Archive for January, 2012
Pitching In
My daughter and son-in-law recently welcomed their first child into the world. As my grandbaby is a winter baby, my daughter and son-in-law did not have the time or energy to properly winterize their home. My husband and I felt that the best way to pitch in without being too meddlesome was to offer to finish the winterization process for them.
We set about putting on winter tires on the cars and getting the collegiate grill covers onto the backyard barbecues. We also put up plastic sheeting around drafty windows and put insulation around outside pipes so they won’t freeze and burst during the winter months. My son-in-law and daughter are very appreciative of our efforts and we were happy to give them a few less things to worry about while they enjoy being a brand new family.
Acceptance!
Not long after I wrote the last post my brother received his acceptance letter from his top choice university. He was nervous at first because the envelope was thin. Traditionally a thin letter means rejection. Fortunately, the opposite was true. The envelope was simply thin because a larger packet will be mailed, pending his agreement to attend the university.
Not surprisingly, my brother was thrilled (still is thrilled). My parents, however, are over the moon. They bought even more university paraphernalia, including college tire covers. I can’t remember them being this enthusiastic when I went off to school, but then again, I didn’t choose their alma mater like my brother.
Waiting for Acceptance Letters
For those high school seniors who applied early action to various universities, acceptance and rejection letters are about to arrive. My brother is one of those anxious high school seniors waiting to see if he’s been accepted into his top school. You would think having already been accepted to his safety school he’d have a bit less anxiety, but this has not been the case.
His anxiety probably isn’t helped by the fact that my parents have already started stocking up on fan gear from his top school. They received their college grill covers in the mail the other day and are still waiting on a pair of flags and tailgating gear. I’m doing my best to keep my brother distracted from my parents well meaning but antagonizing behavior.
Winterizing a Gas Grill
No, you didn’t read the title wrong. It does say, “Winterizing a Gas Grill.” I’m not referring to grills that use propane; I’m referring to grills that are hooked up to the house’s gas line.
When winter comes, you cannot just leave a gas grill out. You need to make sure the pipe is covered so as to prevent bursting. You’ll also want barbeque grill covers to protect the actual grill from rusting. If you do not take proper precautions, then you will have a very expensive problem on your hands when the ground begins to thaw.
USC Trojans
The athletic teams representing the University of Southern California are known as the USC Trojans. (Officially, the women’s teams are referred to either as Trojans or Women of Troy). As part of the Pac-12, the Trojans have won 116 national championships, including 94 NCAA national championships.
The Trojans have a fierce rivalry with UCLA in both sports and academics. The rivalry between the two California schools is pre-dated by a rivalry between USC and Notre Dame. USC fans are incredibly loyal and demonstrate their pride by dressing up as Trojans for games, putting USC Trojans tire covers on their cars, and singing along with “Tusk” during the fourth quarter of home football games.
Cleaning Canvas Tire Covers
Canvas is a durable, versatile woven material. It is used in a number of items from shoes to tire covers. Though canvas can withstand a lot of wear and tear, it cannot hold up to a washer and dryer.
Canvas is 100 percent cotton, so it shrinks easily. Instead of tossing a dirty canvas tire cover in the laundry, was it by hand with mild soap, clean water, and a soft brush. Allow the canvas tire cover to air dry so as not to shrink and therefore no longer fit over the tire for which it was intended.
Creative Display of Bumper Stickers
When I was younger, I used to purchase t-shirts from every new and interesting destination I visited. Once it became a struggle to close my dresser drawers, I decided that it was time to find a new collectible. I turned to a cheaper, space-friendly alternative: bumper stickers.
Rather than simply collecting bumper stickers in a binder, I chose to put mine on display. I bought a plain black vinyl tire cover and arranged my bumper stickers on the cover in an artistic manner. I think it jazzes up the rear of my car without clogging the rear windshield as you often see with other bumper sticker collectors.
Top Basketball Rivalry
As a little girl growing up in Connecticut, my idols were the women of the UConn women’s basketball team. Every girl in my town wanted to be Rebecca Lobo, Jenn Rizzotti, or Missy Rose. They dominated the competition, and unlike many women’s athletic programs, they had – and continue to have – strong support from the entire state.
The games we lived for were the match-ups against the Lady Vols, led by tough as nails coach Pat Summitt. Every victory over Tennessee was cause for a major celebration and every defeat a deep wound. They’ve met up time and time again in the post-season, and never fail to deliver an explosive game. It’s unfortunate that Summitt declined to continue the regular season match-ups; even die-hard fans like me could tolerate seeing Tennessee Volunteers tire covers in Storrs, Connecticut if it meant a spectacular match.
Snow Tires
When you live in parts of the country with heavy snowfall, snow tires are highly recommended. These tires are specifically designed to increase traction in slushy, snowy, and icy conditions. The tinier treads allow for water to escape from under the tire more easily, thus reducing risk of hydroplaning.
While some consumers believe that two snow tires are enough, four snow tires are actually recommended to ensure effectiveness and safety. In addition to equipping a car with snow tires during the winter months, it’s a good idea to also have a spare tire in case of emergency. Select quality sports team tire covers to protect the spare so you will be able to get back into your warm car and on the road as quickly as possible after a blow-out.