The Coronavirus Chronicles -Three Strikes You're Out

[Gone in 60]

My wife and I were visiting her parents in the little San Diego County town of Fallbrook. I was out getting supplies on Saturday, and saw several Sheriff cars going up and down the streets, making stops at small shops and businesses. I had heard that the state was going to start cracking down on business that are ignoring the shutdown and are staying open, and was wondering if that was what they were doing.

I have a new Coronavirus Lockdown project, but for a somewhat sad reason. On Thursday, we went to visit her folks in Fallbrook to check on them. My Father in Law had been diagnosed last Monday with late stage colon cancer. When we got down there, it was apparent that he was in a great deal of discomfort, and my wife, who specializes in geriatric care, knew right away that we needed to just make him comfortable and wait. He passed on Friday night.

We did the necessary stuff that's needed right after a passing, and after going through it with my Dad and Step Dad, I was able to help with the logistics. He was 87, and we're happy that he's out of pain.

Her Mom looked out in the driveway on Saturday morning, and saw their car. She said it made her sad, and she wanted it to go away. It's an old Ford Escape that has never known kindness. It had been parked outside its entire life, and due to a quirk my Father in Law had, was usually kept with the windows down. Being on an acre farm in a small town, it was used to haul their vegetables to market, and to haul their trash to the dump. I had never known it to be washed or waxed.

Being an amateur detailer, I had always looked at that sad car as the ultimate challenge, wondering what it would take to revive it to any degree. Now, being asked by my wife to take it home and do something with it, I have my chance. My goal is to clean it up enough to get as much money for it as possible to help with my Mother in Law's care.

To get it moving, I jump started it, gave it an oil change in the driveway, and picked up a good set of used tires in town. I got it the 75 miles home, and have set to work on it. I've removed mouse nests around the engine that had been made out of the hood insulation. One of the nests was inside the car. It's a mess, but cleaning it will be good exercise, which I need, keep me occupied between trips to Fallbrook to bring my wife supplies while she's down there, and hopefully it will bring the family some good money if I do a good job.