The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Helping the father-in-law

Well today was the day I was going to see if I could get my cab (the cab is off the body) finished stripped and shoot ZeroRust on the bottom and all the nooks and crannies. I thought that then I could tip it back onto the cab dolly and begin the normal body and paint process.
So I roll the cab out of the garage drag all the tools I will need and begin sanding and grinding and all that good stuff. After a bit, my wife comes outside and says that she got a call from her dad and he needed help fixing his F**d Town car. Apparently someone borrowed it and it ended up in a ditch. The plastic under the bumper was pushed in and distorted, the passenger door was oil caned in. I’m thinking to my self “bummer” This is going to cut into my plans… but OK, tell him to come over.
When he showed up he pulled it into the garage and I first got out my wife’s hair dryer and heated up the plastic piece under the bumper and pushed it back into a reasonable condition.
Then went for the door and after some time I got the door panel off and popped the oil can out of the door. I took some extra time trying to get it as good as I could. It wasn’t perfect but it was much better than before. He was very happy with the results.
So, he leaves and I’m back to what I really want to work on… the Stovebolt!
I’m working for an hour or so and my father-in-law calls back. He needs to sell his F**d F150 and the electric window won’t go up. It goes down fine, but not up.
OK bring it over.
After taking out the window regulator and the motor we find that a plastic gear piece is busted. Why they make these things out of plastic I will never know. Using my trusty rivet gun I get the plastic gear piece fixed good enough so I think it should work.
Back to his truck, put it all back together, of course this takes some time. Nothing goes together as well as it comes apart.
How about that! The window works as good as new.
He is thanking me all over the place and says he owes me a steak dinner, then leaves.
Guess what… by this time it is dark out. I clean up my tools put the cab back on the dolly and roll it back into the garage.
Well, there is always next weekend! Thanks for letting me vent… I knew you all would understand.
I think that Stovebolt people are just nice that way. At least the ones that I have met on the Stovebolt site are. Thanks!
But that may be the reason that we have a hard time getting are projects done.

Yeah I know exactly what you mean.

About two years ago my father-in-law learned we were making a quick weekend trip 200 miles to Portland where most my family and my wife's family all live.

He said "I know you're not coming to see me, but I'd really like to see you and my daughter and grandchildren. Can you stop for a little?" I don't recall what I said, but we returned home with out taking the time to stop and see him.

The following Thursday I got a phone call at the office. I left immediately and rounded up the family and then raced that 200 miles at 80+.

We were about halfway when we learned he was gone.

I certainly didn't smile every time he called and asked me to help him with something. I've since wished I'd granted his wish that we stop and visit. What would that hour have hurt me?

I still don't smile every time my mother-in-law calls, or for that matter, every time my own parents have a request, but I'm much more aware that the times I'll see them are numbered and I need to take advantage of my opportunities to enjoy them.

Sorry for the downer response, but this being the second anniversary of the events they've been on my mind. The memorial service was two years ago this past week. We made the same trip for the same reason (my mom's birthday) last weekend.

This time we stopped at his house and spent some time with my mother-in-law.

My Dad is like that. He'll ask for a little help and before you know it he has consumed my every Saturday for a month. A few years ago I just flat told him he can't be doing that. It was part of a larger conversation in which he was trying to blame my wife for driving us apart. (She's been a saint about the whole thing. She keeps saying, "When he's gone you'll wish he was still coming around.") Anyway, I told him that if he's going to come over to my house and call my wife evil, he can just stay away. He got his pride all up in a knot and said fine (with that look on his face that I have known since I was a little kid...) and off he went. It took us a year or so to get it patched up but our relationship is much better now.

Dad lives in his camper and hauls a Geo Metro on the back of his truck. He comes around some, but for a guy with all his time to fill and little to do, he shows remarkable restraint. He will ask me to work on things yet, but he gets a lot more done on his own, by finding a retired welder here and a shade tree mechanic there. After all, he has nothing to do but spend his time hunting these people down. With his VA disability, free medical and no taxes he makes more money than I do, so I don't feel guilty making him spend a little of it.

He spends every winter down south, and I keep thinking that one of these years I'm going to have to go collect him. It'll be a sad day.

My mother in law is widowed and still living in her home place. She asks for very little, but all I have to do is look around and I can find all kinds of things to do there. She has had some problems, and I am afraid that if we make her move into a senior apartment in town she will lose her frame of reference and just give up. She is 6 hours away, but we keep spending our vacations going up there and doing what we can. My sister in law and her husband are closer, so they do a lot more than we do.

Father in law gone, but my Mother in law is 92 yrs old lives by herself and loves to play mind games. I refuse to get into them but my wife does after an episode, I got to deal with the wife. I wish grandma wouldn't do that but she has done it all her life. Makes times tough in an already tough situation.

My dad we help each a lot but we also respect each other space. Truthfully sometimes I just go to see him and mom. He's 77 and Mom is 75 I have seen to many parents lost here this year so I spend a little extra time w/them besides Im lucky the are COOL!

popcorn The Truth is Out There (Sooner or later role reversals happen we become the parent)

got my farther -in law to buy chevy and now i dont mind working on them as much also he has a heated floor garage.