(no subject)
My poor, poor car is just trying so hard to survive, but I think I just spent the last dollar on it that I will ever spend again - because it's just not worth it anymore. *sigh*
I spent all morning just trying to get to the tire repair shop. I called a friend to help me change my exploded tire:
First, we tried to fill my flat tire (slow leak from a nail; it was low yesterday, totally flat today) enough that it would get me to the shop, but his portable air compressor died. So we took a trip to Walmart (shudder), and I picked up a nice $30 compressor. It filled the tire (and my other two, which were low-ish, if not flat) nicely, as well as the spare (which, as I had predicted, was completely flat. But now I have an air compressor to fill it if I get stranded!).
Now I didn't have to worry about calling a tow truck, as long as we could get the spare on in place of the exploded tire. Which...was super hard. While getting the spare out:
Friend: Why do you have a big metal pipe in your trunk?
Me: It's to extend the handle of the tire iron, to get more leverage.
Friend: *gives me a look like Girls and their silly weak arms* *Spends fifteen minutes trying to budge the lug nuts on the wheel, without gaining a millimeter*
Friend: ...can I have the metal pipe?
It still took nearly a half hour to get the stupid lug nuts off - I couldn't get them to loosen at all, it took him throwing all his weight at them. But we finally got them off...then couldn't get the wheel off. It was stuck hard. In the end, I had to call Roadside Assistance (yay insurance!) - took the guy an hour and a half to come out, but he made it. He had to spray something on the nuts, then kick the tire for about five minutes before the stupid thing finally came off. Apparently, when you live so close to the ocean, the salt/moisture in the air does things like rust a wheel onto its bolts. Who knew.
Anyway, long story short - I was able to get to the tire shop and came home with four new tires, just under $300. Not awesome, but it was better than I expected. I just want my car to last until the end of summer...
Off topic: while at Walmart, I picked up this shirt for our 'Murica party on Friday:
I will also be bringing a red, white, and blue jello brain =)
I spent all morning just trying to get to the tire repair shop. I called a friend to help me change my exploded tire:
First, we tried to fill my flat tire (slow leak from a nail; it was low yesterday, totally flat today) enough that it would get me to the shop, but his portable air compressor died. So we took a trip to Walmart (shudder), and I picked up a nice $30 compressor. It filled the tire (and my other two, which were low-ish, if not flat) nicely, as well as the spare (which, as I had predicted, was completely flat. But now I have an air compressor to fill it if I get stranded!).
Now I didn't have to worry about calling a tow truck, as long as we could get the spare on in place of the exploded tire. Which...was super hard. While getting the spare out:
Friend: Why do you have a big metal pipe in your trunk?
Me: It's to extend the handle of the tire iron, to get more leverage.
Friend: *gives me a look like Girls and their silly weak arms* *Spends fifteen minutes trying to budge the lug nuts on the wheel, without gaining a millimeter*
Friend: ...can I have the metal pipe?
It still took nearly a half hour to get the stupid lug nuts off - I couldn't get them to loosen at all, it took him throwing all his weight at them. But we finally got them off...then couldn't get the wheel off. It was stuck hard. In the end, I had to call Roadside Assistance (yay insurance!) - took the guy an hour and a half to come out, but he made it. He had to spray something on the nuts, then kick the tire for about five minutes before the stupid thing finally came off. Apparently, when you live so close to the ocean, the salt/moisture in the air does things like rust a wheel onto its bolts. Who knew.
Anyway, long story short - I was able to get to the tire shop and came home with four new tires, just under $300. Not awesome, but it was better than I expected. I just want my car to last until the end of summer...
Off topic: while at Walmart, I picked up this shirt for our 'Murica party on Friday:
I will also be bringing a red, white, and blue jello brain =)