Flat Tire

So, yes, as the latest 'Question of the Day' indicated, I got a flat tire on my way home Monday. (Although I do appreciate the voter who chose 'Chicken Mama went insane' 'cause I WAS considering it! And, yes, you can BET I also had an ice-cold cocktail once I got home!)

I'd already had a stressful start to the day - running around the house madly trying to get some things in order so that I could run a quick errand. So, I left in clothes too warm for the weather and without my sunglasses . . . but knowing I'd be back soon. Turns out the busy morning and mad-dash errand were "all for naught" due to a miscommunication, so I was a little cranky about that.

Little did I know . . . !

Driving "the back way" home, it was impossible to drive more than 25 or 30 mph due to the fact that the road had J-U-S-T been graded. It was full of rocks and tufts of grass - a real mess - and dusty as anything. But, putter-putzing I go until I hear this clunk, clunk, clunk. Is that a rhythm beat on the radio? Nope. Oh, hell. Please tell me it's not what I think it is. I get out to check. Yep, it is.

So, in the 87 degree heat and high humidity (and everyone knows that Chicken Mama just loooooves heat!), I have two choices: change the tire or walk. Change the tire - definitely! I unload the dogs, clear all their blankets, etc. out of the back, and pull out the spare. It's a full-size spare in good shape. Excellent! Things are looking up! Now for the tire iron and jack. Hmm - where are they? I look in every cubby hole. Nope. Under the car? Nope. What the . . . ?! I look again. Does the back seat lift up? Nope. I check everything . . . meticulously . . . again. No tire iron. No jack. You have GOT to be kidding.

Looks like I have to walk. Greeaaat. I figure I'm at least four miles from home.

Fortunately, I looked all around inside the car to see what I could take with me to make the hike as comfortable as possible. These four things made the journey: car keys, digital camera (who knows what I might see), water bottle (thank GOODNESS I'd thrown that in the car that busy morning), and a cotton massage-table head-rest cover (I happened to have laundry in the car!) to flap at the nasty horse flies.

Now for the event in pictures . . . .