I HAD ADRENALINE FOR LUNCH.
Oct. 10th, 2008 07:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arkratirmaI take back that final paragraph from last night's post: something VERY interesting (read: hectic) happened today, and I need to get it out of my system and write about it as I'm still rather uppity and relieved to be back home.
Today, as I was heading to Gateway, my right-rear tire blew out.
Near Exit 13, heading north on 205, the Buick began grinding and vibrating horrendously. Drivers behind me honked at me, telling me "Hey, there's something wrong with your car!" I couldn't pull over at this point, but I thought Is it the tire? Oh God, my tire blew out! The tire's busted!
Nearing Exit 14, I checked for oncoming traffic to my right (I was in the slow lane approaching a merging lane onto 205), and in my side view mirror saw small chunks of rubber flying up behind the Buick. I pulled over to the margin as quickly as I could and stopped. I got out the passenger side door and looked at that rear tire: it was obliterated. If I had a photo to share of that tire, you might describe it as such. Chunks were missing all around it and the fibrous white inner material of the tire was exposed. The axle was resting directly on the asphalt.
"Holy shit!"
I turned my emergency flashers on and called Aunt Pam; the home phone rang several times without an answer, so I hung up and tried again. I ended up calling Aunt Pam's cell: she answered and asked me to call back on the home phone. She asked about any towing insurance that Dad might have, because she was sure that her and Uncle Larry's AAA towing service was maxed out. I called Dad and told him what happened, and he got a hold of Grandpa Jeff's insurance agent. Aunt Pam ended up calling Les Schwab about sending someone out to get my spare put on. A Mike from Les Schwab called me, telling me that someone would be out to help me in about fifteen minutes. This was around 11:15 or so.
Called Dad back and told him about the spare help. He asked me to call back either once my helper had arrived or once I was at Les Schwab. A police officer pulled up behind me as I was talking with Dad and asked if I was alright. I explained the situation and thanked him, and he was off.
I also called AIPD and asked for Phil's number, just to let him know that I would be late for class. I left a message and estimated that I'd be in class anywhere between 2:00 and 3:00; the class, however, begins at 12:45.
I'd been waiting for at least forty-five minutes when someone finally pulled up to help me. This was not the Les Schwab guy who was supposed to come out, but rather a driver of a huge Superior Tire Service truck. This guy had actually worked for Les Schwab for fourteen and a half years and immediately got to work after I'd popped the trunk. He was very, very friendly and told me that there would be no charge for getting my spare on for me. No charge! I called Dad back up, and Dad asked to talk with my helper. Dad thanked him profusely and the STS guy said, "No problem. I wouldn't want this happening to my daughters."
I related to my helper that my aunt and dad had strongly recommended going to a Les Schwab and getting both rear tires replaced completely. I also explained that I had thought about asking if I could drive on the spare to where I needed to go and then take care of the tires, but when I saw the size of the spare, I knew it wasn't a good idea. He agreed and told me it was a good thing one of my front tires hadn't blown out; spares set in place for front tires tend to make the car pull in the spare's direction, making the car more difficult to control.
I asked if I would be able to follow him to the nearest Les Schwab and he agreed. There is a Les Schwab off of Johnson Creek Boulevard, Exit 16. He gave me a card with his name on it - Jeromy - and considered trying to briefly stop traffic in the slow lane so we could pull out. He ended up just backing up a ways and patiently waited for an opening in front of a semi. I quickly followed up behind Jeromy's truck and we were off.
I paid close attention to where Jeromy was driving and rolled through a yellow light to stay as close to him as possible. Once we arrived at the Les Schwab, he got out of his truck, said "Here it is!", and I thanked him again and he left. I had wanted to thank him by his name, but I was still extremely grateful for his help.
