You know how I keep telling you all that you need to be brave and experiment with new things once you are retired? You know how learning new skills is supposed to keep your brain young?
Well I’d like to introduce you to
Nelson
I’ll wait patiently for any of you car people to figure out why his name is “Nelson.” OK, here’s a hint: He’s a 1946 Jeep Willys. (I was gonna name him “Wonka,” but my friends convinced me that “Willys Wonka” sounded a bit naughty.)
Jeremy bought him…he says it’s for me, for my upcoming 60th birthday. I told him, “Fine, I can work with that, but it better not be my ONLY 60th birthday present!” Secretly, I Love, Love, Love Nelson! He’s the original four-wheeler. His top speed is about 40 mph, and he could probably climb a wall! I have visions of us on our mountain explorations, saying,
“I Wonder Where That Goes?!”
Talk about MAKING PLANS! And here’s where the “new tricks” part comes in. Jeremy says he’s had lunch boxes bigger than Nelson’s engine. He’s pretty simple, and built to last. With that in mind, I innocently asked him, “Do you think maybe I might be able to do some work on him?”
We had discussed in the past how Jeremy had learned his automotive/mechanical skills by hanging on the shirt tails of his dad, who showed him the ins and outs. And so it has begun…
So far, I’ve put in a new fuel pump, cleaned Nelson’s fuel filter, given him a new battery hold-down, put on a new rear-view mirror and new tail-gate chains. Mostly all by myself! (With my dear hubs right there every step of the way, showing me what to do and checking my work.)
That’s my handy-work! I’m pretty proud of myself! Dirty fingernails, greasy fingers, smelled like gas – but I did it (mostly) all by myself! And now I can see the attraction! And I find myself wanting to fix and change out all kinds of things. So time will tell if he’s created a monster! I’ll keep you posted on how Nelson is coming along as we get nearer to my real 60th birthday! In the meantime, he’s a blast to drive! If you see me, wave!
An Encore Voyage 