Tricky snags with vehicles and liquid where it should never have been would have led to way more walking but for some timely good luck.
Running late, I zoomed into a gas station and promptly filled my car with diesel. I had wondered why the nozzle wasn't a good fit.
Thanks, Lady Luck. I spotted my mistake immediately and became the beneficiary of generosity from the kind mechanic next door. He hoisted my car and drained the diesel.
That day I heard stories from a surprisingly large number people who'd done the same thing. The fix had cost most of them a fortune. It's not an exclusive club.
A week later I'd have skidded off our drive had the farmer not yelled at the crucial moment. But I'm nothing if not determined. The following week I achieved lift off at the same spot and wedged my car against a tree. I clambered out, nicked the farmer's ute, left it at his mother's and took her car for my day out.