Switch-er-oo

 

I can’t ever have a get together with Margie without something crazy happening. I left after work on Friday and it was dark for most of my drive down there.

 

I was listening to my book on tape and cruising along. I’ve been that way before, but I don’t know the area particularly well. Margie calls me on my cell phone. She wants to know if I’m almost there. I go “Well, I think so. There’s a city up ahead.” She says “What do you mean? Are you in Oklahoma yet?” And I go “Ummmmm…..I don’t know! I just know there is a city up ahead and it’s probably Coffeyville.

It wasn’t five minutes later and the low tire warning lit up on my dashboard. The tire didn’t feel obviously flat. Sometimes the light comes on when it’s cold anyway. So I decide to drive on in to Coffeyville. I pull up at the first convenience store. It’s definitely low. I try to put air into it and I hear “Pssssssss…” coming out of the tire. Now I’m in a well-lit place on flat ground, I could change it myself. I call Margie to tell her what happened and then Bob.

I told Bob that I couldn’t decide whether to try to change it myself or call roadside assistance. He goes “Well I can’t help you from here.” Duh??? I know that. I’m just thinking out loud. I decide to call roadside assistance. It was so cool. They found my location using the GPS on my phone. They got my cell phone number from it too. Then they sent me a text stating who was coming to fix my tire, when he would be there and what he looked like!” They later sent me a text asking if the tire had been fixed and was I safely on my way. But anyway….I digress.

Margie is calling several times to make sure that I’m safe, offering to come stay with me until the roadside guy shows up. I talk to Bob and he says “Glad you called roadside assistance. I’m tired so I’m heading to bed. Night.” Wait a minute!!! My bestie is worried about my safety and you are just going to bed without even making sure that I get to her house okay???

 Paula meets us at Owasso the next day and we put my tire in the back of Margie’s car and drop it off to be repaired while we are eating lunch. The tire company calls back to say that the tire is ruined and they’ll have to replace it.

When I go to pick it up, I ask them to give us the new mounted tire and the old one as well because I have road hazard insurance. It was cold and starting to sleet, so Margie backs the car up to the loading bay. They throw the tires into the back of the car and off we go to Margie’s house. Her son, David, offers to put my new tire on Sunday morning before I head home.

I’m all packed up and he comes back in the house with a funny look on his face. He says “Guys, there’s an old ruined tire in the back of the car, but where is the new one?” They had only given us the ruined tire and forgot the new mounted one. Not only do I not have a good tire, they have my WHEEL too. LUCKILY the place happens to be open on Sunday or I would have been in a real mess. I show up and they look rather befuddled but place the new tire on my mini-van and away I go.