Things have kind of slipped away from me, life has a way of doing that this time of the year, and more so lately. But I've been told to write about this, so here we go->

My car is only about one year old. I bought it about 5 months ago, new and off the dealer's lot. When I bought it it had low profile tires on it. They wouldn't change them out for me at the dealer, so I decided to keep them.  First mistake: I didn't trust my gut!

Fast forward to December:  My rear right tire is low on air. My neighbor has a pump and fills the tire for me. It drives fine. Then, X-Mas eve around 7:PM I drive home via Hwy.37W. As I round the corner onto the American River overpass, my car gets all wobbly and I am having to work really hard on steering.
Clue number one: This usually means a bad tire. 
But I am hellbent on getting home on time, so I just keep my hands tightly around the steering wheel. As I get onto the stretch of 37 that is past the racetrack, my car is really starting to loose control. So, I pull over. "Damned, and double damned!" I can't  get out of the car to look what's up because the cars are passing by me at really high speeds, it is pitch black outside and I'm allowing myself to feel helpless and stupid.
Clue number 2: When I allow myself to feel that way, I'm usually tired and unwilling to admit it.
In my mind, I get all hung up in stupid thinking:  I have 3 free tows from AAA. I have used 2 this year already by locking myself out of my car with the keys in it.  If I call the tow truck, it will take a long time and I will be out of free visits, making the next one more expensive, like $40.-  So, I decide to drive home, for about 5 miles, on a flat tire. I make it to a gas station that has air. I fill up the tire and 2 blocks away from the station, my tire is flat again. "Fuck, and double fuck!!"
Finally, I make it home - on a flat tire. The car sits. I stew on X-Mas eve. I stew on X-Mas day, then on the third day of stewing my hubby said to me: "Get the car towed to the store, and use my AAA card."
Clue number 3: When tired and frazzled, don't make decisions right then and there.
Grateful for his suggestion, I call AAA. They send a fella to help me with the tire. He actually changes the tire, putting on the spare.
Clue number 4: Get to know your car before it needs to be known.
I drive my car over to the Pep Boys and they tell me that they can't repair the tire. Driving on it has damaged it beyond repair. Furthermore, they don't have or sell this type of tire: High performance, low profile easy racing tire. If they did, they say, it would cost me around $175.- to buy a new one.  WTF!!!!
Clue number 5:  Remember mistake number one!
So, I drive over to Marin to work. While there I call a tire place and they have to special order the tire.  And the walk-out-the-door price will be:  $178.-  DAMN!

Total cost of avoiding the possibility of a $40.- charge for a possible future mishap:
$178.-
$  40.- in lost wages
____
$218.-

Now why couldn't I have thought of that in the beginning?

Edit: Did I forget to mention that I have a Ford Focus?!? And that it ain't a racing car? And that it ain't a high performance car?  Dang!  I did forget!  Which is why the price of the tires just so floored me