New Tires

Lately, my steering wheel has been vibrating as I drive. I've been waiting till payday to take it in and get it checked out along with an oil change. So after my classes today, I took my van next door to the local gas station where I can get anything done. I told them I wanted my tank filled up, an oil change, and to fix whatever was causing my wheel to shake.

The lone woman there is also the mother of two of my students, so we have become somewhat friends, as I see her almost every time I have my tank filled up. She looks at my front tires and says I need new ones. I knew my tires were a little smooth, but I didn't really pay much attention to them. They were not only smooth, but also had little rips in the rubber. She said that's what is causing the van to shake. (You were right Elina!)

I then said I wanted two tires, a full tank, and an oil change. She insists that I should do the oil change next month, otherwise it will be really expensive.

Let me repeat that: a MECHANIC told me I should NOT get something done to my car, cause it will cost too much money.

I don't think this is abnormal behavior either. A month ago, Yuka got a new cell phone. She wanted this really small slim phone, but she went with a slighter thicker one with a TV (the one I would have gotten). Why? Because the store clerk told her that the phone she wanted had been having some problems with, plus it just wasn't that good. The phone she ended up getting was cheaper than the one she wanted, too.

I got the new tires sans oil change, and all I can say is, the Wonder Van drives like a new vehicle. And if you've seen what my van looks like, you know that's saying a lot.

***

During lunch, a 2nd grader asked me whose side I would choose if America and Japan went to war. Then the whole class started chanting "Ja-pan! Ja-pan!". Instead of saying "America, and you will be the first one I kill", I said, "Japan" to get them to shut up. This was followed by a loud, "Yay!"