Inside, I got Dad on the phone with the assistant manager and was able to get a slight discount on my tire service, because the Clackamas Les Schwab guy never showed up for me. It was merely $16 or so off, but hey, I saved money anyway because Jeromy did not charge me for his service! Total came to $273 and some-odd cents. I realized later that this amount was ridiculously close to my pleasure-reading expenses, ha.
Replacing both rear tires took about an hour to complete: 1:00 to 2:00. I tried to busy myself with writing my story synopsis for Character & Object Design, but it was tough trying to focus on schoolwork. I read an article about dogs and wolves in a small magazine, Spot, from the table in front of me. The Buick was ready at almost precisely 2:00, and I got my keys, paid my charge and some other papers to keep in my glove box, and was on my way again.
Jeromy had told me to head down 82nd Avenue and turn left on Johnson Creek Boulevard, where we had come in. I made the JCB turn but missed the turn for 205 and ended up driving down 92nd Avenue for a ways (82nd and 92nd both run parallel to 205 - or, 92nd does for a shorter length, anyway). Came up to one-way streets and thought Ah, crap. No drivers were behind me, but I checked all around me, pulled left into the gas station at the stoplight I was at, and backtracked. I ended up heading to the Clackamas Town Center (which I am relatively familiar with), missed another turn for 205 but noted its location, got turned around in a building complex and eventually made my way safely onto 205.
Woo hoo, I did it!
I parked at the Fred Meyer across the street from Gateway and felt oddly happy, proud and calm while riding the MAX into City Center. Dad had praised me for keeping my cool during my ordeal and I knew I really had kept my cool. I felt very accomplished somehow. I hadn't swerved or gone hysterical and everything turned out to be fine (just boring during the wait).
Look at it this way: I stressed out more over the Voyager stalling just a mile away from the house the first day of winter term than I did about my tire blowing out today. I had choked up during the Voyager incident; today, I spoke fast and loudly simply because I was so damn excited and uppity, but I was level-headed.
I am growing as a person, wheeeeee.
I made only the last hour of Phil's class: 3:30 to 4:30. I explained what had happened and told Phil I'd left him a message, and he was cool about it. He gave me the syllabus and asked me to "fire up Maya" and just follow along with his demonstrations. He later asked if I was fine as far as keeping up; I nodded and replied that it was a lot of review for me, which he had suspected.
Yup, I kept up, and after class went straight to the MAX station on Yamhill. I spotted Gina and the girl whose name I cannot recall but who ate dinner with me, Grace, and Aurora last night at the POD sculpture near Powell's. I thought about saying hi, but was very eager to get home.
Once I was in my car again, the streets were very congested around Gateway. I got out and back onto 205 without much stress, thanks to courteous drivers and to my own courtesy to other drivers; the ride home was slow, however. But! - I made it home safely, and I gave Aunt Pam a big hug and thanked her for helping me with all her calls back and forth to Dad and Les Schwab and all that jazz. She had worried about me because she doesn't like the thought of being helped by a stranger - it's just that bad things can happen. I assured her of Jeromy's generosity and courtesy and friendliness and she was also proud of me as Dad was.
I was very hungry when I got home around 6:00. All I had eaten between 10:20 AM (about the time I'd left for Gateway) and 6:00 PM was a couple wild rice sticks at Les Schwab and half of a banana at the MAX station.
My lunch was adrenaline, for the most part. Heh.
Geez, and this all happened on a day when I luxuriously got up at 9:00! My late drive home last night after dinner with my friends had left me with a headache and fatigued eyes. I'd gone to bed with a headache and it had persisted when I woke up this morning, but some tea shooed the headache away. (Also had some bloody mucus this morning - TMI, I know - and was worrying that I might be getting sick.... I feel alright, but have been coughing a bit on and off all day today. I am not sick! I AM NOT SICK! *triumphant pose*)
Mom and Dad, and later Grandma and Grandpa, called me to see that I was home and were relieved that everything turned out like it did. I thanked them all and told them I love them and that I was just happy to be home. :)
I still feel very happy. Today was incredibly hectic, but turned out well in the end.
