What’s in DZER’s truck ...

Regular readers of my blog know of my recent truck travails. Last week, had to replace the starter. This week, had to replace the battery. Between the two, more than $400. Ouch.

But I can't complain too much. The rusty old beast has served me well, and continues to do so. I bought it the day I paid off my last car, a shitty ass 1988 Nissan Sentra. Well, it was shitty by the time I paid it off, and I drove over to the Nissan lot after my trip to the bank, "just to look." My truck, a 1994 Nissan King Cab SE-V6 (sports edition with chrome package) was on clearance for $13,999, to make way for the 1995 models.

I really wasn't planning to buy until the salesman invited me to sit it in and see how it felt. It looked like I was going to have to do a twisting kind of bending move to get in and under the wheel ... until the salesman — Chico — pushed down this lever that made the steering wheel "jump" to an elevated position. Fuck that sold me right there. I even got $1,200 for the shitty Sentra, and it needed a brand-new fusebox (though they didn't know that).

No one but me drove my truck for a full two years, and even then it was because my dad needed to go to the auto parts store for a part for our van and it was early and I was groggy and still in bed. He stuck his head in my bedroom.

Pops: "I'm taking your truck to go get a part."

Me: (sleepily) "OK."

Took me a while to realize I'd agreed to let someone else drive my "baby." LOL

I've had to get repairs and stuff over the years, but never anything too major. And I'm gonna keep riding it till it stops working, or until I leave and need to sell it, whichever comes first.

So here's what is in my truck right now:

• My press passes.

• My sunglasses.

• Jumper cables — how is it that everyone doesn’t carry these in their vehicle?

• A tool set — one of those pretty cheap “all-in-one” packages — all sizes of wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, Allen wrenches, wire cutters, etc.

• Two flashlights — one small, one medium-sized.

• Scissors.

• Two old copies of Time magazine.

• 3/4- ton hydraulic floor jack. The scissor jacks that come with vehicles are total shit. Why squat and rotate a flimsy two-piece metal turning rod when you can slide a jack under, pump it like 5 times and be done?

• Pneumatic wrench that plugs into the cigarette lighter — makes changing tires a breeze! Plus it makes those cool “whirrrr-whirrrr” sounds.

• A 9-by-12 foot tarp. You never know.

• A baseball-style denim jacket.

• Two baseball caps.

• A straw golf hat.

• Proof of insurance and registration (in visor pouch).

• Business cards (in visor pouch).

• Assorted pens (in visor pouch) and two small notebooks — hello, journalist!

• Two bulldog clips (in visor pouch).

• Toothpicks (in visor pouch).

• Some trash (kept neatly in a plastic bag … usually).

• Gas station card — you collect points, cash it in after so many gallons for free gas or store merchandise.

• Laundry detergent — Why bother carrying it downstairs and upstairs over and over again every time I have to go do laundry?

• Some loose change.

• Brake fluid

• A rubber mallet.

• A couple of golf balls.

• In glove compartment: napkins, 1994 Nissan Kingcab SE-V6 owner’s manual, golf pencils, red tape and orange tape (from when I had broken tail lights), clear duct tape, two decks of poker cards (you never know).

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• This is the current price of gas on Guam.
Shell's regular unleaded is $3.05. 76 is selling regular unleaded for $3.08.