zen and the art of honda civic maintenance (and cooking)

many life lessons can be learned from cooking and car maintenance. last night i spent over an hour trying to figure out why my headlight was so dim, and replacing my windshield wiper blades. then when that madness was over, i spent another couple of hours shopping, baking, and cleaning up after making some (hopefully) amazing au gratin potatoes.

1. it doesn't matter how many times you read the directions, until you get in there and get your hands dirty, you won't have a clue what you're doing.

2. even when you follow the directions, each situation is new. it's bound to have it's own quirks and require a little improvisation.

3. when all else fails, jiggle the wires. (no really, that's literally how i found out what was wrong with my headlight.)

4. plungers work just as well in kitchen sinks as they do in toilets. (in other words, don't put so much stuff in the garbage disposal at once.)

5. if you've lived in a place for 4 months and not talked to your neighbors, open your hood, and rub some grease on your hands. they'll come out of no where to offer their condolences. if you want sympathy try replacing your wiper blades while others are watching.

6. princeton tec headlamps (though pricey) aren't just for spelunking. they work great for repairing your car in 20 degree weather at night.

7. don't wear a white hat and khaki pants when you're working on your car.

8. you can do a job with a variety of tools, but specialty tools make the job so much easier. (see ladies, guys don't have a tool fetish, it's for practical reasons that we drift off to sears when you drag us to the mall.)

9. if you're gonna bake something that will bubble over, put a cookie sheet under it to catch the drips. it makes cleanup so much easier!

10. the effort is what counts. regardless if what you cook tastes good, others appreciate the fact that you took the time to try.