Had a very stressful evening which is quite funny now I've calmed down. Hubby finished work early and decided to reorganised the car port and then did something wrong and so knocked some of it down leaving a lovely big gap in the back gate for very big burglars to go thru!! Cos he lost his temper with his workmanship, I went to pick the kids up. Got the twins from childminders and dropped Woody off at home. He went in the back door past hubby who obviously didn't notice him and he just sneaked upstairs to the x box. I went to the after schoolclub to pick up AJ. Got back in the car and the key wouldn't go in the ignition - something had broken inside the lock. To make matters worse, there was a drainage comapny trying to work right near where I'd dumped the car and the steering lock was now in and I couldn't turn the wheel even if someone pushed me. I phoned home - no reply - Woody was obviously too busy on the xbox to answer the phone - tried hubby's mobile - no reply. After 10 minutes, Laura walked home on her own to fetch hubby. He walked back with assorted tools and Laura. I tried to get hold of the AA and said I was a very ill woman on my own with children and they said it would be anything up to 2 hours to come out to me!!!! Not impressive is it!! Hubby suddenly said 'where's Woody?' I said at home - Hubby hadn't noticed Woody didn't notice and had locked him in the house!! I phoned the neighbour who has a key and she went to fetch him. He was rather shocked and thought I must have crashed the car - I didn't think my driving was that bad!!
Luckily, AJ's best friend's dad was picking up his son from the club and offered to take me and the children home cos I had no coat and couldn't walk that far. Note to self - take coat in future!! Then hubby phoned to say there was no AA card in the car and he had no ID and could I bring the card down. I was going to drive down when I realised he had the only key to the other car. Luckily, our other neighbour arrived home from a long day at work and so I persuaded him to take the card down. My friend then arrived with the special trousers for Laura's circus outfit tomorrow and she went down to give hubby some food as he was complaining he was hungry!! Then I looked at the answerphone and it was flashing that sparked a memory that our dear friends had cooked dinner for us and we were supposed to have collected it. After hearing my tale of woe, she volunteered her husband and son to bring the food to us so I had a wonderful lasagne.
Eventually, the AA came 75 mins after I'd called them and it took them about 30 minutes to get the lock out and do some temporary repair job until I can get it fixed properly. How much will that be then!! .
Kids gone to bed late after crappy tea cos of stressed mum. Hubby's gone straight out to the morris minor pub night and has lost his mobile!! We thought he'd lost the house keys but I've found them now but we still have a huge gap at the back gate where his new carport went all wrong and he was trying to sort out when I had to call him out.

There are several lessons to be learnt from this sorry tale

• always carry your mobile on you even when working ouside on a garden job
• always carry a coat in cold weather incase of car failure
• encourage son to answer the phone if it keeps ringing and there is his frantic mother shouting'pick up the phone'
• look for alternative companies other than the AA
• always park considerately incase you can never move the car

Tonight, I really want to thank my friends and who acted as

• chef and waiters
• a chauffeur for me, Laura and AJ
• AA card deliverer
• circus trousers deliverer
• son rescuer
• food deliverer to hungry hubby

Hope I've not missed anybody off.

Wanted to post this first and then will make another post about other things