My Boys Work Well Together

My son is just like my husband.  They could both spend their days inside an Ace Hardware Superstore and never get bored.   They love power tools and cars, and fixing anything they can get their hands on.  In fact, my son will take something apart just to see how it fits backs together.

When our water lines broke in the house we used to live it, Ryan was right up under Junior's skin, watching everything he did to fix the problem.  They even shopped for Discount Plumbing Supplies together. I love that Junior is patient enough (most of the time) to let Ryan watch him fix things, and ask questions.  It's a great way for him to learn.  There was a saying I learned while working my first job as a teenager, and it was, "Tell me, I'll forget.  Show me, I'll remember.  Let me try, I'll understand.".  Junior has no problem letting Ryan work right beside him, and help as much as he can.  In fact, Ryan can now change brake pads and do other minor repairs on cars, all because Junior took the time to let him learn from him.

Ryan has also helped Junior do a lot of work around my mom's house.  He has assisted in the cutting down of trees, the running of water lines and electrical outlets, and all kinds of other things.  Last weekend, he cut my mom's grass for her.  As a thank you, my mom is going to buy him the Wolverine Work Boots he has had his eye on.  

I know that this time spent with his dad means a lot to Ryan, and I hope someday, if and when he has a son of his own, they will have the same kind of relationship.

A Teenaged Boys Dream

I have a fourteen year old son, Ryan.  Just like every other boy this age, he is dreaming of getting his license in a few years.  He is also determined to have his own vehicle before he gets his license, that way he is fully prepared for the road when the time comes.  I am not too happy about this, because I now have an old, ugly truck sitting in my driveway, waiting to be driven by newly licensed teenager.

The truck is in no way road ready, and it will probably take Junior and Ryan a while to fix it up.  They know what is wrong with it, but don't have the money to put into it right now.  They talked about sending it to a auto repair in san diego, but quickly realized that it would be a great bonding experience if they did the work themselves.  I suggested waiting until Ryan could pay for the parts himself before starting the repairs.  In a few months he will be fifteen, and he is already gathering applications for employment from local establishments.  He's too young to do brake repair san diego, even though he knows how to do that.   In fact, I think the last time Junior replaced the brakes on our van, Ryan did most of the work.  Someday he might be doing san diego bmw repair, but for now, he is going to concentrate on fixing up his truck, so that when he gets his license, it will be ready to go.  

Ryan Wants A Truck

Junior and Ryan had a great time at the Monster Jam show last night. They made it home safely around 11pm, through all the ice and snow. They said there were a lot of empty seats in the arena, because most people didn't venture out into the winter storm.

Not my guys, though, They were determined to have a good time, and they did.

For a while now Ryan has been talking about buying a truck, and seeing all the big ones last night just reinforced this dream. Of course, his truck would have to be street legal, so all the "upgrades" would have to be kept to a minimum. I heard him and Junior discussing the things he could put on a truck, and I think they decided the first thing he will need is an air intake, which will increase his fuel economy. This is a good thing, because as a new driver, he will have a high insurance bill, and spending less on gas would help him save a little money. They were also discussing the benefits of a performance chip, but I think this is something a teen aged boy's car just doesn't need. I am nervous enough with him driving, I don't need him breaking speed limits and such. I did agree to let him have a cat back exhaust because I know that those are "in" right now. Of course there were other things they were debating, but to be honest, after a few minutes of car talk, I kind of tune it out.

I mean, there is only so much this girl can handle when it comes to boys and their toys.

The Car Guy

Junior does a lot of car repairs. He has become known as the car guy at his work, because his co-workers are always getting him to fix their cars. We don't have a garage, so he has to do the work in our yard. This causes a problem when he has to jack up the car to get underneath it, because the jack sinks into the grass. I need to get him some outrigger pads that he can put under the jack, which would stop the sinking. Either that, or we need to move somewhere that has a garage where he can work.

