Be good to your truck

The tranny has been hesitant lately (again), so I decided this am to check things out.  Added some transmission fluid, some oil, and some radiator fluid.  Then I looked at the battery.  There have been a couple of times when the battery didn't catch things the first time.  And looking at it in the engine today, I realized I hadn't changed it since I got the truck in 2001.  Guess what I'll be purchasing before winter?

And scheduling a transmission fluid change.  And praying that doesn't bring on other issues. 

It'a always entertaining to come back inside after checking fluids, etc.  Because I checked the transmission fluid and added oil, I got more grease and black dust on my hands and forearms than usual. 

I was reminded of my Dad's hands -- diesel oil and other black fluids and dust were permanently embedded in the grooves and wrinkles of his hands.  You could see every whorl in his fingertips.  Those of you who have never worked on an engine are probably wondering why he didn't wash his hands well.  He did.  Scrubbed them.  But when you take apart an engine piece by piece, and it has oil, grease and engine dust on it, and then pick up tools that also have grease on them (from working on other engines), your hands get covered in it -- and the tools and whatever you pick up forces that dirt and grime in your fingerprints. 

My Uncle Marvin worked at the same place Dad did, and his hands weren't quite as grimy.  I know Uncle Marvin usually worked on smaller machinery (lawn mowers, chain saws, those sorts of things), but he constantly scrubbed his hands nearly raw with Lava soap. 

Next time you see someone with rough, grimy hands, ask them about how they earn their living. 

Comments

[Carl V.]

Lava soap was like the hygiene equivalent of the Bible for my dad growing up. I hated the stuff but it worked!

[jules]

I forgot about lava soap. There was always a bar of lava soap in a dish on our bathroom counter while I was growing up.

My dad was always very proud to be a hard working, blue collar man.

I love trucks! That's awesome that you drive a truck. I also like BIG cars. I used to have a '79 Thunderbird. Man I loved driving that boat! I've never been into small vehicles.