20.03.2002
so, getting the road hazard coverage when i got the tires a few days ago turns out to be the best 36 bucks i ever spent. it would appear that Sears will be replacing the tires free of charge, and getting me a new rim as well. this is far more than i ever wanted to spend on a car, for sure. but i'm insanely grateful that i'm here to spend the money. as dan says, it's good to be on this side of the grass.
i'm still pretty shaken up about the whole thing, and traumatized enough that i've forgotten most of the evening. i filled the tank at some point, which makes sense, because i was on the last quarter. but i so don't remember doing that. i've blocked out the accident, and most of the process of getting the car safely to the side of the road. i do have a distinct image of the steam coming out from under the hood, and freaking out. i only sort of remember the tattooed boy who towed me to my mechanic. and i'm glad that he drove me home, because i was crying too hard to have walked it.
*sigh* at first, i was angry at the good luck tchotchkes on the dashboard for not looking out for me. the more i thought about it, tho, the more deeply thankful i am that i'm here to be telling you this.
moral of the story: don't drive tired.
and you might want to consider not driving in the snow either. i decided that i had to get the tires done today, because the sooner the better and the sooner i'll feel okay about driving to work. well, despite the fact that it's officially spring, or nearly so, and we had 70� weather the other day, it snowed like a bastard tonight. yup, that's right, i drove to the tire place on two good tires, a spare, and a donut.
pretty much insured i wouldn't go over 50 mph on the donut. normally it takes about half an hour to get out there. tonight, it took an hour and a quarter. i got real familar with the bumper of the truck in front of me. and while i'm glad they were salting the roads, i could have done without getting a whackload of salt smacked into the side of my car.
strangely, i wasn't stressed about driving in those conditions, despite the fact i had to snap my hazards on at one point. other than people driving on my bumper, people were being reasonable. and i decided that i'd take as long as necessary to get there. so i just puttered along.
slogged over to the mall to get some dinner while waiting, and then went back to find two new tires and two newer tires on Penny. *and* they bent out the damaged rim, so i have a drivable full sized spare again, as well as the donut. all for free. well, it cost me $18, because i decided to get the road hazard insurance on the newest new tires. and as i headed out, into what at that point was rain, i said 'thanks! hope not to see you guys for a while!