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I jumped in my car and headed off for work, but there was this odd draggy sound that I noticed when I stopped at the corner to turn. It faded out when I sped up, but I noticed it at the next corner, so I went back around to my own street to pull over and look at what might be the problem.
Flat tire.
Now, I hate to admit that I've reached this advanced age and never changed a tire all by myself, but that is in fact the case. So, with no idea how long it would take I decided to call in from work, with the idea that if they didn't think I was coming in and then I was able to do so, later, it would be something like a pleasant surprise for them, but if I said I'd just be late and then was later and later they'd be more annoyed. Then I changed my clothes and set to with the jack. After a little while a landscaper who was working nearby came over and asked if I needed any help, and I asked him if I'd put the jack in the right place. He said it wasn't the best place, and suggested that I'd want to let it back down again and get the nuts off before jacking it up. Then he went away and only came back again when he saw that I was having trouble getting the hubcap off, and helped me start the nuts. I really appreciate not only his kindness, but his willingness to let me struggle with it by myself and not take over and do it for me. :) Silly as it sounds, I think getting the hubcap off was the most difficult part. I just couldn't see where I should pry, and the damned thing is made of plastic, so I gouged it a little even being as careful as I could. The nuts I might have been able to get started by myself if I'd put the whatdayacallit the other way and jumped on it.
But I got the doughnut on at last and drove it down to Sullivan Tire, because A) I know where it is and I can walk back from there, and B) I had this vague thought that the left rear tire which is flat might be the same tire that I had them fix two months ago. I really can't remember, and honestly I don't really give a crap, I just want it fixed. But, they didn't have any record of me having been there before. After I'd been home for maybe a half hour they phoned me up to let me know that (I might have had a clue that there was something wrong with your records from the way you didn't already have my address and phone number in the computer), and I asked them to look in the glovebox and see if I'd left the receipt there. I suspect that I did not, and that I probably threw it away. I mean, one never thinks you'll want to keep such things. The only record I have is my checkbook, and of course I didn't write down there which tire it was. Unfortunately I'm afraid that I might have inadvertently set up an adversarial sort of thing with having even mentioned that I thought it could be the same tire. I don't know why I'm not more clueful about human interactions.
I wonder why the record of me having been there before is gone? It crossed my mind that the guy who was at the counter last time might have erased the record to pocket my money for himself, but I used my debit card to pay - there'd be other tracks he'd have to cover, that doesn't seem worth it.
So I'm home, and have had a bit of leisure to finish the story about Anne Bonny in the Asimov's from two years ago. Now I'd best get some things done. :) No telling but what they might actually get the tire fixed some time before 4pm, in which case it might be worth while to go to work.
ETA: He just phoned back to say that once they got the tire off they could see it had not been patched before, and indeed they would get it done before 4pm. At least I got him to laugh when I said, "Shoot. Now I might have to go to work." :)
Flat tire.
Now, I hate to admit that I've reached this advanced age and never changed a tire all by myself, but that is in fact the case. So, with no idea how long it would take I decided to call in from work, with the idea that if they didn't think I was coming in and then I was able to do so, later, it would be something like a pleasant surprise for them, but if I said I'd just be late and then was later and later they'd be more annoyed. Then I changed my clothes and set to with the jack. After a little while a landscaper who was working nearby came over and asked if I needed any help, and I asked him if I'd put the jack in the right place. He said it wasn't the best place, and suggested that I'd want to let it back down again and get the nuts off before jacking it up. Then he went away and only came back again when he saw that I was having trouble getting the hubcap off, and helped me start the nuts. I really appreciate not only his kindness, but his willingness to let me struggle with it by myself and not take over and do it for me. :) Silly as it sounds, I think getting the hubcap off was the most difficult part. I just couldn't see where I should pry, and the damned thing is made of plastic, so I gouged it a little even being as careful as I could. The nuts I might have been able to get started by myself if I'd put the whatdayacallit the other way and jumped on it.
But I got the doughnut on at last and drove it down to Sullivan Tire, because A) I know where it is and I can walk back from there, and B) I had this vague thought that the left rear tire which is flat might be the same tire that I had them fix two months ago. I really can't remember, and honestly I don't really give a crap, I just want it fixed. But, they didn't have any record of me having been there before. After I'd been home for maybe a half hour they phoned me up to let me know that (I might have had a clue that there was something wrong with your records from the way you didn't already have my address and phone number in the computer), and I asked them to look in the glovebox and see if I'd left the receipt there. I suspect that I did not, and that I probably threw it away. I mean, one never thinks you'll want to keep such things. The only record I have is my checkbook, and of course I didn't write down there which tire it was. Unfortunately I'm afraid that I might have inadvertently set up an adversarial sort of thing with having even mentioned that I thought it could be the same tire. I don't know why I'm not more clueful about human interactions.
I wonder why the record of me having been there before is gone? It crossed my mind that the guy who was at the counter last time might have erased the record to pocket my money for himself, but I used my debit card to pay - there'd be other tracks he'd have to cover, that doesn't seem worth it.
So I'm home, and have had a bit of leisure to finish the story about Anne Bonny in the Asimov's from two years ago. Now I'd best get some things done. :) No telling but what they might actually get the tire fixed some time before 4pm, in which case it might be worth while to go to work.
ETA: He just phoned back to say that once they got the tire off they could see it had not been patched before, and indeed they would get it done before 4pm. At least I got him to laugh when I said, "Shoot. Now I might have to go to work." :)