Flat tire? Come again, what is that?

I am sorry to report today.
Adventure has been abounding in our lives but we lack time to report.
However yesterday proved too much for my sensibilities.
First does everyone know what a car is?
If you don't, don't bother reading farther.

If you have a car, do you know where the tires are? 
(I included this lovely diagram because it shows the spare tire floating in the middle of the car... even though the tires are not label. For those who still don't know where the tires are, they are the black circular bits near the bottom.)

Sadly I have some news about those circular black objects.
They can go flat.
Just like balloons.

In cases of this it is best not to panic.
(Remember Hitchhiker's Guide and DON'T PANIC)

Instead, remember what you are about to le arn.
A flat tire should be changed.

This can be done in a few ways:
A. Call AAA (or some other road service)
B. Change the tire yourself

I know this latter option sounds really scary, I mean, manual labor?!
But take a deep breath

(inhale, exhale)

you can handle this

Here is my Easy STEP BY STEP Guide to changing a flat tire. :)
Step 1: pull over to the side of the road and stop if you haven't already.
Step 2: turn off the car.
Step 3: get out of the car and look at the tire (just to check that it is indeed flat - that is, not fully round and plump)
Step 4. Take another deep breath
Step 5: open your trunk and look under the trunk floor to see if you have a spare tire.
Step 6: if you do, breath a sigh of relief
Step 7: take the tire out of the pocket
Step 8: look to see if you have a tire jack
Step 9: gather the appropriate tools - in the picture below we have the spare tire, the jack, the jack turner dohicky, and the wrench thingamabob


Step 10: If you managed to find all these things hanging out in the trunk of your car, rejoice! You are a third of the way through this ordeal.
Step 11: figure out which Side of the jack goes on the ground and put that side on the ground under the car next to the flat tire towards the middle of the car
Step 12: pump the Jack so that it gets bigger and lifts the car up
Step 13: use the wrench thingamabob to loosen the lug nuts (lefty 1oosey righty tighty)
Step 14: remove the lug nuts and remove the flat tire
Step 15: rejoice to be another third of the Way through!
Step 16: roll the spare tire to the spot and put it on
Step 17: put the lug nuts back on and tighten and tighten and tighten
Step 18: check that the lugnuts are tight
Step 19: look at the Spare tire and determine it it needs air - if it does go to Step 21
Step 20: otherwise, put everything back into the car
(Step 21: drive to the nearest gas station
Step 22: put air into tire)
Step 23: return to your life.
Step 24: rejoice in your new skill

Please Always Remember that you can do things too!
You don't always need a machine or someone else!

"Life will go on, I promise. Whether you are in it or not, well, that's between you and God."

What I'm Thankful For (Travel Edition)

So I was thinking of what I was thankful for traveling wise while heading up to NY for the holiday last night. Here's what I came up with:

1) The fact that I traveled on I-95 North as opposed to South
2) Dunkin Donuts hazelnut coffee
3) Google Navigator and its Traffic View
4) Cars that shift back to the right lane immediately after passing
5) Green arrows for those in the left turn signal lane
6) Giant flashing signs displaying "HOLIDAY TRAFFIC AHEAD"
7) Pandora Radio
8) Cup holders that hold so much more than cups
9) > 30 MPG
10) Family waiting for me!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! And eat lots of turkey (that's an order!)

Don't get the wagon stuck, bloodstains, and other adventures oftheCharacters Crew

So this marvelous weekend with Sonic consisted of:

1. Some hiking (read here, through the woods near Parth Galen where Boromir dies in the Lord of the Rings series, over some raging rivers where we did not get our supply wagon stuck and thus did not die like in Oregon Trail, around the ever elusive Paradise Falls from Up, and over rock climbing challenges)

2. An adventure in hitting ones head on a kitchen cabinet and 5 minutes later realizing the ice pack had blood on it

3. Two different kinds of cake! (that would be marble pound cake and pumpkin ginger cake)

4. Seeing a lovely, on the mountain, rendition of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

5. Some thing good and funny that I was going to share here, but since have completely forgotten. Oh well, a lot of things have gone out the window since hitting my head... enjoy the pictures!

An interesting trail sign!

One of the many forded rivers

I'm not quite sure why I took this picture... what do you see in it?

I am convinced I caught an Ent smoking a pipe in this picture. 

An odd rock. 

I hope you enjoy this picture.

Waterfall!

All in all

we had a good time.

:)

A Reunion of Characters

So today is a big day in the old enough to know better, too young to care world.
After three and a half months, Sonic is coming to visit Yoda.
Mischief is on the way
;)