Over the weekend I ended up having to change tires on both wheels due to a bad pump that messed up the stems (is that what the little metal thingies are called into which you pump air?)

No big deal, except I did it without tire levers -- I used the article on this site:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_levers.asp

I really recommend this technique - I found it a lot easier than using the levers - (having had a couple snap on me, and skinned knuckles, etc.). Maybe everyone does it without levers, but for me it was a revelation. Yet another example of the great info on this site...