car wash

i grew up washing my own car. we had (and still have, i imagine) a big white bucket and large handled brush with green bristles, shimmy cloths, tire foam and whitewall cleaner, and a big heavy shop-vac.

dad would help us wash, or supervise, or sometimes just be in the general vicinity and timeframe of a car wash. every time we thought we were done, he'd ask us, "well, if you're proud of it and satisfied that you did the best you could, then you're done." that usually instigated a more thorough re-wash and once-over.

these years of training and guilt produced some mad car-washing skills. every time i've taken my car to get it cleaned, they've still never done as good a job as i would have. but, i'm lazy. i haven't washed my car myself in probably 2 years or more. it's been cleaned since then, but not much. my car is usually pretty filthy with grime and bug guts on the outside and littered on the inside. it's not sticky or anything gross on the inside, but there are usually dusty paw prints and lots of dog hair and general dirt in the floorboards. plus, we didn't get a hose until a random neighbor left one outside our door.

so, while my skills may often lie dormant, they are still wicked good. last weekend, i washed my car. i washed the spilled coffee off my car. i foamed the tires and scrubbed the wheels. i armor-alled the interior AND the leather. i cleaned the inside and outside of the glass. i waxed the bugs off the front end of my car. i vacuumed the mats, floor and under the seat cushions. i cleaned out the trash. it took me two days to finish it all. and it sparkled.

the other day at work, my coworker asked me if i had gotten a new car.

mission accomplished.

thanks, dad.