Flat Tire Episode

So back to my weekend? No? You're bored of that? Unfortunate. Well, I suppose I shall tell you anyway because I'm mean, cold hearted, inconsiderate and I really just want to tell you about my Sunday. Please? You're relenting? Okay, off I go...

Sunday morning the Princess was tapping on my door to get me up. We went downstairs to eat, and then back up the stairs to get ready for church. We were going to meet my grandparents there and they were going to take Princess M for the afternoon so that I could come back to Hayden, drop off my air mattress, say hi to my parents and Prince-y and head back to the 'Scow. Well, that sort of happened.

I took Princess M and we found our way to church. I'd only been there once before, and I didn't quite remember where it was, but my Aunt told me where to go and Princess M has been there plenty of times, so it wasn't too hard to find. I got Princess up to her class and then headed to the autitorium to find the Grandparents. Oh brother. There were so many people! I just kept inching closer and closer to the front to see if I could find them.

Eventually I saw my Grandmother's frill of white curls and my Grandpa's slouching form on the chair next to her. Song service had just started. I usually love song service, but I'm not one of those people that comes to church to sing - even though I enjoy singing. But these songs were all slow and most of them I didn't know. Well, not knowing songs doesn't usually bug me and I sing along with them anyway because the words are always posted, but these songs just didn't grab my attention.

Then came the announcements, along with the offering. Well, at LCCC they sing one song while the offering is being collected and then the Pastor comes up for the message. Uhhhm, no. After the offering at this church? More singing. More slow songs. The lady in front of me was really into it, and slightly entertaining to watch. And I had this older Chinese lady singing in my right ear. I wish you could have heard her - it was like a bird kinda, but really loud and not on key. She kept throwing me off and I finally tried to turn my head so my ear wasn't the direct focus of her vocal chord vibrations. This worked for a little while.

Song service drug onward.

And onward...

And finally I thought it was over.

But they did two more songs while the Pastor who was going to give the message was on his knees in front of the congregation praying while we were singing our melancholy hearts out to the slow tunes that seemed like they would never end.

Finally the pastor took the stage to deliver his message. He rambled on and on about this upcoming project in July that he's excited for before he even GOT to his message. Then he talked about Jesus going through Sumaria and talking to the woman at the well about receiving Living Water. The Pastor kept relating the woman and the diciples back to Nicodemus who was like 'I don't get it.' Pastor thought this was hilarious. It was amusing the first time. After that? Not so hilarious, sorry. And he rambled on and on repeating that you can't "quench your spiritual thirst with physical water." And I totally agree, but how many times do you have to tell us that in the same sentence? Like eight? Yeah, okay. We get it.

And the pastor, to emphasize his point, would burst into song during his sermon. Uhm, that's a new one. Something I'm totally not used to. I think he did it three times that morning.

There was cool video shown though, of Penn from Penn & Teller (Penn & Teller right? correct me if I'm wrong please). Anywho, Penn is an athiest, but a fan met him after a show and handed him a pocket version of the Bible. Penn was impressed and even though he's still an athiest, the man made a step in the right direction. He wasn't condemning or judgemental, just caring and loving and nice. Which is what we all ought to be.

Anyway, after the video, the pastor spoke some more about the same thing he had been talking about earlier. I was so ready to be out of there and to go home. And then there was more singing and people coming up to the front to pray with prayer team members. Finally we were dismissed. I went with Grandma out into the lobby and she found Gramps while I went for Princess M. Then we headed off to the Old Country Buffet for brunch.

Grandpa got Princess M her food, because she is allergic to dairy and has to be careful about what types of foods she consumes. Papa brought her back fruit and bacon and jello. He brought back some apples with cottage cheese on them, which Princess can't have. Grandpa took them off her plate and put them on the napkin beside her plate so she wouldn't eat them. Well, Princess M was about to throw a royal fit because she thought the apple looked disgusting.

"Then don't look at them," I told her.

"But I have to when I get my fork," she whined.

"Then move the apples!" I said. "For crying out loud kiddo." Grandma softly laughed in the background. Princess M was not amused.

