Only at the precipice do we evolve.*

I got a flat tire today. I didn't notice until I was home. Scratch that, I didn't notice until Julie called me to tell me that I had a flat tire, then I went and checked and sure enough, a flat one. I called Joanna, Ben, my parent's house, Kathryn, then I tried the house again. Nothing. So I finally called my dad. I can't tell you what a relief it was when he picked up the phone. There is something about calling my dad when I am in peril - no matter how minuscule that peril is. He wasn't even near the house, he was at Lowe's on Route 1 and he said he would leave there and come on over. Then he came and changed my tire. Gotta love dads.

We noticed while changing the tire that there was a nail in the top part of the tire. I couldn't figure where that would have come from and then it hit me, Kroger (throws fist in the air, face towards the heaven's, curse you Kroger parking lot!). They recently completed construction on their gas station and the spot I got last night must have been too close to the former action. Isn't it incredible how one little nail can actually get stuck in a tire? I mean, the conditions have to be just right in order for that nail to pierce through the tire tread. (p.s. it is also while he his changing the tire that he mentions he hasn't had a chance to call his HVAC guy to go look at the house I want. I told him that was a clever ploy, using the 'dropped everything to come change your tire' card to tell me he hadn't called the guy...tricky man).

Anyway, once this is identified, Dad tells me I can go to Ronnie's to get the nail pulled, the tire patched, and maybe for a little extra get that tire put back on in place of the dinky spare. So I do just that. They said it would be half an hour wait, I'm already late getting back to work so I check to see if they are open tomorrow, they are, but I should call ahead. In the meantime I go to Pep Boys to see if they can get it done faster since they usually have a team of guys. I have avoided the Pep Boys since the last time I had something amiss with a tire because I felt awkward. There was a guy there who was taking lunch orders for the people who work there and I was just waiting to drop off my keys and he tells me that the wait will be awhile, and asks if he can pick me anything up, on him. Don't get me wrong, it's a super nice gesture, but he didn't offer it to the other three people waiting, and then his colleagues call him out on it while I'm standing there. Needless to say, I associate the place with the utmost awkward sensations. I step into the Pep Boys and wait fifteen minutes. I am kicking myself because adding the travel time and the waiting just to be acknowledged time I could have my tire already being worked on at Ronnie's. After some rude exchanges between two coworkers and five phones calls being answered the girl asks how she may help me. I tell her the situation and she says it will be an hour and half to two hour wait! No thank you, it's almost 4 o'clock and I have to get back to work, if not to simply warm my chair - I still need to be there. So I tell her I'll just keep driving on the spare and get it taken care of tomorrow.

So Ronnie's in the wee hours of the morning it is!

Man I hope 2010 calms down for me...chances are unlikely, but a girl can dream can't she?