Driving me mad

The old Toyota is getting ready for a final burial, methinks.

Wayne's resurrected the old girl so many times she could give Lazarus a run for his money. This latest issue is a bit dire; the turbo unit blew up, and there was so much smoke when Wayne called in to pick up Brae from kindy that a teacher came running out with a fire extinguisher!

Time we upgraded to something younger than an 18yo, so we've been hunting up a new (ish!) car. Okay.. newER. We don't **do** new (can't bear throwing away one third of the car's value the moment you leave the lot, and I'm even more allergic to car dealers, ditto Wayne).

So it's looking on Trade Me, of course, and in a bit of a hurry too because Son & Heir has his next hospital appointment on Friday. Several car inspections later, Brae was ready to put his parents on Trade Me, even though there were lots of playground visits to keep our parental credit good.

Then we found **it**. Bit of a process, but Wayne negotiated a great price & the seller to fix things that were wrong before collection. Now we slowly wait for the seller's insurance to cough for the fixes (amazing how often people don't organise this before marketing a house, car or horse and wonder why they take a long time to sell). But hey, it's saving us money so no more grizzling from me. Except I will say that I'm hoping the seller takes the bally ad off TM soon because it's unnerving to see OUR car still being advertised.

No, I don't have 100% faith in human integrity. Que'll surprise! (Yes of course we've made a deposit & have a receipt)

Pity the fools who got up my Motherhood nose yesterday & today ;-)

Yesterday I rang *555 (that's the police/traffic hotline) to report seven people in a car (at least four were children), and no one with seatbelts. Two of the kids were hanging right out the windows, while the teenage driver merrily nattered away on her cellphone.

Today I went in to see the local police personally, after I was nearly eaten (no exaggeration!) by a local yokel's savage pair of Rottweilers.

What kind of pondslime puts two very aggressive male Rotties on the back of a ute with no barriers, harness, muzzles or supervision, then parks said ute on the main street of our small town right outside the butcher's!

I thought I could quietly walk past the dogs (giving them a wide berth) but their barking got very frenzied, and they started "lifting off" (front legs coming up on the ute's wellside, and hindquarters bunching). I'm no idiot - I know "back off or you're lunch" when transmitted in canine stereo.

Another passerby was halted in his tracks too, and we waited for the f*ckknuckle owner to take some notice of the commotion & attend to his dogs.

Thank all the powers that be that no child came up the street at that time!!!!

I had to ring the butcher's in the finish to say "Tell the owner of the snotty rotties to get his backside out here before I ring dog control".

When the facially blinged brainless wonder appeared I asked him why his dogs weren't restrained, and did he realise he was putting people in danger. (and his dogs, for that matter.. Bullets kill).

The mouthful of flippant arrogance he served me was not unexpected. I hardly thought he'd say "Oh my! I'm so sorry, I'll never do it again. Bad doggies!".

So off I trotted to our local bobby, and I gather I quite made his day. The young fool was duly identified by his picture, and the impression was gained that the police were not particularly fond of this dude, and were delighted to have a reason to tug his ear.

Wayne (for once) was not mortified by my confrontational habits, as he witnessed the whole thing & agreed those dogs were a dead or badly injured child waiting to happen. I had to snort at his helpful advice on how to save yourself if attacked by a Rottie. Apparently you shove your fist down their throat as fast & as far as it will go.

Riiiiiiight! ;-)