Working on Cars

Dad has always been a mechanic in my mind.  I was talking to him about his mechanic skills and learned the he became a mechanic out of necessity.  Cars need maintenance and needed to be fixed and he couldn't afford to hire a mechanic so he taught himself how to do it.  I was often asked to serve the roll of mechanic helper.  The task most often asked to do was help dad adjust the timing belt.  I stood there with my head under the hood of the car and looked in a certain spot for the dial to spin to a notch (or something like that - it has been a long time since I have done that job).  Dad once said that he and Mom didn't have any boys but I served nicely as his helper with cars.  Mom would worry about dad working out in the hot sun during the warm summer months so I was sent out with a glass and a pitcher of ice water to make sure Dad didn't get dehydrated.  He would get so involved in his project that he would forget to take care of himself.