Flat Tire!

On Saturday night, Kurt and I realized that the air in our front left tire was low. By the time we headed home that night, though, Kurt was absolutely exhausted from his all-nighter hike of Nebo (post to come soon), and I was pretty sleepy myself, so we forgot to fill it up with air.

Sunday, we only drove to church and back. We didn't think about stopping at an air pump.

This morning as I was leaving for work I remembered that it was low. "I'll stop by a gas station and fill it up," I thought as I pulled out of our parking lot and onto my street. Then I noticed the car veering heavily to the left when I took my hand off the steering wheel. Just in front of the intersection with University Avenue, I pulled over and checked the tire. It was completely flat.

I called Kurt. He's got another midterm this afternoon--so he's studying all day, and was already up on campus--and so I got out to change the tire myself. I was wearing a cute cardigan and tank top, flats, jeans, flats, and a wool pea coat. Not exactly tire changing attire. However, I did happen to have a very washable jacket still in the car as well as an entire box of Laugh Out Loud t-shirts. I decided I need one more... so I took off the pea coat, rolled up my cardigan's sleeves, put the jacket on, and put on my new LOL shirt over it. Good thing I did too, because my jeans and the t-shirt are now ready to be washed.

I proceeded to change the tire, calling Kurt when I couldn't find the jack or forgot one of the steps. Lucky for me, my dad helped me change a tire a few years ago and so the process was fairly fresh in my mind.

Did I mention it snowed again last night? And that it was about 25 degrees as I was changing the tire, with thin shoes and socks on and only latex gloves to cover my fingers? I had to stop more than once to breath on my fingers so I could feel them again.

Oh, and did I mention that though several guys walked by, only two offered to help? The first I only asked where the notch on the hubcap was so I could flip off the cover to get to the nuts. He showed me then went on his way when I assured him I knew what I was doing.

Next, as I was straining to loosen the nuts before jacking up the car, a friend from Laugh Out Loud and neighbor, Andrew Perkins, walked by. He asked if I needed help and I said, "Yes! I can't get these to loosen!" So he loosened them for me, saying you needed to be a fat kid to do it, then held the jack still while I cranked it up until had the weight of the car on it (which held it still after that).

I can't believe more people didn't help! If I was in Charleston, most every man walking/driving by would've offered their help! I've had a similar experience in Sandy (different car troubles, but still two girls on a frigid, windy day trying to fix their car, with absolutely NO help offered) but I thought, "Hey! I live in Provo, everyone here is Mormon! Especially on my 100% student housing street!"

It's a sad day.

Still, I changed the tire almost by myself. I probably would've gotten the studs loose eventually, but I'm really glad Perkins stopped to help. (Kinda funny though, he started taking the studs off completely before I jacked up the car. I knew more about changing a tire than he did! Go me!)

Go me! *Go my dad for teaching me how to change a tire a few years ago!!*