This and That From This Week (or That one...)

Yesterday I got a flat tire while I was driving 5 ladies from Seminary to school.  I didn't know it was a flat tire at first, because the tire didn't actually go flat. I ran over a really thick wire and it started out as a small knocking sound. By the time I was less than a mile to the high school, I was expecting all the idiot lights on my dash to start shouting at me and smoke or something larger to shoot out from underneath my hood...like a motor or something.  But alas, no idiot lights responded, so I prayed as I drove the last 1/2 mile to the *escuela. [That means school, in Spanish.] As I moved into the turn lane to pull into the school, a light on the dashboard finally lit up. It looked like this:

I pulled into the first parking space at the high school and had the ladies walk across the parking lot to the school and then I called Ken to come and get me. [Remember, at this point, I still didn't know it was a flat tire. I thought it was much much worse.]  While I waited for Ken, I googled the idiot light and I found out it meant 'low tire pressure.' Impossible, I thought. There is not way all that sound came from a low tire. [I also thought it was cool I have an idiot light for a low tire.] 

Because I know nothing about cars, I didn't not get out and investigate under the hood and I was pretty sure the light indicator was incorrect, so I didn't inspect my tires either. When Ken showed up, I got out of the van and as I was getting into his car, I noticed something was hanging down from the top of the wheel well on the driver front side of the van. I walked over to see what it was and that is when I noticed the huge wire, which was actually an industrial size tent stake, jammed into my tire. Phew! Nothing under the hood is going to shoot into the sky and spontaneously combust. [I was worried about that too.]  

It also turns out that idiot lights are called idiot lights for a reason. I should have believed it and not spent the 20 minutes it took Ken to pick me, thinking about worse possible scenarios for my current situation.  

When Ken got off work last night, we went back to the school to change the tire. Matthew and Ken worked on that thing for an hour. Time was spent trying to get the spare out from underneath the van, loosening of lug nuts, jacking up, and taking lug nuts off [the lug nuts/jacking part was about 5 minutes] and then we could not get the tire off. It was stuck. So stuck, in fact, that Ken called his friend, Ray, to come help him change our tire. Ray brought his son, Kegan, with him. 

So now we have 4 dudes who can't get the tire off. [How many dudes does it take to change a tire...]  I finally call my brother Adam and he instructs them to kick the crap out of the tire, close to the rim, to loosen it. Much kicking commenced. [I really should have videotaped the ordeal.] 

The tire came off, the spare was put on, lug nuts back on, van lowered, lug nuts tightened, and viola! The 20 minute tire change took over an hour and a half, 4 guys there-physically working on the tire, and a call to a 5th.  We are smrt.  

*you're welcome for your daily Spanish lesson. It was brought to you by tacos and a pinata.

ps. this story kind of reminds me of the ordeal to fix the poopy phone.

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Other things that happened this week include:

• We had good friends from Vancouver, WA  and my Dad come over for New Years Eve. 
• At midnight we had a grinder siren which we sounded repeatedly. It totally made me miss tornado sirens in Larned. I loved them!
• Our neighbor was playing her bagpipes at midnight as well.  People on our street really know how to party.
• Ken and I went to Les Miserables and dinner with my Dad and some of our friends on Monday.
• The kids went back to school on Wednesday.
• I drove Nicole and the other kids from Seminary to the high school 3 days this week. I was glad to be able to drive because my friend, Viviane has been driving the whole school year.
• We didn't build a fire in our wood stove all day last Sunday and on Monday morning when we woke up, our house was 61 degrees.  That is too cold for comfort.
• I received a package in the mail from my friend, Kate, who lives in Butler, PA. I will be dedicating a whole post to that package because it is so awesome!
• My sewing table is almost completely cleaned off. If you've ever been to my house, you know what an accomplishment that is!
• Lastly, I have made dinner every day this year. Yes. I am that good.

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This is my last piece of news for this post:

Ensign Ranch is in 13 days!!!

For more information on Ensign Ranch, click here.

Dear, Dad, Ryan, Adam, Gina and Kyle,

Get your  bags packed! We'll see you in less than two weeks!

Love, Dedra