Not a Good Year for Tires in Our House...

So, you might remember this post, when I blew out a tire on my truck. Well, not to be outdone, DH blew out both driver's side tires on his van this week. Monday, or it might have been Tuesday morning. I've been sick, and sleeping a lot, so I've sorta lost track of the days of the week a bit. He was getting ready to go to bed (he works nights, and sleeps during the day) in the morning, and went out to get something for me. He must have been sleepier than he realized, and apparently hit a curb or something as he was making a U-turn to get to our street. He had to ride on the rims to get to the house. I didn't think to take pictures of it, but it was ugly.

Because nothing is ever straightforward with us, and (mostly) because DH really, really likes to do everything himself if he can, he decided not to do what I suggested -- get a flatbed truck to tow it to the dealership, where he could get two new tires put on two new rims, get them mounted on the front (and the remaining sound front tire moved to the left rear), and get it aligned. No, he thought he'd "keep things simpler" (yes, he actually used that expression with a straight face!) and do it this way: get new rims from the dealer, go to a local tire/service place and get tires and get them mounted on the rims, replace the tires in the right places on the van himself, then drive the van to the dealer to get an alignment. Where I'd have to pick him up, and then drive him back to the dealership when the alignment was done. Yes, definitely simpler that way, right? Well, proving the old adage that the best laid plans of mice and men, etc., it didn't work out like that. He called the dealer, and they only had one rim in. The second one would be in today. So today he went and picked up the two rims, drove to the place where he was going to buy the tires, chose what he wanted, and left the rims. Well, they called back to say that there were pressure sensors in the tires, and they couldn't put the new tires on the rims without them. He didn't think his vehicle had them, but he went out and looked, and sure enough, it did. But our driveway's on a bit of an incline, and he didn't think it would be stable enough to jack the van up, and leave it jacked up, so he could remove the old rims and get to the sensors to take them in. As if to prove that point, the van slid off the jack and rolled out into the street. Sigh! So I proposed that maybe now the most sensible thing was to go with my original suggestion. He got the rims back from the other place where he'd left them, and I called AAA to get a flat-bed tow truck dispatched. They should have it done tomorrow -- but it could have been done and back here already if we'd gone this route to start. Still, we learn to pick our battles, don't we?

I don't have any pictures of that whole debacle to share, but here's a picture of Max, who's annoyed because he was sleeping until he heard the camera, and got disturbed. That's his "don't bother me, I'm sleeping" glare ;-)



I'm hoping to do some knitting and/or quilting tonight, so maybe there'll be progress to show tomorrow. Thanks for coming by to play. Come back again soon.

Not My Best Day...

Yesterday wasn't a day I'd care to repeat any time soon. We have a cat who's lost some weight, and seems to not be doing quite right. Pretty nonspecific symptoms, but really noticeable weight loss. Sunday, as I mentioned, I went to a week-long retreat. I was intending to come back this evening, in order to go somewhere in the morning with my DH. However, yesterday afternoon I got a call from the vet's office with the results of some blood work she had done on Saturday, and it wasn't good news. So DH and I decided I'd come home last night, for various reasons. I'll still go back to retreat tomorrow after we do our thing in the morning. Or I hope so.

On the way home last night, I blew out a tire. I was in the middle of nowhere about halfway home, after 10 at night, and not completely sure where I was. I didn't have my AAA card with me (which was completely stupid, and completely my own fault!), and couldn't raise DH either on the home phone OR his cell phone. It was dark and isolated, and there were a lot of semis whizzing past, but few other vehicles, and no one showed the slightest inclination to stop. I also was having spotty cell service, which was a bit unnerving too. I called a friend, just so someone would know (roughly) where I was and what was going on -- and he had the presence of mind to suggest that I try calling 911. I did that, and two wonderful Missouri Highway Patrol officers came out and found me and changed my tire for me. Not a small undertaking, as it turned out -- finding the jack, getting the seat back to move forward in order to get to it, then getting the jack to work properly, all were harder than they should have been, and no help at all in the Owner's Manual :-( But they perservered, and got it changed. They were very nice and friendly, and I wish I knew their names, or where they were dispatched from, or anything. But anyhow, they were wonderful, and I'm very thankful for their help.

It's hard to see black tire against black bedliner, but here's what's left of my tire:



Goodness knows why I didn't lose control and end up in the ditch, but I'm grateful beyond measure that I didn't. We're waiting to hear back from the dealer now as to whether they can get a remanufactured rim in today, or if it will be tomorrow before we can get it taken care of. For now, I'm just glad it worked out as well as it did, since it could have been worse in so many ways.

Thanks for coming by to play. Sorry if this wasn't a very "playful" post. Come back again any time.