2010: Blow Out

If you are driving to Disney, make sure you have a mechanic check you car before leaving. Something to have them check: make sure the spare tire is inflated!

~~2010~~

With a new wind shield wiper, we roared down the highway at full speed. It wasn't long before we passed out of the rainstorm, became hungry, and took an exit in Virginia to get fast food.

Many things are done differently in the south. For example, the parking lot lines at Wendy's had been painted at the wrong angle. To fix it, they painted just painted new lines in the correct direction, effectively making "X" all over the parking lot. The door handle was off the entrance to the restaurant, so rather than screw it back on, or prop the door so people could enter, the sign instructed everyone to enter on the opposite side of the building.

I can't complain much. When my boys were spending too long in the restroom and I checked on them, I found they were waiting for the stall to be available. They had stood there probably 10 minutes. I walked over and simply opened the stall door - no one was in it. I wonder how long they would have stood there if I didn't come check on them?

Before we got back on the road, we stopped at McDonalds for the $1 any size drink. I asked for a large diet coke. But I guess in southerneeze, Diet Coke sounds like Sweet Tea because that's what I got!

We headed back to the highway and as we approached the ramp I hit a huge pot hole. The entire car jumped and Linda complained "I guess you didn't miss that you, did you?"

We hit the highway and returned to our cruising speed. After 5 miles a light came on the dash: low air pressure in the tire. That was odd. Then the sound of a semi, but there was no semi around us. Linda looked our her side view mirror "the tire just blew! I can see it flapping around!"

I pulled the van to the side of the road and examined it. Sure enough, the tire that hit the pot hole was now flat. And we were along side a highway - every time a car passed the entire van would shake violently. "We need to get the kids out of the car and stand along side the road," Linda suggested. It was a safety measure should someone hit the back of out van.

Along side the road was a ditch full of mud! But I guess that was the safer choice. I opened the van door to let the kids out, when what do you suppose I saw? My darling little angles were flipping off all the passing cars because the cars wouldn't get over a lane! For that? They deserves to go stand in the mud.

I decided to call AAA to get the tire changed. "What are you waiting for?" My youngest asked. "You just need to get the jack out of the back and change the tire like they showed us in cub scouts." Cub scouts? How could I possibly lower my son's image of me by calling AAA to change the tire? If a Cub Scout could change a tire, then so could I!

I looked under the back of the van to see where the spare tire might be but found nothing. We have a Dodge with Stow And Go Seating - there didn't appear to be room for a spare tire anywhere! But the van had to have one?

You know you are in trouble when you have to pull out the owner's manual. So, family standing on a muddy ditch, I am flipping through the manual and not a single flipping word of it makes any sense to me. There are bars and you connect them together and bolts and things and I don't know. "Just call AAA," my wife yells, fully confident in my mechanical abilities, for which I have none.

"No. I think I have this," I answered. No I didn't.

"Just call!" She pleaded.

I sighed. "Well, if you insist," I offered. "But I can do this."

"I know you can," she lied.

Before long the AAA super hero arrived. He didn't wear a cape, but he should have. He gets out of his truck and says "Have you ever used the spare before?"

Thankfully, I was able to answer "No."

"Dodges have a problem where the spare tire usually doesn't drop. If it doesn't drop, you'll need a flat bed to tow your van out of here." Memories of 2009 ran through my mind. Didn't we buy a new van so we could avoid a problem like this? Only two people can ride in a tow truck - what do would I do with the rest of the family? That spare tire HAD to drop!

The mechanic super hero assembled a pole out of small sticks in the back of my van. He then inserted the pole between the two front seats and twisted until a tire magically appeared under my van! So that is where they put the spare!

In a moment, we had the spare put on the van and we were ready to continue our voyage to Disney! Or so we thought... "This spare is just a donut. And it is under inflated. It is supposed to have 60 pounds and you got 30. Don't go more than 45 miles and hour. Take the second exit and you'll find a tire shop to buy a new tire."

Under inflated spare? 45 mph on a 70 mph highway? Buy a new tire? I was sure this wasn't going to be a problem...

2010: Car Maintenance Before The Trip

It is very important to make sure the car is maintained before leaving for Florida. Lets take a trip back to 2010.
~~2010~~
We were making good headway toward Florida until the skies opened and we drove into a downpour. I flipped the wipers on high. The driver's wiper was doing an excellent job but the passenger's wiper was shot and my wife couldn't see anything.

After a short distance I pulled into a truck stop and parked under an awning so I could pump some gas while staying dry from the rain. "I am going into the truck stop to find a new windshield wiper," my wife said.

"No, don't." I warned. For whatever reason, wipers are the most difficult thing in the world to change. You would think they would be simple but I have spent many frustrating hours trying to change a wiper. "The wiper works a little. If you ruin it we will be stuck."

"Don't worry," she said, and went into the truck stop. I know exactly where this is going. The Family stranded at the truck stop due to a windshield wiper. This is going to be a perfect "told you so" moment!

Linda returned with the wiper and says "are you going to help me?"

"Nope."

By this time I had climbed comfortably back into the van. I wasn't going to be part of this mistake! "I'll help you," my teenage daughter says, and climbs out of the van.

Two girls in a rain storm attempting fruitlessly to change the wiper. I sit, arms folded, fuming. When what do you suppose I see? Two men come out of the truck stop, jog through the rain, and come over to help the poor damsels in distress. They are going to help the girls change the wiper! Obviously they don't know the jerk-of-a-husband is sitting in the front seat. I sunk down a little, hoping they might not see me.

As Our luck would have it, the good Samaritans broke the new windshield wiper! They told my wife to wait and they would be right back. When they returned they had a mechanic from the truck stop! We now had three men helping these poor stranded girls (and the good for nothing lazy guy sitting in the front seat). My pride forbid me from getting out of the van at this point.

The mechanic snapped on a new blade with ease and said there would be no charge. And with a thank you and a smile, my wife got back into the van.

And there I was left. My "told you so" opportunity blown. Instead, I looked like a schmuck.