Put petrol in the diesel Monday afternoon. Bad enough that I was totally knackered after first visit to gym in about 14 years (apart from to sign up). But TOTALLY my fault of course.

Am knackered from gym, feeling rotten from being on new restricted diet since Thursday, Rud has given up smoking since last week and at the grouchy phase -house not filled with much loving sympathy right now. Even dogs hiding from us both since Saturday.

The AA recovery (my Alfa Romeo comes with everything - you just call them and they allegedly just magically make everything ok and give you a courtesy car) have managed to totally screw up everything. To cut a long story short (and I mean a LONG story)……

Car requested recovery at 1520 Monday afternoon. AA were notified I was a lone female driver in a rural location and had no other driver in household or family living nearby. Car actually recovered just after 1800 at night. 2.5 hours but it was broad daylight. Disappointing but not the end of the world. Request recovery to a local garage as the Alfa Dealer will be closed by the time they get there. Denied. Told it will be kept in secure lockup overnight.

Subsequently on Monday evening, AA managed to

• send van not recovery truck which is useless.
• cancelled recovery trucks
• passed car on 3 times from driver to driver
• left my car at one stage in a public car park of a closed supermarket, completely unattended with key stuck in the exhaust pipe!UNBELIEVABLE.

Still getting calls at 920 at night from AA drivers with my car asking what I want to do with car as Alfa Romeo dealer now closed - I don't know nor care by now – the AA has had it for over 3 hours. Complain to AA then AA calls me back and says I need to sign a disclaimer as they cannot deliver my car to the dealer because it is closed (which I told them hours ago) and it has to be overnighted and they will not accept the liability in case anything happens to it. I warn them I will NOT be doing this and hang up on them. They call back and apologise and offer to send bouquet of flowers.

Courtesy car dropped off by Alfa Romeo - arranged via who? The AA.Tuesday I have calls all day about car. AA cannot find my car - do I know where it is? AA cannot find car - what lockup was it stored in (how do I know?). AA taking car to Alfa dealer - where is it, can I give them directions they cannot find the Alfa dealer. Car refused by dealer as they know nothing about it - AA have not booked it in - what should they do (at this point I actually told poor driver what he could do).

Car now safely at Alfa dealer. Dealer cannot process car - AA did not give them any paperwork. Complain to AA. They apologise. Complain to Alfa Romeo about AA. They take up the case after all sorted.

Today Wednesday, calls start again. AA want courtesy car back. I only have it for 48 hrs so they want it back by 1030 tomorrow. Car is not being looked at till 430 this afternoon as AA did not deliver car to dealer until yesterday AFTERNOON (24 hrs after call placed - dealer is 20 miles away) and too late to fit into yesterday’s schedule anddid not have any paperwork and AA had not told them it was coming.Numerous calls to AA bouquet of flowers not here either yet but who cares? AA offer to pay for the courtesy car for an extra day. Alfa Romeo not informed so Alfa Romeo call to arrange getting courtesy car back. AA have NOT arranged extra day properly, no paperwork so I am still billable. Numerous calls to Alfa Romeo later they get correct paperwork from AA by fax. Apologise profusely and agree I have numerous causes of complaint with the AA.

Ah... that feels better. Then my fishtank filter broke so have spent the last 2 hours up to armpits in salt water fighting off shrimps (Knew it was a bad idea to train them to hand feed and run up your arm to beg for food!) and trying to fix. Attacked by territorial clownfish. Nemo is a myth they are VICIOUS. Sorry just have to vent.

To the AA: You are so utterly, utterly useless it is beyond words. I have records of all telephone conversations and will be complaining in writing once I get my car safely back.