What a day , yeh ?

90 degrees and windless , in a hot parking lot at the grocers .
Just need a few items : bread , cheese , wine and ice cream ( for me ) and popsicles ( for the grands ) are on sale … so im done and heading back to the car . I put the groceries in the back seat passenger side and there it is 😳
A flat tire … full pancake flat on the bottom side 😑
So first things first i head back inside and ask if they could hold my bag in the freezer while I change the tire .
I ask if they had anything that could help me with the change and they said no .
So I head back out and start checking for my spare . I’ve never used it or even looked at it so I’m expecting a dry rotted or at least flat spare and there is a brand new full size Firestone in the spare well . Dig out my scissors Jack and a few tools I have with me always and get started …
Did I say it was 90 degrees on an asphalt parking lot ?
So luckily I have my breaker bar with me and a heavy duty socket that fits the lug nuts and I have to stand on the bar to break the torque on the lug nuts and I get them started loose .
Now im ready for a break , and sit down in the back of my 2001 Subaru forester resting , the spare leaned against the car and I watch ppl passing by averting their eyes from the 72 year old red in the face coot sitting in his car … except for a few older women who stop and ask if I need help . I tell them im fine and im in no hurry and I can get it done eventually .
Until this maybe middle aged Latina lady insists she will help me . I ask if she’s ever changed a tire and she says No but I can tell her what to do . I thanked her but said I’d be fine . She went and got in her car. And I set back to work .
Meanwhile several younger guys pass by looking everywhere but at me , and I see the Latina lady get out of her car and head back in the store.
Next thing I know she’s coming back with two teenagers and says “ I’ve got you some help” with a big smile on her face .
And so they did what I instructed and they got the tire changed , and I was soon on my way . But first I headed back in to cool off in the ac . Im on meds that make me turn cherry red in the heat , and I'm not supposed to get too much sun so I sat a good 15 minutes before I got my groceries from the freezer and headed home .
Never has a cold glass of wine tasted so good .

Just had this car inspected last week and the steel belts showing on that tire I guess wasn’t a sign i was headed for a flat . So I’ll have a few choice words for that inspector soon .

Wadda day 🫠



✌🏻