It’s always something…
…even when it’s not.
I was pulling out of the driveway this afternoon, on my way to the chiropractor, when I heard an all-too-familiar Thwump Thwump of my rear tire and a definite uneven gait as I rolled along. I groaned and pulled over, expecting to see a flat or near-flat tire.
The tire wasn’t flat and didn’t look particularly low, and I didn’t hear the hiss signaling a loss of air. Given that about a year ago a tire separated when I was driving on the freeway, I wasn’t taking any chances. I drove one mile to the local Discount Tire shop and handed them my keys with the imperative: “Fix my car!” A short while later they came out with a bill for a whopping $30, far less than the $80-something I was expecting. Apparently all four tires were seriously out of balance – but all four were in good shape.
Better by far it happened after work, rather than when I was driving at o’dark thirty in the morning. While I wasn’t thrilled at smacking down money for a tire, I figured it beat the alternative of being stranded somewhere. A bill for only $30 was even better!
Unfortunately balancing didn’t fix the sound, nor the wobble that accompanied it. I figured that meant a mechanical issue, which sent visions of dollars dancing through my head.
I sometimes forget I don’t have to do it all myself any more. G took Matilda for a short whirl right after I got home – and uncovered the real culprit. Over the past week my drive to and from work has been through a construction zone, and I acquired an unplanned “patch” on my tire. G scraped off a big hunk of asphalt and I’m a happy camper. No more Thwump Thwump! PLUS the tires are actually balanced. Yay for Matilda!
I also discovered that my bank card no longer works, so I need to drop by the bank tomorrow and either get it re-magnetized or order a replacement. Considering how scraped-up it is, it’ll probably be the latter. It was getting progressively more tempermental, so I wasn’t too surprised it didn’t work at all this afternoon. Since I’d done a drive-through deposit of a physical check earlier in the day, I actually had cash in my purse. (I rarely carry more than a twenty, if that.)
Banner day at work, too. Since switching schedules my overall numbers have more than doubled. I love this shift!
So while it’s always something, overall it’s been good somethings!