If we're sharing stories, it was also a long week over here.
Busy at work, wrapping things up and getting ready for trip #1 this year (Frankfort, Dubai, Dublin, Leeds, London). But that's not the biggest PITA, it's just another day, another trip.
Weekend after Christmas, hit a massive pothole downtown Chicago. Didn't see it coming, and it was bad. Shook the car, and felt it in my bones! Pulled over a few blocks later, inspected, didn't look like anything was wrong. Kept an eye on things the next few days, all was ok. Then last Sunday morning I wake up with a flat tire. Damn.
Change it in the garage and put the spare on. Washed and inspected the regular...I pulled every pebble and stone out of that tire looking for a nail. Nothing. Clean as a whistle. Got a flashlight and spent an hour looking at the rim, but couldn't find any cracks.
Monday afternoon I drop it off. They call Tuesday morning and say "No problem. It was just leaking a little from the bead, we took it off, put it back on, and you're good to go." Great! Maybe I'm clear. Tuesday night I put it back on. Wednesday all is good. Thursday all day is good, even checked it at lunch. Thursday evening I leave the office, didn't look at it because my worries are easing, and I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before I heard the "flop, flop, flop". SOB!
It's 4F, and a 14mph wind. We're far below 0 with the windchill. I pull up close to the building for shelter, and get to work in my office clothes. 9 minutes, and I'm back in the car with the spare on. I'm pi$$ed, but worse things can happen. Start driving home and about five minutes later as the car warms up and the heat kicks on, my right ear starts to tingle. I touch it...OUCH! SOB! I just got myself a case of frostbite. Thirty-some years living in the Northern Hemisphere, loving winter, never with an accident like this, and I just got frostbite in 9 minutes changing a tire? Oi.
So...right ear is still red and swollen, but going down. Feeling it a bit less, but still painful. Stopped at the tire place at lunch and they pulled me right in. Said the same thing...leaking around the bead. We reseated it, should be good to go. I really think I've got a bent rim, damaged bead on the tire, or a hairline crack. We'll see what the pressure is tomorrow morning.
FML.
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