COLLISION DRAMA

Let me get this out right at the top.

I scraped my parents' car on a wooden post and it could cost over £1,000 to get it fixed.

There. Confession is good for the soul, right? I still don't feel great though. It was so silly - I wasn't really aware of a post and then suddenly I was very aware of it because the side of the car was sort of embracing it like an old friend.

Now then. It is sortable. And I don't believe it needs to be that expensive. My first attempt at getting a quote has resulted in some cowboys pulling numbers out of their hats.

What's interesting though, in this situation, is my reaction.

I'm upset, yes. I'm embarrassed of course. I'm a bit annoyed. But mostly, I'm just sort of quiet and prosaic about it. My next step is obviously to get estimates from elsewhere and figure out which is best.

I've never done this in my own car. In fact, I've never hit anything. I've been hit, one time quite dramatically; I've almost hit something else, but I don't remember accidentally doing this, kind of ever. To be honest, I'm quite cautious, due to being an under-average driver in the first place.

Meanwhile the Intrepids are in Hong Kong, and this minor drama is the last thing they'd like to be thinking about. Their first question would be whether I'm alright - and I am, so it seems too small a thing to worry them with.

Perhaps I'm getting better at handling dramas. Or perhaps I'm just getting better at appearing to handle them. Still, if I can trick myself into believing that I'm alright about it... then I don't suppose it makes any difference. Put your hats back on, jokers; I'm the sheriff today. Even though it looks like I can't ride a horse for toffee.