Well, we finally did it! I've threatened to do this for several years and just simply haven't done it...not that I haven't tried..just couldn't find anyone that would participate...but the other day I did...I sold Leslie's daddy's old '88 Crown Victoria car! Yes!!! Okay, so that's not much to you...but if you had to look at that eyesore every day out in your driveway you'd be pretty happy about it, too.
We (Bullock Clan) held an auction some time after Leslie's dad passed away. We took over several personal items we found in an old barn on our place to add to the numerous strange things being sold. And I do mean strange..I didn't know what some of them were...but I did recognize that old car...it was Howard's pride and joy...he kept a lot of his valuable papers in the glove compartment--and anything else he liked, in the back seat. Unfortunately for the family, that was one item that didn't sell...so instead of getting our money from the items we took over, we just swapped...we kept the car. My boys thought they were so cool driving that ugly thing...they'd come home from school, grab a bite to eat then head off to baseball practice...you could see them coming from around the big curve that's right before the baseball field...window rolled down, arm resting on the frame, the other's wrist drapped over the steering wheel with the rest of the body slouched back in that "I'm-so-cool-to-be-driving-this-fine-'hunkacar'" manner...driving slowly so all could see this beautiful L_O_N_G piece of machinery and get the full glorious picture. Personally, I thought it was singularly ugly, but then I just don't care for those big cars.
We've had all sorts of vehicles over the 30 years Leslie and I were married....one thing that saved us was that Leslie could work on just about anything that stopped working right..and he got plenty of chances! We've had those vehicles that used more oil than gas, those that had steering so loose that it was an adventure just to make it to where you were going....I've always heard it said that 'those new fangled vehicles don't run near as good as those old ones'...I believe it...I've had plenty of chances to find that out....some of those old things we've driven were simply works of art..literally....they were welded back together.
I would suggest that all parents teach their kids --while young--how to change a tire. My boys got lots of practice. We never owned a vehicle that had new tires..that would do damage to the totality of the 'old vintage' look. You know it'd simply not look right to have spanking new tires on a truck with rust spots..it would just ruin the authenticity.
As to tires and flats..I think all women should learn to change them, too. That's just spite coming from me, since I've been forced to change them...
We hadn't been married long when we were driving through Emmet (small town eight miles from here). We were in a Ford Currier which is the same as the Ford Rangers, today. One of the tires went flat, we pulled over and Leslie stood around while he made me change the tire. Said I needed to know how to do it. Hands were nasty by the time I got through but I had satisfaction in knowing that everyone who passed by had to have thought that I was with the sorriest man alive ...
We (Bullock Clan) held an auction some time after Leslie's dad passed away. We took over several personal items we found in an old barn on our place to add to the numerous strange things being sold. And I do mean strange..I didn't know what some of them were...but I did recognize that old car...it was Howard's pride and joy...he kept a lot of his valuable papers in the glove compartment--and anything else he liked, in the back seat. Unfortunately for the family, that was one item that didn't sell...so instead of getting our money from the items we took over, we just swapped...we kept the car. My boys thought they were so cool driving that ugly thing...they'd come home from school, grab a bite to eat then head off to baseball practice...you could see them coming from around the big curve that's right before the baseball field...window rolled down, arm resting on the frame, the other's wrist drapped over the steering wheel with the rest of the body slouched back in that "I'm-so-cool-to-be-driving-this-fine-'hunkacar'" manner...driving slowly so all could see this beautiful L_O_N_G piece of machinery and get the full glorious picture. Personally, I thought it was singularly ugly, but then I just don't care for those big cars.
We've had all sorts of vehicles over the 30 years Leslie and I were married....one thing that saved us was that Leslie could work on just about anything that stopped working right..and he got plenty of chances! We've had those vehicles that used more oil than gas, those that had steering so loose that it was an adventure just to make it to where you were going....I've always heard it said that 'those new fangled vehicles don't run near as good as those old ones'...I believe it...I've had plenty of chances to find that out....some of those old things we've driven were simply works of art..literally....they were welded back together.
I would suggest that all parents teach their kids --while young--how to change a tire. My boys got lots of practice. We never owned a vehicle that had new tires..that would do damage to the totality of the 'old vintage' look. You know it'd simply not look right to have spanking new tires on a truck with rust spots..it would just ruin the authenticity.
As to tires and flats..I think all women should learn to change them, too. That's just spite coming from me, since I've been forced to change them...
We hadn't been married long when we were driving through Emmet (small town eight miles from here). We were in a Ford Currier which is the same as the Ford Rangers, today. One of the tires went flat, we pulled over and Leslie stood around while he made me change the tire. Said I needed to know how to do it. Hands were nasty by the time I got through but I had satisfaction in knowing that everyone who passed by had to have thought that I was with the sorriest man alive ...
2 comments:
I've never changed a tire. Actually, I've never had the opportunity (hope I don't get one). However, I have changed the brakes on my old Sunbird. Brad took the same approach as Uncle Leslie--you need to know how to do this. Really? I don't know of too many women who have to change brakes. Oh well, I did it once.
I can change a tire, pump gas, add oil and other fluids, change the lights, tighten the battery terminals and jump start a vehicle, but that's about as far as it goes for mechanical skills for me
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