It feels like a Monday today, but it really isn't. It's actually Sunday. Sunday is usually my 'day of rest' and I am trying to make the most of it. However, it seems that my 'sheep' often fall into a hole on Sunday. Today, my sheep is my truck.

It didn't fall into a hole, at least not recently. But I did have to go back to the parts store and pick up my passenger-side mirror, which was knocked off in an accident several months ago. Actually, it was several years ago, but who's counting. I finally got fed up with trying to back up without it. You don't really miss that mirror until you start hauling something that you can't see over with the rear-view mirror. I was doing that Friday evening and I almost ran into a ditch trying to get turned around. Finally moved to act, I figured it was time to do a repair or two.

The first mirror the parts store got in was the wrong model for the wrong side of the truck. It doesn't get much more wrong than that. To beat all, I didn't open the box and look at it until I had already removed the door panel and taken all the screws out of the broken mirror base. I had to put it all back together and start over the following day after making a call to the parts store. They declined to come to my house and put the panel back on, but it made me feel better to ask anyway. At least they admitted it was all their fault and apologized, but that didn't help me get the panel back on.

So, Sunday I had to put the mirror on despite my obvious need to find large amounts of rest. The funny thing is, I needed rest to get over all the work I did on the truck Saturday.

Saturday I replaced the shocks on all four corners, with much knuckle busting, penetrating oil spraying and wrench turning. Not to mention the new words I taught myself in the process. I could have paid someone to do it, but I thought I might need to save $40 and do it myself.

What is all boils down to is the fact that I had forgotten how badly I hate to work on vehicles when I have to work on them. I don't mind helping someone else or doing something by choice, like fixing up an old car, but I hate it when I know it has to be done to keep me going from point A to point B. I have to have my truck at least a few times per week. A car just don't get it when you need to haul feed and cages or brush and lumber.

Compounding my angst was the fact that I had just spent $150 Friday to get my transmission fluid changed and a new U-joint installed on the back of my rear drive shaft, among other things. I also had a flat tire due to what appeared to be a shoemaker's tack that somehow found its way into my rear tire. How a man can get a flat from a tack that small is beyond me, especially given the fact that I have almost new off-road tires on my pickup. The manufacturer must not figure on there being any shoemaker's nails laying around wherever you happen to be driving. I didn't either.

I probably could have done some of the work I paid to have done Friday, too, but the last time I changed the transmission fluid I put the wrong kind in and didn't get the filter seated right. Oh yeah, the pan also started leaking sometime after I finished because I tightened one of the bolts too much. But other than that, I did a great job. So, as you can tell, you might not want to hire me to install your transmission filter. In fact, you might not even want to open your hood when I am in the area.

As for the fluid I installed, I bought the kind of transmission fluid I have always put in Fords — Type F. I have owned several Fords with automatics and every one used the same kind of fluid. However, I have since learned that my truck uses the kind that GM cars and trucks used to use, Dextron Mercron (or something like that). I can usually find it because it is the kind that isn't Type F. The proper fluid kind was listed right on the dipstick, but I didn't even look. I knew what I was doing. Sure.

Therefore, the money I spent on the filter and fluid the first time was all for naught and I still had to get another filter and more fluid and pay someone to fix the problem I had the first time. Now that's economical.

All in all, I have probably saved some money by working on my own vehicles. But, in this case, I actually ended up costing myself almost double.

However, I do keep my oil changed regularly, every 3,000 miles or so. I don't always do it myself, but I do from time to time. I would say that almost anyone could change the oil on a car. Even I can't mess that up, or at least I haven't yet.

I also try to do my own brake work, installing pads and such when the need arises. I haven't had any trouble doing that, unless you count that one time that I didn't get the pads on when I should have and ended up buying two new front rotors.

The last time I had a flat I couldn't even get the spare back under the truck by myself. I finally got it out of the back of the truck Friday at the garage and got the fellow to help me put it back. It had been in the bed for about a year.

You can see why I am not so fond of working on vehicles, with my history. In fact, I may need to start paying myself to not work on them at all. Then again, half the pleasure in life is learning from all our mistakes. Someone once told me, "The smarter you get, the more you realize how dumb you are."

How true that can be, especially when you're a shade tree mechanic.

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