Home again, home again: My tale of woe and flat tires

I needed to get into town as early as possible to get Kaede from the Shirley's. I was bringing 'stuff' not girls back from camp so as soon as my little Vue was loaded up I took off, through Enterprise instead of Pinto because I had a sinus headache and wanted to avoid the dust and washboard roads. 

Just after the right hand turn after Central I pull over because something doesn't feel right. Passenger side rear tire was what was not right. 

I called back to the cabin with a help plea and Bishop and Rick with vans full of girls were on their way. 

Did I mention I had a lot of stuff?  I unloaded 1/2 of the stuff grateful it didn't all need to come out. 

I found my jack in a not where I remember it spot. 

 

And crawl underneath to get my spare. I learned then that 1- I parked on top of biting ant hill 2- there were long pokey sticks that were very, very mean 3- the yellow stickery milky weeds aren't nice either and finally 4- my spare isn't underneath. 

I call Dad (because Dad knows everything, right) to see if he knows where my spare is from when he helped with my tires last winter (yes, that's right these are new tires).  He doesn't know, but suggests looking up an owners manual online {between needing a little google map help to get to camp and this I don't want to see next months phone bill}. I have to stand up in the back of the Vue and tug/pull like crazy to get the carpet up but there was the spare. A donut, but I didn't care. 

Getting the tire out was even more ridiculous and I hated that I was starting to feel like the stereotypical helpless female. Tire out, jack put together and starting to lift up the car when I see my rescue team pull up.  

Yay!

Same time a group of teens from Enterprise stops to help. I am really surprised that as much traffic as was on that little back road that no one stopped until then. 

I stand back and admire their work, realizing just how little that donut looks and I mentally add "full size spare" to my list of requirements for my next vehicle purchase. About that time one of the girls (they all poured out to watch the boys) says "that tire is really small, will you be okay?"  With fake confidence I say yes, it will be fine, just slow.   Any fake confidence leaves when the Bishop looks and says "that doesn't make you feel real confident does it". 

The drive was long and slow but we're home safe and sound. Now I am waiting until Monday praying that my tire can be fixed instead of replaced.