Pulled into the service bay, popped the hood, waited. Watched the new kid fumble with trying to open my air cleaner case. Felt the guy underneath yanking on stuff. Listened to the shop patter.
From down below in the pit, "Hey, tell them they've got a left rear tire down to the belts on the inside sidewall! Looks like it's about to let go!"
::sigh::
That's the sound of money being suctioned out of my billfold. Not that there was any there in the first place.
Tires. Not now. Yes. Now. No avoiding it, since I was about to send my family off in a fully-loaded van off to the hills and hollows of Marshall County, I was going to have to buy tires. Add something else to the To-do list.
Oh, probably need to add crying in there, too.
Finished them up, paid for my oil change, then it was off to Wal-Mart. Figured I might as well get them there, so we could shop for soccer shorts, too. And we needed Q-tips. And soap.
Pulled in to the Wal-Mart service bay, and was met by a chubby girl with their ubiquitous hand-held writing-up machine. I tried to plead my case that since I had a warranty, maybe I could get some small proration back toward a new set. She called over some dude to look at them--shaved head, wearing those stupid sunglasses that look like something out of a science-fiction movie, short sleeves rolled up even further. "NO, that there's alignment done that. Can't expect us to pay for something that the car caused!"
Luckily, there was a large iron tire tool close by, so I took it and began beating him in his ugly stupid misshapen shaved head until he was more accomodating. Oops, sorry about the stupid wraparound sunglasses, fella!
Oh, sorry. Daydreaming again.
You know, I wouldn't have been quite so miffed at him if he didn't act like such an imperious little goob. Sure, I realize it's not easy when all you have to look forward to in life is when the Snap-On Tool truck comes by once a month, but you know, customers are still customers, and the one with the Honda Odyssey wasn't trying rip anyone off, he just wanted to know if the tire could be prorated any. That's all.
Why do I keep going back to this place, when I KNOW--based on MANY past visits--that the Wal-Mart Tire Center in Trussville is nothing but a pit of idiocy and poor service? I don't know--it's something like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football, I guess. One day, I just know Lucy won't pull it away.
But not today.
To make matters worse, they no longer carry the cheapo Douglas tires I had on it and only had more expensive Goodyears.
::sigh::
I went in and called Sam's across the highway to see if they had anything cheaper.
::sigh::
No.
Fine. FINE! ALL OF YOU TAKE ALL MY MONEY!
I'm going to go get some Q-tips and SHORTS!
Not.
Nothing they had in the girl's section would fit her. Nor in the sporting goods section.
GAHHHHHHHHH!!
Got Q-tips, though, and a giant jug of hand sanitizer.
Waited. Waited.
After an hour and a half, during which time the van was mostly ignored by the tire changing personnel, it was finally time to go.
Wow, it drives so creamy smooth, it's like I'm rolling along a highway paved with hundred dollar bills!
WHEEEEEEEE!!
On over to Hibbett Sporting Goods, to see if THEY had any shorts.
Finally found a couple of pairs of Nike running shorts that she liked and that fit her reasonably well. As much as I might complain about paying $90 for a tire, it seems a much bigger racket that Nike's got going when three pairs of shorts cost THE EXACT SAME AS A TIRE. Dang it ALL, people--what good's having sweatshops in Indonesia cranking this stuff out if you can't pass some of the saving along to your customers!?
::sigh::
On toward home, then, to get the van loaded.
As we waited on the light at Main Street, I looked up in time to see Reba and the rest of the kids in the Focus, going back up Chalkville Road the way we'd just come from.
I wondered what that was all about.
I figured it must be an expedition to spend money.
And I was right.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at November 13, 2006 10:40 AMMarshall County? Hills? Didn't you ever see "Deliverance"?
Posted by: Larry Anderson at November 13, 2006 10:57 AMI'm pretty sure I can hear your wallet crying all the way out here. Its a good thing you are one of those highly paid civil servants with the neccesary extra cash to keep our economy afloat.
Posted by: Nate at November 13, 2006 11:01 AMA pair of running shorts costs $30.00??? Ouch. I guess you ARE keeping our economy afloat, as Nate says. President Bush owes you a debt of gratitude for keeping the economy out of the list of things he is being blamed for.
Posted by: Stan at November 13, 2006 11:06 AMYes, Larry, I did. That's why I chose not to go--I'm much too pretty.
Nate, my wallet is incapable of making noise--since it's DEAD!
And yes, Stan, they were thirty bucks, with tax. They were actually on sale. They were regularly $35 withOUT tax.
I'm so glad to be able to do my duty to my country by buying things I cannot afford!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 13, 2006 11:21 AMI did my part for the economy by purchasing a valve for the toilet tank. Got it home and to find that the old one had cured itself.
I will keep the new one for the next episode of leaking.
I am trying to convince my wife that it is the patriotic thing to do to buy a new guitar.
She seems not b3e concerned about patriotism.
Posted by: Larry Anderson at November 13, 2006 11:41 AMI think she might have alternative ways of demonstrating it.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 13, 2006 11:46 AMMy checkbook looks suspiciously French.
It's waving a white flag.
Posted by: Janis Gore at November 13, 2006 12:07 PMI bought a used car Saturday. So I got to negotiate my way to the poorhouse.
Posted by: jim at November 13, 2006 03:31 PMOkay, you don't get to come in here and drop a bomb like that with no further explanations. Come on now--everyone wants to know the full story!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 13, 2006 03:34 PMSon’s car died a horrible engine death. I had just put money into it which I regret but I really regret the $200 windshield put in week before last. He and his Mom decided that a Jetta would be a nice easy on gas car. Also expensive but that didn’t deter them. I was hoping we wouldn’t find one in town with low enough mileage but we did. More on this at my place when the check clears.
Oh—2002 Jetta less that 45,000 miles. I like the car. I also liked my money.
Hmm--sounds like you caught a bad case of fahrvergnügen.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 13, 2006 04:00 PMAnd without syringes of pain meds.
Posted by: jim at November 13, 2006 04:07 PM