Car Trama!

This past weekend was full of fun and family. I got a great opportunity to have a lovely dinner with my sister, aunt, and grandma at Mama Sortinis. (My mom was out of town and couldn't join us.) It was great to catch up with all that was going on in our lives and to see each other because it doesn't happen often. Then Saturday my sister and I headed over to Yakima to surprise her in-laws for their anniversary.
The drive over was not so smooth though...it was rough to say the least. My car shook and shook and rattled and shook, but only right around 70mph. I could go faster and for the most part it was fine. I could go slower too, but right around 70 it was no good. Sometimes the ride was smooth. It was sporadic. I was super nervous! I really wanted to turn around and borrow my parents car, but we were already late as it was, so I kept driving willing my car to make it the 2 and 1/2 hour drive.
I didn't understand what was making the noise seeing that I had just taken it in to the mechanic and he had done an oil and lube, rotated my tires, and changed a belt. I thought possibly it might be the belt, so when we stopped for gas I looked under the hood and nothing seemed out of place, but really I don't know much about cars, so I don't know if I would have been able to see anything anyway. So we kept going...as we came down the pass the shaking and noise got worse, but we kept driving. Luckily we made it into Yakima and to the restaurant safe and sound. There was lots of precious cargo on the trip.
One of the guests knew more than me about cars, so he came out and looked under my hood. He didn't see anything...then he looked at my tires. My front driver's side tire was almost bald...you could see all the way down to the wires!!!! Now don't you think this would be something a GOOD mechanic would tell you about when you had just had your tires rotated, but nope he didn't say anything. He, the guest from the party, suggested I get new tires before I go back. I hmmm and hawwwed at the idea, but in the end decided it would probably be a good idea so I didn't break down in the middle of my drive home.
I raced over to Costco, because they were closing at 6 and it was already 4, to see if they had the tires I needed. -background to the story-

I hate everything having to do with cars, because I know nothing about them.
I know I need to get my oil and lube done every 3, 000 miles, but that is
about it. Never did I know when I was supposed to get my tires rotated. I always feel like I'm being taken to the cleaners when I take my car in, because every mechanic that I 've gone to always seems to find three times the amount of things wrong with the car when I bring it in. I figure it's because I'm a girl and they think I don't know anything about cars and for the most part they are right. I just wish I didn't have to deal with it at all and my car would just automatically work. It just sucks all the
way around.

Needless to say I was super nervous going by myself and talking to the mechanics, but Dan the guy there was super nice and was walking me through it until he realized he didn't have the right tires. He could get them in for me in 3 business days though. I asked him if there were other places to get tires and he drew me a map to Sears and Les Schwab. I raced over to Sears, not knowing when they closed...getting more anxious and scared that I would be stuck in Yakima. The guy there was caught up with another customer and I had to patiently wait and fight back the tears that were starting to form. In the end the Sears guy had tires, but as we read me the specs it really seemed that what he was offering me was not what I needed and really were going to suck! Plus by his body language, I could tell. So I told him no thanks and rushed over to Les Schwab, where I was met with a dark building.

I saw two people walk out, so I thought I might be in luck, but as I neared the door I was greeted by the hours

By chance before I got out of my car I had noticed it was 5:10. I was done! I kept walking to try the door anyway and it was open. I walked in and asked if there was any way I could get tires today and the lady said that everyone had gone home and asked if I could come back Monday. I told her I needed to get home tonight (Saturday) and then the tears started streaming down my face. She told one of the guys to go out and get my numbers for my tires and she started to take my information. He came back and it was just my luck that they had 4 tires for me and she somehow found 3 wonderfully looking gentlemen that stayed late and put 4 new tires on my car in just under 15 min. She stayed and talked to me for awhile, enough to calm me down and then she left too. I was so happy with my service there!
I really believe that He was looking out for me on Saturday, because my sister and my day could have ended up so totally different if the tire had broken apart.

They really were my heros on Saturday as well as all the other people that looked out for me. The mechanic, who rotated my tires on the other hand, will have to deal with me and will have a whole nother thing coming to him.