15th June Jouney To Aphorism

Having departed from Bellview House I noticed the fuel gauge was right down at the letter E. I decided to apply one of the handy aphorisms from the now defunct Allan Gammie Farm Supplies Personal Memo Diary for 1979, which I'd been reading last night, for want of anything better. "The best time to worry is tomorrow"... Well, as you may have noticed, there is, these days, a dearth of local filling stations due to economies of scale and the like.
But I decided to press on, and of course, if I got stranded, then I'd worry about that tomorrow I suppose.
After an abortive detour I turned off into Strathospital pleased to arrive at the 24 hour services. It was only after paying I noticed water dripping from under the bonnet.
A major leak from the radiator I'd so keenly soldered up for reasons of thrift. But then "Anxiety is just interest paid on trouble before its due..."
I topped up the water and drove as far as MacDonalds and ordered a Happy Meal. (Only 1.95 if you pretend to be a child or that you have one concealed somewhere, but why would a kid want a coffee instead of coke? £2.67 if you admit to being an adult) . Still, "Nothing in human affairs is of much consequence..."
A few more miles and the temperature was off the scale, the ordance survey map suggested a bridge over a river. I had to improvise an empty tub lowered down on a rope, took about half an hour to get enough water, but I avoided cracking the engine block. Next I borrowed a watering can full of water from Adjin's house and limped on. At the next boiling over, with about 20 miles to go it was time to reach for another aphorism;
"Don't despair, but if you do, keep working through the despair..." Mmmmm...?
I took off the radiator cap to just let the water boil like a kettle and put the heater on full blast inside like a second radiator. This total loss system actually lost less water due to the reduction in pressure, but now, even with the windows down, it wasn't just the engine that was overheating ...
Eventually arriving home I am reminded that an urgent request to buy fish food had slipped my mind...
Ah well.."A good conscience would have made a soft pillow.."