► Spending too much time trying to get all my online activities more or less up to date. Something (computer, Net, new Firefox version) isn't cooperating. Loading pages is always slow, but at the moment loading is so slow that pages aren't even loading properly. Grrrrrr!!!
► Need to go into town and get another new tire.
Afternoon:
► Uneventful trip into town. Paid several bills, bought groceries and, most importantely, bought a new tire. I decided to just take the wheel into town and get the new tire mounted. When I returned home, I changed tires on the van, putting the new tire on the ground. (I've had a lot of tire changing practice lately.) I figured that would be easier than trying to secure everything in the partially loaded van. If the load shifted while I was bumping along our country roads, reloading the van completely would be much more difficult.
All this hassle (and expense) with the van's tires has convinced me of one thing: The next time I buy tires for the van, I'm buying new wheels too. I should have done this years ago.
The van has 16.5" rims. This odd sized wheel was one of the "Better Ideas" Ford pursued for several years last century. The 16.5" rims requires a "Light Truck". 6-ply rated tire. These tires have always been more expensive and a little more difficult to find. With fewer and fewer of the trucks requiring these tires still on the road, they've become a lot more expensive and harder to find. At this point, buying new wheels and tires would be no more expensive than purchasing more 16.5" tires -- and I'd be able to buy future replacement tires much more cheaply from anyone selling tires. As I said, I should have done this years ago, I just never imagined I'd still be driving the same old 1983 Econoline after all these years.
Evening:
Routine chores and continue working on replacing that rabbit cage bottom.