END O' POOOOOST.
Today, as I was heading to Gateway, my right-rear tire blew out.
Near Exit 13, heading north on 205, the Buick began grinding and vibrating horrendously. Drivers behind me honked at me, telling me "Hey, there's something wrong with your car!" I couldn't pull over at this point, but I thought Is it the tire? Oh God, my tire blew out! The tire's busted!
Nearing Exit 14, I checked for oncoming traffic to my right (I was in the slow lane approaching a merging lane onto 205), and in my side view mirror saw small chunks of rubber flying up behind the Buick. I pulled over to the margin as quickly as I could and stopped. I got out the passenger side door and looked at that rear tire: it was obliterated. If I had a photo to share of that tire, you might describe it as such. Chunks were missing all around it and the fibrous white inner material of the tire was exposed. The axle was resting directly on the asphalt.
"Holy shit!"
I turned my emergency flashers on and called Aunt Pam; the home phone rang several times without an answer, so I hung up and tried again. I ended up calling Aunt Pam's cell: she answered and asked me to call back on the home phone. She asked about any towing insurance that Dad might have, because she was sure that her and Uncle Larry's AAA towing service was maxed out. I called Dad and told him what happened, and he got a hold of Grandpa Jeff's insurance agent. Aunt Pam ended up calling Les Schwab about sending someone out to get my spare put on. A Mike from Les Schwab called me, telling me that someone would be out to help me in about fifteen minutes. This was around 11:15 or so.
Called Dad back and told him about the spare help. He asked me to call back either once my helper had arrived or once I was at Les Schwab. A police officer pulled up behind me as I was talking with Dad and asked if I was alright. I explained the situation and thanked him, and he was off.
I also called AIPD and asked for Phil's number, just to let him know that I would be late for class. I left a message and estimated that I'd be in class anywhere between 2:00 and 3:00; the class, however, begins at 12:45.
I'd been waiting for at least forty-five minutes when someone finally pulled up to help me. This was not the Les Schwab guy who was supposed to come out, but rather a driver of a huge Superior Tire Service truck. This guy had actually worked for Les Schwab for fourteen and a half years and immediately got to work after I'd popped the trunk. He was very, very friendly and told me that there would be no charge for getting my spare on for me. No charge! I called Dad back up, and Dad asked to talk with my helper. Dad thanked him profusely and the STS guy said, "No problem. I wouldn't want this happening to my daughters."
I related to my helper that my aunt and dad had strongly recommended going to a Les Schwab and getting both rear tires replaced completely. I also explained that I had thought about asking if I could drive on the spare to where I needed to go and then take care of the tires, but when I saw the size of the spare, I knew it wasn't a good idea. He agreed and told me it was a good thing one of my front tires hadn't blown out; spares set in place for front tires tend to make the car pull in the spare's direction, making the car more difficult to control.
I asked if I would be able to follow him to the nearest Les Schwab and he agreed. There is a Les Schwab off of Johnson Creek Boulevard, Exit 16. He gave me a card with his name on it - Jeromy - and considered trying to briefly stop traffic in the slow lane so we could pull out. He ended up just backing up a ways and patiently waited for an opening in front of a semi. I quickly followed up behind Jeromy's truck and we were off.
I paid close attention to where Jeromy was driving and rolled through a yellow light to stay as close to him as possible. Once we arrived at the Les Schwab, he got out of his truck, said "Here it is!", and I thanked him again and he left. I had wanted to thank him by his name, but I was still extremely grateful for his help.
Inside, I got Dad on the phone with the assistant manager and was able to get a slight discount on my tire service, because the Clackamas Les Schwab guy never showed up for me. It was merely $16 or so off, but hey, I saved money anyway because Jeromy did not charge me for his service! Total came to $273 and some-odd cents. I realized later that this amount was ridiculously close to my pleasure-reading expenses, ha.
