#BristolCon #fail

Today I should have been enjoying the fun and excitement of BristolCon, sharing a table alongside my fellow Brigader Misa Buckley, and taking part in the reboot panel, along with stalking my favourite authors and meeting up with another Brigader. Instead, I'm stuck home with a broken car after an evening of trauma that ended with our defunct vehicle being towed home. All for the sake of a cracked expansion tank that costs a mere £17 and takes about ten minutes to fit...providing you have the part. Which even a garage wouldn't have, let alone a roadside recovery service, because it's one of those more specialized parts. Right now hubs is off on the long trek to a local but far off car spares depot that has one in stock, having left a message with our mechanic.
I don't think I've cried this much in years. Gutted is an inadequate description. Not only for myself for missing the convention, but my eldest missing out on a live interview with her favourite author, and my boys for missing a day out in Bristol. I also feel guilty for letting Misa down, as well as my fellow reboot panelists. It sucks hugely.
But, I am grateful that the problem with the car isn't terminal and wasn't something that could have got us killed. I am grateful that it's a cheap and easy repair, and that we were able to get off the motorway into a quiet, safe and secluded cul de sac where three of the inhabitants were kind enough to offer food, drink, and toilet facilities to strangers. I'm grateful to the local car engineer who came out and apologised for not being able to fix the car after diagnosing the fault, and the AA guy who took us and our car home.
I'm also thankful for all the virtual hugs and messages of sympathy.
And although I failed to make alternative arrangements to get there another way for this year, I'm determined to try again next year (I hadn't planned to do it in 2016, but as I've missed this one now...). Since it'll be the end of halfterm, we're going to make a weekend of it as a family holiday, travelling up early on the Friday instead of the evening. And probably in a hire car rather than our own.