The preparations continue...

Originally posted on MySpace on March 27, 2007

It's hard to go on a road trip without dependable wheels. For my very special road trip, things are no different. About 3 weeks ago, I took my Blazer to my usual shop for service...Milne's Downtown Auto Repair in Bellingham, WA. Family-owned business, dependable service, great people...they've been treating my vehicles right since I've been going there in 1995. It was time for my regular service, and a tune-up was in order, too. After my road trip, I'll probably be taking my ride in for an early oil change considering all the miles I'll be driving.

Last week, I put some of my own work into my Blazer. Like a lot of other time-constrained people, I've found it so much easier to just take my vehicle to the automatic car wash when it got dirty. I decided that just wouldn't do for my road trip...my ride had to look as good as my license plates! So, I spent an afternoon hand washing AND waxing AND cleaning the outside of my vehicle. The next day, I spent an equal amount of time doing the inside, cleaning the windows, and doing the Armor-All thing, too. Yesterday, I used my Shop-Vac and vacuumed the interior...hey, was that a coin or a rock under my seat?

I then realized that I had better check my spare tire...you never know when you'll need it. And, I must admit I hadn't given it a thought since I bought my Blazer back in 2000. Well, it's a good thing I hadn't gotten a flat...the PSI was only 12...it should be 35! I took my handy dandy mini air-compressor...you just plug it into your cigarette lighter...and 15 minutes later, my spare was back in shape. But, I wasn't done yet. I bought some touch-up paint to cover the numerous little dings that accumulate over the years...it's amazing how thoughtless some people can be when they bang into your car with their doors. The blemishes that really piss me off are the ones on the HOOD of my Blazer. It's like someone just dropped their pick-up tailgate right on top of it. I won't even say what I think about that asshole...oops, sorry, it slipped out!

I'm proud to say my ride looks pretty sharp now. I posted a couple of photos of it on my pic page. The only downside about living up the here in the Pacific Northwest...it rains a lot this time of the year. So, I'll be doing some regular cleaning to keep my Blazer looking the way it does now. And, if there's one thing I'm not looking forward to when I make the drive south to warmer climes...BUGS! I'll be carrying the bug cleaner and paper towels...if you already haven't noticed, I like to be prepared.

18 days and counting...