I spent my first entire day as a 28 year old learning a lot of valuable things....
1.) Having a tire blow-out doing 80 mph is as unpleasant as imagined
(no worries...car and I are both okay. Just scared the hell out of me and whacked a few weeds).
2.) Getting the tire jack out of the storage bin in the trunk of 2004 Honda Civic requires extensive mechanical aptitude (FYI-you must push all the way to the right until it clicks, push forward till clicks, then pull up. That only took me 10 mins to figure out in a freaking rain storm. Am I nuts for thinking that this should be written somewhere? Its not....I checked! All it said was "remove jack"! GEE, That's helpful!! )
3.) Changing tire by myself is a skill that I already possessed thanks to the many lessons from my Dad and Buzz. Its getting the lug nuts loose that's a BITCH.
4.) Jumping up and down on tire iron (while attached to lug-nuts) and holding onto car will loosen lug nuts.
5.) Utah is blessed to have many highway patrol and state troopers, but they do not view flat tire as cause for alarm. None of those who passed stopped to help me change tire despite me jumping up and down on tire iron attached to car like a freaking monkey. (I'm sure it looked like I had the situation under control)
6.) The few mins I left hazard lights on with the ignition off while I sat on side of road pulling myself together before I got out of the car was enough to kill 6 year old battery. This renders tire changing skills very unnecessary. (Ya. I know! Good to know my years of advanced systems training really paid off on this one.)
7.) I have the greatest husband in the world. He very quickly left work, picked up a new car battery, and drove an hour to rescue me. (I already new I had the greatest husband ever...But the fact that he did this without laughing at the stupidity of stranding myself on the side of road due to a dead battery makes me eternally grateful)
I think I've gained enough wisdom for ahwile! Let's hope the remainder of my 28th year is a little less eventful.
Family escape
3 years ago
This story reminds me of one time I got a flat tire somewhere in The Vast Nowhere, Montana. (I'm POSITIVE that is the correct name for the place!) I unloaded the trunk, cause tires only blow when the trunk is full, onto the side of the road and got all the lug nuts off and the car jacked up. The tire was STUCK! I kicked it, pulled it, yelled at it...nada. All the while cowpokes in trucks are driving by, some even honked and waved! FINALLY one guy stopped and asked if I needed help, I told him the tire was stuck. He kicked it and it fell of! YAY! Then he climbed back in his truck and drove off....I put the spare tire on myself...
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the rest of the year goes better! :)
I'm glad Brian was able to save you. Happy late BIRTHDAY!!!
ReplyDelete