It’s still raining.
And the Cheapskate’s Car Wash…uhm…that’s not to say God is a cheapskate; only that a certain cheapskate takes advantage of Her largesse… Yes. The Cheapskate’s Car Wash has been running overtime.
Over the past some weeks and months, the Dog Chariot has managed to get itself pretty darned dirty, because I’m terribly lazy (and cheap) about taking it to the carwash. This past three days of rainfall, though, have presented an Opportunity.
So much rain has fallen so steadily and yet so gently that it’s washed away all the mud (and frost-killed leaves). Late on the storm’s first day I parked the car on the driveway for an hour and then pulled it into the garage and wiped it down with microfiber rags.
Yesterday I spent most of the day gadding around the far west side with KJG; on the way home I was caught in some more rain, but surprisingly the road mud was rinsed off the car’s sides by the time I arrived in the garage. Wiped it down again. Looked great this morning.
Made a little junket to the Apple store this afternoon. The clouds seemed to be clearing ahead of a brisk breeze. I didn’t think it would rain again, but darned it wasn’t pouring by the time I wandered out of the mall.
Wash. Wipe. Dry. 🙂
I really prefer to wash the car myself, because I think I do a better job than the $20 car wash guys. The last time I took the car over there, they didn’t get it very clean. A shop vac, a few rags, and a hose sprayer attachment to wash off the wheels seem to do the job a lot better. A certain amount of work is required, though; since I have an allergy to work, it’s a rare day that I willingly drag the hose out to the driveway and spray treated city water all over the vehicle. The free rainwater helps a lot in the motivation department.
The car now is very, very clean. Chuck the Mechanic Par Excellence will be amazed when he gets it on Thursday for an oil change and minor repair. I don’t think he’s ever seen that car clean before…