Jump Start

Phone messages from this evening.

Slim 5.45 p.m.: Are you about later?

Pand 5.47 p.m: I can be.

Slim 5.48 p.m.: Would you be able to give me a jump start? My car hasn't moved for six weeks and the batteries dead.

Pand 5.51 p.m.: Serves you right for going to Europe. I'll give you a buzz when I'm getting off the tram. Just buying a cake. Give me 20 minutes and I'll be home. 

Slim 5.52 p.m.: You're a legend. 

Pand 5.53 p.m.: You'd do the same. 

Having grown up driving a 25-year-old EJ Holden named Edna, there's some things I can do and that I understand. I get what it is to check oil, water and tyres. I get what it is when your battery fails you. These days the art of minor car mechanics has gone by the wayside. Having somebody to give you a jump start is heaven sent. I'm not sure many Gen-Zedders would know how to jump start a car. 

I should also say, Slim drives an early 90s V8 Holden ute. Well retro. Slim lives downstairs. Slim is also a mechanic. He's a lovely bloke. A lovely bloke who has jumper cables, something many people had in the boot of their cars when I was a kid. 

As I said I would, I texted Slim as I was getting off the tram, Coles toffee and pecan roulade and some macarons in tow (in lieu of a birthday cake for the book group girls.) He was waiting at the end of the driveway for me. 

We edged up the cars, he set the jumper leads in place - joys of having a mechanic in the building - and he started his ute. 

Vrrrroooooommm

There is something about the roar of a V8 engine. I know they are crap for the environment, but it's a familiar roar from my childhood. 

Today's cars aren't the same. If you drive a hybrid or EV, they're even quieter.

Slim was happy. He took his beast out for a drive to properly charge up the battery. 

I went upstairs, fed the cat and went down the pub for book group - birthday cake and macarons ready for the bar staff to put in the fridge. 

The point of this post, other than it is very easy to be neighourly?

Nostalgia can be found in the strangest of places. 

And I got to blow out some birthday candles which the lovely staff at the National Hotel had arranged on top of the cake. 

Today's song:

p.s. I think I was at this performance in 1992... love this song.