Full of hot air! Or not...

Okay, not exactly hot air. Actually it was very cold out and my front right tire was LOW on air.

In the great spirit of many determined women before me I tackled the problem WITHOUT reading how to fill a tire with air. I've never filled a car tire before, but I have filled a bike tire. Can it be that much different?

Apparrently so!

Let's run through all four of my attempts to fill my tire. Yes, I said FOUR... and I'm proud of it.

First try... warning light comes on and I actually have a pressure gauge and know how to use it. Three tires at 35psi and one at 28psi. Aha. So, now find the air hose at the station... that can be trickier than it sounds as some of these gas stations disguise their air hoses by hiding them between the vacuuming stations. But... I digress. Having found the hose and while holding the cap in one hand and the hose in the other I manage to drop the cap IN the tire. Or UNDER the tire. Never matter... I can't reach it as my bloody finger attests. Note to self: tire rims are SHARP on the inside edges. So... we'll deal with the cap later. I have a hose, an end and a lever and no knowledge of how to do this. And, do you know that 3 minutes of air costs 75 cents? I'm not kidding. AIR! Why don't I just blow into the tire and fill it. Just kidding... kind of. So, I attach the end, push the lever, attach the end don't push the lever, check with the gauge and repeat like 27 or 10 times. Hmm.... 27psi which means I'm going backwards from what I intend to do.

Hmmmm

Maybe another gas station.

Oh... I have to find that dumb cap. Move the car forward a few feet and start looking. AHA! Screw it on and head to the next station.

No, I don't know why I thought a different station would make a difference, but I did. And it didn't. Well, it did, but in the wrong way. Plus 75 cents more for AIR! Seriously, are they kidding? Repeat the above, minus losing the cap in the tire, and now I am at 26psi. Hmmm... it looked so easy when Dear did it. Call Dear, and wait for a reply. Drive off. Stop and remember to put the cap back on. WHERE IS THE CAP? I put it in my pocket so I didn't lose it. I have 7 pockets on my coat! I have change, receipts, a used kleenex, a Subway gift card, lint, a gum wrapper.... hmmmm WHERE IS THE CAP??????? Open car door and empty all pockets onto seat. NO CAP. Oh... I have pockets in my jeans... and there it is.

Ah yes... no call from Dear. Drive on and hope I'm not killing the tires.

Go home and ask Dear at dinner about how to fill the you know what tire. Aha! PUSH the lever to put the air in... go to the gas station. It's now pitch black outside. I'm working in the dark with a black tire and an unlit gauge and have poor night vision. FLASHLIGHT! Yes, I have one. Batteries aren't dead... but they're well on the way. By this time I have now paid my $2.25 in quarters for AIR and hadn't managed to fill the tire so I decide to wait till the next day.

I go to the FOURTH gas station. Yes, I'm still working under the premise it will make a difference. And it did. First off their air hose is marked in BIG letters "AIR" and it is free. As in NO MORE QUARTERS... which is good because I ran out last night. In the dark. And, there is no useless lever on the air hose. Just stick the hose on and hold it. And at this point as my hind quarters are raised high in the air and facing the major road through town I'm beginning to wonder what kind of view I am presenting to the world. Note to self: lose a few pounds, or 50. Just sayin'....

Put the gauge on. YEAH! Get in and start the car. The light is still on. Consider all the words I am NOT going to say in front of my daughter and ask her to find the warning lights section in the owner's manual. She starts to read, "... and it will turn off in a ..." and lo and behold the light turns off, the tire is filled.

Now I guesss I need to fill the gas tank as well. Sadly I DO know what that warning light means.

Blessings, Kim