Today's Near-death experience

   This was the first time I have ever thought there was a good chance I was going to die today.  I was on my way home from Maine this afternoon and I was 5 miles from home on the Mass Turnpike.  Tooling along at probably 75 in the high speed lane and I felt thump,thump thump really fast and I thought it was something I was driving over, so I decided to pull over but never had time.  And then all hell broke loose and it sounded like my rear fender was coming off.  I had a tire blow out, but luckily for me it was a rear tire.  If it had been a front tire, it would have been bad. scary bad.   I had a split second I thought to decide where to pull over and that was my error.  I pulled over to the left off the fast lane side.  I knew I had to get out  of there, but there was so much traffic that I couldn't move.  Nobody was slowing down at all. I pulled off as far as I could get but my tail end was still a little in the  lane. Nothing I could do about it but hope for the best. I was looking in the rear view mirror and calling 911 at the same time.  The state police got there  pronto and pulled up behind me, and told me I had to get over to the other side.  I must have blanched because he said no really you have to pull it over.  He put his lights on and pulled into the lane and the traffic slowed a little and I pulled in front of him on 3 tires and a rim and he helped me over to  the other side.  I got to tell you my hands were actually shaking and I don't get shook up very easily.  The reason it was so scary is that I had pulled over right after a rise in the road and the oncoming traffic couldn't see me until they were practically on top of me. I was lucky today.The Police couldn't believe no one had hit me.
   The turnpike truck came to change the tire, but because I  had all the dogs and crates and we probably couldn't get to them,  they called a flatbed for me.   The driver took me to a tire place which of course was farther than AAA would be free for.  The guy at the tire repair said 90% of these trucks have a problem with the spare tire cable and he might have to cut it so I opted for a new tire instead. $194. big tires.  And then the tire sensor was completely sheared off and that was an additional $111. And that he had to order so I have to go back tomorrow and get it.
     I was glad to finally get home and Dare flew out of the truck when I opened the back.  The tire was on his side and if I can get him back in the truck it will be a miracle. He hated to ride in it before and now it will probably be worse.