Vince does not like driving long trips by himself. In fact, he only drove from MO to TX alone once and that was when we were moving to TX nine years ago.
This morning he got up early, added the last minute things to the car, loaded Boots up in his crate and they left the house about 7 a.m. He had been on the road for about an hour and had a blowout!
You can see that the tire isn’t worn and it isn’t terribly old. Not sure if you can see it but it also ruined the rim. He went by Walmart in Graham, TX to see if they had a rim in stock that would fit and they didn’t. That meant Vince still had close to nine hours to drive with no spare because he had no extra rim that could be used. He debated about whether he should go back to the house, wait til he could get a rim and tire but he said he didn’t want to unpack the car and pack it back up again so he kept driving and, thankfully, he made it.
Probably the most expensive part is that the rubber from the tire blew the once piece rubber bumper completely away from the car. It ripped out all the screws all the way across the back, broke the red thing on that left side and on the right side. I’m not even sure if that’s a light or a reflector of if it’s something the car has to have in working order to get it inspected. It will have to pass inspection to get a MO license plate.
Vince was very lucky. With the car being all wheel drive, and the blowout on the left back, it caused him to veer way into the left lane. Thankfully, no one was coming, it was on a newer Texas road with a nice, wide shoulder and not much traffic. A nice, younger guy stopped and helped him.
The CRV arrived! I was going to say it was its first trip to MO but it used to live here too! 🙂
I had gone to take Addie back to her house. Nicole and I usually meet halfway to hand her off but with it getting dark so early, and me not driving at dark, Nicole brought her all the way to me Friday evening so I told her I’d bring Addie all the way to her house today. The last time Vince and I talked, he was 26 miles from Joplin and I was about 40 miles from Joplin. I told him he’d probably get home before I did . . and he did. It sure was nice to see his car in the driveway!
And, the good news is . . Boots is here. I’ll write about it tomorrow.
Linda B says
So glad he arrived at his new home safe and sound. I have never had a blow out but it really looks terrifying. Enjoy your evening with hubby. I am sure he is amazed at how much you have accomplished.
Chris says
Oh, so scary! Glad Vince is safe and made it to Missouri okay. The older I get, the less I enjoy driving. (And I used to love it!!) So much traffic, so fast. I think you are amazing the way you have driven by yourself so many times!
Judy Laquidara says
I would literally get sick at my stomach when I thought about making that drive but I knew it was the only way I could see Addie. There wasn’t a single trip I made that I didn’t sit in the driveway, both directions, and have to have a pep talk with myself. It helped once I started taking the bypass around OKC but it was still a very long trip and this time of year, if I waited til daylight in TX, it was dark when I got to MO and that made for extra stress. With Vince disliking driving even more than I do, I’m surprised he even drove it yesterday.
Deborah A. says
Glad to read that Vince arrived safely. I’ll bet he’s ready to put his feet up for a couple of hours and to enjoy some home cooked meals.
Dottie Newkirk says
Frightening experience for sure….He’ll probably sleep good tonight! Looking forward to hearing how Boots like his new house.
vivoaks says
I’m sure you’re relieved to have them both there! And much more relaxed to have someone else in the house with you!! 🙂
Elle says
YIPPEE!!!!! Sorry about that tire.
Andrea in MO says
How scary and frustrating! I’m glad Vince and the car are relatively OK and that someone stopped to help.
Laurie says
Wow. Thank goodness Vince didn’t lose control when the tire blew out. Just curious – was the tire a retread?
Teri says
So glad he didn’t get hurt. Good to have him there — bet Rita is happy too.
Nelle Coursey says
I am so glad he is ok and no rollovers from the tire! Those can be very dangerous. He was lucky.
Amy Makson says
OMG that is so scary!! Thank goodness he is ok. Wow.
Cindy F says
So glad that Vince arrived safely! That blowout sure was scary! I always think having good tires is all that is needed but never think about a random event like that! When my parents were alive I made multiple trips out to California by myself to visit them and take care of things. It was something like 650 miles one way so that made for a very long day. I didn’t mind it during the summer but coming home during less daylight hours I tried to leave as early as possible since I’d lose an hour once I was near the Utah border. Instead of driving out there now my sister comes to visit me and I’m glad I don’t have to do the drive.