Recently, this past week, the week we're still in, I ordered a new hitch for my service van. I received the item and decided I needed to install it as soon as possible. I have not bought a new trailer yet, but when I do, I will need the hitch to haul it. So I was pretty excited. Never installed one before but there was instructions. Now, you can purchase all kinds of things on ebay or even craigslist so the days of waiting weeks for that item you've been wanting for months but took years to decide to buy it are over. Now, through the modern marvels of digital acquisitions, you can search for an item and within a few minutes and possession of a debit/credit card, you're wildest fantasies can be realized. My wildest fantasy this week was a class 3 trailer hitch for my service van. It's an older vehicle - 2002 year, but it only has 220,000 miles on it. But it probably has a couple hundred thousand more miles left in it so the new hitch will be to my advantage. Plus you just never know when someone's gonna ask "Hey mister, can you tow this for me?" Sometimes, as the group Toto sang for us a few years back, you have to "Tow the line". Actually it was "Hold the line" but I like to sing songs the way I choose. But I digress .... So, after waiting a full two days I received my new hitch and I was ready to install it. Now, technically, I've only been hitched three times (as my wives will tell you - one in a pleasant voice and another in a not so pleasant voice) so getting "hitched" sometimes requires drilling. If I had purchased a class two rated hitch I would not have been doing any drilling according to the latest descriptions to be read on ebay. But a class three does require two new holes on each side on the frame. It's not a complicated thing once you get a bolt in place in the existing holes on each side. Once the hitch is up you can mark the four locations so you can drill the holes. So simple if you happen to have access to a car lift. I don't by the way - have access to a car lift. So the old car jack and jack stand is required. To make a short story long, I left my good jack in the garage at home and I had a simple bottle jack at the shop. You have to remember, I was so excited so why would I drive all the way across town just to get my good jack. Well, short story long, I had just enough room to get my 1/2" power drill and 1/2" bit under the frame with a few inches to spare. So I was drilling the holes while laying on my side. It's not the first time I've done hard work while laying on my side. In fact, in another short story, I was laying on my side and tightening 2" black pipe in a crawl space one time and I felt something tear in my stomach. I literally felt the tear occur. Hernias - who needs 'em. And another time I was trying to get the drain bolt off of a transmission one time and I had my shoulder pop out of place a little bit. These things happen if you work enough. But yesterday, while drilling, without really having a good grip on the drill, the bit got caught in the metal and the drill decided to keep turning. If you've never experienced a drill wanting to turn while the bit has stopped it's an experience. Fortunately I was wearing safety glasses and the handle of the drill only hit the glasses. But my wrist on my right hand stayed with the drill. Now, a day later, my right hand looks pretty puffy and I can't really even grab a full coffee cup without using both hands. I think I really messed it up but at least I'm able to type. I still have to work today (which should be a LOT of fun) because my boss is a jerk and won't let me stay home and rest it. I do work for myself but sometimes I can be very hard on myself when it comes to injuries. Unless I'm laying on the floor unconscious why should a little problem like a dislocated wrist or whatever I did stop me from working. It is Friday and I can rest when I'm dead. Anyway, I wanted you all to know how much pain I'm in just to write this post. Because I know how important my thoughts and creativeness are to you all. (Sniffles can be heard in the background as our hero trudges on.) In fact, I'm not even going to check my writing today. If it's misspelled or out of context or there are any other writing problems please excuse me. I am wounded. My name is Rueuhyruehyheyuyyd and I approve this blog. By the way, I did get my hitch installed but there are two bolts securing it on each side instead of the required three. But, I will finish one day. And on that day I swear by all that is good and pleasant I will tow something. Anything. But I will tow. And Toto can hold the line. I miss them. They had catchy tunes.
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