February 11, 2003
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Our sailing club sold one of our cars today. Who would think that in joining a sailing club, I’d end up learning to fix cars? We bought an old 1987 GMC Jimmy and the guys in the club taught me how to change the gaskets for the front and rear differentials. How to change transmission fluid, right down to having kitty litter available for those inevitable drips and spills. I learned how to check for broken pins on the shafts, and how to fix broken locking mechanisms on the tailgate. It was a lovely experience, but not something one normally expects to learn from a sailing club. It was only last year, I learned what the “penny test” is. You take a penny and stick Abe Lincoln head-first into your tire treads. If you can see his whole head (even the top), then you definitely need to get your tires changed.
