Barbara’s Blog

Welcome to A.C. Tire’s blog, to be known as “Married to a Mechanic.” I figured there are plenty of blogs out there that talk about car care, classic cars, automobiles and the like. But there isn’t much out there about what is learned LIVING with a gearhead/ auto repair shop owner. It is a mixture of joy and stress (sounds like any other marriage) but also includes a dose of grease and oil and the occasional car part in the living room. As this website grows and evolves, hopefully this blog will become educational, inspirational, or at least entertaining. Some of my ideas for upcoming posts include: things on your car that only a mechanic’s wife would notice, what to expect when you come to the shop, what I do while there, and the first post- what does A.C. Tire stand for, anyway???
Please check in and comment periodically (I am going to aim to post at least once a week- maybe more if the “muses” inspire or I get a request to address something (hint hint). I am often wordy in my writings, so feel free to comment on my style/ length of posts. (And if you EVER find a spelling or grammatical error. I insist on you commenting, as mistakes are a pet peeve of mine, and I will want to immediately remedy it!)

We’ve all done it or had it done to us: “I know you aren’t a (put spouse’s occupation here), but you’re around it enough. Can you tell me if my ……?” And so it goes. Computer glitches, leaking faucets, legal advice, and yes, mechanical diagnoses are hinted out/ requested by well-meaning friends. My immediate response is always, “I don’t know anything about cars. That’s why I married a mechanic!” But in all reality, spouses know that they cannot be married to someone of a particular profession without having some of it rubbing off on us. For instance:

• If you can see the entire head of Abe Lincoln on a penny when you put it in the tread of your tire, it is time to get those babies replaced- you’re asking for an accident/ blowout and you definitely won’t pass inspection.
• If you let your gas tank go below a 1/4 of a tank, you get worse gas mileage and risk any sediment that may have collected in the bottom of your tank getting in your fuel line.
• a “Click, click, click” sound when you turn on your ignition is not usually your battery- it’s your starter.
• Too much stuff on your key ring will pull on your ignition and eventually damage it.
• Driving with “one foot on a pedal at all times” (either the accelerator or the brake) is NOT good for your vehicle- not only does it mess with your mileage, and go beyond damaging your brake pads, it will warp your rotors (and they do not make “performance rotors” for mini-vans!).
• There are more to tires than how big they are- there is width, tread pattern, and other factors that affect the ride and the mileage you get out of them.
• There are differences in windshield wipers! (But more on that another time)

And most importantly, it is essential to know how to do certain mechanical things yourself (change a tire- including KNOWING WHERE YOUR SPARE IS, adding oil and other fluids, knowing what those gauges on your dash mean and what to do about them) and knowing how to find a mechanic you can trust (if you aren’t lucky enough to marry one).

One of my hobbies is crafting (although I must admit, I plan more crafts than I actually complete). I try to use items I already have or find and “upcycle” them, rather than spending a fortune at a craft store. I have made my share of magazine organizers from cereal boxes, cotton swab holders from Mason jars, and planters from empty milk and orange juice jugs. My wine glasses are held by an old garden rake head, my message board is a painted cast iron skillet, and a kitchen chair who lost its seat is now holds flowers by my driveway.

Many of my craft ideas are “pinspirations,” as I am a Pinterest junkie (talking to my friends, I know I am not alone). When looking at the “upcycling” pages, I found lots of ideas including recycling tires. I knew companies recycled tires into playground and athletic field cushioning, flip flops, and asphalt. But recycling at home? Hmmmmmm…..
I asked Johnny what happened to the old tires at his shop; he explained that he has to pay per tire to have them removed by a recycling company. I asked if he had any he would be willing to bring some home for me to use. Although he thought I was a bit crazy (nothing new there), he agreed- it would be 4 less he would have to pay to remove.

And so began my “retired tire” projects. I discovered that Johnny had beat me to the recycling, using pieces of tires as bumpers on our dock. Not exactly gorgeous, but how gorgeous are dock bumpers?
An easy project was using one as my compost/ earthworm garden. Easy to create- fill a tire on the ground partially with dirt, add whatever I am composting, and let the kids add worms as they find them. My camouflage: putting it in the woods near our house.
Since my project tires came from Johnny’s shop, it was only fair to include the office in my collection. I found a lawnmower tire to turn into a wreath that I change periodically with the seasons. He says it is one of the first things customers notice and he receives compliments on it regularly.

Back at home, the idea list was growing:

• My yard tools that had been piled up against the porch railing were given a home. By stacking the tires (and bolting them together), the shovels, rakes and oddities could stand inside the tire tower. My daughter improved it by painting flowers on the side.
• Filling one with pine shavings made a wonderful outdoor bed for our cats, who like to snuggle.
• We used two tires stacked for growing potatoes. Again, not as attractive as the bins you see in the garden catalogs, but way cheaper.

I purposely stayed away from ideas that involve cutting the tire– I am not a fan of getting sliced by the steel belts in a tire. Besides, cutting a tire sounds entirely too much like work.
As is usually the case, my “oh, we can do that” list grows faster than my “I have time to do that” list. But I am still hoping to build a tire ladder (attaching several to an inclined board to use with the sliding board)
for my nephew, some outdoor seats (stack/ attach two and support a seat cushion for the top) and of course, an actual old-fashioned tire swing.
So, what have you done with old tires? Share here and give me more ideas!!