tire changing party, fire in the hole

it was one of those moments where i thought “you know, if i would’ve just been responsible and listened to people, i wouldn’t be in this predicament right now…”

andy borrowed Zeva (…my car.  don’t act like you don’t know who Zeva is) a week and a 1/2 ago to go up to tampa and he came back saying he thought i had a bad tire or needed the tires balanced.  i agreed, because i had been hearing a slight “whomp whomp whomp” when i drove.  then shane drove Zeva and said the sound was worse and i needed to get it checked out.  i should’ve done that last week.  i just want to make a note that i DID drive by the tire place on saturday but it turns out they’re closed saturday and sunday.  i had every intention of being responsible.

and then sunday rolled around.  and i had that gut feeling on my drive up to church that “hmm…i hope my tire doesn’t blow.  i really need to get that checked.”

sure enough, come sunday night on my drive home, that “whomp whomp whomp” turned into a “WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP” and i know that sound all too well.  flat tire.  actually, more like blown tire.  yeah, blown tire.

i’ve been taught how to change tires.  in hindsight, i probably could’ve done it.  but it was dark and i had never changed the tires on Zeva before so i didn’t know where to set the jack or how hard the nuts were going to be to get off.  so i chickened out. 

i called my dad.  i called andy.  i called shane.  no one was jumping at the opportunity to drive 40 minutes to come help me out (i was up in islamorada).  they were willing, but not until i gave it a good shot of fixing it myself.

so what did i do?  i hung up the phone and sat in my car staring out and wondering what in the world i was going to do.  and then i prayed.  hehe i did.  i asked God to help me make a wise decision.  i was going to call Natalie and see if her dad could help me (he lives a couple minutes from where i tanked).  but i didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.  and then i thought…it’s either try him or have someone drive 40 minutes to come help me and then make them drive 40 minutes back.  killer.

so i called natalie.  she called me back within minutes saying her dad was on his way and her and kathleen were on their way too (they live  about 15 minutes away from where i was).  they are crazy insane and i love them.  :D  so we had a tire changing party.  blasting music and volleyball included.

it was the funnest tire changing experience i’ve ever had!!  yenny loves nat & kat!

and what was awesome is i saw God’s hand on everything.  He protected andy from blowing out the tire going 75mph on his trip (or faster…i choose to remain ignorant to the speeds at which he took Zeva).  and yesterday after beach volleyball i normally would head home but natalie had the brilliant idea of cooking up fresh veggies and making fruit smoothies and enjoying the sunset from the concrete beach.  so after a most beautiful time together, i headed home around 8.  when nat called her dad, he had just gotten done with a bike ride so it was good timing for him.  and there were really strong storms coming thru but we got the tire changed and i got almost all the way home before it even started raining.  everything just clicked.

AND – i got to enjoy a beautiful lightning storm the whole drive home!  it was spectacularilly fantastic!  i was having such a great time enjoying God’s magnificent creation!  there was a lot of “WOOHOO!!!!” and “YOU’RE SO COOL!” exclamations going on as He would light up the sky as i drove over bridges.  i’d say “ok God, c’mon – give me another good one!” and BAM!  hehehe you just had to be there.  no music.  just me, God, the lightning, and me squealing.

God’s provision and fingerprints just stoke me.

on another note, i am starving right now.  why?  because i nearly burned down the kitchen tonight and i was so frustrated that i didn’t eat any of the food i tried to make and ended up just eating a bowl of cereal.  humph.

i don’t know what happened.  last week i made fajitas and they worked.  no major mishaps.  and then tonight i totally burned the rice and then when i put steak in the pan it shot up in flames!  oy.

i almost moved home tonight.  i don’t know what i’m supposed to do!  i’m so incompetent!  i always thought i had pretty good common sense.  apparently i don’t.

and i can’t smell.

that’s always the fall back excuse for everything.  “jen, why’s your room a mess?”  i’m sorry, i have no sense of smell.  “jen, your car needs washed really bad.”  i’m sorry, i can’t smell.  “jen, why didn’t you go for that ball?” (in volleyball).  i know, i know – it’s just that i can’t smell and…

:D

i did overcome my crepe disaster though. 

Exhibit A – first attempt at crepe making a week ago.

i ended up eating a banana instead.

however, 1 week later (this last saturday) i decided to give it another shot.  and now i give you…

Exhibit B

and i made sushi.

 

 

just kidding :)

 

 

 

 

but i did make these…i call it “strawb delight” :)

 

:::sigh::: i just don’t know where God wants me :)  struggling but on my own?  or with my fam?

i need to go to bed.  :)