Flat Battery

In the back of my mind I had a feeling the battery in my car would soon decide it had had enough and wouldn't co-operate. Today was that day! For the last few weeks when I started my car it seemed a little sluggish to fire up and today it did zip. The lights were on but nobody was home. Bugger.

So much for getting an early start! I had planned on getting the dreaded 'big' grocery shop done and drop off the overnight orders in at Toll - not to be. I calmly (yeah right!) closed the car door and went back inside. Took a few (zillion) deep breaths and went and grabbed my NRMA membership card. I couldn't remember if I had paid my membership fee last year so, crossing fingers, I went onto the NRMA website, clicked on the 'request roadside service' button and entered my membership number, again with my fingers tightly crossed. Hooray, I'm still a member - relief washed over me, is an understatement, I was down right on my knees thanking the little baby cheeses, amen. After completing the form and being advise that someone would be out within the hour I went about my daily chores. Well, I hung out the washing someone had thoughtful left in the machine for me and then did a made dash to the toilet - I just knew 'murphy's law' and all, that this would be the exact time the NRMA dude would turn up! Amazingly enough I had time to dry my hands and walk back down the stairs before his little white van pulled up out front. Things were looking up.

I'd planned ahead and had the bonnet already up, I'm so clever (even though I am a girl) and had my car keys in my hot little hands. I could see Mr NRMA man was highly impressed! After explaining the problem and answering a few questions, such as 'how old is the battery', ummm about 3-4 years and 'how often to I use my car' ummmm about once a week, 'short or long trips' ummm short trips - well, there's your problem, the battery just doesn't get time to recharge (oh how I know how it feels!!). So after fixing his battery cables and battery tester doovy to my battery I starter up and brooom brooom baby, she bursts into life! Well done NRMA dude, well done! He also informed me my battery aok and doesn't need replacing, I just need to charge her up a bit. Leave the engine running for about an hour and she'll be sweet as (a Rainbow Designs Big Lolly Box - sorry, couldn't resist!).

I thanked Mr NRMA man profusely and waved him bye bye. With a skip in my step I went back inside to finish hanging someones washing out but had a worried feeling that someone might just jump in my newly mobile car and zoom off. So with that, I jumped in my newly mobile car and spent an hour driving up and down our street! No, not really. I just moved it onto the driveway.

After finishing a few more orders I head back to my idling car and, hesitantly, turned the engine off then HOPE and PRAYED that it would start again.........................phew, it did! Yay to Mr NRMA man again!!

So now on my to do list is to go for an hour long drive once a week, whether I need to or not! Maybe I can make this the time I allocate to ME, put on a CD (my cars over 10 years old people, no ipod connectivity here!), cranked it up to 11 and drive, drive, drive. Maybe I should do this daily just to be sure the battery's getting enough charge!

Next blog post: Running out of petrol..............Only kidding :-)