Kinda a funny story about wathing mechanics carefully. Last year, my wife and I were on our way home after spending the better part of a year travelling around north and central America in our 82 diesel camper van. I did most of the maintenance myself over that year, but had occasion to visit a couple mechanics in Central America. Once in CHiapas for a new wheel drive shaft (luckly the same part is used on the Mexican bus), and once for a new CV boot in Guatemala (had a spare with me). Each time, I was in my overalls under the van with the mechanics. They thought it was pretty funny to see a tall blonde gringo down getting grease under his fingernails (you'd have to understand latin culture to appreciate it), but I was there to make sure everything was done right. Both times the mechanics were pretty competent and it went well. Anyway, on our way back up through Mexico, the tires on Jesus (the van) were getting pretty bald, so I got some new ones. And had new Gabriel shocks put on at the same time. I again carefully watched the whole procedure to make sure no corners were cut. They tried to lift the van with the gas tank bars (sound familiar to anyone?), so I had to yell and gesture, and add new words to my spanish vocabulary, but eventually got them doing it right. Once the van was done, the wheels torqued, van lowered, etc, I turned around to pay as a guy was getting ready to put on the hubcaps (never turn your back!). I turned back around just as he was putting the last of my shiney, perfect condition chrome hubcaps (you know, the dinner plate ones with the pressed VW logo), with a BALLPEEN HAMMER! So now I have a perfect circle dent in each of my hubcaps. I was going to pound them out, but I think I leave em in to remind myself to be vigilant.
______________________________________________________________________________ Kevin and/or Heather Where have the years gone? Why, into the usual vices of the romantic idealist: into sloth amd melancholy, each feeding upon and reinforcing the other, into love and marriage and the begetting of children, into the strenuous maneuvers of earning a living without living to earn, into travel and play and music and drink and talk and laughter, into saving the world - but saving the world was only a hobby. Into watching cloud formations float across our planetary skies. But mostly into sloth and melancholy and I don't regret a moment of it. Edward Abbey. |
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