: Rehd,
: Well, maybe you started out with something too difficult!

: The wife had a flat the other day and called for instructions. Told her to
: call AAA and have'em put on the spare. Ten minutes later she calls again
: and I ask if AAA is on the way. She says, "Mo, I drove home."
: With visions of a trashed $400 wheel in my head, I bite my tongue,
: remembering V-day. She asks me to pick up our daughter from her skiing
: lessons, can do. Leave work early, drive home in heavy traffic and snow
: storm and get kid at the mountain. On the way I pass what looks like a
: Firestone Wilderness AT in the "after" mode along side the road
: a couple of miles from the house. My heart sinks.

: Well she's right, she got home. The wheel's still there with the side walls
: wrapped around each other in the center. I bite down harder. Pick up a new
: Michellen at the wholesale club the next day-$92.50 plus tax. Call it an
: even hundred. No way I'm lettin' anybody down at the garage see this. So I
: pull the wheel and survey the damage. Not bad for a couple miles in the
: snow, I think I can save it. After a mild struggle, I get the old beads
: untangled and off. Using Pete Rudie's tip, I cargo strap it down to the
: workmate and realize it's about 10 deg. in the shop.

: Selecting two long files I get to work and am soon pretty warm. I am pleased
: because the aluminum is smoothing up nice and the damage is superficial.
: Every couple of times I move the wheel I go down to the grinder to get the
: aluminum brushed out of the files. These are long files, 16". While
: cleaning one and concentrating on the brush a knuckle on my other hand
: gets ground off. Fortunately, I have a leather glove on so I don't see the
: blood. Using the angle grinder I wire brush the filed rim and clean up the
: inside of the wheel. Looks like new! I mount the tire and put it on the
: car. Done in just under four hours.

: Next morning the wife sweetly asks what I'm gonna' do for her on V-day. Tell
: her she's got a nice new tire. The last thing she said to me was "Bite
: my ass!" I'm bitting my tongue again.

: Enjoy the cake!

LOL.... I'll never complain again!! Ha! Hope all turns out well there.
The cake was delivered this morning and ....... ??? they liked it. Go Figure!!

Rehd