Manly? How's that "Manly"?

Friday, I was gonna make the weekly run to the grocery store to pick up "the essentials". Seems like whenever I do this, I end up spending $150+ on stuff... And I usually come home and realize I really hadn't bought anything. So I go out to my car, hop in, turn the engine and attempt to turn around in the neighbor-across-the-street's driveway...then I hear a distinctive "thu-thump, thu-thump" and my car seemed off kilter. Yep, I had a flat tire. That sucks. I knew I was needing to get it replaced due to my tires being bald, but in my usual nature, I had procrastinated in hope it would in someway heal itself. I nixed the store idea and pulled around back...and procrastinated some more. I could have changed the tire then and headed off to Walmart to spend loads of money on a new tire...and waits hours on end to have it fixed. I didn't feel like messing with it then. What also sucks, is I have a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am in which the tires are expensive. So I left my car there and decided to worry about it on Saturday morning.

I wake up Saturday morning to realized we are completely out of coffee too. Great. What a way to start the day. Linda agrees to follow me to Walmart after I change my tire, then we'll go have breakfast since she was craving strawberry French Toast from IHOP.

Let me enlighten you...I've actually never changed a tire by myself. My dad showed me how when I was 16 years old. The only other time I've actually had a flat tire was a few years ago at work, and one of my coworkers actually changed my tire then without my asking. He did it in less than 10 minutes. Yesterday morning, I fumbled around trying to figure out how the jack worked. I finally accomplished that and got the car jacked up only to realize that I should have loosened the lug nuts before raising the car. So I had to lower it back down. At this point I gain an audience. Linda came out to watch me...I think her hunger pangs were getting the best of her and this was her way of trying to hurry me up. I lower the car back down only to get the jack jammed under the wheel well. Linda suggests I call roadside assistance. I told her, "It's pretty sad when a guy doesn't know how to change a tire. I can do this." She shrugs it off. I finally get the jack out from underneath the car and try with all my might to torque loose the lug nuts. For some reason, and I still can't grasp this, Linda proclaims, "There's something sexy about that!" I ask her what she's talking about... She said, "Getting all dirty, working with your hands, being all manly." Gee, thanks. Guess she doesn't consider me 'manly' on a regular, daily basis? I'll blame it on her hormones.

After about 45 minutes of fiddling around with everything, I finally accomplished getting the spare on. I wonder how my coworker did this in under 10 minutes? But, I was pretty happy with myself...my dad would be proud of me. I hope that one day I'll be able to show how 'manly' I can be and teach the Nugg this stuff one day.