i_am_dsh

Today, I hit a curb and blew out a front tire on my car, just as I was pulling into the vet's office to pick up Daphne from boarding.  I was able to park the car in the vet's lot - and I heard the air escaping from the tire as I parked.  I got out the mini-spare, and with the help of a kind man who was able to loosen the lug nuts on the tire, put the minispare on (there was drama around this, which I will not re-hash here).  Then I picked up my dog, cried on the way back to the car, on the way home, and in Terpsichoros's arms when I got home. 
*** I hold up pretty well until the crisis is over, then I cry. ***

My car needed new tires anyway, but I hadn't planned to do anything about it today...

Then... I tried to find a shop that (1) was open on the Sunday after July 4 (2) had 4 tires for my car in stock (3) could do the work today, and (4) wouldn't over-charge me.  I ended up driving to Sears in Hayward/Southland Mall.  The drive on a mini-spare was exciting.  I didn't want to drive too fast, so everyone on 880 was zooming around  me.  At the shop, the experience was pretty good.  The other bonus was that Kidlet and I had someplace to kill time while they worked on the car.

On the way back home, I stopped at the oil change/car wash place on the Oakland Alameda border.  They had time to change the oil and air filter, but I had to get a rain check on the car wash.  I'll come back another day soon, after I've picked up all the stray belongings so they can give it a good vaccuum - that Russian River-bank sand is everywhere!