3rd time's a charm ... or is it?

So, today McClellan and I met up with Betsy and Clare for a walk on the trails that lead to Cherry Creek State Park. This is the third time we've met there for a walk.

The first time we went, we got all the way into the park area and there were snakes crawling across the trail. Needless to say, we turned around and walked back to the parking lot.

Our second walk on the trail was even shorter. This time the walk ended *right* when we entered the park area Betsy's stroller ended up with a flat tire. Not just any flat, a seriously dead, flat tire. So again, we turned around and headed back to the parking lot.

Today, our third time went something like this:

Meet at the park, laugh about how every time we've tried this something happens, wonder how far we'll make it this time, get the girls in their strollers, head out on the trail, get around the corner...and, this time, it's ME with the flat tire. Yes, seriously. This time, we only had been on the trail for about 5 minutes. Yes, yes, yes...I'm serious.

So again, we turned around and headed back to the parking lot. There's a gas station just across from where we park so while McClellan stayed back with Betsy & Clare, I headed to the gas station to try and air up my flat as a pancake tire.

Here's where it gets even better:

I got to the air machine and realized I had no cash. Into the gas station I went, hoping for an ATM machine. BINGO-they had an ATM! So...I pulled out $20, (along with the $2.25 machine charged me, and then the $2.00 my bank will charge=$24.25) and then had to buy a pack of gum so the guy behind the counter would give me quarters for the air machine.

20 seconds of air ultimately cost me $5.25. Yes, I'm serious.

Back to the parking lot I went, slapped the tire back on the stroller and ... you guessed it, the tire was already going flat.

Not willing to let my $5.25 go to waste, we decided to press on and walk as far as we could on whatever air my tire would hold.

As it turned out, that wasn't very far. 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back in...and back in the parking lot I was with a flat as a pancake tire again.

The third time is not always a charm.