To my Father and Brother:

I hate to use this blog to call out people, well, actually I don't, so here goes....

I fondly remember the day my dear Daddy bought me my Mustang. **Sigh** And though eight years have passed since that time, I still very much love my car. When I moved to DC five years ago, my dear Daddy drove my car up here for me, and it was like my little piece of home away from home.

My car and I have been through a lot over the years...college, waitressing, road trips, running out of gas, stolen hood ornaments, a lost side mirror due to a vicious attack by the garage, a back end reconstruction after being run into on the street, you get the idea... So when my precious car's odometer stopped working I set to once again figuring out how we can together make it past another of life's hurdles.

I did some research and found that the trouble is likely due to a broken odometer gear...and, according to the guys at stangnet.com, its an easy fix! I order my part, print off my directions, and call my dear Daddy for moral support. And sadly, moral support was nowhere to be found. Apparently, Father (as he will now be referred) doesn't think I can handle taking apart my dash and fixing a broken gear. Apparently, Father thinks I should spend $300 and take the car into the shop to be fixed instead of spending $30 and doing it myself. Apparently, Father was about to eat his words.

So being the determined person that I am (some would call it stubborn) I was hell bent on fixing my car myself. And thinking I could garner a little support from my Brother, who is himself a mechanic, I call him. Well. As my Nana would say he was about as helpful as tits on a boar hog. I feel bad for my brother, because apparently he takes after doubting Father and is absolutely certain that I am going to break something. Thanks for the vote of confidence people.

So I ask you, whatever happened to "you can do anything you want in life"? Whatever happened to family backing you up? Whatever happened to..? You get the idea. After borrowing a set of socket wrenches, I set to work. I will spare you the mundane details of how to change your odometer gear, but you know what??? I did it. ALL BY MYSELF.

Thus, To my Father and Brother: Eat your words, boys, eat your words.

My dash after I took it apart, replaced the gear, and put it back together, notice there are now numbers on the tripometer.