Wednesday, November 01, 2006

What happened on All Saints Day in Belgie ...

You know those days when you go out to do simple things ... stop at a money machine, get petrol and then drive to a supermarket in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands because all in Belgium is closed due to All Saints Day.

And anyway, you make all your plans but when trying to park next to the money machine ... voila! the gearbox is gone and you think 'How much will this cost and will anyone kill us for being broken down across the entrance of this big car park'.

Nobody killed us ... they went round us instead. The guy with the big truck arrived promptly, poked under the bonnet with his screwdriver and told us the problem ... a part has worn out in Gert's three-and-a-half year old car.

The truck driver and his screwdriver got us home ... changing gears very carefully as per instructions.

We walked to the little supermarket nearby and then started cleaning the house ... New Zealanders were calling in for a little afternoon tea (so British my American friend told me) but it all sounded very kiwi to me.

We had a lovely couple of hours with Mike, Sue and their two little dogs ... who will undoubtably feature on my photo website once it's up.

And then the gas flame on our heating went out.
It went out and had no interest in being coaxed back to life.
Gert worked on it for some time, giving an entire box of matches to the cause.

He googled the problem ... and solved it.

I raced out for a bottle of red and some tomato puree, then on up the road through a surprisingly massive rainstorm with accompanying strong winds, just to buy 3 Turkish breads ... full of feta and spinach as pre-dinner snack food.

Home again, home again and Gert's in the kitchen, whipping up Enchiladas for dinner with Shannon and Gabe.

Not such a bad day ...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ohh, a spring of bad luck. Ahh well, all seems to be fixed now. At least your surrounded with friends and loved ones.

The thea thing indeed sounds British.

Di Mackey said...

Lol, does it just ... afternoon tea is so very Kiwi ... you'll get used to it when you finally get there :)

Anonymous said...

I so totally hate thea. I never succeed in drinking my cup out.

Di Mackey said...

Manic ... you do know that one of our prime ministers had a wife named Thea ... Thea Muldoon.

As for finishing your tea, it's all about the right strength, the milk, the sugar and then there's the correct dunking biscuit :)

Bastogne biscuits are quite nice ...

Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention that you were lost in thought about your friend Jason since you couldn't get him a present or send him a big hug...it having been his birthday and all on All Saints Day..

..which as has been said before as being perfectly fitting timing.