Shock...

So today turned out to be more exciting than I ever anticipated.

I rose to my alarm screeching from the study, just next door to my room. I'd set my phone to wake me, then promptly left it in the study, which meant I had to clamber out of bed and missed my usual 5 minute dozing time.
To add salt to the wound, every other member of the household was fast asleep Matt, Steve, Dad and Mum had all managed to score days off work - which makes being the only one standing in the kitchen singing to myself as I packed my lunch seem a little well...lame. But alas I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy the quiet of the house in the early hours of the morning.
As I opened the front door, and prepared to exit I realized that it was pouring rain - I just couldn't contain the groan which escaped me - these are truely the greatest days to spend lazing around in bed.

I had the eight hour shift today at Vaccation care. Also due to the fact that I've done a number of courses related to working with special needs children, I was rostered on with Brad. Brad has cerebral pausy and is confined to his wheelchair, very little verbal skills - but a mind which is so incredibly sharp, he gets my jokes, even the subtle ones which fly straight over the heads of other kids his age. I found myself getting frustrated with the other staff talking to him like he was a baby, many times I've attempted to explain that his body may be limited but his mind is so far ahead. But I guess it's often hard to look past what we can see. Brads frustration must be a million times more real than mine could ever be.

By the end of my shift I was completely exhausted. I adore Brad, but he's definitely hard work. I dragged myself home and had a lie down on my bed. I was only planning on resting briefly, I could hear the cat bleeting and Beau was starting to howl a little, so the plan was to feed them, then start dinner for the mob of a family.
Rather, I fell asleep and awoke around an hour later to the sound of Matt and Steve yelling "Jess you've gotta go to the driveway...hurry up!"

In my groggy state all I noticed was dad coming up the driveway in his car, followed by mum, in what I assumed was the work car she drove while collecting. Eventually I questioned why it was so neccessary for me to be here, to which I discovered that the Car mum was driving was in fact my new car. Well new, used car if that makes sense.

We'd been checking out cars for a few weeks now. The plan was that I would be loaned the money by my parents, and I would begin paying it back . The last few cars had been relatively unsuccessful, after each mechanical check it was decided they would cost too much in time. I had not even seen this car before my parents decided on it so the suprise element was awesome! I'm a sucker for surprises.
A champagn coloured Mitsubishi Magna - and she's beautiful. Auto though, which is going to take some adjusting to, when I drove her today I kept trying to push the clutch, and I sort of feel lazy coz my arms just sit there when they should be changing gears. But by no means am I going to complain about it.
This has turned out to be an incredible blessing!
my other car is older than me, 24 years old in fact and everything was slowly dying on her - basically we'd been told she wouldn't pass next rego. To say I was concerned would be an understatement - I can survive without a car, it just makes my trecks between here and Armidale a lot less plan-neccessary.

Though I must say as I climbed into the new beast, I glanced across at my old Baby "Emerelda" and felt a twinge of sadness, she's been such an amazing car - served me well.

More than anything I'm so grateful, still in shock a little I think, I'll probably forget and get a pleasant surprise as I head off to work tomorrow morning.

Thanks big dude for making everything work out so beautifully. You truely blow me away sometimes.

[p.s. Bella baby, looks like some longer road trips may be in the pipes during the next 12 months, gimme a shout out if your keen.]