Part 1: Update from the J22 Worlds Part 2: Why husbands should listen to their wives the first time around

First I want to congratulate Brad and his team for finishing in 12th place yesterday out of 105 boats! They did awesome. Today is another day though and hopefully they'll continue to sail as well as they did yesterday. Awesome job guys!


About 3 weeks ago, the conversation went something like this:

Brad (getting home from the car dealership after routine maintenace): "The guy at the service department said there is a bubble in the right rear tire and we will have to replace both rear tires very soon."

Christy: "I didn't even notice the bubble. Let's make an appointment to have the tires replaced asap then. I don't want to drive up to Mass in a few weeks with the bubble."

Brad: "No, we're going to wait. The tires are very expensive. I noticed the bubble a few weeks ago and it's been fine."

Christy: "I don't know, it makes me really nervous. I can foresee a problem. Let's just replace them."

Brad: "No. The car comes with roadside assistance. We'll be fine."

Lesson Christy learned: Make the executive decision and do what needs to be done.

Winston and I headed up to my parents yesterday afternoon. We were only a few hours into the trip and just when my book on CD was getting really good, a sensor on the computer in the car went off. Having no idea what it meant, I pulled over at the next exit, about 10 miles up the road, got out the manual and realized I had a tire malfunction. Sure enough, the right rear tire (yes, that's right the one with the bubble) was leaking air directly from the bubble on the side of the tire. I had pulled over in Nowheresville, PA into a little mom and pop auto shop. They couldn't help me with the tire, but they were very nice guys. After calling roadside assistance, Winston and I hung out in the blazing sun for an hour until our tow truck arrived.
The nearest BMW dealership was 45 miles away and I had called and luckily they had 2 tires in stock, which is a rareity for the type of sport tire we have. It was my luckiest unlucky day! After surviving 2 near death experiences with the tow truck driver, we made it to Allentown, PA to the dealership. The folks in the dealership were AMAZING! They stayed open after 5 to put my tires on and everyone gave Winston treats and lots of pets. Saying he was a huge hit with the women in the showroom is an understatement. An hour and a half later, we were on our way and safely arrived at my parents home at 10:30 last night. After telling B what happened, he felt terrible. Since B's been out of work we naturally are on a budget these days, so I can understand not wanting to shell out mucho dinero for tires. But we agreed that we can't cut corners where safety is involved. Surprisingly, I didn't give him too much grief. Very unlike me :-)

BIG HAPPENINGS AT THE 'RENTS:

1. The world wide web has made it to my parents house! Yes, that's right, it is 2008 and they are finally connected. Instead of working from the local Starbucks like I usually have to when I'm home, I'm sitting in their beautiful four seasons room working on the very comfy couch today and tomorrow.

2. The trees separating my parents property from my aunt and uncles have all been removed and a professional bocci court with a huge fire pit and seating is being built. These Italians don't mess around!