Sandbox Salutations, Wk4

BYE BYE Mustache!

Ok so let me tell you a story about Maintainers (Mainly Crew Chiefs) and mustaches.  Whenever we go on a TDY or deployment everybody starts growing a mustache, no particular reason at first, its just something to do.    I'll remind you that I've been to a few bases and all Crew Chiefs are the same on this subject.  At one point early on in the deployment, someone usually comes up with a game to play on how long we all have to grow mustaches for.  Sometimes it's for when someone gets in trouble, or if someone is late for work, or various reasons.  Typically you end up with a bunch of nasty looking maintainers with these rediculously long looking mustaches.  I will say that this only happens TDY because we are not trying to impress anyone or we don't have our wives to look good for.  So on this particular trip, about day 3 of our growing period.  One of my guys makes the game that no-one can shave their mustache until their Jet breaks and does not make it's next scheduled flight, we call this "Dropping a Line" in the air Force.  Well, as most of you know, I do not crew a jet anymore, I am charge of the truck and all the crew chiefs on the line.  My job is officially called an expediter, but it boils down to making sure things get done and moving people and equipment to accomplish this.  So, I decided since I have a truck and not a plane, that when my truck breaks down and I have to turn it into maintenance, thats when I will shave my mustache.  

Now that you know the game we play, I will give you some background knowledge of my Lucy "My Truck" a 2002 Chevy Metro-van.

First off, I got her from the guys that were here last, they rode her hard and did not care for her.  This is a dissappointment because at least she had a nice A/C system and a Halfway descent Radio.  So when i got her, she was burning at least 2.5 quarts of oil a week, she smelled a little funny and had no guts whatsoever.  But the most important thing is she had A/C in the front and Back cab (A must in the desert).  So today, the day after my day off, I come into work and my turnover from the last shift, Lopez (also my roommate), tells me that she began running even worse now and is chugging more and has a constant pume of smoke comming out the rear-end.  All the guys began laughing at how great of a get-a-way vehicle she would make, she's already deploying a great smoke screen.  So, I decide to make the 6 mile trek down to vehicle maintenance, thinking tht hopefully if I feed her some more oil she might tighten up her seals and run better.  Well that was a bust, All she did was smoke out a lineup of cehicles behind me becasue she couldn't go more than 25 without feeling like she'd fall apart.  So, long and behold I had to give up the keys and turn her in.  Thus, this is long about way of how I had to shave my mustache.  Hopefully my next vehicle will be a little more eco-friendly.  Awwwwe screw the environment, I just hope she has A/C, It's fricking hot out here!!!