You'd think my truck is the General's truck the way she takes territorial ownership and immediately barks out the order from the passenger seat for me to activate the button to clean the windshield. Seriously, how many times does activating the windshield washer in one's vehicle do anything more than muddy the waters, so to speak?
Over the years, I've learned to pick my battles. Exercising my right to decline using the windshield washer in my truck is not a hill I'm willing to die on. Though I've not kept accurate statistical data, I'd dare to guess that 97% of the time using the windshield washer doesn't make a favorable difference.
The last time we went through this exercise, the General eventually recognized that the problem was not the outside windshield, but the problem was inside the truck. Her corrective action plan for me was to use Sprayway Glass Cleaner. Reportedly, it is the world's best glass cleaner. At least that is the tag line they include in lettering on the spray can.
Actually, I've been using Sprayway Glass Cleaner for the past 17 years. When my parent's home was constructed in Henly in 2004, the General and I opted to save them some money by cleaning the windows before move-in. It was something the contractor didn't need to do.
Perhaps the label on the can had an impact on my impression, but I thought it was the best window cleaner I've ever used. Consequently, since then it is the only brand I've selected to use.
A can of Sprayway Glass cleaner and a wide razor blade is a guarantee for crystal clear windows. It eliminates the "see through the glass darkly" persona.
My friend Paul who shares both my age and birthdate is like-minded. He recently cleaned the inside of his truck windshield and intuitively selected the white can with blue lettering.
It is not that he didn't notice that something was wrong from the very start. The glass cleaner didn't foam on the windshield the way it usually does. His solution was to keep spraying more and more.
I guess it is the time-old adage: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Edward Hickson popularized the adage in his book the Song Master in 1836. The song includes these words:
'Tis a lesson you should heed–
Try again;
If at first you don’t succeed,
Try again.
Then your courage should appear;
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear,
Try again...
My friend Paul would probably never say that he isn't the sharpest Crayola in the box, but imagine the mess and surprise he discovered when he finally connected the dots in his head and realized he was using Sprayway Stainless Steel Cleaner instead of glass cleaner.
Seriously, how does anyone make that kind of mistake? From his description of the ordeal, it took him hours to eradicate the oil-based substance included in the stainless steel cleaner.
When I saw the can, I quickly realized that I, too, could make that kind of mistake.
All My Best
Don