Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:48:29 -0400
Reply-To: Roger VanTill <motelvw@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Roger VanTill <motelvw@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagonuts are the Best!
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTinCohHrhwUOlU0L2Rzg6b_1CPIpRDfwvgnpGO2E@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Love the story, Pat. I've been there myself.
On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 4:29 PM, Annie <lsandrsn@gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree with Peter - you are a great storyteller, Pat!
>
> Be blessed,
> ~Annie Anderson
> {write <http://asamediagroup.com/copy.html> *
> design<http://asamediagroup.com/design.html>*
> blog <http://annieandersonblog.com>}
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 1:19 PM, Peter T. Owsianowski <
> pnoceanwesty@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Wow! You are a great storyteller. Felt like I was there!
> >
> > Nice to know good things happen ocassionally.
> >
> > On 6/29/10, Pat Sloan <pmsloan@shaw.ca> wrote:
> > > To truly appreciate, you all need to know that I'm a 65-yr-old woman
> with
> > a
> > > serious 'Auto Mechanics for Women' course (circa 1975) under my belt.
> > >
> > > So I'm out in Mission, about 50 miles from home in Vancouver with
> > 'Otter',
> > > my 1982 Westy van with an 87 Jetta engine. 'Bob the Diligent' (my cheap
> > and
> > > wonderfully patient mechanic) has just spent several days correcting
> > > massively bad wiring which has been draining the battery and creating
> > major
> > > starting problems. Now I'm at the gas station just before the freeway,
> > > filling up before I drive home. But when I start her up again she
> > doesn't.
> > > Nothing. No sound to give me a clue. I call Bob, but he's gone home for
> > the
> > > day. Can't call BCAA because I've used up all my calls for the year
> (see
> > > draining battery, above).
> > >
> > > Fret and pace briefly. Then decide to call BCAA anyway. They'll charge
> > me,
> > > but at least I know they're reputable. Now I can't read the emergency #
> > on
> > > the card. Don't have my reading glasses with me. Aargh!!
> > >
> > > At the pumps behind me a huge black pickup has just pulled up. The kind
> I
> > > need a ladder to climb into. Forty-something guy gets out to pump gas
> and
> > I
> > > ask if he can read the phone # off my card so I can call BCAA. This is
> > > probably the 1st moment that he's registered my existence, and when he
> > lifts
> > > his eyes from my card to check what I'm driving, he lights up like the
> > dawn
> > > coming over the mountains!
> > >
> > > "Hey, I used to drive all over the country in one of those!"
> > >
> > > "What year? Yeah, mine was an '82, too!"
> > >
> > > "Can I have a look at the Jetta engine? Wow! Cool! Jeez, I miss mine."
> > >
> > > "Hey, let me have a look back by the starter and see what's happening."
> > >
> > > I find a pair of pyjamas he can wrap around his arm, (engine is hot!)
> and
> > he
> > > kind of disappears into the engine compartment like the vet in 'All
> > > Creatures Great and Small' helping out a cow who's having some problems
> > > delivering her calf.
> > >
> > > I strategically fall back to the passenger side of the Darth Vader
> pickup
> > to
> > > make nice with the very young, very made-up blonde passenger who is
> > rolling
> > > her eyes at this insanity. Not sure if she's a girlfriend or a daughter
> -
> > > could be either. But in any case, clearly it's majorly to my advantage
> to
> > > keep her as happy as possible.
> > >
> > > It only takes a minute or 2. He finds the wire he clearly knows about
> and
> > is
> > > looking for. Seems it was connected but not crimped and has fallen off.
> > So
> > > he's pushed it back on. Enough for me to drive carefully back to Bob's
> > > garage, where I can leave it until Monday so he can fix. Refuses any
> > > payment. Leaves with a smile and a wave and my hearty thanks!
> > >
> > > Wow! Vanagonuts . . .
> > >
> > > They're everywhere;
> > >
> > > they're obsessed
> > >
> > > and they are very, very kind.
> > >
> > > Pat in Vancouver - '82 Vanjetta - 'Otter'
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Sent from my mobile device
> >
> > Pete
> > '79 Westy "Aardvark"
> > '87 Westy "JoesVan"
> > WWW.Busesbythebeach.com
> >
>
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