Monday 4 March 2013

The Perils of the Writer's Life/Beware! Writer on the Loose!


I live in a small New Zealand country village called Piopio wherein you will find the best cafe in the whole country by the name of the Fat Pigeon.
 (www.facebook.com/pages/Fat-Pigeon.../151867164830075)
 I'm a regular. I go for a takeaway coffee every morning and am often there with a friend later in the day as well and can occasionally be found in a secluded corner with coffee at my elbow while scribbling away, J K Rowling style! (Bring that on!) It's so bad(good!) that I have my own button on the till - if you're passing by, call in and order a 'Jenny's' coffee and you will get a 'single shot soy moccachino made with white chocolate' . You get the point of the special button? It's a mouthful and I have to check and re-check to make sure I've left nothing out! And they spend several minutes finding all the relevant buttons on the till. Much easier for us all to have my own button. And if that isn't notoriety enough in a small village, today--- dammit! 

TODAY (with my head whirling with the inspirations I'd had for my novel while in the shower) - TODAY - I decided it was time TFP started doing drive-through! OMG! It was so-oo close!
Hubby has my automatic Honda CRV because his manual Daihatsu Ferroza is booked in for a warrant at the garage just behind us. I told Stu (the proprietor) he couldn't have it till I'd been to get  my coffee! I couldn't believe how strange it felt to drive manual again - like I've driven manual for YEARS! I've only had the Honda since November.

I got down to TFP okay, all of a minute from one end of main street to other, car in gear but not mind, not really!  The first park by the steps was free! I drove in and went into panic mode because I couldn't remember how to stop!!!  Thank God it WAS the Ferroza, Built like a tank and with chunky 4WD tyres, she climbed up over the quite large rocks, (which should supposedly stop people like me!), over the perfectly manicured 18" hedge and flattened the seat by 1st outside table! I missed the handrail of the steps by inches! And I could see the red wall of the building looming and hadn't a clue what to do. Good old Roza decided it was time to stop! Or maybe I (belatedly) took my foot off the clutch - or something! I stopped about a foot from the building! OHHH!!!

They all came running and now will NEVER let me forget it! They were so supportive and thought it so funny!!! All right for them! Thank God they didn't think of taking photos until after a couple of kind male patrons had got it off the rocks for me. I had to get one of them to drive it cos I was in such a tizz I couldn't think what to do! 
Two coffees later, one of them on Mel, (owner and the most amazing cook you could hope to meet!) I drove home - consciously thinking about what I was doing. And I did it all safely of course.

A pity I wasn't present in my mind in the beginning! And extremely grateful the only casualty was the seat. Wonder how that would look on an insurance claim?  LOL
And come to think of it, drive-through would be quite cool......
Thanks Mel and Staff!!!

4 comments:

  1. Wow! OMG!!!!!
    This is nearly as good as Martin. Went into the local Z station filled the car with gas and bought 2 drinks and drove off without paying for the petrol, just the 2 drinks. I had to pay for it by direct credit.

    Men!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It could have been worse! He could have driven off with the nozzle still in the car!!! Life is a barrel of laughs at times!!!Aint it just. :}

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope the undercarriage is in one piece. Whenever we go to Nelson I drive a manual and I'm an expert at bunny-hops through round-abouts. By the time I've mastered it, it's time to come home. Know the feeling well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yep! Funny thing is I think the Ferroza took one look at those rocks and thought 'Yay! this is what I was made for!" Blind panic is not a good feeling though!

    ReplyDelete