Grandpa drove me back to the church after brunch to retrieve my car so I could come back to Hayden. Princess M forgot to grab some playclothes for the afternoon and was whining about wanting to go back to her house for some different clothes. I told her the clothes she was wearing were fine. Grandma told her that she could take her tights off once she got to their house. Princess M was not amused.

"Princess, you are FINE," I told her. Her lip popped out in a pouty face and her chin went downward. Little baby tears started to form at her eyes. I'm mean. I know. Poor Princess finding out the world does not revolve around her. But she perked up a few minutes later and the world was fine again.

"I'm gonna miss you," she told me when I had to get out of the car. It was the same line she greeted me with that morning when I opened the door to see her pretty little face and mass of blonde curls running to give me a hug.

"I'll miss you too Princess. You be good for Grandma and Papa, okay? Do what they tell you," I smiled. She nodded her head. I hugged her and waved goodbye.

The afternoon I spent in downtown CdA with Prince Charming. We walked the boardwalk and walked over to the park. We sat on the concrete wall that seperates the sand from the sidewalk and grass and looked at the lake. I don't spend a lot of one on one time with Prince-y. Usually we are with his friends, or his family or my family. Hardly ever do we find ourselves with only each other for company. Which I suppose my dad looks at as a good thing, but I like having him to myself occasionally. It reminds me why I like him so much. We can talk about anything, or we can just be together and that's enough. I don't always have to be kissing him, we don't always have to be doing something, we can just enjoy each other.

After four, I headed to the Holiday station to fill up with gas and then took Prince-y to his house. I started to notice that it was hard to turn left, but didn't really think anything of it, other than it was just a little odd. Prince and I are in the kitchen eating chips and salsa when his mom comes in from the garage.

"Cinderella," she says, "Your front right tire is looking low."

Well, earlier that day my own mom said one of my tires looked low, but my dad checked it and thought it was fine, so I didn't really think much of her comment. A few moment later, Prince and I were walking out to my car so I could leave back to the 'Scow when I took one look at my right front tire and thought "no freaking way." Whipping out the handy cell phone in my pocket I dialed my dad. No answer. Dialed the house. Busy signal. Dialed my mom.

"Hello?"

"My tire's flat."

"You're tire's FLAT? Are you back at school?"

"No mom, I'm at Prince Charming's house."

"You're still with Prince Charming?"

"Yes, mom."

"What's up?" Dad's voice.

"The tires flat."

"How flat?"

"I don't know dad. Really flat."

"Okay, I'll be there soon." Click. Back inside Prince-y's house we have some dinner and wait for my dad to arrive. Once he gets there he fills the tire up enough that I can drive home with intent to just stay the night and come home on Monday morning after we fix the tire.

I pull into the driveway after I left Prince Charming who was worried beyond all reason and kept telling me to drive safe. Love you Honey. :-)

Dad waved at me to stop. He was on the cell with my mom, talking about switching cars and giving me the Yukon to drive after we hit up the gas station to finish filling up the tire with air. Dad hopped in the passenger side and we headed to the Exxon station by the highway. He hops out of the car and fills up the tire with air. Well, I'm sitting there, on a bench by the car, and I can hear this noise. It's coming from my car. Which is turned off.

I sit down by the tire. It sounds like air is escaping. Loudly. I don't know enough about tires to know if this is the tire or if this is from my car. "Umm Dad? It sounds like air is escaping from this tire." He walks back over to me and puts his ear down by the tire. Then he starts feeling around the tire to see if he can find where air is coming from. This rip in my tire has got to be huge.

He tells me to dive the car back home and park it in the garage. I take my gear and put it in his big blue Dodge truck and we head to church where my mom has her Yukon. The tire is leaking fast and furious and the spair is flat too. So we make the switch and I drive the Yukon XL down to the 'Scow. I didn't get out of town til after 6 o'clock, but I made it. On my way out of town I called my lovely Prince to give him the heads up that I was headed out of town. I hate calling people, but aside from my biological family, he is the only person that I will put my phobia aside and call. It's painful. I hate talking on the phone. But I do it. :-)

Anyway, that is my awesome Sunday. I made it back down to school just fine and bought myself a grape juice from the vending machines as a reward for a stressful day. Ha, ha.