I managed to read a map , the first Ive done in ages . Map ? A to Z more accurate , anyway it ook me a few minutes of stopping the car , turning the page round a few times to work out what was what then , hey who needs a satnav anyway .
But , I did pay loads of money for it when they first came out and now I cant get the maps working and it cant be right to just ditch it . I find what looks like a warehouse and a garage all rolled into one , very much a man's world kind of place but once I find my way in the three men are very friendly and seem to know what Im talking about " you know the code thing where you ring germany well I cant get it to work whenn I input it and now you cant ring them like you used to so can you show me ? " I realise as Im talking I must sound incoherent and one of them looks at me quizically like D does late at night when I talk total nonsense and he tries to make a story out of what Im saying or asking
" Are we talking satnavs here ? " he says " and are you talking the vdo and the icq code "
I realise looking round me hat this is a big company and they sell a million other things besides this particular satnav with the poblem .....

But they dont seem to mind . Its Friday morning and the place is deserted . He tells me they can definitely help but Margaret who knows about them , has phoned in as she is a bit ropey this morning , so they will take my number and she will phone me . Result !
Im more than happy with that , and head off to Debanhams which is just down the road , attached to the MetroCentre and manage to squish myself into some size ten jeans ( though I do bend my longest nail in the process ).

Its the start of a good day ....

CatCalls

A new CatCall arranged yesterday for this weekend and possibly some more dates in August , a lovely little six months black kitten who retreated into her yard and sat and watched me from there . Long and thin with a big fluffy tail , she looks like one of her parents was somebody posh and the other , less posh but fluffy .
The dogs havent got back to us though its still possible , but we have a busy weekend ahead so if they dont thats fine too. A bike ride is planned for tomorrow involving a trip on the Ferry ( my first ) , though the forecast for the weekend is not good so we are hoping to beat the rain . I bought a cat magazine and almost a dog one , but resisted as that would send out all the wrong messages . I did think of buying it then hiding it but thought that wasnt wise . She might think we definitely are contemplating that pug , and Im not , really , am I ?

pugs and satnavs

I was wrong . The post it note (Electronic ,Post-it Software Notes - vnunet.com ) on my laptop screen didnt say Look into getting a pug for Nat , it said Look into buying Nat's pug . There is a difference though subtle .... but it made me think , with its implication that there already is , somewhere out there, a Pug that is Nat's and the message to me was about finding that particular pug , not finding any old pug .

Having spent hours yesterday at home writing a report for court , staring at the screen , searching for the right turn of phrase that couldnt be nitpicked to death later , if it came to it , I awarded myself a few minutes research last night ( pugs , the breed , availability of rescue pugs etc ) . An hour later I was still there , staring at endless cute pictures of pugs crossed with boston terriers ( Buggs ) , pugs crossed with cavaliers ( Puggaliers ) , pugs crossed with chinese crested somethings or others . Its endless . The funny thing is that in the cat world if your cat got out and gets together with a non pedigree you wouldnt be thinking of selling the kittens ( for money , you'd be wondering how to find good homes for them ).... but these cross puppies are still selling for £1000 .....But hey , who cares they're so sweet . ....Just hope N isnt reading this .

Off to get my SatNav fixed ...... another never ending saga of the maps , the codes , the CIQ authorisation system which involves ringing Germany then being told ( automated phone message , polite German voice .. We are sorry that we no longer exist , try the website to get your maps now ...) to get on your computer and manage that way .

But , and this is not inconsequential , I fear becoming lost in Dunston without the SatNav to direct me to the satnav mending shop .
Wish me luck ....