The Universe provides abundantly.

Today, Rebecca had a flat tire on the way home from Washington. She finally pulled over at the truck stop at Brooks, on I-5. As I was on my way up to Newberg from Salem, I arranged to come 'rescue' her.

(Really, I wanted to see her before the week started and I had been missing her, so I had arranged with the universe to delay her so I wouldn't miss the narrow window we had as we passed each other on I-5. Considering she had probably driven over 60 miles on a flat tire before a kind overtaking motorist alerted her to the condition, I will have to be more cautious with how I arrange with the universe what manifests...on the other hand, how likely is it that one can drive on a flat tire for 60 miles without mishap, and have the tire serviceable after that abuse - so more of the universe providing abundantly and safely, and suspending normal laws of cause & effect.)

Got there, and the diagnosis was correct - a flat tire. Putting air into the tire demonstrated that it had lost integrity - air was hissing out of a hole, invisible, but audible and eventually located by lips - being way more sensitive to air flow than fingers! We had taken the wheel off, and I was imagining taking it to a repair facility where they would have the expertise to put one of those tire plug quick repair things in - the sort I see in the Pilots, CARQUEST’s and AutoZone at the checkout and never get. I was wrangling the spare into place when a voice says 'you guys have a flat? Want me to fix it?' A rescue angel had shown up, with exactly such a kit, and the expertise to wield it! We showed him where we had earlier located the leak, and he expertly shoved the plug in and wished us luck - went on to his way to his daughters house. He said his name was Brian. We filled the tire and indeed, no more hiss, so I put it back on the rental, and that was that. Total cost $2, for the quarters the air machine needed to operate.

As I am fond of saying - when we finally get to making the movie of the book we will write of our life, they will have to label it 'fiction' because the staggering number of amazing coincidences like this one (and more!) would just not be believed to have actually happened - it will be assumed it was made up in the script of the movie.