One of those days and just what I needed.

I've learned quite a few things today. The sidewall of your tyre blowing out is very load when it happens but not that big a deal at 30 mph. After the tyre has blown driving on the rim isn't as noisy as I would have expected. You can definately hear it, but I could believe for a non car nut with a stereo on they might not notice. I have wondered when I have seen people driving on completely flat tyres.

I was reminded that most men when passing a female with a sick car will shout abuse. However there are a few decent people out there and I am very grateful to the two people who let me use their mobile phones and to the man who leant me a decent wheel brace.

I've aslo learned how frustrating it is when your body lets you down. My knee has been playing up a lot recently and I am finding it very difficult to crouch or kneel. Even harder to get up again. As I couldn't find the key to unlock my wheel covers I didn't manage to get stuck sitting in a puddle next to a broken down car without a mobile phone. I did however get to feel pathetic for not changing my own tyre.I've also found out that my wheel size has become obsolete again. I replaced my 13" rims with 15" rims because no one was making tyres for them. Now they have changed back again to 13". Strange. It also looked like my favourite tyres were no longer available for either size, but after a lot of searching we may have found some, keep your fingers crossed.

I returned a silk wholecloth to a customer today. Which was great. It was a stressful project but I thought it looked great when it was done. Silk dupion over wool wadding, just yummy. I have had plans for a while to make me a two layer silk sleeping bag. This has made me more tempted than ever.

Finally this was just what I needed to hear today. It has been a long and not terribly sucessful day. I love it when a student can take away something useful from a class. I really don't mind what that is,  I do accept that sometimes it will be "this is not for me", but it is nicer when it's something really useful. Even if it wasn't technically what I was teaching :) It also shows it is worth taking your sewing machine instruction book to class with you. Most tutors know a lot of machines but not all of them.

One last lesson, black cycle shorts, always black.