The Blowout

Yesterday afternoon, after cleaning 2 houses I came home and picked up the boys and we headed out to clean our thrid place of the day and to buy some groceries. I had complained earlier in the day about a shimmy in the vehicle that I had not noticed before. Here, let me explain...the whole thing went something like this:

Dad: What's the matter, Mom?

Mom: I don't know, there is something wrong with the jeep. It seems to shimmy a bit when I go down the road.

(We check tires)

Dad: Well, I think there is either a tire that is unbalanced or it is out of alignment. I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Mom: Ok, so I'll have to take it in and get it looked at one of these days.

Dad: Yeah, that would be a good idea.

End of conversation #1

As we are leaving the local dollar store, ( Somehow 5 and dime seemed to resonate on the tongue better than dollar store) I ask the boys to stay out of the vehicle as I pull out of the parking lot to look at the tires as I leave. Upon return to the vehicle this is the conversation:

Boys: Well......

Mom: Did you see anything?

Boys: No, we didn't see a thing.

Mom: Ok, so you think it's all right to continue on to work?

Boys: Yeah, we don't know what it is but it doesn't show on the tires. Maybe it's a shock.???

Mom: Ok, so we will have it looked at another day.

Boys: Yeah, we think that would be a good idea.


So on we drive....10 miles down the road the vehicle is still shimmy-ing and we are talking when all of a sudden:

Jeep: sssshhhhhwwwoooopppppp ***BANG***

Mom: AAAAHHHH!!!!!! *Slam on brakes, you don't know what it is*

Jeep: SCCRRREEEEECH!!!!!!

Boys: AAAAHHH!!!!!

*Silence*

Mom: Ok, get out and see if it's the rear end laying on the road back there and I'll try to pull off the road. (Obviously at this point I didn't know my tire had blown.)

The boys got out and reported:

Boys: The tire blew mom! Pull it off the road and we will put the spare on!

Mom: ***SWEATING***

So then we pulled off the road and discovered that we didn't have a lug wrench and waited for someone to come from home to help when a very nice person stopped and helped us take it off, he himself had been running a swather not too long ago and felt a funny little jolt and looked to the left to see the tire roll past the front of the machine. ;-) I guess it can happen to even the best of us!

All is well that ends well and it seems that we have made a new friend to boot!