See the picture above? I can't do that. Especially when on my way to the gym (after a prolonged absence of at least 5 weeks) and with a 2 year old boy who has ants in his pants.

After initally wondering what the big lorry driver man was gesticulating about as I waited at a roundabout, to the slow realisation that the car felt wonky and worryingly bump bumpy as i drove along (cautiously), I knew I was in a bit of trouble. I limped along to a nearby recreation centre car park and got cross and panicked all at the same time. Many phone calls to people who were not in and many phone calls to husband who works too far away to be of any use, we decided to ring the AA. And wait. And because I thought the AA would be a long time I went and got a coffee. Of course when I got back he was sitting waiting for me. He also had a total sense of humour by-pass and was not going to small talk with me no matter how hard I tried and no matter how cute Pip looked in his mock bomber jacket.

Dour AA man told me my car was too dangerous to drive home as my brake pads were virtually non-existent and that my tyres were illegal. Good news then. Then we had a 3 way debate on my phone as to whether I could drive home (which was closer) or drive to garage (via Motorway and further) and get things fixed. Methinks AA man was rightly covering his ass, but I also think my previously friendly mobile mechanic has not done proper services on my car leaving it in a dangerous condition to drive - although we did do about 200 miles in it the week before on holiday I don't think tyres & brakes get dangerous in 200 miles. Especially when I had specifically asked him to check the brakes and tyres not 3 weeks ago. My bad.

So mucho mula will be spent on car tomorrow at Supertyres, where the tyres had better be not just super but super-bloody-fantastic and the brake pads had better not squeak.