First flat of the season

Yesterday morning I left for work and about a quarter mile from the house my low tire pressure light came on and the information center on my dash said my right front tire was low. We had our first cold snap of the season and that usually makes my tires lose pressure, so I wasn't too worried about a nail or anything like that being the problem. I drove the four miles to town and pulled into the gas station to air up my tire. As I was airing it up I thought that it didn't look low at all and after putting quite a bit of air in it, my low tire pressure light was still on. I figured it would reset itself once I turned my car off, so I headed off to work. 

A few miles down the road I realized that I had put air in my left front tire, not the right! Sheesh! I was having a rough morning after having to bury Diamond the night before and my mind was not firing on all eight cylinders. It was ten miles to the next gas station, so I prayed that I would get there without any trouble. 

When I got to the next gas station, I pulled in among all of the semis (because that's where the air tanks are) and I made sure to air up the correct tire. I love semis. They're so big and noisy and the smell of diesel fumes just does something for me. Plus, they make me think of Grandpa Homer. Again, I thought that the tire didn't look low. After I'd put quite a bit of air in it and the low pressure light still wouldn't go off, I dug out my pressure gauge and checked the pressure four times, and each time it said the pressure was lower and lower. Then the cap fell off of the gauge. Super. Cheap POS. I could tell that the tire wasn't low, so I said, "Screw it," because I needed to get to work. I said another prayer that I would make it through the next thirty miles. 

After work, my low pressure light was still on. I went to a gas station and started putting air in the tire again. But, the light still wouldn't go off! So, I drove downtown to a repair shop to let a professional check it out. It turns out, my front tires were fine, it was my spare that was low! The shop didn't charge me and aired up my spare and reset my gauges. If you're ever in Perry, OK I highly recommend Sam's Auto! They have always treated me right and they do good work! I have had a number of tire problems (because we live in the sticks) and they've always taken care of me.

I also bought a new, more durable tire pressure gauge at Atwood's last night. I don't need that darn thing falling apart on me again! And because my brain works on tangents, here's a fun tidbit, the truck we used to own had been previously owned by Brian Atwood, the owner of Atwood's. That's my semi-celebrity connection for the day!