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Date:         Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:04:16 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Vanagonuts are the Best!
Comments: To: Pat Sloan <pmsloan@SHAW.CA>
In-Reply-To:  <0D917689454A4E06B8C966C5CF06E7AD@PC245562293221>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

Great story Pat! Both you & the guy in the pickup. However, IMNTK, how did the pickup guy go from a Vanagon to a "huge black pickup"?

YMMV,

Mr. BZ-should go back

On Jun 29, 2010, at 1:28 PM, Pat Sloan 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'


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