Of trains and racing cars

We were very excited when we were invited to an event organised by Scalextric last Friday. The timing was perfect - just at the end of half term when you're running out of things to do. The trip to London meant a trip on the train - and although the children have been on trains before, they have never been on the fast trains that run down to London from here. When I told them where we were going, they were giddy with the anticipation of it all.

And who doesn't love Scalextric? As a girl from a family of girls, I was always a tad jealous of friends who had brothers as they would have some Scalextric to play with. Husband was pretty happy too, as he loved Scalextric as a child and more to the point, he'd got holiday booked which meant he could come along to his first blogger event.

A day trip to London means an early start from here so we were all up for 6. Actually, Monkey wasn't so my husband took great delight in waking him up - a small revenge for some of the early starts he's put him through! The sun rose as we reached Preston station and waited for our "London train" to arrive. We got on and found our seats - thankfully, a table of 4 to one end of a carriage. Monkey's eyes were wide as he took it all in and noticed how fast the train was going, even as we left the station. However, the novelty soon wore off, he got into playing on his DS and barely noticed a thing the rest of the way! Typical.

Dear So and So makes a return

Dear Car,

Seriously, are you joking me? Are you determined to ruin my Christmas EVERY year? Two years ago, the front suspension went and you cost me £200. Last year, my battery died on New Year's Eve and so my first job of 2010 was to go to Halfords and get a new one. In hindsight, I got off lightly with that one.

Now, you decide to let the water pump pack up and break another part. All because of some cold temperatures. I mean, come on - you're a car, you live your life outside. This time, you've played a blinder as it's going to cost over £300 to fix it. In December. That's more than I've spent on Christmas already.  Not impressed. No, not one bit. How are we supposed to eat?

Please be nice to me next year (if indeed, you last that long - bwahahaha)

Yours very pissed off,

Your annoyed owner
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Dear other machines in my life,

And you can stop breaking too. I don't have the money to fix you all at once, y'hear? The car has to come first so you'll have to wait your turn. Come back to me in late 2011. I might have enough money by then.

Not impressed either,

Kate
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Dear pedestrian,

The place to walk down a steep hill, even in icy conditions, is NOT - repeat, not - the middle of a narrow road. OK, so there is no pavement to speak of, but do you have a death wish? What's wrong with the less hazardous and better paved roads in the locality? Did you really need to save yourself a couple of minutes walking down THAT hill?

No love,

Me