Sarah Van Der Kley
I had one of those days last week.
You know the ones, where everything goes wrong and very little goes right?
After beginning the day with some tears after discovering some sad news, I pulled myself together to get on with the task at hand; icing the massive chocolate cake I'd baked for my grandfather's 93rd birthday party.
Realising I didn't have enough icing sugar, I popped down to the grocery store to get some more.
I was gone no more than 15 minutes but when I returned the cake was ruined.
I came home to a very sheepish, slightly sick looking dog and just half a chocolate cake.
After severely berating the dog and myself for leaving cake and canine in the same vicinity, I checked on the condition of the cake and realised that while part of it could be saved, it would not be enough to feed 30 people.
If there was any justice in the world I could have taken the $50 it cost for a replacement cake out of my dog's allowance, but of course there's not so I just had to lump it.
Afterwards I went to start my car only to discover a door had been left ajar and the battery was now flat.
I found some jumper leads and a couple of minutes after very carefully positioning them on the two batteries (I'm always slightly concerned I'm going to electrocute myself) I attempted to start my car. That's when the alarm sounded.
Why my old car even has an alarm is beyond me. I have never used it and at that moment realised the alarm key pad had broken ages ago and I had actually thrown it away.
After trying everything I could think of with the key, the alarm finally stopped but the car was now immobilised.
I rang the AA and, you guessed it, my membership had lapsed just a week beforehand.
So I forked out more money to rejoin and the lovely AA man came out and eventually managed to get around the alarm by pulling some wires out from under the dash.
Until I take the car to a mechanic, I now have to grope around under the steering wheel and hold a button down while turning the key to start the car.
Which makes me feel a little bit like I'm in the Fast and Furious movies, so at least one positive came from all this!
* Don't miss Adam Green and Sarah Van Der Kley on The Hits Hawke's Bay from 6am to 9am Monday to Friday.
The House was suspended briefly after the haka disrupted voting.