So, the other day, I’m driving down the highway.

I’m in the left hand lane, because traffic is merging onto the highway at my right.

Being the alert driver that I am, I glance at the traffic merging next to me and see an ambulance. At about that instant, I also hear sirens.

I do what any proper law abiding citizen would, and pull over. Since I was in the left lane, I pull further left onto the shoulder, waiting for the ambulance to pass.

As this ambulance passes, I realize that they do not have their lights or sirens going.

I start to think I’m a little crazy. I’m fairly certain all the other traffic around me think I’m nuts…

Then I hear it. On the radio.

The commerical I’m listening to has a siren in the background.

Nice. Thank you for making me look like a moron because I was trying to do the right thing!

(On a side note: I apoligize for the lack of posts. This week has been horribly long and busy. I think I’ve finally got my head on straight - or at least back to normal.)

Oh, and Tom is working on a blog post too! Whoo-hoo!

Tire: $80 on Discover card
Milage to and from the service station: 25
driving your car without it wobbling all over the place: PRICELESS

• Paul made it home today, and looks no worse for the wear. No surgery. No big procedures. Pretty much, he just hung out there until the problem resolved itself - on pain medication of course. I’m really thankful he’s home, too. I’m more than capable of managing things on my own, but everyone likes a little help. Right?

• I have to get another tire! I’m hoping that’ll fix this crazy wobble that my car is doing. I was thinking I needed an alignment, but only one tire is wearing weird. So, here’s hopin’ that the tire is the problem and not the car.

• Also, our flippin’ floor drain near our washing machine is not working properly. We tried Drano… that didn’t fix it. I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with the deodorant incident… I have a feeling we’re going to have to call a plumber. Because, you know, we can afford that…

• My fingernails look fabulous. Okay, well, not fabulous. The polish is half worn off. I can’t keep nail polish on to save my life. But, my nails are really long! (Long for me is barely over my finger tips.) I’m super excited about all this. I’m being really careful not to break one!

• I was asked to take photos at another friend’s wedding. It’ll be at the end of May. I’m looking forward to it! Its a Buddhist wedding… never been to one. It’ll be interesting. My sister is going to come with me to be another photographer. Two photographers are much better than one at a wedding.

• While in the Taco Bell Drive Thru, after picking Paul up from the hospital, I noticed that the guy in the car in front of us looked so much like my dad that I had to do a double take, then a triple take, and then stare the rest of the time he was in front of us. It was really weird. Really really weird. Really.

How long have I owned my car?

(Almost two years, for those not keeping track.)

How many times have I put gas in my car?

(uhm, since I’m the only person that puts gas in my car, I’d say ‘fairly often’.)

Why do I sometimes have problems remembering which side my gas tank is on my car? (Is that worded really weird?)

(I have no idea. But, I feel like a complete idiot EACH TIME I pull up to the pump incorrectly.)

In my defense, its not each time. It might be once every 3 months. But, really… its not like the tank switches sides on occasion. You’d think I’d have it figured out by now.

I got a flat tire.

On the way to work.

I was just saying the other day how, although I knew how to change a tire, I had not needed to exercise that skill for a long time.

Yeah, I know, I know… Karma and all that crap. Thanks for that.

Anyway - this has been the troublesome tire. The one that had a slow leak ever since we’ve moved to the house. And, I kept hoping that the gravel road I lived on was the reason that I had to continuously air up my tire.

Well, guess I was wrong.

Paul tells me afterwards that he noticed my tire was low. Thanks buddy.

So, anyhow. Driving down the road. Tire starts making a weird noise. Blah blah.

Tire goes flat. Pull over on the side of the road. Blah blah.

I decided that the two lane highway was not the place to change tire when there was a tiny fire station that I had just past with ample lighting and a cleared off parking lot (dude, ain’t no need to kneel down in the snow if ya don’t gotta). I make my car limp to the fire station.

I’m secretly hope that the firemen are incredibly bored and I can play the ’stupid girl’ card and get my tire changed for me. (Seriously - you know you would of too!)

Yeah, the ambulance bay was empty. The firemen were running a call. (Geez, as if possibly saving someones life is more important…)

Moving on.

I finally dig out my donut out of my trunk and find my jack - which was playing a very good game of hide and seek with me, btw. I kind of hang out for a couple more minutes… ya know… to make sure the firemen aren’t right around the corner…

Fine, fine. They’re not coming back soon.

I change my tire. No big deal. Put the donut on, let the jack down slowly, and watch the donut sink down to the rim.

THE FLIPPIN’ DONUT WAS FLAT TOO!!!

Yeah, wonderful.

I call Elizabeth so she can cuss at my car also, which she did very well.

She and Tony quickly offer to come to my rescue and bring me an aired up spare tire… which didn’t fit when they arrived… which made us have to take my flippin flat donut to the nearest gas station to air up…

Yeah, we get back to the fire station, where my disabled car is, and the firemen are back… It appears that they were waiting for us to arrive, since we barely made it out of Tony’s car before the Captain greets us.

To make this outragously long story shorter, if everything had been timed just a little differently and I had arrived when the firemen were there, they would of been able to change my tire and air up my donut for me in no time at all.

Oh, and, my tire… it has a hole the size of a nickle in it. In the flippin’ sidewall. Unfixable.

Now I have to buy a new tire.

Do you see money pouring out of my ears?! Yeah, me either.

But, Tony’s hood doesn’t rattle anymore! (If you’re not Elizabeth or Tony, you don’t care about this, so I’m not going to explain.)

(You’re welcome.)

Oh, and I never made it to work tonight.

They decided to re-gravel our road this week. Thank goodness. I nearly lost my car in a pot hole the other day. And, all that bouncing around is not fun for Tom when we go somewhere in the van.

I wonder why they don’t pave the road. I mean, I realise that paving the road would cost more, initially. But, having to re-gravel the road every other month can’t be saving them too much money in the long run.

I would understand the hesitation if this road was not well populated, or rarely traveled. But, I live in a neighborhood with 75 - 100 other houses.

**

I have yet to take down the Christmas tree. Tom’s on 100% bed rest for his wounds, which means I rarely leave the bedroom. Therefore, the tree is not screaming at me to pack it away. I really should get on that, though. By this rate, it’ll be March before I get it done.

**

Tom’s wounds are improving. They’re back to ‘before the holiday’ size. I think we’ve both decided (although not spoken out loud) that, if Tom’s able to stay sane, it would be better for him to stay in bed. We’re really tired of dealing with the stupid wound, and bed rest would help it heal so much faster.

Of course, I’ll definitely get Tom into his chair when he asks…

**

Its going to cost $150 to fix the lift on Tom’s van. I mean, at least its only $150. But, its $150 we didn’t budget for. We’re getting it fixed on Tuesday. Gotta love Discover card!!

**

Uhm, I guess that’s it.

Catchya later.

So, while leaving for work tonight, I pull out onto the highway behind a tow truck.

We’re driving on our merry way, no problem.

I notice in the other lane a truck has passed the tow truck.

As the truck comes closer to me, I notice it’s slowly drifting into my lane. Well, as slowly as you can drift for driving the speed limit of 55.

Yeah… it comes closer and more into my lane. And closer, and more into my lane.

The tow truck in front of me even noticed, because I saw its break lights come on (hoping to be the first one on the job for the tow, of course).

Finally I swerve, at about the same time the truck realizes its drifted to far over.

It all goes off without a hitch - we all survive with no contact, and continue on our way.

But, I think I left my heart on the side of the road!