 12,000 suns burned my skin from my body as I dared to step outside. Well...okay, it was a bit too hot to do car stuff, but, I thought, I could do the bike. But NO! Because impressively I've lost my set of star-drive adaptors. Cue cursing about where in frack all my tools have gone (I am getting so close to the day when I flip out and buy a huge-f-off-tool-box on wheels).

So, I sighed. I then checked through the box of bits and... no brake light switch.  ARGH!

Okay, I think. We'll get a quote for the Viva. 3 hours later they are still ringing around trying to find someone who has a pump. Apparently the club have pumps. I am about to join...

So I hire a van (hurrah!)

I foof with the kitchen and unload the car; incidentally combi boilers are fracking *heavy*.

And no, I don't have a suitable jack. Since they're going to have the engine out and in bits I reckon I may as well ask them to do the service anyhow. But I think to myself - hang on a minute, I could, were I clever, start to sort out the plumbing. Which, it's true, I could. Except that I can't find my plumber's wrench. I have no idea where *that's* gone. I've had it since I moved, but where it's landed I don't know. I'm beginning to get a little pissy whenever I can't find tools (Which is pretty much every time I do a job now). It's the quick tidy I did for the party that really screwed up my tool finding ability.

Oh, and my washing line snapped and deposited my laundry; thankfully on the path and not on the weed-killer sprayed side of the grass....

I'm still feeling remarkably chipper though, I put that down to the fact that the shower and the shower base have arrived. Now I just need to fit them :-)