Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/141374
Bloody Knuckles By Peter D. DuPre Apparently, It Sucks To Be Me! CHANGING LANES Sometimes I think that Joe Btfsplk has nothing on me. For those that don't remember, Joe was a popular character in the long running satirical comic strip Li'l Abner (drawn by the great cartoonist Al Capp). Joe was purported to the personification of jinx and bad luck. To remind readers of this, Capp drew the character with a small, dark rain cloud hovering over his head. Like Joe, I often find that when things are going right, I seem to be heading in the opposite direction – particularly lately. I mentioned last issue that my motorhome, Cedric, was temporarily defunct due to water in the fuel, a dead battery and a world of other relatively minor woes caused from sitting months on end without my starting it. Now the fix for these mechanical woes seemed 6 bloody knuckles 0713 cl.indd 1 pretty easy, if a little time consuming. I was prepared to replace the cap, rotor, plugs, plug wires, charge the battery, fuel filter and perhaps even drain the fuel tank and add new fuel. As it turned out, all I had to do was add a little fuel stabilizer to the tank, charge the battery and turn the key. It was all too easy... The old Dodge fired right up and idled smoothly. I thought for once I was getting off light, but as I always say, "Murphy likes sitting on my left shoulder." And this day was certainly no different. Cedric had only been running a minute or so when smoke began pouring out from the engine compartment. I killed the engine and checked under the hood. Oil had squirted onto the alternator and exhaust header. Plus, the fan belt was completely shredded. July 2013 // WWW.CHANGINGLANESDIGITAL.COM 6/4/13 3:24 PM