An inside out day

It's been an inside out sort of a day, a day of lessons and trials, a day where I learnt that there's not much I can't handle. Calmly. The problems started with the early start. When I'm working in the boy's schools, I have to be there at 7am. No problems usually, today the school was 45 minutes drive away. I got up on time, left on time. I needed petrol so I called into the ADNOC that was on the way. As I did I noticed another 4wd coming out a side road.

It was still dark, he didn't notice me and we had a meeting of bumpers. His front connected to my back with an impact that sent me a little sideways, luckily nothing else was around. Flaming brilliant start to the day. I got out ready to call the person an idiot and other things, my poor truck was all dented with the bumper displaced. Out of the 4wd emerged not one, not two but three policemen. My third encounter, things come in threes so they say, was about to begin.

"I'm sorry," said Ahmed the driver. "It was my fault, I didn't see you."

Words I wanted to hear, words that made me smile and be the gracious lady that I am. He called the police, the traffic police, while his friends oooed and aahhed over my bumper. So much for getting to work on time, I gave that up and made the appropriate calls, then texts. Nothing to do but to wait for the police to come and write their report. I wondered if policemen got a discount from the usual fine for that sort of thing, I didn't feel I could ask.

Over an hour and a half later, the policeman arrived, did the paperwork and took photos of the damage. We all parted company amicably. I wasn't happy driving out to the school with my bumper half off so decided I should head for home and sort the getting fixed stage of a damaged car. I didn't realise that I was a bit shaken, had kept my cool and calmness all along, until I went out into the traffic again. Home was definitely the best option.

After a couple of cups of tea and getting my mojo back, I went to Toyota. They are amazing here in Al Ain. They told me what I had to do with my insurance, assessed the damage and took photos and best of all managed to temporarily reattach my bumper so I could use my car. The clips were all broken and the mud flap was hanging off so I'm not sure how they managed that. They also ordered a new back bumper and cleaned my car for me, fantastic service.

One good thing, I got caught up on some urgent paper work at the office, something I usually have to do in the evening. Tomorrow I head back out the school, I'm known to speed so can imagine I'll get a hard time about this slower incident. Back to the inside out, I realised at some stage of the day that I'd dressed oddly. Just goes to show that when your mum tells you to always wear clean knickers in case you have an accident, you should also check that you have them on in the right way. Who knows what might have happened today if I'd managed that simple first thing in the morning task. I'm so not a morning person.