I once figured out how to raise the hood of my car so that I could check the oil and water. I must have been inspired to do that because of some feature story in the newspaper in the days when Women's Lib was in its formative years. "If a man can do it, so can YOU" sort of thing.

      I ended up with dirty hands and decided that was the end of that. It's so much easier to drive someplace and get an oil change and lubrication (whether you need it or not) because they check everything.

      I bought a tire gauge and pocketed 2 quarters and decided to fill a low tire not long ago. After staring at the tire for a bit and fingering the tire gauge for a while, I gave in to my apprehensions and went inside the convenience store and begged for help. A 16-year old girl came from behind the counter and did the job for me! Next time, I went to a filling station and a 17 year old boy helped me. Gad! Those youngsters are courageous.

      I drove my car for over a year before I could get the gas cap off. I'd just wait until some likely looking male was filling his gas tank and I'd walk over and ask for help. Never failed. If no customers came, I'd go inside and roll my eyes heavenward and ask for assistance. That works, too, because they didn't want me parked there blocking a pump!

      Did you know that mud flaps just snap on? Neither did I until I noticed one dangling from one corner. Pitty-pat, pitty-pat into the repair shop because I couldn't figure out how to fix it. One- second job, no charge. They love me at that place.

      I learned the hard way that cars won't start in "Drive!" I'd pulled into a parking lot in a terrible rush and when I tried to go home, the car was dead. The E.R. at the hospital wasn't able to help so I walked to the filling station/repair place in tears. Kindly owner walked back with me, put the car in "Park" and brought the dear thing back to life. I love that man!

      Cars have minds of their own. I put mine in reverse last summer and expected to back out of my garage. It wouldn't budge! I couldn’t put it into ‘drive’ to see the transmission or some other thing that sounds important had given up the ghost because I was nosed up to the garage wall.

      I went inside the house and gave that car time to get its act together and then tried again. No move. Turn off ignition. Start over. With a loud PLUNK, the crazy car backed up and I was on my way. Never mind that the garage could find nothing wrong and the Mercury data base had never heard of such a thing happening. That car was just mad at me!

      I'm so-o-o handy with cars!