Saved by the Brad!

We awoke to a cold and very rainy morning in Yellowstone, thanking mother nature for once again scheduling the bad weather for when we had a day on the road planned. We pack up and head out for our trip to California. We left about 4 days for this trip, with no reservations until we get to YD's friend's place in Santa Clara. We were thinking Salt Lake City might be our first overnight stop; however, after about an hr, Bobby the car announces that we have a low tire. The next exit is Idaho Falls, about 5 miles away, as I pull off it's clear that it's more than a low tire, it is a dead tire. We limp into the truck stop just off the exit and view the large object protruding from the right rear, flat-as-a-pancake tire with a sigh. Not only do neither of us know how to change a tire, the more daunting prospect was not trying to do it for the first time, but was emptying the trunk of Big Bertha (my huge black duffle),YD's big bag, not to mention the tons of other stuff packed in there tight as a drum to get to the jack and the spare.

Luckily, this truck stop is also home to Holiday bus company. we go in their office on the off chance that they have a garage for their buses, and glory-be, they do. We are greeted by the owner, Brad, who proceeds to don his mechanic overalls, use his jack so we don't have to empty our trunk to jack up the car, his pneumatic drill to remove the tire, which, 2 seconds after seeing he is pretty sure is irreparable, so we won't need to get the spare, as we will need a new tire. He then takes the tire, drives into town, while YD and I lunch at the truck stop restaurant, where YD fulfills her goal of her Idaho visit, which is to have potatoes. FYI...the homemade potato chips at Michell's restaurant at the KJ truck stop in Idaho Falls, are absolutely the best in the world! It takes a while, but Brad returns with a replacement tire, which he then puts on, adjusts the torque in the new tire (that's what he told me, anyway), checks and adjusts the air in all of the tires, and labels the dead, damaged tire with my name and phone # and tells me he will save it until the end of Sept, just in case the rental company wants evidence. Then, in true Idaho-ian fashion, charges me only for the cost of the tire, nothing for his time or effort. After much convincing I get him to take half of the $ I offered, if only to buy himself lunch. Brad, you saved our lives, this one's for you!!

Since we lost a couple of hrs we didn't expect to in Idaho Falls, and the drive to Salt Lake City wasn't as long as expected, we kept going and are now safely ensconced in Elko, Nevada. Having gained an hour on the way here, we had time to see Julie and Julia, as this town is big enough to actually have a movie theater. Plan is to truck through to Lake Tahoe tomorrow. Can't wait!!