I am feeling very good about myself tonight and after I explain to you the reason for that, I am sure you will agree I have every right to be proud.
It took me all day, this fine late autumn day, but lying on my side on my driveway with various tools scattered around me, I finally got my summer tires installed.
I ran into an old friend of mine one day in August and he pointed out that I still had my winter tires on. I felt a bit sheepish about that and pointed out that I have been driving on my snow tires for the past two years.
He shot me a grimace that seemed to have a lot of judgment behind it. Never one to enjoy anyone grimacing at me, especially an old buddy, I decided that this was a situation I could not let stand.
I needed to change my tires.
However, for me, intending to do something and doing it are often as far away as Ireland is from Hawaii.
So, it took me till today, Dec. 11, to get my summers on and now on they are. When August rolls around again, my old friend will not have the opportunity to shoot me some tire judgment.
Actually, the fact is, when I went out to get into my car this morning, it was to discover that my right front winter tire was as flat as Donald Trump’s hairdo and the other one was about six months pregnant.
My poor winter tires, lately, have held air like a pair of fishnet stockings might, and while I am all in favour of fishnet stockings in the right setting, apparently tires are in constant need of air. My summer tires perform that task more like a pair of big woolen socks might, so I should be good to go.
And, lucky for me, I hear we are going to have an early summer next year.
There is a fine line between being late to a thing and being early. I am going out on a limb to suggest that I am the first person in my town to have already installed his summer tires. I think that fact should score me some admiration from the community.
I just hope that someone, maybe even a committee, will soon be busy planning a parade.
©2020 Jim Hagarty
