The Sledgehammer That Saved Me:Yesterday started out quite normal. I got some cleaning and stuff done around the apartment before I had to head to my clinic appointment. I get outside, take quite a while to scrape off my car. I hate scraping off my car. I know...nobody likes it. But I'm really short, so when I brush off the snow on the top it always lands on me, I can barely reach the middle of the windshield, and the cold air in the winter really hurts my lungs, which typically results in my having a huge asthma attack. Well, yesterday, was 10 degrees. I only wore my nylon type dance pants, a t-shirt, my regular coat and only one pair of socks. But, I figured I'd only be outside long enough to walk into Clinic and back out... ha. ha. ha. Good news, my car didn't take that long scraping. I got two really nice scrapers for Christmas. My Dad got me one that has a blue type swifer looking bottom that screws on but I just leave mine on and it lies across my backseat floor. (I'm lazy like that).
I get on the road, about 5 miles away from home I notice my car is really pulling to the left. I'm like crap either my allignment is off or my tire is low. So I'm looking for a place I can pull off the road and I find a parking lot. But before I get to the parking lot the car starts really shaking. Yeah, the area of road I was now traveling on was broken up asphalt. And it is tearing my tire off, I can feel it shredding off and just as I started to feel the tire get caught up in the wheel area (forgive my lack of knowledge with car terms)... I get to the parking lot turn off and get to good spot to stop . Whew. I get out of my car and my tire is completely shredded off the rim. Here are some pictures I snapped before I started freaking out. That's my tire to the left...not the spare...
& close up of the now non-existent tire...This was in a industrial type area, wasn't lucky enough to park in a McDonalds. So I didn't see anywhere I could go in and ask for help. In this cold I can't walk far either. Other than my boyfriend and his best friend, Tim, I don't know anyone in the area. I didn't even have Tim's Number, I had just gotten a new phone (old one died on me). So I'm sitting there thinking "Great, Andrew has classes clear until 9pm tonight, and during the one hour break he does have, he works out in the school gym... The school has no reception...He won't even get my calls. I can't change this tire, and I don't want to pay to tow my car to have a flat changed..." So anyone who knows me...You may know I freak out easily, and get cold fast. So naturally, I call Andrew's phone 3 times in a row, leaving messages (which he later told me I was talking so fast and was so upset, he couldn't understand them anyway...) Probably a good thing... I may of mentioned that if I was in Princeton that I would have had all my family members, tons of friends, and a probably a slew of nice community members at my car within in 10 minutes of my stopping... But nope. Not one person that drove by seemed concerned. Ugh the Burbs.
So naturally I call mom. Need an answer, opinion, recipe, random trivia answered, or to feel better call mom. My mom is a wealth of amazing information. 1. Because she is so tough. Look at all my health problems she had to put up with HERE! 2. She is a nerd and reads everything (even encyclopedias as a child) 3. She's a mom, of course. After my mom told her car -doozies from the past, I felt better. I got off the phone, called Clinic, explained I couldn't make it in, then proceeded to text Andrew a bunch of texts.. Mostly my telling him what happened, me freaking out. me telling him where I am, and that my phone battery was low, Oh and if we had my tires checked this wouldn't have happened, etc. I was rambling, but I was upset. For many reasons: I hate the burbs, hate driving and cars, and was upset to miss my clinic (it would have been my first good clinic in months- I think.) I sat there there for a while and I got a call from Andrew. Apparently, he stepped outside the building at the beginning of his break to give me a call. He got bombarded with my calls and texts the minute he stepped outside. hahahaha. And now happily, he was on his way to me now! Whew. I sat there for 40 mins before he called me, another 30 while he drove to where I was, then he started changing my tire. Thank goodness I didn't have to use the restroom. So far so good... but then the hubcap was stuck. Really stuck. He tried kicking, pulling, anything. Nope it wasn't budging. We gave up after an hour, tried some other stuff. Just as he got into our other car and we were discussing eoptions, a guy with a really nice accent- came up. (I only mention it, because it sounded Russian. Which I love..) The guy asked if we needed help and Andrew told him the problem. The guy came back a few minutes later with a sledgehammer and knocked it right off. Andrew and him had it changed in no time after that. Note: Must by small sledgehammer for trunk... If only I'd be able to lift it and use it in the future..haha.
We thanked the guy and after he left. Andrew said " Of course, a tough guy with a Russian Accent came and was the hero of the day." I told him he was completely wrong that he was my hero. He was the one who drove to find me, calmed me down, had me sit in the warm SUV, while he changed my tire in 10 degree whether, (with no gloves). If he had a sledgehammer, he would of had it changed in no time.
I'm glad I have such an amazing boyfriend. I never worry, cuz he is always looking out for me. I knew he'd come and fix everything. I don't know how he does it. He is like Superman. He goes to school full time (18 credits), works as store manager at culvers 30 hours a week, does Catering/serving at local restaurant on his days off. He still finds time to do homework, work out, he does the laundry (Its on the 2nd floor, and I can't carry it up those steps.), and he cooks a lot of our meals. And yet, he still manages to find time to take me on dates!
However, lately I have been cooking more. I was intimidated when we first started dating to cook for him, since he went to culinary school. But, I loved cooking at U of I (undergrad years). I cooked all the time. I have missed it. So that is why my last few posts were cooking related.Last night's dinner. Creamy Mushroom, Beef, and Veggie Soup.
We buy our broths in bulk at Sam's Club. So cheap!
I hope to keep cooking more because 1. It gives Andrew more time free to do homework, etc 2. I really do enjoy it!
and btw Clinic is re-scheduled for next Tuesday, which gives me time to get my tire replaced.
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