Have car, will travel, as I think I once heard someone say.
It’s a sentiment especially true for a disabled gent like myself, and that in turn makes today a very fulfilling day and at least some of the days gone by just a little scary.
Allow me to elucidate.
Traffic Kona
I am a user of the Motability scheme, in that, rather than claim some of the ‘benefits’ I am eligible for as a disabled (Spina Bifida from birth, Multiple Sclerosis from some unspecified time after then but definitely at least eight years ago) man, I use that money to rent an adapted vehicle.
It’s a sentiment especially true for a disabled gent like myself, and that in turn makes today a very fulfilling day and at least some of the days gone by just a little scary.
Allow me to elucidate.
Traffic Kona
I am a user of the Motability scheme, in that, rather than claim some of the ‘benefits’ I am eligible for as a disabled (Spina Bifida from birth, Multiple Sclerosis from some unspecified time after then but definitely at least eight years ago) man, I use that money to rent an adapted vehicle.
It means a little less cash coming into the household, but it means a lot more freedom when it comes to getting out and about. For me, it means an independence I might struggle to find otherwise.
Which makes today’s signing of the paperwork to get a brand new Hyundai Kona I may or may not call Elsie, a significant occasion. One tinged with just a little sadness.
You see, if I’m brutally honest with myself, a time is going to come when my relaxing/remitting MS stops relaxing so much and starts remitting that little bit more. It’s a time I’m dreading, as it will be then that I’ll have to make the decision to stop driving and, as a result, my world will become one of timetables and bus journeys. A world that is that much smaller and that much more difficult to navigate. A world that is less accessible. A world that is less.
So, you see, there’s every chance Elsie, if that’s the name I stick with, will be my final, or perhaps penultimate car.
Still, that’s a decision for another day and I’m a man who likes to live in the now, so what say we do that, huh?
Plug In Baby
Elsie (and the name is growing on me) will be a fully electric vehicle, as long as Ohme can fit a charging point to the outside of the house. That’s something new to me and, after three hybrids in a row, something I find quite exciting.
Gone will be the days of MPG (Miles per gallon) giving way to the day of MPKH (Miles per Kilowatt hour). A new and shiny metric for me to obsess over.
Because one of the reasons I’ve chosen to go electric is the personal cost. Not just running costs, although I’m told that with my shrinking mileage electric could be more than worth it, but also the cost of getting the vehicle. The non-refundable deposit (i.e. up front cost) of the vehicle is a lot (and I mean A LOT) less than the hybrid or petrol equivalent. Something fueled (if you’ll pardon the pun) by Motability’s desire to embrace the future and go all electric. They even offer help with the home charger installation costs, although the survey to get on installed is a bit of a pain, especially the one you can ‘quickly and easily’ do yourself. After three pictures, taken at interesting angles and the very breaking point of my limited physical flexibility, of what was very possibly the right electrical, water, and gas (??) installations, I gave in, got online and booked someone to come and do the job properly. This is yet to be organised, but I’m very confident it will result in much (much much, much) more reliable results.
Artistic Licence
Not that this was the only sticking point, No, that came in the form of my drivers licence which, as it turns out, needed renewing—quite urgently. I’m not saying it was out of date (not as a matter of public record), and I’m not saying that had been the case for some time, but it was something I, and then, when frustration got the better of me, Tina, my wúnderwifey, had to sort out PDQ. Luckily this has now been completed and any trips I make from here on in are completely licenced and legal—Not that they weren’t before.
So, long story short. My potentially penultimate car is on order, with everything ship-shape for a successful handover (home survey pending). Hopefully, the slight aggravation of the last week wasn’t a sign, and everything from here on in will be plain sailing. Hopefully, September will see Elsie become part of our lives.
Until next time.
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologie. I’d love to know what you think.
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
Hello, dear reader!
Have car, will travel, as I think I once heard someone say.
It’s a sentiment especially true for a disabled gent like myself, and that in turn makes today a very fulfilling day and at least some of the days gone by just a little scary.
Allow me to elucidate.
I am a user of the Motability scheme, in that, rather than claim some of the ‘benefits’ I am eligible for as a disabled (Spina Bifida from birth, Multiple Sclerosis from some unspecified time after then but definitely at least eight years ago) man, I use that money to rent an adapted vehicle
It means a little less cash coming into the household, but it means a lot more freedom when it comes to getting out and about. For me, it means an independence I might struggle to find otherwise.
Which makes today’s signing of the paperwork to get a brand new Hyundai Kona I may or may not call Elsie, a significant occasion. One tinged with just a little sadness.
You see, if I’m brutally honest with myself, a time is going to come when my relaxing/remitting MS stops relaxing so much and starts remitting that little bit more. It’s a time I’m dreading, as it will be then that I’ll have to make the decision to stop driving and, as a result, my world will become one of timetables and bus journeys. A world that is that much smaller and that much more difficult to navigate. A world that is less accessible. A world that is less.
So, you see, there’s every chance Elsie, if that’s the name I stick with, will be my final, or perhaps penultimate car.
Still, that’s a decision for another day and I’m a man who likes to live in the now, so what say we do that, huh?
Elsie (and the name is growing on me) wll be a fully electric vehicle, as long as Ohme can fit a charging point to the outside of the house. That’s something new to me and, after three hybrids in a row, something I find quite exciting.
