April 30 – “Spare”

After Honor Guard graduation (Which went really well, by the way.  I got to deliver the invocation and benediction), Chris and I put the spare tire back on the truck.  It was one of those underneath the bed jobs with the cable that lowers it down and up.  They are usually pretty easy, but not this time.  The little pipe that is the entry point for the jack handle was bent.  It appeared that a previous user got frustrated and just pinched it with a pair of pliers and used a wrench to turn it.  I followed suit, frustration and all.  It took us a while, but we accomplished it. 

Next we took off the tire we had just changed – the one that had the bolt in it that had to have the emergency repairs.  Why? Because the only way the hubcap would fit back on was from the inside out.  And of course, in the heat of the moment I forgot to stick it in there when we were putting it on in the parking lot.  At least there weren’t any surprises there.  Just cranking the jack up and down.  I had a great supervisor, though.  She even got me a cool glass of water just when I needed it.  Mission number two accomplished.

By that time I was on a roll.  I decided to do the absolutely unthinkable … open the hood.  I used to do a lot of work on our vehicles, and honestly there is so much room in the truck that I bet I could get in there and do some damage.  So I decided to replace the windshield washer pump.  It’s been out a long time. Like … years.  And once I got it off, it looked it.  All corroded and literally crumbling in my hands.  No wonder it didn’t work.  So note to self: change the washer pump in less than 25 years.  I went to the nearest auto parts shop, Autozone on Ave. S.  There were several customers ahead of me, so I settled in to wait a few minutes.  But then one of the three employees declared that she had to leave to cash a check, and she was out the door.  Both of the other employees were working on the same computer with the same customer.  That immediately increased the number of customers ahead of me to six or eight.  And no one had even bothered to acknowledge my presence.  Nope.  I was already east of 61^st Street, so I decided to go to O’Reilly’s on Broadway.  It’s where I wanted to go, anyway.  They helped us out on the AC blower that Nathan changed out.  Sure enough, they had exactly what I needed, and even greeted me when I came in the door.  I’ll go back there.

While I was all dirty, I also checked on the air conditioner.  Sadly, it’s the old kind, the type that’s been banned since the late 90’s.  I priced getting it updated to the new system.  It was less than I thought.  $150.  Still, when you don’t have it, it might as well be a million.  We’ll start saving up for that one, I guess.

Mark 9:36-37 says, “He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’”

Father, thank you for the transportation you have provided us with.  We’re trying to be good stewards of it.  Amen.