Our beloved spouses and their vehicles

My wife driving the F150, made a right turn in the BestBuy parking lot. They have mushroom shaped bollards. She heard a noise and the truck slowed, so she stepped on the gas. The result was impressive "Can Opener" action on both RH doors and the bed. I wish I could find the pics.

A few years before that episode, she turned right and hopped a fire hydrant with our old F150. The truck held up well enough, but the hydrant was bent at a little bit of an angle.

More recently, she changed lanes to the right during a traffic jam and hit a stopped Hertz rental car. Same repair as before...

Oh and thinking about it, way before that, she changed lanes to the right at a light and sideswiped some poor lady's new car.

I'm not seeing a pattern..... :)

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I think I'd be bald!
 
I maintain the cars and my wife maintains the house; I don't question what she wants and she accords me the same courtesy.
I have mentioned this before, but back in 2007 we were remodeling our kitchen and my wife wanted to install a double convection oven. On another mail list I asked about the best oven brands and one guy opined that she likely didn't need a double oven. I replied:
"My wife doesn't ask why I want a 300+ hp 155 mph car to drive to work, so I'm not asking her why she wants a double oven. H*ll, I don't care if she gets a triple oven."
 
When we bought our first Camry I had no expectations of the kids not barfing in the backseat. I was pretty sure the car would be destroyed during their younger years. It’s managed ok but I sure don’t want it any more. :)

Speaking of which, I should go check to make sure each car has a stash of bags in them…
 
Then I borrowed an ozonater machine, and that thing not only worked, I thought it was going to kill me. Just one whiff of that thing while it was working??? Oh my lord!! Takes the life out of your lungs.
Stay away from ozone machines unless you really know what you are doing, you can get permanent lung damage with enough exposure.

 
All these vomiting stories make me nervous. I really should own a car I don't mind getting totally swamped. My first child is on his/her way.

Maybe include vomit bags in the car, like airlines do!
 
I maintain the cars and my wife maintains the house; I don't question what she wants and she accords me the same courtesy.
I have mentioned this before, but back in 2007 we were remodeling our kitchen and my wife wanted to install a double convection oven. On another mail list I asked about the best oven brands and one guy opined that she likely didn't need a double oven. I replied:
"My wife doesn't ask why I want a 300+ hp 155 mph car to drive to work, so I'm not asking her why she wants a double oven. H*ll, I don't care if she gets a triple oven."
Funny, every time I try to find a comfortable position on the new uncomfortable, slippery, $$$, but oh so stylish couch that matches the new room color I almost complain, but then follow the same logical path and just keep my mouth shut.... That and the fact she litigates for a living;)
 
A friend of mine bought a brand new F150, and a few weeks later his wife used it to get some bales of hay for their horses. She called him a few miles from home and said something was wrong with the truck - she said it stopped really fast all on its own and it wouldn't move. He drove to meet her and when he got there quickly figured out what had happened. The tie-down strap she had on the hay bales came loose and managed to get sucked into the driveshaft. It was bound up TIGHT and took several hours to get loosened up.

Thankfully nothing like that has happened at our household, but I have learned that when my wife tells me her car is making a noise, I need to check it out immediately. Something has to be pretty severe for her to bring it up. Last example was her telling me her car makes a weird noise/vibration when turning sharp in parking lots. I took it for a drive and wow - I thought I had run over rumble strips! The clutches in the LSD were grabbing/chatting something fierce. 45k miles on the gear oil in the differential - odd that it is chattering now, but another bottle of friction modifier took care of it. During the second test drive I also noticed a front wheel bearing was making some noise, so that had to get addressed also.
 
I haven't had to go help her, but the other month we were taking 2 cars to go eat, then I was headed off to work & she came home. As she was backing her Civic out of the driveway, she bumped the neighbors truck on the other side of the street. He happened to be outside & couldn't stop laughing. He said he didn't know what was funnier, that his ugly truck is always parked in the same spot or that her car has a backup camera (that works). Small dent in his driverside door, scuff marks on the passenger rear corner of the bumper on the Civic (think Camry dent without the dent).

I clay barred over the scuff marks, but it looks like some deep scratches also. Clayed, polished & waxed the whole car while I was at it. You can still see the damage on the bumper, but it's not terrible. We were able to pop the dent out off the truck door.
 
Thankfully nothing like that has happened at our household, but I have learned that when my wife tells me her car is making a noise, I need to check it out immediately. Something has to be pretty severe for her to bring it up. Last example was her telling me her car makes a weird noise/vibration when turning sharp in parking lots. I took it for a drive and wow - I thought I had run over rumble strips! The clutches in the LSD were grabbing/chatting something fierce. 45k miles on the gear oil in the differential - odd that it is chattering now, but another bottle of friction modifier took care of it. During the second test drive I also noticed a front wheel bearing was making some noise, so that had to get addressed also.
I missed most of this thread and haven't read through it, but this post made me laugh-- my wife is the same way. If she ever comes to me with a vehicle problem, it's absolutely a problem.

One time she ignored a tire pressure warning light (with the corresponding beep/buzzer thing at startup each time) until the tire was nearly flat and I noticed it while walking by one day. The irony of it, is that I leave the dash readout set to tire pressure which reads every tire PSI (which she never changes, and I doubt she cares or knows how), so that low tire pressure PSI would have been blinking the whole time and told you exactly which tire it was. I ask her why she didn't tell me about the light? "I just figured it was one of the normal lights on the dashboard and I didn't notice the tire pressure blinking." Par for the course.

I make it a habit of driving her vehicles at least once a week, even if just to get gas or something mundane.

But it's funny, she doesn't notice the little things that bother me. Our '07 Pacifica has always had a harsh 2-3 shift since we bought it (not terrible, just likely 1st model year woes, but it bothers me).. I asked her a few times if she ever feels it-- NOPE! that car drives perfect in her eyes. I monitor it and it hasn't gotten any worse in 50k+ so as long as she's happy, I'm happy, one less thing I have to fix!
 
I lost her about 15 months ago and Christmas is a very difficult time. None of us live forever, they say time heals all wounds and so I continue to muddle on.
Hang in there. Remember how blessed and lucky each of guys are to have a great mate as you were given time with. If you have children I hope you can spend some time with them. Take care.
 
Hang in there. Remember how blessed and lucky each of guys are to have a great mate as you were given time with. If you have children I hope you can spend some time with them. Take care.
so true, wish i could spend time with them, they seem to have forgotten about Dad, I only found out she had passed through a Facebook post, I divorced her 24 years ago. the children still blame me for ending the marriage. My eldest granddaughter just turned 21, she was only 5 the last time that I saw her. No regrets, God has the Master plan !!
 
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