Thursday Must Be Car Problem Day
8/30/1

The early morning lameness of today seems to be over. It really started last night, so let tell this puppy chronologically.

After church, we had a meeting of the college age coordinators that lasted nearly an hour. However, we have nearly mapped out the fall quarter with stuff. My main contribution is that on the last Sunday of the month, we go to Pizza Hut after class. Whoo hoo.

We had to go by the drug store that we use in Madison on the way home. It�s not really on the way home, it�s on the other side of home. I chose to use I-565 rather than the 35 mph surface roads.

When I was getting off Rideout Rd [actually now renamed Research Blvd], the car handled funny. I chose to keep complete control of the car rather than lose a little traction on the turn since it had been raining. I didn�t think much of it.

When we turned from Highway 20 [now renamed Madison Blvd] onto Huff Rd, I noticed some odd braking. I told Aisai that it seemed like one of the brakes was out of alignment and rubbing a bit. When we got to the drug store, I stayed in the car and listened to music and thought about life.

On the way home, the car was also pretty goofy when braking.

When we got in, I looked at what the replaytv had gotten but didn�t actually watch anything. Since I had felt sticky and dirty from the long day, I decided to take a shower before bed. This pushed my bedtime back.

However, as my strategy worked, I was so sleepy this morning that I reset the alarm and got up at six and got ready sans shower. Short hair is a wonderful thing. And since I planned on taking a nap today, and since I knew it wouldn�t rain, I wore my glasses.

After a bowl of Special K Red Berries and another bowl of Rice Crispies, I hit the road.

As I was backing out of the driveway, the car felt funny. As I drove down my street, the car felt and sounded funny. And before I got off my street, I got out and looked and I had a flat tire on the rear right wheel.

The aluminum wheels that came with the car are large enough that I didn�t really notice that the side was lower. In fact, when I think about it, I wonder when the flatness began.

It was pleasant, around 74 degrees, and overcast.

I called T-boss and left a message. I also tried to call Labman but his voicemail didn�t seem to be working. I need to tell him that. Then I took the tire off.

I must commend the people at Kronos since they really have a nice jacking system. I changed the tire and put on the toy tire and it was much lower than it should have been. The pressure was supposed to be 60 psi according to the side of the tire.

I had called Aisai earlier and told her that I had the flat and she showed up. I asked her for the tire pressure gauge that is in her car, since mine is lost or something. The toy tire only had 20 psi.

It started raining.

Aisai followed me down to the Amoco station but we had agreed that she might as well just go on to work. On the way there, I remembered that I had not really tightened the lug nuts strongly on the toy tire.

I didn�t �stand on them� but only did it �arm tight�. I actually don�t stand on them any more, but I had to when I only weighted 140. I could shear off a bolt now by standing on it repeatedly. I can get it very tight with my arm and my body weight now.

I pulled up in front of what I thought was the water and air machine and it wanted 50 cents.

I have no money on me.

I called Aisai�s cell phone, which was dead since I got the Voicestream message. Grrr.

I sat and thought about how the drive would be.

While I did this, I realized that the goofy machine I was in front of was a vacuum and car smell dispenser. I drove around the building and, sure enough, free air and water.

I had to wait behind a guy who obviously had a slow leak since he filled a flat tire and drove off. I filled the little tire up to 50 psi, the limit of my gauge. I went to the exit that would allow me to get onto Old Madison Pike and in to the �go straight� lane. I did this and then remembered the non-tightened lug nuts.

Back in the same entrance [thank you, tight turn radius] and I just parked in the middle of everyone�s way, that is, if anyone was trying to get through the parking lot. I got the tire ironish thing out of the trunk and tightened the bolts. They were scarily untight.

Since my car wasn�t 100%, I took my snow route to work.

When it snows in Alabama, it really doesn�t snow. We tend to get freezing rain. And unlike snow, where you can make a snowman, you can�t make a freezing rain man. [However, I�ve seen people turn on a sprinkler and make a giant wall of ice.] But we have no street sweepers for snow or ice or anything. You either stay in or take your car ice skating.

My snow route only has one elevated area, where it passes over 565. It also keeps a speed limit of 40 mph with occasional 45 mph areas. However, I forgot I was taking my snow route and ended up on Memorial Parkway.

I got in to work. I�ll have Top Line take care of the tire when I get off work.

Ta-da.