Not Good Driving

I am fine in awkward, twisty, narrow country roads. I am not good on wide dual carriageways and I panic at changing lanes. And there has been a regrettable amount of changing lanes today.

I left bear at home and took some rubbish to the tip. I need to do that daily, even if it's just a crisp packet, because I find the thought of the drive terrifying. This means I have to practice. It isn't a hard drive. You can't avoid the ring road, but I went along the 'quieter' roads rather than the bypass as I was struggling to get above thirty when the speed limit is forty, and I thought it would be safer for other drivers. I don't know why I find it so scary, as it isn't a hard run. However, every time I even consider going on the ring road, I get overwhelmed by dread. I even came back an incredibly long way round, just to avoid the ring road.

I settled down to do some writing and bear decided he really needed some thicker paper. He's using gel pens in adult colouring books, and, to avoid the ink going through the page, he's scanning them on our rickety printer and colouring in the pic. He found the normal printer paper very flimsy, and after watching some YouTube videos and a certain amount of research decided he needed thicker paper. I accepted that I would get no peace until he had card stock, and knew that they used to stock it at Makro, so I drove us there - on the dratted ring road. When I got there, most of the car park was closed off as well, so I had an awful time trying to park. This was a shame, as they no longer did the card stock that I had bought there many years ago.

When we got back in the car, I had a brainwave and suggested we went to Office Outlet. It was scary, but I had to have a go. This meant driving nearly into Leeds centre, changing lanes, complicated and busy roundabouts and unfamiliar junctions. Also, Office Outlet had closed.

Then I remembered that there was a Works shop a few miles along Kirkstall Road which is an incredibly busy road which is on the route from Leeds Bradford airport to Leeds city centre and is festooned with speed cameras and bus lanes - and I had to change lanes a few times. At one point I had to go quite a distance to find somewhere to turn around, as I was in the wrong lane and couldn't make the turning. We picked up some incredibly expensive (to me, anyway) thicker paper and had a drink at Costa. Which is where the zip on my handbag irretrievably broke.

I was so stressed about the handbag. I have only had it a few months and I paid full price for it. As far as handbags go, £24.99 is not a lot for a bag, but it's at least double what I normally pay. I could have wept. Also, the small amount of walking set off bear's leg.

Then I couldn't make the dratted chicken traybake we had planned as the dratted mince I got in would have gone out of date if it wasn't used up tonight. So we had mince and potatoes. The men ate it up happily enough, so I'm calling it a limp success.

One good thing came out of today. Random events triggered a memory and I told bear about Jonathan Creek, the show about someone who creates magical illusions for a living and who solves murders. We watched a couple on Netflix and bear was enthralled. Some of it was a little old for him, but on the whole it was fine and bear was enthralled. I suspect he now has ambitions to live in a windmill.

Writing stuff - Today's instalment of the White Hart is here. After this week, I'm proud of myself for managing the chapter. Hugs to all.

Photo by Autumn Mott Rodeheaver on Unsplash