WELL, WE HAD A WONDERFUL TRIP TO NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO. BALOON FESTIVAL , TOURS OF THE AIR FORCE ACADAMY, OLYMPIC VILLAGE, AN INDIAN PUEBLO AND A HOST OF OTHER THINGS WE DID I WON'T BORE YOU WITH. BUT I WILL TELL YOU I'VE TRIED TO MEET PEOPLE WITHIN A 25 MILE RADIUS OF HOME TO NO AVAIL. I SHOWER, SHAVE, I'M PLEASANT. SOMTIMES HUMOROUS, BUT I HAVE TO TRAVEL 1300 MILES TO BOULDER, COLORADO TO GET TOGETHER WITH A FELLOW STROKE NETWORK MEMBER. MY WIFE AND I ENJOYED OUR TIME WITH SARA, GARY, KRISTIN, AND PATRICK. GREAT FOOD, GOOD COMPANY, AND A VERIFICATION WHAT I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED. CAREGIVERS ARE SAINTS. AMEN!

NOW FOR THE ADVENTURE HOME. WE LEFT SAT. MORNING, HOPING TO GET TO OMAHA, NEBRASKA THAT NIGHT. AT 1PM. WE HEARD A LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A HELICOPTER OVERHEAD. YUP, THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW ONE MILE FROM THE EXIT TO NORTH PLATTE , NEBRASKA. NOW I HAVE A MONTH OLD NISSAN WITH 4000 MILES ON IT. LOW AND BEHOLD, THERE WAS A NISSAN DEALER IN TOWN WHO TOLD ME WHICH TOW COMPANY TO CALL. SITTING ON THE SIDE OF I-80 WITH TRUCKS GOING BY AT 80 MPH IS NO FUN.

WE RODE TO THIS METROPOLS IN THE CAB OF THE FLATBED, OUR INJURED VEHICLE BEHIND US. THEY PUT THE DOUGHNUT SPARE ON AND WE FOUND THERE WERE LOTS OF MOTELS AND RESTAURANTS AT THIS EXIT. WHOOPIE!

IT SEEMS EVERY TIRE PLACE AND THE NISSAN SERVICE CLOSE AT 1 PM. SO HERE WE ARE WITH NO WAY OUT OF TOWN.

WE CHECKED INTO A MOTEL 'TLL MONDAY. OUR HIGHLIGHT ON SUNDAY WAS SPENDING AN HOUR IN WAL-MART. WE ALSO FOUND GOOD STEAKS AT A NEARBY RESTAURANT CALLED "WHISKEY SALOON".

AT 7:30 MONDAY MORNING, WE WERE AT THE GOODYEAR DEALER, EXPECTING TO GET A NEW TIRE AND GETTING ON THE ROAD. WRONG. HE DIDN'T CARRY THE SIZE AND THE CLOSEST TIRE DEALER WHO DID WAS 150 MILES AWAY. HE LOOKED AT THE BLOWN TIRE AND COULDN'T DETERMINE WHY IT HAPPENED. SO WE WENT TO THE NISSAN DEALER EXPECTING TO GET A TIRE. WRONG. THEY HAD NO TIRES THAT SIZE IN STOCK EITHER. NOW ON SUNDAY WE HAD GONE TO THE NISSAN DEALER WHERE I CHECKED HIS INVENTORY OF MURANOS AND FOUND HE HAD 5 OF THEM. SO I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER IF HE COULD TRANSFER ONE OF THOSE TIRES TO MY WHEEL AND GET ME ON THE ROAD. HE SAID THAT IF I WERE A REGULAR CUSTOMER, HE WOULD CONSIDER DOING IT. I TOLD HIM I GENERALLY DON'T DRIVE A 1000 MILES TO BUY A CAR, AND THAT WE SHOULD PRETEND I'M A GOOD CUSTOMER. GUESS WHAT? IT WORKED. AN HOUR LATER WE WERE BACK AT THE MOTEL LOADING THE CAR AND SETTING OFF ON MY NEW, BEAUTIFUL BLACK TIRE.

WE HAD A NICE REMAINDER RIDE HOME. I CALLED NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ARE REVIEWING REIMBURSING ME FOR THE TOW AND MOTEL STAY BECAUSE NO TIRES WERE READILY AVAILABLE. IF THE DEALER HAD A TIRE IN STOCK SATURDAY, I COULD HAVE BOUGHT IT, HAD IT MOUNTED ELSEWHERE AND BEEN ON OUR WAY. I HAVE FRIEND WHO OWNS A CHAIN OF GOODYEAR STORES AND WILL LOOK AT THE TIRE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. IF THE TIRE IS DEFECTIVE, I CAN GET THE MONEY BACK FOR THE TIRE I HAD TO BUY.

SO MUCH FOR OUR ADVENTURE. OUR MARRIAGE STAYED IN TACT THROUGH THIS ORDEAL, MY BLOOD PRESSURE STAYED NORMAL. I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT THE DEALER IN THE MIDDLE OF NEBRASKA DID. NO, I'M NOT BUYING MY NEXT CAR THERE.