![\"wild_root.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/mainecourse.com\/mt\/archives\/image\/wild_root.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Helen, do you remember WildRoot Cream-oil?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It sounds familiar. Do you mean Brylcreem?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No, WildRoot Cream-oil. Brylcreem came after it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That was oily wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Those old time radio shows, that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been listening to on CD, play the original commercials. I remember that stuff. Can you imagine smearing something on your hair that they call cream oil, and that they boast has lanolin in it? They talk about using it on your kids to train their hair. Probably train it do situps.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I remember when you and Stevie Brown would slick your hair down with Brylcreme. Then you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d put your leather jackets on to look like Elvis Presley.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We looked pretty sharp, didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Not too.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153In my twenty years I have never seen anything wired in series like that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What do we have to lose? Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s run that copper wire between the two terminals as you suggest and eliminate it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
My father and I had been, for most of the morning, banging our heads on the puzzle that was my nonfunctioning, driver\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s side power window. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d pulled the whole door apart, and I had in my hand, the small motor that lifted the window. Next to me on the ground were exposed wires, flapping plastic, screws, and multiple trim door parts. We had tested and retested and tested again resistance and voltage, but mostly we had tested our will to succeed. <\/p>\n
We were sure we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d isolated the problem to the motor, which is as simple a device as the abacus. But we couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t determine the root problem. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d get to a point, after checking every lead, where we were sure it should work, but when we reconnected the motor to the electrical harness – nothing. In frustration I called the local parts store – $210.00 for a new motor. Fat chance. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll continue to roll slightly pass those toll booths, and open my door before I pay that kind of money. <\/p>\n
In the old days my father would have never given up. I knew he had the answer- he always had the answer, no matter how esoteric the problem- and all I had to do was keep him at it.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s take the motor into the breakfast room and work on it at the table.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Remember, this is not a greasy car part, but an isolated, compact, metal and plastic device. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done much of our most important work at this table. Our last resistance check revealed an inline chip of some sort, that when wiggled, would either register as a closed circuit – good – or an open one – bad. That was the problem, and that was the in-series gizmo that made no sense to my father. We wired past it, reinstalled the motor and sure enough, the window went up and down.<\/p>\n
I smiled to myself knowing that the only other person in the family who would truly appreciate the inventiveness of this solution would be Matthew. He had discovered countless part workarounds on the old BMW, oddities even his teacher at Minuteman Tech was clueless about. I just wished Matthew had been here for this one. Need I say, I miss Matthew?<\/p>\n
Which reminds me of my phone call to Diane on Saturday. I stood on the porch in Evansville, warmed by the sun, as she watched the rain patter against the windows from inside her kitchen in Acton. With the lovey dovey stuff out of the way and a quick synopsis of Patti\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s health, Flo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s progress, Kate\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s broken foot, Matt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tire purchase in NH, the overworked sump pump, her upcoming trip to Montreal, Susan, Jimmy, what movie I should watch with my mother, when I might be coming home and how things are here, I popped the most serious question. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How has the blog been without my editor?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Meaning, my posts from afar without Diane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eagle eye. <\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been great. I love it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But wha about punctuation and typos and … ?<\/p>\n
\u00c3\u00abI didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see any.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Then it dawned. I can, write; anything: I want, in pretty, much my usual stlye. an as long sa it ends, with: I miss Diane – it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perfect. <\/p>\n
![\"slugger.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/mainecourse.com\/mt\/archives\/image\/slugger.jpg\")
\nLouisville Slugger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Helen, do you remember WildRoot Cream-oil?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It sounds familiar. Do you mean Brylcreem?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No, WildRoot Cream-oil. Brylcreem came after it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That was oily wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Those old time radio shows, that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been listening to on CD, play the original … Continue reading