My adventure driving my Jeep for the first time...

I had an adventure today… I become a certified OPC (Outside Public Contact) – aka Activities salesman. I start in a booth tomorrow. I went in @ 10 AM – and I had finished my test by 12:30 – so I had most of the day free – so I decided to get brakes and rooters on my cruiser. The main reason I decided this is because I have an interview at a company on Tuesday on the other side of the island. I am excited – I hope I get it. I would be in charge of the outsourcing to India and get to travel back and forth to India and Maui. I think it sounds interesting – I can’t wait to learn more. Speaking of India, was there a Seinfeld episode that George went to India and did not go pee the whole time he was there?

Any way – I have been on way too many interviews with no offers to get too excited – back to my adventure… I have owned but not driven my Jeep for about a week or so now, so I decided to take her to the other side (Kahului) to get her some new shoes. She started right up and I hit the highway. Every thing was fine till I cam to the first stop light about 3 miles down the road. I put on the brakes to stop – and she died. She would not start up for about 3 minutes – so I had a nice little line of traffic behind me. I knew the brakes were bad – but I made it to Midas. That is I found the way to the shop – turned on the street to get in to the shop – then she stalled again and would not start. Luckily I parked her on the street – and figured I was at a garage which was a good thing. When the mechanic went out to start her up, she would not start. He came back and asked if there was a trick – and I said NO. He told me to start it up and bring it into the garage. I turned the key and she started right up so I thought the dude was crazy. Then I went to flip a bitch (aka U turn) and she died and would not start. After 5 minutes – I got her started and went into the parking lot to turn around and she died again. It took 10 minutes before she would start again. I got the Jeep over to the shop and they proceeded to replace the rooters and brakes. This is where things got interesting….

I drive here out of the shop and make it 3 blocks down the street and she stalled and would not start. A Hawaiian and a paramedic (in an ambulance!) got out of there cars to push me into a parking lot. I was grateful. Extremely Grateful. She still would not start – so I looked under the hood and saw nothing (since I am not a mechanic…) – then I noticed the left rear tire. It did not look quite right – so I looked at the other tires. Much to my surprise, the idiots had NOT replaced the LUG NUTS on the back tire!!!! My tire had fallen off!!!! I walked the 3 blocks to the shop and asked if they had taken the back tire off to check the rear brakes. The manager said yes – and then I informed him that they had not replaced the lug nuts. He apologized and sent a mechanic down with a jack in his truck to fix it. So here we are, in a truck with a jack and a lug nut wrench and I am missing 5 lug nuts. Can u guess what happens next? He takes 1 lug nut from each of the wheels to replace the nuts on the wheel that has fallen off. Did any one see that coming? I know I did. I then follow him to NAPA so he can buy some replacement nuts. They only had 4. So Jeff the mechanic bought them then we went to the shop so u could use the air gun. He got them on – and then my little Jeep would not start. After about 5 minutes – she started. So I headed home on the other side of the island. I do have to confess that I did learn a new way to drive an automatic car today – I learned that when I saw a stop light to put it in neutral, give her gas with the right foot and brake with the left. It was quite the adventure…. After a couple of more stall outs, I made it home…

I am grateful that I did not get hurt by not having any lug nuts on my tire.
I am grateful that no one else got hurt.
I am grateful that I was not on the mountains when the tire came off.
I am grateful that a native Hawaiian and a paramedic in an ambulance pushed me into the parking lot. THANK YOU so very much!!!

I guess I am going to have to rent a car to get to my interview on Tuesday…

After I got home – I realized that I should probably be mad – or have gotten mad – but I didn’t. I have yet to get mad on this island. Instead of being mad – I was thankful that no one got hurt. Maybe if you can control your attitude you can do miraculous things… I was happy to have made it home safely (and in my Jeep.)
Aloha!