Got some first hand experience on Monday on my commute home from work. The alternator went out somewhere north of Bloomington on 494. As I was headed west past Cabelas on 94 west my truck started to cut out and I lost all gauges and A/C.
I somehow managed to limp it to my kid’s daycare. I assumed battery right away, since I’ve got ABSOLUTELY no mechanical ability and the truck is an 08. Well, we jumped the truck and I made it to the parts store. They tested the battery as the truck died again. Nope, not the battery, the alternator.
Cool, jump the truck again and head north. It’s 7 miles to my house. Truck dies 1 mile from home. Call a neighbor have him come give me one last jump and we make it home. I pick on my kids all the time about having to push the pickup if I run out of gas. My oldest says while we are sitting on the road, “Daddy, is it time to start pushing?” I laughed and said yup.
Needless to say, it takes forever for an engine to cool down enough to work on it this time of year. I’m proud to say this is one of the first times I’ve ever completed something mechanical with all my knuckles still in check. I was pretty ticked when it happened, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. At least it wasn’t a month from now when I’m headed north on my first hunt of the fall.
Anyway, he says to me last fall…”John, when will you take me on a bear hunt?” I told when he was 12 I’d take him. I saw him over the 4th and told him I was going hunting for bear in a couple months and his eyes lit up. I think we all know the feeling and what better drug than that. The excitement we had as kids now is the same we just wear bigger britches. 
