So, Why Do We Have AAA?

I really don't even need to type words for today's blog, I took enough pictures to speak for themselves. But, because I can't help myself, I have plenty to say about how my Sunday began.

Me: 9:00 a.m., coffee's on, I'm puttering around the kitchen, headed to the garage to toss out some recycling. I notice the garage is missing a vehicle. I head upstairs to wake the party animal (he'll appreciate me calling him that - haha) that has only been asleep for about 6 hours now after a night out with friends (we'll call him "T" to protect the innocent).

Me: Um, did you take a cab home? Where's the car?

T: It's at the McDonald's at 96th & Meridian. I had a flat tire, Steve dropped me off....

Me: ::: eyeballs twitching from doing the calculations of all that has to be done today, besides arranging this (pain in the butt) flat tire scenario ::: Ok then, let's get moving so we can take care of this - busy day ahead! (Dad's bday and the family is coming for dinner today...) Besides, changing a tire only takes a few minutes, right?

So, One of Us showered up to be perky and punctual for the tire escapade that I knew was about to happen, while The Other One at least changed out of her pajama bottoms, brushed her teeth and poured a very big to-go cup of coffee. The Boy was ordered to get dressed, grab his Leapster and head to the van, and The Girl was kept in her pajamas and protested that she did not want to "go bye-bye". Me either Olivia, but we must embrace the task at hand.

We were in the parking lot of McD's a little after 9:30. I was not about to forget my camera on such an occasion, so I was locked and loaded and ready for some blog material! If you have ever seen the movie A Christmas Story, in which Ralphie 'helps' his Dad by holding the lug nuts for him on the side of the road, and suddenly they get scattered everywhere, and Ralphie yells "Fuuuuuudge"... even thought it's implied that it wasn't 'fudge' that was said. I had to be sure and snap a picture of Carter holding the lugs, and show it to my Dad. We grew up on this movie, and that's one of the funniest parts of it - so I knew I had something good to document. And really, how often does your son get to 'help' his Dad change a flat tire?

So, I present to you, the order of events as they unfolded this morning....

Ralphie! I mean, Carter! This one's for you Dad... and right after this shot, the lugs were rolling on the ground - just like the movie!

Cute so far right?
Even Olivia is happy! See? We love changing flat tires! Yay!

Reason number 537 why carrying baby wipes in your car comes in handy... grease removal.



Oh! Look! The spare tire that says, Please Do Not Go Over 50 mph On This Donut - see what happens when you go 30 mph and get 1/10th of a mile past McDonalds?



Oh look! It's only 11:00 now, let's head to Walmart and get this car a new tire. Since we can no longer drive there on the spare, we'll take just the tires to them, and head back here with the new one. Who's "they" that said it only takes a few minutes to change a tire? "They" must have had a true SPARE tire to use, not a donut, and not with two kids in tow who are staring to ask, "can we go home yet?" Because in my world, it does not take a few minutes to change a flat tire....



Where's that big 'ol smiley face in all their commercials? I need one of those right about now!

Oh hi! It's me, taking a picture of myself in the sideview mirror, waiting in the parking lot of Walmart listening to my 2 yr old tell me "I'm stuck I'm stuck" because she doesn't want her seatbelt on. And my 8 yr old telling her, "Be quiet Olivia, I can't hear my Leapster game!"... yes, that is a real smirk on my face, however it's the thought bubble that is missing from above my head that I had to edit out.

Dunkin Donuts! I'm nostalgic - and they are 'new' out here, and I wanted to see if I could talk on the cell phone, drive a car AND snap a picture at a moving target at the same time! Voila! I wonder if they have Blueberry Iced coffee there at that one? I may have to investigate that soon...

We've got the tire fixed now, and back to parking lot #2 to install it. That only took another 40 minutes at Walmart... we're making good progress... (riiiiiigggghhhhhtttt)

Look at this peculiar tree that hung above us in the parking lot! Of all the 1,000 available spaces in the lot on a Sunday, we pulled in under this tree. Glad it's not windy today!

And because everyone has a smile on their face when they have to change a spare tire, twice in the same morning, I had to document the insanity.

THE END. We were home a little after 12:00.... in case anyone wants to know how long it takes to change a spare tire. Just under 3 hours. So, why do we pay to have the service of AAA?