Tired of Change, No Time to Spare

Man it happened tonight. I'm traversing the Valley here, chatting on the phone, unaware of my surroundings, and then all of a sudden, I hear some clunking down below the chassis, I'm like whatever and proceed cruising on down the way, everything dandy as usual so I thought. Then it started it happening...the road gradually gets bumpier and bumpier as my front left of the car starting lowering. I'm like did somebody tinker with my hydraulics without my knowledge. Am I in the process of transforming into a lowrider. Are neon lights gonna bulge out from the bottom of my car and is everything going to get blinged out?

Sadly, no. My driver's side front tire got was punctured by a roadside hazard and I got a flat. Joy! For the first time in over 4 years with this car, I finally got a flat. So I hang up the phone, and decide to maybe pull over and park since it wouldn't be cool to drive with the actual metal itself. I do like fireworks, but you know. I find the closest and safest place to turn in, and it's the neighborhood HEB, so I turn in as fast as I can, car wobbling as if it had Parkinson's, into a nicely lit parking space on the right, right under the floodlamp. Thankfully no dark alleys for me, well unless it's in my next movie where I am confronted and I unleash the fury, taking out a gang of muggers.

So I call my friend Rich up who works with cars and he came down and helped me get everything changed up and stuff. Went to the Diamond Shamrock and filled up the spare and the other tires to a comfy 32 psi each. I'll be doing some long distance travelling this coming weekend anyways, so it was good to check anyways. Thanks man, I appreciate it. My two front tires are actually pretty new, I got them at the Ye Olde Discount Tire several months ago. Luckily I got their roadside hazard coverage, so I'm gonna get it repaired or replaced for free. Awesome. A poem, ah hem...

Ode to a Good Year

Oh round ebony donuts of rubber
How you keep me moving, this landlubber
Fast and slow, day or night
You never tire in doing what's right
From Point A to Point B
That's where you always take me
All for one, one for all
Three without one, it's a certain crawl
Akron, Ohio is where you are from
Also is where the deer and the antelope roam
Your many revolutions have blessed me so
Making it possible for me to go
Do the things that I have to do
Like go home and eat beef stew
Next my friends, it'll be my treat
A rotate and balance, it'll be sweet.

(Jeffrey J. Chiu 2/21/05)

UPDATED: I went to Discount in the morning and ended up getting a brand new tire per the road hazard warranty I purchased (since I kinda drove for a stretch on the flat tire, which messed up the tire wall all away around. Well I kinda had to, be quiet.) So for this new tire, I had to get another warranty (13 clams) which is aight since 13 is way less than 93 which would have been full price. Small price to pay for the assurance that I'm covered if this ever happens again. And knowing the way that I drive...