Day 17 - Don't Tread on Me

On Saturday morning, I set out to solve the mystery of the thwacking sound coming from my car.

Before I checked out of the hotel (and said goodbye to the crickets), I was watching some TV show about flipping real estate. The second episode I watched featured a woman who assumed everyone was out to cheat her because she's a woman -- although she didn't do herself any favors when she said, "Everyone treats me like I have S-T-U-P-I-D written on my head. Wait, is that how you spell it?" . . . Yeah.

So, I prepared myself to deal with auto mechanics, with the tiny concern in the back of my mind that I might be treated differently because I wear skirts.

The front desk clerk at the hotel recommended a break fixing place nearby, and since the last time my car made this sound it was presumed to be the breaks, I headed over.

I discovered that I was able to relocate my bags from the passenger seat to the back, and if I rested my feet on the cooler, I could sit more or less comfortably in the passenger seat.

But before I took my scrunched up seat, I waited inside for the mechanic to join me in a ride around the parking lot. As he washed his hands, he asked if I'd hit anything before the sound occurred. I told him I had not. Then he said, "Come on, where you texting and driving?" I told him, "Absolutely not, sir." And I couldn't help but wonder if he would ask the same question to a man. (But I'll also admit that I have a stuffed hippo hanging out at the corner of my windshield that doesn't exactly scream "sophisticated lady". But, hey, it was a goodbye present.)

He took it around and raised it up. I watched from the waiting area as three mechanics gathered around the rear of my vehicle. I was really hoping they would reach up and pull out a branch or something, but they didn't. They did, however, discover what was making the noise:

Well there's your problem

A strip of tread had shredded off and was thwacking against the undercarriage each time the wheel rotated forward. It might have even cracked a plastic shield mounted above it.

The mechanic lowered my car and recommended the discount tire store nearby. (My car has a light that will let me know if the tire pressure is low and it had not gone off. We both figured that if the tire had gotten me to the Thump and back without blowing, it would get me to the tire shop.)

There, they found several tires that would work as a replacement. The sales guy offered to check all of my tires, but as this was an unexpected expense, I chose to stick with just one tire, please.

When I thought my school choices were between Yale and Emory, I did some "just in case" shopping for a car that would work in the snow. I bought my Mazda 5 right before Snowpocalypse 2008 and discovered that it is not a good snow car.

As I love it in all other conditions and will be ending up in snow country (though not at Yale) my solution is to buy darn good tires and try to drive as little as possible when winter comes.

So, I needed a tire that could get me the rest of the journey, but not necessarily another 40,000 miles.

The technician working on my car came over a couple times to give me updates (each time referring to me as Miss SHO-SHE). After he had my car raised up and was putting on the new tire, he told me he had some bad news. He said two of the other tires were looking pretty bad and that I should replace them, too. Or at least replace the other rear tire. His concern was that the remaining tires would shred at any moment like the tire that brought me in.

He said he'd found another tire for the back (different from the new and the existing tires) that would work, but was just a tiny bit bigger than the others.

Now I'm no tire expert, but I'm pretty sure it's not recommended to drive on three different tire brands, two old, one new, one used, and with one that is slightly bigger than the rest. I politely declined and asked that they just replace the one.

He then pulled out the, "I wouldn't want my girlfriend to drive on tires like these," and I declined firmly.

I appreciated the warning and will stay alert for the low pressure light and/or the thwacking sound going forward. But, I have a full-sized spare, I know how to change a tire, and I have AAA. As I didn't gamble in Vegas, I am going to gamble on this one.

I got back on the road with one new tire and crossed my fingers that the new tire and its friends would get me to Louisiana.

This is my first visit, but I will be staying in a home owned by a family that is very familiar with the bayou state. One of my dad's fraternity brother married a woman from Baton Rouge, and while they lived the majority of their lives in the Seattle area, they plan to retire back to Baton Rouge. In the meantime, the home here is being kept company by her mother.

Her mom is 89 and absolutely lovely. I arrived safely and soundly a few hours ago and I already feel at home (it is a beautiful house that seems perfect to enjoy not working from).

It was another long day of driving, but I did get to see an old friend.

Ah, hello water!

I did not, though, get to see a totally not old family member on the anniversary of her birth.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Note: This photo may not exactly be recent
but it is still totally adorable

Even though I wasn't there, please know that I was thinking of you and sending birthday hugs from the road.

I'll be staying in the Baton Rouge/New Orleans area for the next few days. I'll see what kind of nifty whatnots they have that might work as a worthy birthday gift.


Odometer Start: 38016
Odometer End: 38459
Miles Driven Today: 443
Miles Driven Total:  4639
Today In/Around: Austin, TX and Baton Rouge, LA
Tomorrow: Baton Rouge, LA again
States Visited: 9 (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana)
Times I Spilled the Same Diet Coke on Myself: 4
Teeth Owned by the First Mechanic: 4 (or maybe I'm underestimating, he could have some in a drawer somewhere)