worst parts of getting a flat tire

– planning the morning around being early somewhere, actually ending up an hour late

– not being able to get the lugnuts to turn in fifteen minutes, and someone else getting it on the first try

– that also takes away the “at least I can change a tire myself!” silver lining

– borrowing someone else’s car to get around all day, and forgetting half the stuff you need in your car

– being so focused on not getting screwed at the tire dealer, you forget your cell at work (and don’t have a any other phone), making you effectively dead to the world for a day

– the tire dealer doing the “hey, weren’t you just in here and I told you need two new tires” bit

– the tire dealer doing the “the tire that’s flat? That wasn’t one of the two. So you really ought to get four” bit

– paying for all four, knowing you probably need them eventually but not at all wanting to pay for them and moderately sure you’re getting ripped off in some way (why did I pay for the alignment service? I’m smarter than that, usually)

On the upside, it busted no more than 100 yards from home, so as soon as I figured out what was going on, I turned around and parked it in my driveway well before it totally defelated. AND it was better it happened this week and not last, when I possibly would’ve been stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no cell reception. AND the tire dealer had the Magnificant Seven on their TV while I was waiting, which is way up there on good movies I need to see all of at one point.