Double lucky double flat tires

This past weekend we were very lucky. We had both cars at the Pack campsite, because Zachary was at the Troop camping event, and I had planned to leave the Pack campsite early to meet up with him.  Our gray car got a flat, and we innocently tried to install the donut.  The donut would not take air. Our red car has 5 nuts per tire but our gray car has 4, so we could not make use of our other car's spare.  All the friends we were willing to ask also had cars with 5 nuts. This seems quite unlucky.  But we were in fact SUPER lucky.

The flat was entirely our own fault (the tires were 8 years old) and it would have been entirely a bad idea to try to make it home on a donut and 3 now-unbalanced 8 year old tires.  This mess could not have happened at a better time, as all of us were safe and it was a weekend. Zachary was with Nayher and Diego, well cared for and having a fun time.  AAA towed us to a AAA repair shop where they sold us good tires, fixed the valve in the donut, fixed our headlight, realigned the car.  It was entirely good luck all around.  And now we realize what happens to tires after 8 years. 

We had not driven on them nonstop for 8 years, as they were winter tires. We had been alternating them with the all-seasons, but when the all-seasons lost their tread, we just kept the winter tires on, thinking we would just use them up and then buy all-seasons on the next go-around.  But we had not considered the actual age of the rubber in this decision.  Now we know.

Although this was good luck, it was nonetheless very tiring this weekend.