Flat Tire + Taco Tuesday

Getting My Car Fixed + My Belly Full

Clint Collide

Jul 07, 2026

red mercedes benz c class — Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

Last night, I took the trash out before bed and happened to glance over at my car. That’s when I saw it:

One of my tires was flatter than my dating prospects on a deserted island.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

After more than eight years of driving this car, I’ve finally earned my first flat tire.

Honestly, that’s a pretty impressive streak, especially living in Los Angeles. Between potholes big enough to qualify for their own ZIP codes and random road debris that seems to materialize out of thin air, I’m amazed all four tires survived this long.

I don’t know what got me, but something finally won.

The silver lining? The tire had the good manners to go flat while the car was parked. It could’ve waited until I was doing 75 on the freeway during rush hour. Instead, it quietly waved the white flag in my driveway.

So this morning, I found myself sitting at the tire shop after getting towed over by AAA. Thankfully, the whole process was easy, breezy, and beautiful. Well, handsome, thanks to Miguel, my friendly tow truck driver.

On the ride over, I kept repeating the same little mantra:

“Hopefully it’s just a patch.”
“Hopefully my wallet survives.”
“Hopefully this doesn’t become ‘Flat Tire + Taco Tuesday + Financial Ruin.’”

Well...

The good news? I made it here safely.
The bad news? All four tires need to be replaced.
The other bad news? They’re backed up, so I’ll be waiting awhile.
The other good news? The tires aren’t cheap, but they are reasonable.

Oh well. I’ll consider it all a win. And once the car is roadworthy again, I’m rewarding myself with some Taco Tuesday goodness.

A few years ago, something like this would’ve ruined my entire day. I would have convinced myself it was the first domino in a long line of expensive disasters:

Flat tire today.
Transmission tomorrow.
Engine next week.
Living under an overpass by Labor Day.

My anxiety has always been incredibly creative and overactive. It can somehow take one minor inconvenience and spin it into a full-blown catastrophe before I’ve even finished my breakfast.

These days, I'm a lot less reactive and a lot better at “going with the flow.”

Stuff breaks.
People help.
Tires get replaced.
I eat Mexican food.

I’m not chasing a life where nothing ever goes wrong. That’s fantasy. I’m just trying to become the kind of person who can roll with the punches, appreciate the people who show up when I need them, and remember that sometimes the best part of a bad day is the lunch that follows.

Besides, if the biggest inconvenience I have this week is buying a new set of tires and being forced to eat tacos afterward, I would say the universe and I are getting along just fine.

Day by day, I feel closer to fine. How about you, boo?

Keep calm and get your tacos on!
Clint 🌈✌️