Week #2:Start a blog ... and wait 10 hrs for a flat tire then drive over 100 miles with another flat tire!

My first two weeks ideas are blatantly stolen from my friend who did this last year. Yet, I figured a blog is a great way to record these events. I have absolutely no technology skills whatsoever. I was told this was easy to set up and I am sure it is, but this thing took me about five hours to figure out last night. Anyways, I am looking forward to this new year and all of its challenges.

The following happened last weekend so it technically is not a new thing for this particular week, but I am going to write about it anyway. This was in Door County about 3 hours from our home. On the way to the polar bear we got a flat tire and apparently my wife's Toyota minivan does not carry a spare. The tires are run-flat tires, meaning you can drive on them at slow speeds up to 100 miles when flat. I find out through many phone calls that only Toyota dealerships can change these @#$# tires. So the next day at 8:30 am, I get in the car to drive to Green Bay which is 1 1/2 hrs away. After many stressfull miles, the car begins to shake and then smoke. I figured it might be a good idea to pull over ( I am only half way there). I call AAA and they say a tow can be there in 2 hrs. The tow comes hooks up the car and he asks "That's not an all-wheel drive is it?" It was and he can't even tow it! I need a flat bed truck. He refers me to a guy a few blocks away. I call him he says he can change Toyota's, then in the middle of the conversation my phone battery dies! Five minutes later my car battery dies! Then 2 cop cars come by to help and call said car guy. Two more hours later, he shows up at same time as flatbed guy (who I didn't know was coming). At this time my Dad drives by and stops to help me out. I tell flatbed guy he only has to drive me a few blocks and not Green Bay. We get to the repair shop, I meet owner and ask again if he can change the tire. He says "Yeah, I'll just put the spare on." There is no spare! I run down grumpy gray bearded flatbed guy to say he does have to drive to Green Bay after all. He says he already took another tow call. I say he has to take me there. He swears at me gets in the truck with the minvan on the flatbed and takes off. My Dad and I follow him to Green Bay. He is driving 80-85 mph in the blowing snow with my car bouncing around like crazy. I try to talk to him when we get there but he swears again and speeds away. My Dad leaves and I wait for a couple more hours. I get back at 6:30 to complete my 10 hour tire change and get ready to turn around and drive home with kids already in their PJ's. Too bad the story is not over! One hour into nightime drive, a different tire blows! I can't believe it!! I then drive my most stressfull (and slow) 100 miles ever, until that familiar shaking and smoking of the car happens again. We barely pull into a closed Toyota dealership and call my brother across town to pick us up and drive us home (15-20 miles away). We finally get home around midnight. There you have it ... a 10 hour tire change followed by driving 100 miles with my family on another flat tire.