Long Time, No See

When we last saw our hero it was near about the end of September and he was en route to Chicagoland by car when, somewhere in Michigan, just after sunrise, along US Hwy 12 (westbound) his right front tire blew out causing a slight delay.....

Yes, I was driving to Chicago. I'd left home just around 6:30 PM the night before and I was making really good time. I crossed the Indiana border from Ohio and was headed west on I-90 when I had a great idea: exit the interstate and cruise north to US 12 and take it west. There has to be something a bit more scenic than the Indiana Toll Road. I was right.

It was minutes before sunrise as I drove north from Indiana into Michigan. I'd stopped to size up a cornfield just east of Edwardsburg and pulled off the road. Looking around for a decent image I decided to continue driving. A u-turn from the unpaved shoulder back onto the roadway and I inadvertently nicked the inside sidewall on the sharp edge of the concrete. Must have been a s l o w leak because it was about a half hour later, just east of Niles, Michigan, that another motorist at a traffic light was wildly gesturing at my right front wheel.

I crossed the intersection, pulled over, looked at the wheel and...

Just the week before, in preparation for this road trip, I took my car in for a wheel alignment and tires. Turned out that it was a wheel alignment, tires and a brake job. About $500 more than I'd been prepared to spend.

Fortunately (for me), September had been a good month. There was plenty of money in the checking account and it didn't hurt too bad but I was thinking: by the end of the month, roughly another ten days, I needed to get my car inspected and I knew my mechanic was going to tell me I needed shock absorbers. Didn't want to know what that would cost! Also knew that if I spent more money on the car it would be a good idea to paint it. Didn't want to know what that would cost, either!

I bought a new tire from the guys in the truck stop, continued on to Chicago (and back). Upon arrival at home I drove straight in to Wyman Ford and bought.....



In the three months since the detour I haven't written much here. It doesn't mean I don't have anything to say, just that I've been pre-occupied with a number of things.

Stay tuned, you'll get it all..... soon.