What a relief!

As you know, I had to take my car in to the Audi garage in Edinburgh for it's diagnostic check on Tuesday. It needed to stay in overnight and on Wednesday I got the call that there was indeed a fault. Apparently one of the speaker boosters was faulty and draining the battery. All that meant it needed to stay in for another 24 hours and as I needed to be on the road, Audi gave me a courtesy car.

Just one small problem: it was a gear shift and I've not driven one of those for a couple of years. They guy in charge took me out to a rather nice, silver A3 Sportback and was showing me the ropes. One of the questions I had asked was whether the car had satnav to which I was told 'no', at which point I was trying to think how on earth I'd get to go where I needed to by using my phone, as I'm notoriously good at getting lost and need something to help.

'In you get,' he said, 'start her up and we'll go round the car park to let you get used to it.' Well could I remember where my feet were to go? No! I'd completely forgotten there were 3 pedals and was depressing the clutch and lifting off the brake... I'm sure you can imagine what that did! The guy's face was a picture as I eventually managed to realise what I was doing wrong and actually got the car to move.

'Would you like me to go round the block with you?' the guy said, but I think he had his fingers severely crossed at this moment and the look of relief when I told him I'd be fine was hysterical! And what was even better was it turned out it did have satnav. Phew! Now I was relieved too!

So off I went to Tullibody with no problems at all and had a really lovely evening with Shirley and Andy. The bed I slept in had the softest mattress I've slept in for as long as I can remember and I really liked it. It was like being enveloped. I don't think it did great things for my back, but was a good experience for a night. Can't wait to go back and get another shot!

Today I went to my Qiqong instructor's house in East Kilbride and got a severe tongue lashing for proverbial crimes to the practice. Good thing I went, even if my ego did get a bit of a bashing. So now it's practice, practice, practice until I go back in a few weeks for another session.

Then it was back to Audi in Edinburgh to pick up my car, which had been given a clean inside and out and now doesn't look like the mobile dog kennel it was when I took it in. It was great to get back to the normality of automation and heated front seats and Audi were equally relieved to get their car back in one piece after 24 hours in my care.

A good ending all round!