We're going on a BOC hunt...

Thanks to the trials of uni, I appreciate my free time back in Elgin so much more.
In fact, the one place I love to be is in the old RC office, spending time restocking vehicles, organising equipment, and generally just having a good laugh with the people I love to be with best.

So when Caitlind and me set out to stock up the vehicles for this weekend's event (the Braemar to Aviemore hike - stay tuned) imagine the joy I felt when I heard we would have to take a trip back to Inverness to swap the empty O2 cylinders and get some new ones.

Inverness, again. Woop.

Actually, to be honest I was more than happy to fill up the car and get it back on the long road to Sneckie. It was a fine day for a lengthy drive, with 6 fully and half empty canisters in the back of my very small micra.

We got to Inverness in no time, but while I was thinking we would take a jaunt down to the RC HQ to exchange O2, Caitlind had other instructions.
"We have to go to BOC."
"Where's that?"
"Near the dual carriageway roundabout, in the middle of an industrial estate, I think."
"Ok, where abouts?"
"Don't know really... I'm sure I'll know it when I see it."

I was once apprehensive of driving through Inverness. The outskirts I can deal with, but the middle of the city was a bit busier. My last sneckie driving experience with Caitlind had lead to me smashing my poor car into a traffic cone, costing 93 quid's worth of damage. Perhaps it was time to call on an expert.

Lol phoned asking what we were doing. Thee perfect satnav for such an occasion; I was glad to have her on board the great O2 hunt too. She had been bored, so thankfully she was more than happy to join.

We navigated our way through Inverness, and eventually we found ourselves on the busy back road leading to Kessock Bridge. To our right were the depths of the industrial estate, and bravely we took a turn into the forest of car dealerships and work force stockists.

Eyeing up the roads as we went by, we came to the conclusion that there was certainly not a BOC building in sight.
"Pull over somewhere and ask for directions," Caitlind said (very typically woman of her).
"You think a car dealer would know where an oxygen stock place is?" I asked (very typically driver-ish of me).

However, fate must have seen us coming, because suddenly Lol pointed out a life saver.
"Look, an ambulance! They would need oxygen too, so maybe they'd know where BOC is!"

The ambulance sat in the drive way of a car servicing garage. Its occupants didn't appear to be in it.
"What if they're answering a call?" Lol pointed out as we drove into the car park and came to a stop in the bay.
"We'll just nosey around and if they are, we'll go." Caitlind shrugged.
Of course I knew I'd be the one who would have to ask - I always ask, until I get tongue-tied and Caitlind takes over.

We enter into the waiting room of the garage and sure enough, two green clad gents are standing in front of a coffee machine, trying to work out how to use it.
"Excuse me guys," I ask sheepishly, "seems a bit random, but don't suppose you know where BOC is around here?"
"BOC?" One paramedic asks, raising an eyebrow. He looks to his colleague, who is looking at us, bemused at the three random girls standing in front of him asking for an O2 supplier. "Sorry, never heard of it."
"Our boss told us it'd be here somewhere," Caitlind added, "it's for Red Cross?"
"Oh, BOC!" Exclaimed the second medic suddenly. "You mean B, O, C? The British Oxygen Company?"
"Yeah, that's the one!"
I stood and watched the paramedics, feeling the acronym clarify inside my head; so that's what it stands for...
"We get our oxygen from another company," the first medic continued, "so we wouldn't be able to tell you."

"Actually, if you turn right at the traffic lights just up the road and carry on for 400 yards or so, you'll reach it."

We all turned to look at the mechanic who had just given us the much needed directions to our mysterious destination.

"Really?" I said, "Oh right, great, thanks very much."
We all chorused a thank you, to the mechanic and the medics, and hastily left the garage behind us as we clambered back into the micra, laughing.
"That was so random!" Lol laughed. I think that pretty much summed it up.

So we made it to BOC (or the British Oxygen Company) to meet yet another nice couple of burley guys who eventually gave us our 6 full O2 tanks in return for the empty ones, and who also called Caitlind short and verbal, which kinda effectively describes her in a brief and direct way =]
Although she has many other lovely qualities too, and of course she'll know I'm joking *winks cheekily*

Anyway...
After our search for O2 was complete, we decided that we earned a bit of leisure time in the shops before waving goodbye to Lol and heading back home to the Elgin office, where we met the Boss trying to fix our most rickety ambo, RE6.
Of course, the micra saved the day again by assisting in jump starting the beast of a bucket.
My little car did very well today, and I'm very proud. If it's possible to be proud of a 3 door green machine.

I do love Red Cross days. Talk about commitment.