Replacing both rear tires took about an hour to complete: 1:00 to 2:00. I tried to busy myself with writing my story synopsis for Character & Object Design, but it was tough trying to focus on schoolwork. I read an article about dogs and wolves in a small magazine, Spot, from the table in front of me. The Buick was ready at almost precisely 2:00, and I got my keys, paid my charge and some other papers to keep in my glove box, and was on my way again.
Jeromy had told me to head down 82nd Avenue and turn left on Johnson Creek Boulevard, where we had come in. I made the JCB turn but missed the turn for 205 and ended up driving down 92nd Avenue for a ways (82nd and 92nd both run parallel to 205 - or, 92nd does for a shorter length, anyway). Came up to one-way streets and thought Ah, crap. No drivers were behind me, but I checked all around me, pulled left into the gas station at the stoplight I was at, and backtracked. I ended up heading to the Clackamas Town Center (which I am relatively familiar with), missed another turn for 205 but noted its location, got turned around in a building complex and eventually made my way safely onto 205.
Woo hoo, I did it!
I parked at the Fred Meyer across the street from Gateway and felt oddly happy, proud and calm while riding the MAX into City Center. Dad had praised me for keeping my cool during my ordeal and I knew I really had kept my cool. I felt very accomplished somehow. I hadn't swerved or gone hysterical and everything turned out to be fine (just boring during the wait).
Look at it this way: I stressed out more over the Voyager stalling just a mile away from the house the first day of winter term than I did about my tire blowing out today. I had choked up during the Voyager incident; today, I spoke fast and loudly simply because I was so damn excited and uppity, but I was level-headed.
I am growing as a person, wheeeeee.
I made only the last hour of Phil's class: 3:30 to 4:30. I explained what had happened and told Phil I'd left him a message, and he was cool about it. He gave me the syllabus and asked me to "fire up Maya" and just follow along with his demonstrations. He later asked if I was fine as far as keeping up; I nodded and replied that it was a lot of review for me, which he had suspected.
Yup, I kept up, and after class went straight to the MAX station on Yamhill. I spotted Gina and the girl whose name I cannot recall but who ate dinner with me, Grace, and Aurora last night at the POD sculpture near Powell's. I thought about saying hi, but was very eager to get home.
Once I was in my car again, the streets were very congested around Gateway. I got out and back onto 205 without much stress, thanks to courteous drivers and to my own courtesy to other drivers; the ride home was slow, however. But! - I made it home safely, and I gave Aunt Pam a big hug and thanked her for helping me with all her calls back and forth to Dad and Les Schwab and all that jazz. She had worried about me because she doesn't like the thought of being helped by a stranger - it's just that bad things can happen. I assured her of Jeromy's generosity and courtesy and friendliness and she was also proud of me as Dad was.
I was very hungry when I got home around 6:00. All I had eaten between 10:20 AM (about the time I'd left for Gateway) and 6:00 PM was a couple wild rice sticks at Les Schwab and half of a banana at the MAX station.
My lunch was adrenaline, for the most part. Heh.
Geez, and this all happened on a day when I luxuriously got up at 9:00! My late drive home last night after dinner with my friends had left me with a headache and fatigued eyes. I'd gone to bed with a headache and it had persisted when I woke up this morning, but some tea shooed the headache away. (Also had some bloody mucus this morning - TMI, I know - and was worrying that I might be getting sick.... I feel alright, but have been coughing a bit on and off all day today. I am not sick! I AM NOT SICK! *triumphant pose*)
Mom and Dad, and later Grandma and Grandpa, called me to see that I was home and were relieved that everything turned out like it did. I thanked them all and told them I love them and that I was just happy to be home. :)
I still feel very happy. Today was incredibly hectic, but turned out well in the end.
END O' POOOOOST.
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Date: 2008-10-11 09:13 am (UTC)<333
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Date: 2008-10-14 03:47 am (UTC)