I know he would love that.

Car Repair

Most people want their car to be in perfect condition, inside and out. A well kept car shows that you have pride in your belongings, and that you like things neat. I have tried over and over to get Junior to keep our van clean, because it drives me crazy that he is such a slob. He does his side jobs out of the van, so there are always tools laying around that the kids have to step over. Luckily he likes keeping the outside clean, so most people never know how much of a slob he is.

We used to have this Camry, and about a month after we bought it, Junior had an accident. Instead of taking the car to an auto body shop irvine like most people would do, he had his friend help him do the repairs himself. We spent months driving around in a blue car with a black hood, fender, and door. I wish he had taken it to a collision repair expert. Maybe then it would have been put back to pre-accident condition.

Our Luck

Here is how our luck runs. We buy a vehicle. We get the warranty that covers the car for so many miles or so many years. During the time the warranty is good, nothing goes wrong with the car. It runs smooth, no ticks or smoking. Then, the day after the warranty expires, everything goes wrong. I just happen to be married to someone who knows how to fix just about everything that can go wrong. The problem we run into is that sometimes the parts needed to fix it can be so expensive. That's when I look at Junior and tell him that we should have gotten the Extended Auto Warranty. But he believes that if we get the extended warranty, nothing will go wrong. I believe that it is better to be safe than sorry.

I told him to go to US Warranty Center and see what they have to offer. He could be sent to a company offering a warranty that matches his needs. They pre-screen the warranty companies, so you don't have to spend time doing research. They have already done it for you. They offer free quotes, and there is no obligation to buy anything.

One of my friends just learned the hard way that she should have gotten an extended warranty. She paid her car off a couple of months ago. She is out of work, and so is her fiance. On her way to the store last week, the motor in her car blew out. Now the car is sitting in her yard, and she has no way to get it fixed. If she had gotten an extended warranty, she might be driving that car right now. She told me that the next car she buys will be under warranty the entire time she drives it. She says the peace of mind that will come with knowing she is covered will make it worth the cost. I just wish I could get Junior to think the same way.

Lesson Learned

What are people thinking?

We were at the gas station the other day, and there was a big commotion about three pumps down. Junior and I walked down to see what was going on, and it was a kid locked in a car. The mom ran into the store, and the dad was pumping gas. They left the keys in the ignition, because they were right there with the car.

The child, who was about two years old, had gotten out of his car seat, and accidentally hit the button that locks the doors. The parents were trying to get him to hit the button again, but the child didn't know what they were talking about. After about ten minutes, the child started getting upset, and the parents were freaking out. They needed a Kansas City Locksmith to come and unlock their doors, but they called the police instead. They were able to use a slim jim to get the doors open. I have never seen a child so happy to be in his parents arms.

The lesson I learned is that no matter what you are doing, never leave the keys in the ignition if there are kids in the car.

Driving With The A/C On

It is getting so hot outside. Luckily, the van we just bought has air conditioning. This is the first vehicle we have owned in a while that has air conditioning. The kids are so used to not having it, though, that when we ride in the van, they beg for the windows to be rolled down. It's going to take them a while to get used to the A/C.

I feel good knowing that if the air conditioning stops working, Junior knows how to fix it himself. He can get a new AC Compressor from 1airconditioning.com and install it himself. They offer free shipping on any order, and they offer a warranty on all their parts. This is great because we will not only save money on the part, but we won't have to pay a mechanic to do it. We all know how expensive that can be.

Our Van's AC

We recently bought a new van. This is the first vehicle we have owned that actually has working air conditioning. For years we have made due with rolling down the windows. This meant that my hair was always up, because long hair and windows rolled down just don not mix well. I am excited that this summer I can actually keep my hair down sometimes. Those of you that have long hair understand the headaches you get from constantly having it up. I just hope our AC doesn't break so we won't end up needing an ac compressor for the van. I want to get through one season without doing repairs.