Friday yet?
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Sometimes you just have to share your stupidity. I had a project on my Saturday to do list for the past week, project being to change the oil in the Focus ST. Easy peasy right? Evidently not.
So I got everything set up. Tools laid out, new oil and filter by the tools. Front of car raised up. (Slope of my driveway is perfect when I need to raise a vehicle a bit for easy access underneath, yet keeping it level for oil changes. Back the vehicle in, drive it onto 4 inch solid blocks. Small boards act as ramps to get the tires onto the blocks.) Large piece of cardboard under the car. Drain pan on the cardboard. Blue tooth speaker outside, phone connected, music playing. Yes sir. Ready to rock and roll an oil change. Now, keep in mind. I actually ENJOY changing the oil in a vehicle.
And let me add a key piece of information here. About a year ago I upgraded my oil drain pan from the long used plain old open round catch pan to a nicer, fully enclosed catch pan. No more pouring, and spilling, used oil back into the empty jugs for me! No sir buddy. Now I simply screw the cap back into the pan, close the air vent, wipe off the remaining oil on the exterior and I am good to go for the next trip to recycling. That pan is one of my happiest car maintenance purchases in quite some time. Should have bought it years ago.
About this time one of my neighbors comes by walking her dogs. Haven't seen her in a while. Her dogs and I are big buddies. So naturally I have to give the widdle puppydawgs
some major loving. The Warden came out (no doubt to ensure that the prisoner wasn't slacking), sees the neighbor, so the three of us start a rather antimated conversation. And of course I continue my love fest with the pooches.
While doing this, I slip under the car and remove the drain plug, ensuring my all time favorite, so happy I purchased it, makes my life so much easier, why didn't I buy this years ago, drain pan is lined up correctly. I stand up, then I remove the fill cap on the top of the engine. And immediately go back to playing with the dogs while continuing the conversation with the two women. Warm day, sun shining, music playing, laughing conversation, happy dogs, happy man petting dogs. Life is good! Until it ain't.
Mid sentence my wife points and says my name in an very alarmed tone. I whip around, and see a wave of black oil running down the driveway.
Remember that nice catch pan I mentioned? Well, yours truly never removed the drain cap nor opened the air vent. So once the oil filled the drain area it had no where to go except over the side and down the driveway. So there I am diving under the car to open the drain. Oil all over me as I grabbed the roll of paper towels and frantically starting trying to catch oil before it got worse. 
Simple oil change. Ultimately involved a trip to the gas station to get gas for the pressure washer. Because of course I made sure that I'd used all of the mower/pressure washer gas before winter hit.
Then I spent quite a bit of time pressure washing the driveway. So much for the beautiful afternoon and enjoying the duty of changing oil in our car. Sigh.
Figured I'd give the 5G crew a chuckle at my expense. No point in pulling a bonehead stunt if others can't laugh at my @$$.
So I got everything set up. Tools laid out, new oil and filter by the tools. Front of car raised up. (Slope of my driveway is perfect when I need to raise a vehicle a bit for easy access underneath, yet keeping it level for oil changes. Back the vehicle in, drive it onto 4 inch solid blocks. Small boards act as ramps to get the tires onto the blocks.) Large piece of cardboard under the car. Drain pan on the cardboard. Blue tooth speaker outside, phone connected, music playing. Yes sir. Ready to rock and roll an oil change. Now, keep in mind. I actually ENJOY changing the oil in a vehicle.
And let me add a key piece of information here. About a year ago I upgraded my oil drain pan from the long used plain old open round catch pan to a nicer, fully enclosed catch pan. No more pouring, and spilling, used oil back into the empty jugs for me! No sir buddy. Now I simply screw the cap back into the pan, close the air vent, wipe off the remaining oil on the exterior and I am good to go for the next trip to recycling. That pan is one of my happiest car maintenance purchases in quite some time. Should have bought it years ago.
About this time one of my neighbors comes by walking her dogs. Haven't seen her in a while. Her dogs and I are big buddies. So naturally I have to give the widdle puppydawgs
some major loving. The Warden came out (no doubt to ensure that the prisoner wasn't slacking), sees the neighbor, so the three of us start a rather antimated conversation. And of course I continue my love fest with the pooches.While doing this, I slip under the car and remove the drain plug, ensuring my all time favorite, so happy I purchased it, makes my life so much easier, why didn't I buy this years ago, drain pan is lined up correctly. I stand up, then I remove the fill cap on the top of the engine. And immediately go back to playing with the dogs while continuing the conversation with the two women. Warm day, sun shining, music playing, laughing conversation, happy dogs, happy man petting dogs. Life is good! Until it ain't.
Mid sentence my wife points and says my name in an very alarmed tone. I whip around, and see a wave of black oil running down the driveway.
Remember that nice catch pan I mentioned? Well, yours truly never removed the drain cap nor opened the air vent. So once the oil filled the drain area it had no where to go except over the side and down the driveway. So there I am diving under the car to open the drain. Oil all over me as I grabbed the roll of paper towels and frantically starting trying to catch oil before it got worse. Simple oil change. Ultimately involved a trip to the gas station to get gas for the pressure washer. Because of course I made sure that I'd used all of the mower/pressure washer gas before winter hit.
Then I spent quite a bit of time pressure washing the driveway. So much for the beautiful afternoon and enjoying the duty of changing oil in our car. Sigh.Figured I'd give the 5G crew a chuckle at my expense. No point in pulling a bonehead stunt if others can't laugh at my @$$.
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Get use to it because they happen more frequently now. 
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