Tasks you like to do the hard way-Outside The Kitchen- Car tricks version!

Not About Food
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@wonderwoman wrote >

since this conversation continues to be about cars, and not food related, any chance it coud be moved to ‘not about food’?

Since I contributed to the drift I’ll do it!

And…

Outside the kitchen: tune up my own bicycle and car, changing out studded tires, shoveling the driveway and decks of snow (sometimes it takes like 9 hours, but then I can skip the gym for a day or two), gardening, eradicating ground squirrels and army worms, line or drying rack for laundry
•Repeating others: handwashing delicate dinner and silverware and clothing, cutting up larger cuts of meat and other items, portioning for future useBlockquote

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A little while back, I replaced oil drain plugs on a couple of our cars with drain valves (https://www.fumotousa.com), which make it much easier and neater to drain the oil. One of the cars is a newish Subaru, which has the oil filter mounted high and easy to access right under the hood, so it’s actually a joy to change the oil and filter. No more oil running down my arm or splattering all over the garage floor. I actually look forward to changing the oil now. Last week, I taught Mrs. ricepad how to do it.

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The partner changes the oil in her 98 Saturn, also plugs and batteries.

I stare thoughtfully at the engine and hold the light.

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I just taught a newer driver how to clutch/stick. Now, she feels like the cool kid, driving her BA in a Scion XA. I miss my '77 F150 with just 3 on the tree (straight 6, baby!) Best anti theft device made.

I’m planning my first Alsace style onion tart, and it’s all gonna be hand-made.

I haven’t used the dishwasher since the kids moved out, save for Thanksgiving and other larger get togethers.

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One of my hard way high points was learning to drive without a clutch. It was 1967 and I was driving two guys back to Alexandria after an evening enjoying the 18 year drinking age in DC. As we were about to get on the bridge, the clutch went out, and we quickly and wisely peeled off to the Jefferson Memorial. We kept going slowly around it, thankfully in second gear, and managed to get the guy into the driver’s seat who knew how to shift without a clutch. I quickly learned that skill. I still do it for fun sometimes, along with double clutch downshifting.

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The feather touch is an upper level skill. I started in a 73 VW bug ($75), so I had to learn right away. Mechanical clutches are more forgiving that hydraulic.

I like making my own orange/grapefruit juice by hand.

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Driving over Donner Pass in a blizzard using a cigarette lighter to defrost the windshield. $5 for a fillup.
Badges of honor for VW owners.

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That’s how I learned. In an already ancient ‘46 Ford. Taught by my mother, who could drive any piece of equipment.

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I had one, too! A '67. For four months. Until I totaled it. I have never bought another car, and that was in (does some math) 1982.

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We crossed the Continental Divide at the Eisenhower Tunnel in a blizzard, and while we had heat, we discovered that those oh-so-efficient LED headlights didn’t generate enough heat to melt the snow and slush, nor did our Prius engine generate enough to keep the hood clear. We had to chop two inches of frozen brown ice off the lights-- no wonder it seemed so dark outside! (I know–totally off-topic.)

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That’s fascinating information, eleeper! Being in southern AZ and having an older car, I’d never have thought about LED headlights freezing over.

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Equally off topic -

I grew up in upstate NY (the real upstate). We only had a one car garage. On the coldest nights, my father rigged up a light bulb that stayed on all night so that the oil in the outside car didn’t get too thick/freeze.

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I do that to the well at my camper when it starts getting cold and I haven’t shut it down yet.

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My stepfather would put an old heavy wool blanket over the engine block in my VW Golf when I lived in central PA during bitter cold periods. Worked 90% of the time. Other times (twice?) I think he just slowly poured a couple of pots of hot water over everything.

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since this conversation continues to be about cars, and not food related, any chance it coud be moved to ‘not about food’?

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Great Idea! My apologies for contributing to the off topic traffic.

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thanks. when i see a new post, i look, hoping it’s about food. but, alas.

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I’d start a new thread under ‘Not About Food’ about car tricks, but my device doesn’t let me. Someone out there?

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Outside the kitchen but non-automotive…
Paint two story brick house by hand with a brush; did the inside with brush and roller
Iron regularly
Work in the yard without using electric or gas powered tools
Play golf with no cart

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That reminds me: I think I’m supposed to teach the son-in-law how to drive a stick this weekend. Could be fun. Could be funny.

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