Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 20:59:41 -0600
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Phydaye Phollies ... an oldie. that's it. just an oldie. :)
In-Reply-To: <9f4608e90901091843nf67d766l6b55de6c7afe47a@mail.gmail.com>
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My grandfather always told the story of a man who, changing a tire in
front of an insane asylum, stepped on the loose hubcap and thus dumped
all the lugnuts for that wheel down a storm drain. Unable to retrieve
them, he cursed himself and his luck. An inmate inside the chain link
fence walked over to where he was bemoaning his fate and said "why
don't you take one lug nut from each of the other wheels and use that
to attach your spare until you can get somewhere that you can get
replacements?"
The distraught driver was stunned. "I don't know why I didn't think of
that. And I can't believe you were able to figure that out."
The insane asylum inmate replied "I'm in here for being insane, not
for being stupid."
This story sure helped me, when I lost drive power on the side of the
highway through a Florida-Alabama border town, and I had to remove
several CV joint bolts to replace the missing and broken ones from the
outside passenger side in the middle of the night on a backpacker's
sleeping pad in somebody's yard with a dog barking on a chain 30 feet
away with a flashlight in my mouth.
Jim
On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 8:43 PM, Al Knoll <anasasi@gmail.com> wrote:
> Heisenberg had some thoughts on that. You will have all the tools to fix
> whatever broke last time. You will have all but one essential bit to fix
> what broke this time. (12pt triplesquare f'rinstance. However under the
> mysterious good graces of that rubber frog on the dash you will be able to
> limp miserably home rather than bleach by the side of the forgotten byway
> you so adventureously set out to explore.
>
> Learn to change a tire by yourself, in the rain, in your driveway. Learn to
> replace the headlight switch by flashlight in deep fog and 30 degrees, in
> your driveway. Replace the alternator belt with the new one you bought. In
> the dark...etc etc.
>
> Then,according to Robert Pirsig, you may be worthy of true vanagon
> enjoyment.
>
> Cane Rattler
>
> On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 1:17 PM, joel walker <uncajoel@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>> just so all you newbies don't forget what you may not have learned
>> already ....
>>
>> Tales of the Workshop
>> by Robert W. Service-Advisor :)
>>
>> The Rules
>>
>> When they step up inside, as you go for a ride,
>> And the first thing they see are the tools,
>> Then they'll ask with a smirk if you do your own work,
>> Cause they have no idea of The Rules.
>>
>> For it's Tried and it's True: What you carry with you
>> Will help you get back; and it's certain
>> What you leave back at home, as the country you roam,
>> Will not help on the road when you're hurtin'.
>>
>> As you go through the years, you will learn from your tears
>> All the tools you will need on the road,
>> And you increase the weight, in attempts to cheat fate,
>> Adding more and more tools to your load.
>>
>> Now, it's sad, but in trucks, fuel economy sucks,
>> And gets worse with all that piled aboard,
>> But the point we make here is that gas ain't so dear;
>> Don't let tools and spare parts be ignored.
>>
>> So the bus weighs a lot. Even more when you've got
>> All the spare parts your money can buy
>> Hidden under the seat, stacked so careful and neat,
>> In the hope Murphy's Law won't apply.
>>
>> But since Murphy still lives, and he seldom forgives,
>> No matter how much you have pleaded,
>> The Rules make it plain, but we'll state it again:
>> Carry with you whatever is needed.
>>
>
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