Date:         Sun, 13 Feb 2000 11:40:27 -0700
Reply-To:     Kevin and Heather <keather@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kevin and Heather <keather@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      watching mechanics (was Texaco Fast Lube Failure)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

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.