flat

While in Vermont, my mom, the boys and I drove to a nearby town for some shopping. And while I was expertly parallel parking my car (I do live in NYC, after all, where parallel parking is the only option), I blew out two tires.

It was the kind of blow out where you can see a puff of air and people walking by slow down and look. So, a nice kind of blow out.

My mom and I run through a list of ideas of what to do as we get the kids out of the car and head into the store. We stand in the store for a few minutes still going through ideas and the sales lady overhears us.

"I have a flat." I tell her. I think for a minute. "I need a man. Do you know where I can find a man?"

Now, I think I can change a flat, but honestly, I don't want to! I have these two little kids and my mom, and I really just want someone to help me. It doesn't have to be a man...but in my experience most men not only know how to do that kind of thing, they seem to enjoy it.

"You can find a man at the Army-Navy store down the block. There are always men in there."

"Thanks!"

So, I head down the block with Isaac strapped to my belly, leaving my mom and Andrew playing happily in a toy store. I walk in the store and there is a man standing right by the door! Imagine my luck!

"I have a flat tire and I need someone to help me with that other little tire."

"The spare?"

"Yup. The spare! Do you know anyone that can help me?"

Who could resist this? I mean honestly! A frazzled mom with a baby and she doesn't even know what the spare is called! Within minutes we were rifling through my trunk getting parts and changing tires. And when I say "we" let me be more clear. He was in charge of "getting parts" and "changing tires". I was in charge of watching.

He changed the flatter of the two flat tires and pumped the other one with enough air to get me to the service station. A woman from another shop on that block offered to drive us home from the service station. Kindness was seeping from every store, I tell you!

If you feel a flat coming on (because they are so easy to see coming!) I would head to a small town in Northern Vermont. It really is a great place to need that sort of help.

I would say these good Samaritans deserve some cookies for their labor, wouldn't you? I see some cookie care packages in my future!



In other news, there have been all kinds of tunnels forming in the living room. And luckily for the whole family, Isaac prefers crawling through the tunnels instead of knocking them down.