9 thoughts on “Toughen Up Sport”

  1. You weren’t the only one holding a flashlight or tool fetchin’. If Pops was under the car laying on a piece of cardboard and he saw or heard you wander through. You were pressed into service. And for the Love of God, do not, and repeat, do not, ask questions about what he was doing. By the time I was 12 or 13 I could overhaul an engine and gave the torque specs from memory.

  2. Phil, what are you doing, going to the parts store for? I’d have thought that your shed already had more spares inside than the kids at the store could help you with. Surely the great tidy-up and junk cull you’ve shared with us resulted in making things easier to lay your hands on the right Sprite part?

    • Or just make it yourself on the mill…. lessee pay yerself minium wage and it’s about a thousand times cheaper to run out and buy it…. *if* you can find it… which is why you have the mill.

  3. might seem odd,, but that is something I never had to do with dad.
    anything he owned worked all the time, or did until I got older and was under the car myself. cracked a bunch of ribs one time when the 1965 belair wagon slipped off the fucking bumper jack. but dad never worked on his stuff. most of the time it just ran. and after 13 or so, I worked on his car and pick up.
    mom told me the one neighbor was pissed because his car would sit for 4-6 months and he jump in and it would start right up. that guy was always under the hood. but small engines ? that was something he was always working on.
    but that shit belonged to the boss he worked for.
    dad always kept his car and truck in top shape.

  5. My dad worked on all of our vehicles but was loathe to swear. I,reckon he was the notable exception.

  6. My parents bought an old house in 1960. It was built in the late 1800’s before electricity was widely available. It was electrified with paper insulated wiring. Fuses were blowing constantly. The fuse box was located in a semi crawl space atop ledge that water leaked over whenever it rained for more than 1/2 a day.

    My first experience with holding the flashlight was when a fuse blew. Dad and I duck walked into the space. Dad handed me the light and said “if I get hung up here, knock me off the box.” I about shit myself.

  7. AND, if you held the light incorrectly, you got a wrench upside the head. Especially if your arms got tired and you let the beam wander…

Comments are closed.