Ford Focus Estate year 2000

Sorry, have just read the comments on my car blog and you are all right of course, I did not tell you much about the car or how we came by it. I will try to put it right.

Yes it is a lovely car, and yes I have already mentioned to Dave about how much more we can pack in it and he has once again reminded me that it is not the quantity but the weight that worries him!.

It was definitely a God send to us, our car had the air conditioning broken and we had plenty of quotes (cheapest 600 Euro) We had been saving for months and months to get it done and was about to pay out the 600 Euro when I had to go to England, Dave had his accident a few days before it was due to be taken in for the air con.!

Not only did we not waste the 600 on a car that was about to go to heaven BUT we now had 600 towards the next car.

Ernie and Mary owned the car we brought (you know the ones that we had fallen out with) they had offered us the car when Ernie was passing and noticed that our car was missing, once Dave told him what happened he said they had finally sold their house and were about to sell their car as well. As they wanted a very quick last minute sale they offered it to us for 3,000 Euro. Dave knew it was a bargain as Ernie had never used it more then once a month to the hospital and chemist. The mileage was very, very low. It had been serviced every year and was up to date with its m.o.t. in short quite a bargain.

The deal was almost in the bag when the man buying their house phoned to say they would not complete until April/May of next year. Ernie phoned up to say how sorry he was but he could not sell the car now until April or May and as we needed one sooner the deal was now off. Dave was miffed to say the very least and tried to get me to phone back and say that if we brought it they could still use it until they go, I would not do it.

The phone rang about 9.30 that evening and it was Ernie who apologised for the late call but wanted to put a suggestion our way. How would we feel if they shared the car with us until April? for this they would knock 1,000 Euro off the price! Also we need not pay in one lump; we could spread it out until April. We said a quite “thank you God” and accepted his offer. Man oh Man, we had what we wanted with 1,000 bonus!!

The only difference was that as soon as the money came through from the Insurance we paid in full. Yes that was another thing, Dave spent the day going between the breakers yard and the Insurance Company arguing his case about only getting scrap price for it as he was fully comp. After about four visits a very exasperated lady promised to do what she could. Dave returned home without much hope of improving the quote much. The next day (two days after Ernie’s offer) a Spanish message had been left on our answering machine for Dave, Pillar happened to pop in and Dave asked her what it said. She said it is from an insurance company saying the money has been put into your bank. Once she had left Dave looked at the bank statement on the web…Nothing… The next day he looked again and 4,000 Euro less the 400 scrap price had been put in!!

We now had a car worth a lot more than 3,000 for 2,000 which left another 2,000 in the bank!

Dave is having his much needed treatment on his teeth done, he has already had root treatment and then the tooth repaired ( three visits) in all 150 Euro, he is about to have another the same on the other side and then a tooth removed and a replacement put onto his existing plate. We estimate that it may cost about anything up to 600 Euro. It is a private Dentist. Me? Well I had my computer done as you all know and the rest is not to be used unless it is very much needed.

The final piece of this story is that the man buying Ernie and Mary’s house phoned the other day to say he had sold and wanted to move in after Christmas! Ernie and Mary went to England and brought a lovely cottage in Devon, so the car is all ours from January.

Tina Spain

The vets

Hi

I am writing a blog on Sandie demands..Over and over and over… he he

The dogs:

We have had as you all know a very hard year financially and because of this we have let the dogs injections for returning to England laps by nine month!!

Dave made an appointment with our normal lovely vet and was convinced he would do the honours of back dating everything by nine months, Ummm Hello.

The appointment finally came yesterday, we arrived with me feeling pretty uncomfortable and refusing to ask the vet.

The vet greeted both dogs with his usual loving and boisterous way. (On his knees stroking, kissing and playing with them) He was saying to them that he hopes they are feeling well and that Mummy and Daddy are being kind to them etc. etc. (he always remembers their names) anyway he asked us if they had a problem, I took a genteeel step back and looked sweetly at the vet and then pointedly at Dave, leaving the vet in no uncertain terms as to who was the boss this time!!

Dave said “We wish a favour please, a big one” The vet said “ci” Dave said we have forgotten completely about the injections this year and we are a little over due. A little duh! I sort of made myself a little shorter and whistling looked at the ceiling. Well inside I was!

Dave handed over the passports but before he looked inside at the dreaded date he asked me how Toffee’s eye was? I was surprised he remembered and said “Oh fine, it has been great thank you” He the looked inside the passport “Oh she is February it is due, yes?” we sort of mumbled “yes” me still looking sheepishly at my feet.

He then put the passports down and said “Toffee you first, and no shaky shaky” we were not sure what he was going to do as he had not said at this point. He whisked Toff onto the table and started to smell inside Toff's ears, he said in Spanish “Beautiful no” at this point I was thinking he must have gone mad as Toff’s 'ear' smell is not beautiful!

He then looked at her eyes, her teeth, her paws, her bum, at this point he felt her glands and said “ooh we need emptying No?” he started the horrid job of 'emptying the bum gland scenario'. As usual I heaved and he smiled. When he had finished, he washed and sprayed something on her bum, he took her face in his hands and very definitely started to tell her that she was about to get a lovely manicure, so she must not complain, oooheee the doggies will love you later!

With me clinging to her little neck and her face in my arms he started the dreaded nail clipping that Toff hates with a vengeance, Toff gave a little squeal with each nail, and with each nail he kissed her head and told her to be good! He is the most loving and gentle vet we have ever had, he really cares for his four legged patients. After everything had been poked and prodded he got the needle out and started the injection's still talking to her. (Oooh it looked like he was going to back date the passports after all.)

He then started the whole process over again with Giz. Once he had finished with Giz he sat at the desk and opened the passports, he proceeded to take all the labels of the injection bottles placing them in the appropriate place on the passport. He then changed the date stamp and proceeded to date everything. He gave us worming tablets and one spot and told us to return in April for the heart warm injection. He said that it would be better if we return next year in February! I asked if it was OK that they had the injections so soon and he told us that it was fine, they would have better protection, no harm.

The Bill for about one hour of his time and all he did to each dog was only 78 Euro. Under 40 Euro each dog, about 28 pound each. What a vet ah. We do not know what the cost would have been if we had to start over, we do know we would not have been able to visit England next year (or at least for six months)

Tina Spain.