TheBanyanTree: Just So Tire'd

[Bill]

Sometimes, Pam, it is just better to pay a few dollars more and go to a 
local dealer for things you need for your car.

Still His Servant
Bro  Bill
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pam North" <pam.north at gmail.com>
To: "The Banyan Tree" <thebanyantree at remsset.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 8:11 AM
Subject: TheBanyanTree: Just So Tire'd


> It may be remembered that last August I drove to Hershey, Pennsylvania to
> watch my son compete in the Hershey Track and Field competition.  Although
> they flew him up there, he opted to ride back with me, and so, at the end 
> of
> the festivities, I arrived at his 'dorm' around ten o'clock at night to
> retrieve him and his stuff.  Unfortunately, in my attempt to park close to
> the curb (on the narrow drive), I hit a small protruding piece of concrete
> *just right*, and was saddened when I heard the air 'WHOOSH' out of my 
> right
> front tire.
>
> But!!  'I am woman hear me roar!', and I had no problem getting out in the
> dark, looking for my spare (oh!  it's *under* the Jimmy!), figuring out 
> how
> to get it DOWN (so *that*'s what that little hole is for by the license
> plate!), and changing the tire myself while I waited for my kid.  Which is
> how I came to be sitting on the ground at eleven at night, with the 
> Owner's
> Manual and a flashlight, reading the instructions on changing a tire!
>
> And though I *am* 'a woman, hear me roar!', I'm also a BRIGHT woman!!, and 
> I
> had just an easy of a time getting out of the way for the nice gentleman 
> who
> wandered by and offered to finish up for me!!  Which is how I came to be
> driving south that night with an ugly spare (full-sized though!) on my 
> car.
>
> Once I got home, I decided that I needed a whole new set, and so I started 
> a
> worldwide search for the best price on tires for my SUV.  I found a site
> with competitive prices, and I ordered four to be shipped to my house. 
> Once
> I received them, I loaded them up and took them to a local tire dealership
> to have them balanced and installed.
>
> Unfortunately, I didn't keep the receipt, or the mileage on installation.
>
> So when I came out of my house to go to work last Monday morning, I was
> chagrined, though not totally surprised, to find I had a flat on the front
> left tire.  Bummer!  When I had my oil changed last, the business that I'd
> been going to regularly, failed to mention that I had no water or 
> antifreeze
> in my radiator, or that the tires they supposedly were rotating really 
> also
> needed to be aligned!  (I don't do business with them anymore!)
>
> So, I realized it was necessary to find another set of tires.  I couldn't
> even remember how many miles I was *supposed* to get on this last set - 
> I'm
> finding that I'm learning a LOT of lessons the hard way recently!
>
> But I still know how to search the web, and so I found another set of
> tires!  I noted the mileage warranty, and I had them shipped directly to
> another tire business in town.  Because I wanted them YESTERDAY, I had 
> them
> shipped FedEx 2-Day delivery.  Note:  That means two *business* days, as 
> in,
> NO weekends, NO holidays, NO days of rest!!!!  I ordered them on a Friday,
> and they were *finally* delivered on the following Wednesday!
>
> Meanwhile, on that Monday in between, I called the tire place asking about
> them.  And found out that a young lady I know relatively well, and whom my
> daughter adores, works the counter there!  She assured me that she'd let 
> me
> know as soon as they were received.  And in case she forgot about me, I
> called her again the next day!  I had tracked my order online, and the 
> tires
> appeared to be within a twenty mile radius, and certain to be delivered
> shortly.
>
> Jenna told me that they hadn't received any tires yet - she'd call when 
> they
> did.
>
> And in less than half an hour, she called!  YIPPEE!!  She told me that
> they'd install them as soon as I could get my car there!!!  Which is how I
> came to be sitting in the waiting room, watching  my car up on the jack,
> bare metal showing where bald tires used to sit... and then. Nothing!
>
> Ummm... real bummer!  Turns out the tires they received...?? Well, they
> weren't exactly MINE!!!!!  Oops!!  Yes, Jenna had made a mistake, but God
> Bless her!!!, she did it in her enthusiasm to get me tires!!!  She knew I
> was waiting on tires, and when she saw some delivered, she *immediately*
> thought of me!!
>
> But of course meanwhile, there was my car, tireless, and on jacks.  And I
> just could NOT see putting the bald tires back on.  I suggested some kind 
> of
> financial deal where I could pay the difference for a set of their tires,
> and just have something installed so I could leave.  Jenna didn't know how
> to make that work in the computer though, so she ended up offering me her
> vehicle.  She had another at home, a convenient ride after work, and no
> desire to see the tires put back on either!
>
> Which is how I came to be driving a 'loaner' Suburban for a day!  Hey!  I
> didn't spend twenty years in the Marine Corps learning how to be flexible
> for nothin'!!
>
> Wednesday, my tires finally arrived!  I didn't have to do anything since 
> my
> vehicle was already there, though I did track the order again to find the
> delivery time.  Perfect!  They'd be done installing about  the time I got
> off of work!!  By *my* calculations!!
>
> So, imagine my chagrin - and utter surprise! - to arrive and see my car,
> still on jacks, still without tires!!  And I was just a tad disgruntled 
> when
> the owner came out and asked where my flat tire was!!!  (What!?!?!?!
> Worried he won't get some money back on the bald rubber or something?!?!
> Really!  For a couple of seconds, I just couldn't grasp why he would care
> about the *other* bald tire!!!)
>
> Oh.  See me blush with embarrassment!!
>
> Blond moment!!!!!!
>
> Guess that other tire *is* sort of important since it also houses the
> RIM!!!!!!!!!  Grrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
>
> Which is how I came to be driving away from the tire place AGAIN!, in
> Jenna's Suburban, with my car still on jacks!!!!!!!!
>
> I retrieved the other tire, and delivered it back.  I am now the proud 
> owner
> of four brand new INSTALLED tires!!!  And I have a receipt for the tires,
> AND the installation and ALIGNMENT with the mileage noted!!!!!
>
> Sometimes, I just HATE to do things the easy way!!
>
> Pam