Feeling kind of flat

So I'm driving back tonight from a speed run to the local Landmark Theatre to grab a new sampler CD before they're all gone.. (since I'm leaving in the morning and won't get back until Saturday night.) I pull into the garage, hop out, prize in hand, and I hear a lawn sprinkler running. What the? It's 8:30 at night. Why is D running the sprinkler.. wait.. that's not a sprinkler.. it's like, air hissing or something.

Walking out into the yard the sound goes away. Back in the garage it's loud. Oh oh..

Sure enough, it's my left rear tire. I feel the top of the tire and there's air blowing out. Some kind of metal shard is in the tire, but I can't pull it out. Into the house for a pliers, which works fine, and the hissing stops. What the heck is this thing? Woah.. it's a broken off blade from a carpet cutter. Where in the world did I pick this up?

Well, now what do I do? I gotta leave in the morning and the spare is one of those dinky little spares that isn't highway rated. Poop. Okay, call AAA. Maybe they have roadside service from a place with a service bay who can patch the tire first thing in the morning..

No such luck. Some crazy joint with a name like "Tex's Towing & BBQ" is dispatched, and it will take them an hour and a half to get here! Argh! But, the AAA rep is nice and searches for a service station in the area and finds one that's open until 11 tonight and can handle a flat repair! Woo! Maybe I'll lose a little sleep but still get underway in the morning. That'll still work.

So the tire change service is supposed to be here by 10. Plenty of time to get the flat to the station. Four calls to AAA later, he shows up at 10:55. So much for getting it fixed tonight. Up early to get the flat in when the station opens at 7. Maybe I can still leave close to on time..