EPTAs the currently temp banned MountainDewJunkie could tell you my 1997 VW Jetta has a bit of character, but seeing as it is sitting pretty at 98,XXX miles I feel I should squeeze as much life out of it as I possibly can. It isn't the prettiest thing on the road, she has some bumps and bruises but in general she'll get you from point a to b without too much fuss in general being the operative word in that sentence.
This morning however the old girl was limping some, not in any noticeable fashion on surface streets which is odd because if the car runs rough I generally know it in first gear right as I pull out. Midway through my commute the car starts to tug to the left, the alignment is a bit funky after an ignition switch fix (something I've meant to address but not had the time/motivation to get done) but a tugging goes to pulling followed by the unmistakable sound of a flat which is summarily joined by the very unwelcome stench of rubber.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/YpSor7v.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/a6urKKa.jpg)
Ten pounds of fun in a five pound bag
Barely six in the morning and I don't just have a flat on my hands, I have a blow out. I have and know how to put on a spare but I am in dress clothes sans gloves, it is 30 degrees (-1C) outside and I have AAA (A popular roadside assistance program in the US, for those who might not be familiar). The way I figured it, I am buying a new tire anyway I might as well skip a step and bus to the shop after work and avoid the whole hassle rather than drive on a spare all day and deal with it after work entirely.
My girlfriend was kindly enough to get out of bed and come pick me up; which was fantastic because she would definitely have to fight traffic coming back to Saint Paul and I didn't want to have to find a place to get the right change for bus fare. In the neighborhood I managed to pull into, it would be a pretty difficult thing to do before eight am regardless.
I managed to get to work only an hour late, looking for some type of solace in the fact that I get paid this Friday, I check my paycheck only to find that my check is short about 17 hours that I had in fact worked taking a few hundred I now have to fight for with HR. I don't see a situation where I don't get the cash, given I work in a very corporate environment that insists on proper documentation and should need be I can prove I was at work until whenever for the days they are having trouble with.
The work situation serves only to compound the frustration with the car and the money I'll be parting with this afternoon for a new tire(s) and or a bit of alignment work. I suppose having a couple new tires for the winter won't be so bad, but I would rather keep the money sitting in my savings. It is just one of those days I suppose.