Gone wll be the days of MPG (Miles per gallon) giving way to the day of MPKH (Miles per Kilowatt hour). A new and shiny metric for me to obsess over.
Because one of the reasons I’ve chosen to go electric is the personal cost. Not just running costs, although I’m told that with my shrinking mileage electric could be more than worth it, but also the cost of getting the vehicle. The non-refundable deposit (i.e. up front cost) of the vehicle is a lot (and I mean A LOT) less than the hybrid or petrol equivalent. Something fueled (if you’ll pardon the pun) by Motability’s desire to embrace the future and go all electric.They even offer help with the home charger installation costs, although the survey to get on installed is a bit of a pain, especially the one you can ‘quickly and easily’ do yourself. After three pictures, taken at interesting angles and the very breaking point of my limited physical flexibility, of what was very possibly the right electrical, water, and gas (??) installations, I gave in, got online and booked someone to come and do the job properly. This is yet to be organised, but I’m very confident it will result in much (much much, much) more reliable results.
Not that this was the only sticking point, No, that came in the form of my licence which, as it turns out, needed renewing—quite urgently. I’m not saying it was out of date (not as a matter of public record), and I’m not saying that had been the case for some time, but it was something I, and then, when frustration got the better of me, Tina, my wúnderwifey, had to sort out PDQ. Luckily this has now been completed and any trips I make from here on in are completely licenced and legal—Not that they weren’t before.
So, long story short. My potentially penultimate car is on order, with everything ship-shape for a successful handover (home survey pending). Hopefully, the slight aggravation of the last week wasn’t a sign, and everything from here on in will be plain sailing. Hopefully, September will see Elsie become part of our lives.
Until next time.
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologie. I’d love to know what you think.
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
Hello, dear reader!
Have car, will travel, as I think I once heard someone say.
It’s a sentiment especially true for a disabled gent like myself, and that in turn makes today a very fulfilling day and at least some of the days gone by just a little scary.
Allow me to elucidate.
I am a user of the Motability scheme, in that, rather than claim some of the ‘benefits’ I am eligible for as a disabled (Spina Bifida from birth, Multiple Sclerosis from some unspecified time after then but definitely at least eight years ago) man, I use that money to rent an adapted vehicle
It means a little less cash coming into the household, but it means a lot more freedom when it comes to getting out and about. For me, it means an independence I might struggle to find otherwise.
Which makes today’s signing of the paperwork to get a brand new Hyundai Kona I may or may not call Elsie, a significant occasion. One tinged with just a little sadness.
You see, if I’m brutally honest with myself, a time is going to come when my relaxing/remitting MS stops relaxing so much and starts remitting that little bit more. It’s a time I’m dreading, as it will be then that I’ll have to make the decision to stop driving and, as a result, my world will become one of timetables and bus journeys. A world that is that much smaller and that much more difficult to navigate. A world that is less accessible. A world that is less.
So, you see, there’s every chance Elsie, if that’s the name I stick with, will be my final, or perhaps penultimate car.
Still, that’s a decision for another day and I’m a man who likes to live in the now, so what say we do that, huh?
Elsie (and the name is growing on me) wll be a fully electric vehicle, as long as Ohme can fit a charging point to the outside of the house. That’s something new to me and, after three hybrids in a row, something I find quite exciting.
Gone wll be the days of MPG (Miles per gallon) giving way to the day of MPKH (Miles per Kilowatt hour). A new and shiny metric for me to obsess over.
Because one of the reasons I’ve chosen to go electric is the personal cost. Not just running costs, although I’m told that with my shrinking mileage electric could be more than worth it, but also the cost of getting the vehicle. The non-refundable deposit (i.e. up front cost) of the vehicle is a lot (and I mean A LOT) less than the hybrid or petrol equivalent. Something fueled (if you’ll pardon the pun) by Motability’s desire to embrace the future and go all electric.They even offer help with the home charger installation costs, although the survey to get on installed is a bit of a pain, especially the one you can ‘quickly and easily’ do yourself. After three pictures, taken at interesting angles and the very breaking point of my limited physical flexibility, of what was very possibly the right electrical, water, and gas (??) installations, I gave in, got online and booked someone to come and do the job properly. This is yet to be organised, but I’m very confident it will result in much (much much, much) more reliable results.
Not that this was the only sticking point, No, that came in the form of my licence which, as it turns out, needed renewing—quite urgently. I’m not saying it was out of date (not as a matter of public record), and I’m not saying that had been the case for some time, but it was something I, and then, when frustration got the better of me, Tina, my wúnderwifey, had to sort out PDQ. Luckily this has now been completed and any trips I make from here on in are completely licenced and legal—Not that they weren’t before.
So, long story short. My potentially penultimate car is on order, with everything ship-shape for a successful handover (home survey pending). Hopefully, the slight aggravation of the last week wasn’t a sign, and everything from here on in will be plain sailing. Hopefully, September will see Elsie become part of our lives.
Until next time.
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologie. I’d love to know what you think.
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
Until next time.
#
Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think.
New Tales Of Old
Death Ship
Pestilence: Drabbles 1
Reaperman: Drabbles 3
The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu
Eldritch Investigations
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