No photo today. The trees are increasingly bare, it’s a little bleak looking out there, and I didn’t want to post yet another Blythe doll, especially since you’ll get a lot of that kind of content after Sunday. Today, I’m going to gather whatever I need to take with me, and get everything in place for an early start to my journey tomorrow. The tradition is to bring a doll or two with you, so Olivia will be accompanying me on this little adventure.
My oil change quickly turned into having to replace the two rear tires on my car. Oh boy. But you know, over the past two weeks, I repeatedly had the thought that before I left for New Jersey, I had to get the oil changed. I still had several hundred miles left before I was officially due, nevertheless, I felt compelled to get the oil change now. I figured it was because I don’t put all that many miles on my car and it had been a long enough time that the oil might have become dirty. So I finally called the local branch of a discount tire company that is only a mile or so from our house. They usually do my car inspections and oil changes.
Don volunteered to take the car in, bless him. Soon after he left, he called me to say they were recommending that I replace the rear tires. My immediate response was that the car had been inspected recently and the tires had passed. A lot of back and forth occurred and Don urged me to speak with the mechanic directly. He told me that since they were the original tires (from 2012) they were starting to separate from the inside – in other words, rot – and it was dangerous to drive on them. They were disintegrating in a way I would not have noticed, even though the tread passed the inspection. It all made sense to me. Of course, the tires were in bad shape! Car tires aren’t meant to last 11 years! (The two front tires were replaced about 5 or 6 years ago.)
I am absolutely sure that the nagging feeling about getting an oil change was guidance from the universe. I briefly considered taking it to a Jiffy Lube, but I didn’t. I took it to a place that specialized in tires. Another sort of quick oil change facility wouldn’t necessarily have seen the tire issue.
Money I wasn’t prepared to spend, but thank goodness the tires are okay now! And they gave me a good price, far less than if a Honda dealership replaced them.
So. Tomorrow is Wonderland of Play/BlytheCon and I’m sure I’ll have lots of stories to share with you on Monday. Given my need for a quiet life here at the cottage, this will be a big EVENT. More than 500 people are attending. I’ll need the remainder of the week to recover. Wish me luck.
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
I hope you have a fabulous time at the Blythe event! I can’t wait to hear about it.
Thanks, Jenny!
Stay safe.
good morning.
glad you followed up on that feeling and now have safe tires on which to drive! so very important (my father worked in that field for forty years)!
happy for you, with your love of blythe, to go to this “wonderland of play” event tomorrow. enjoy every minute, including the drives over and back home! when you have time to share, will be glad to hear about it.
and as an introvert, i agree about self-care after (and before) such an event. i’ve always had it, but not always been able to honor that need for quiet time. now i do have that recognition and time, which is good, especially since i don’t “bounce back” as quick as i used to.
anyway, safe travels and have lots of fun!!!
kathy
Thanks so much, Kathy.
Stay safe.
I am glad you followed up on that intuitive feeling about your oil change. I secretly hate when I take my car in, and they find something else. But, your tires are so important for your safety….it’s something to which everyone needs to pay attention.
Have fun tomorrow….travel safe!! ;)
Well, I wasn’t happy about the extra expense, but safety is priceless.
Stay safe, Donnamae.
Amen to that!! ;)
xo
I’m absolutely sure the universe was speaking to you, too. Thank goodness you listened! You’ll feel much better on the drive knowing you took care of your car. Hope you have a lovely time. Coming home will be especially nice after a trip away.
Thanks, Elizabeth.
Stay safe.
You are lucky to have a trustworthy mechanic.
Safe travels!
Well, that is his job!
Stay safe, Betsy.
Your guardian angel was looking after you. Safe travels tomorrow. Have fun. Might you come home with a sister for your girls? Can’t wait to hear all about the conference. I’m sure Olivia will have fun, too. She can be your co-pilot. Hugs, Elaine
No. I don’t have money for another doll and, besides, I just purchased one! I’ll buy accessories and clothes.
Stay safe, Elaine,
You will be fine; you will have fun. And now, better safe than sorry on the tires. Is all meant to be … an enjoyable time and trip for you, Claudia. Am SO looking forward to your after-report. Safe travels!
How long do you think your day will be, from the time you leave the cottage, go to the Blythecon and arrive back at your front door? You WILL gain that extra hour with the time change! At least the weather is decent enough (isn’t it?) for getting back late after dark?
(Why didn’t Don want to go along for the ride? Too many hours to kill on his own in an unfamiliar locale while you were busy indoors at the Wonderland? Tell me again, where this event is held? [I just recall when he went along with you to retrieve the giant doll house, I think in New Jersey?])
What can I say; Vicki needs to know EVERY detail!
I’ll leave at 6 am, get to NJ around 8:15 or so. Find the parking area, then walk to the venue. Then we stand in line for an hour or so until the doors open. With 500 people in line, I want to get there early. The event is from 10 – 5 and in order to maybe win a fabulous door prize, you have to be there until the end. So I’ll be at the event for 7 hours (way too long) which is why it isn’t fair to ask Don to go with me. Then 2 hours more to get home. I’ll be gone over 12 hours. It’s held in Jersey City. (The dollhouse was in Pennsylvania.)
It will be cold out in the morning and evening. But no rain or snow in the forecast.
Stay safe, Vicki.
Wow, this is an ambitious outing!
xo
Continue to listen to the whisper of the inner voice, Claudia. T then you can’t go wrong (too often). Safe drive and fun times with Olivia at Wonderland.
Thank you so much, Wendy.
Stay safe.
I once read that having good tires on your car is one of the most important things…you definitely don’t want to have a blow-out. Glad you got the new tires. And I definitely believe in listening to those voices! That was nice of the mechanic to explain what was happening.
I’ll be very interested in hearing about the Wonderland of Play…and seeing more darling pictures! Have a wonderful time!
Thanks so much, Barrie.
Stay safe.
I love stories like this. It just reaffirms my sense of a bigger picture.
I hope the event was what you wanted and more!
The ride to NJ was quite smooth, I have to say!
Stay safe.