Still running

Some newer visitors here might not be aware that, years ago, I became the custodian of a pickup truck. 

Well, you probably don't even care, but I thought it was a good subject to write about today. 

I say "custodian" because, even though according to the State of Tennessee I would be the legal owner, I keep the truck in my possession pursuant to an agreement with my older son, who lives in Atlanta. 

When Older Son was living in Dallas, he still had the pickup truck we had bought for him when he was in college. It's a green 2000 Chevy Silverado, affectionately called the "Green Machine." 

He loved that truck, but it was not practical for the amount of driving he had to do with his job in Dallas, scouting out commercial real estate sites. 

So in late 2014 when he decided to get a more fuel-efficient vehicle, he did not want to part with the Green Machine. He proposed that he entrust it to me for an indefinite period of time. 

I was happy to oblige. You can do the math and figure I've had that truck for a few years now. When he moved to Atlanta the year after he entrusted it to me, I thought he might want it back, but he said he would like for it to stay with me for the time being. 

And I don't know what I would do without it. I use that truck all the time. And I learned quickly that friends like to have friends who have trucks. The Green Machine has been loaned out numerous times to folks who are moving or need to move large items. 

I always have to give a tutorial to those who drive it. It's quirky. You don't want to try to lock it because the driver's side lock was picked one time, so putting the key in the lock is not reliable and the keyless lock doesn't always work. 

The brake light occasionally comes on but my mechanic has assured me there is nothing wrong with the brakes. Every once in a while the "Low Coolant" light will come on, but I've checked it and the coolant level is fine. 

So you can pretty much ignore the warning lights, I tell the temporary drivers, unless it's not one of those two. Then you might need to call me. 

I don't like to use bad language, but in this case I think it's justified:  the damn squirrels in my yard got up in the engine and chewed through some hoses, doing several hundred dollars' worth of damage. (There is not a space in my garage for the Green Machine). 

After repairs were made, the aforementioned mechanic suggested hanging a couple of plastic bags of moth balls underneath to repel squirrels. It's been several years and that seems to have done the trick. 

A borrower of the truck once called to tell me about the bags. I told him to leave them alone. 

The Green Machine has 202,000 miles on it and is doing well. It passes the annual emissions test required by the state. 

I don't know that my son will ever want it back, especially since he now has a late model Silverado, so why would he need it? He has said his son, who is three, might like to have it someday, but we have a few years to deal with that and I don't know if it would last that long. I think Older Son's current truck will be good for my grandson. 

For now, the one I have is awfully handy and serves me well. And of course there is great sentimental value. 

Its most recent use was hauling mulch home from the hardware store. For a berm in my front yard, I could park it in the street just a few feet away for ease of unloading. Below shows the truck bed a few minutes after I finished. Job well done, Green Machine.