No damsels in distress here...

I've always been grateful to the men in my life who saw how important it was for me to know how to deal with mishaps.

My husband taught be long before we married how to change a tire all by myself, and my dad spent hours teaching me how to drive on ice and snow in empty snow-covered parking lots. I still think of my dad's lessons every time I go out in the snow. And I've put George's lessons to work for a friend in college when she had a flat. I've gotten down on the ground in a skirt to change my own tire, too. I have to say I'm proud that I have the confidence to handle some basic challenges that come my way.

Yesterday was another of those situations. Our Honda, as a result of catching the front bumper on the driveway, had a flap underneath that had come loose. The first time it happened (about 6 months ago) I heard a loud flapping while driving on the highway. I was only a mile from a Honda dealership. They checked it out and said they just zip-tied that flap back to the bumper. So yesterday, when I heard that tell-tale noise, I knew what to do. I hit up a Home Depot, bought some zip-ties and got down on the ground in the (wet...thanks to the snow melting) parking lot (in all my pregnant glory) to fasten that flap back up. And the ride home was quiet and flap-free.

I hope we can teach our daughter(s) how to be independent and self-sufficient, and I'm grateful to my dad and husband who encourage me to be knowledgable about such things.

Thanks, guys.