Angel Faye

To begin, I made it to TN--no worries. First day of driving done and done.

Second, I'd like to start this post with a shout-out to Fred, Bill and Jack. The story that follows explains these honorable mentions...

To re-cap the day, I started my adventure by stopping by the performing arts building to drop some prompt scripts off for my mentee. While there, Fred noticed that my car was 'sitting a bit low' to the ground. Naturally I thought it was because of all the stuff I had packed into my little "sedecreM." I laughed a little and went on my way, wondering how much the added weight would lower my gas mileage.

Well, 215 miles later when I stopped for lunch I noticed my rear passenger tire--was FLAT. Oops, maybe that's why my car was sitting low on that one side... maybe that's why it was a little difficult to drive on the North Carolina highways (not because the roads were bad, but because there legitimately was something wrong with my car). Please--try not to judge, I swear I checked my tires and other automotive car-trip necessities the night before... just not the morning of. Lesson learned.

I was lucky--very lucky--that I didn't blow the tire out. Trying to get back on the road ASAP I went to the nearest gas station to fill my tire (I ended up in a fabulous place called "Food-City" which to me sounds like "Food-Kitty," and so for a short time I expected to see a 'Food Lion...'). When I got to the station my tire was so flat it didn't even have enough pressure for the tire gauge to get a reading. I filled the tire up to 20 psi--and then it stayed there. I sat on the ground--in the falling snow--filling my tire with air, and the pressure wouldn't go above 20. Great. A leak. I checked the tire all-over and didn't see any punctures, and I couldn't hear any air escaping, so I knew the repair was beyond my control. I drove to the nearest tire place and asked them if they could please take a quick look at my tire. The woman at the front desk, Faye, said, "Sure, Honey," and took my keys to the mechanics in the back. While I waited Faye and I chatted about her new 'Pod.' She just got an iTouch and was very excited and pleased with it. After hearing what I was traveling for, she started looking up Cirque information on the web because she had never heard of them before.

Now while this is going on, I'm beginning to think of the dent that this is going to put in my wallet when a conversation from senior sem came to mind...

Bill came to senior sem to discuss taxes for performing artists, and it was mentioned that if you keep track of your miles and/or fuel expenses for work, these may be tax deductible. During this conversation Jack asked if a person got a flat tire while traveling for work if that expense too could potentially be tax-deductible... Hm... sound familiar?

Anyway--back to the tire. Apparently I had hit something (a curb not doubt) and bent my rim so that there was a gap between the tire and the metal for air to escape. An easy fix--kind of. I'm not sure how familiar you are with tires, but on many vehicles there's a medallion in the center of the hubcap that matches the make of the car. These medallions are supposed to be spring-loaded and just pop on and off so that the tires can be easily removed if necessary. On this one particular tire of mine--it was glued. The other tires were normal, but this one has been glued with orange silicone. (Great) The only way to get my tire back on was to break it off. (Even more thrilling...)It came off cleanly, but can't be reattached without gluing it again--which is not something I wanted to do at the risk of losing the piece somewhere in Arkansas. So, I am now driving a dilapidated Mercedes across America. Thank you Germany. The medallion from the tire? It's in my purse. My cousin suggested I put it on a necklace and wear it as an accessory in Vegas.

So, to clarify my shout-out. Fred--thank for noticing my low-riding car. Bill and Jack--thanks for setting the stage, you better believe that receipt will be in my 2010 tax folder.

Other than that adventure, I'm in TN safe and sound--2 hours later than anticipated, but still here in once piece. I'll wake tomorrow at 6:30a to head out to Oklahoma City. Probably no internet for a day or two, so try not to worry--I'll check back soon.

Thanks for reading!