Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 02:47:14 -0700
Reply-To: "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@CONCENTRIC.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@CONCENTRIC.NET>
Subject: Demographics
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Glad to see I'm not the only giezer out there...I turned 40 last year,
although I still wonder whether my birth date is wrong...I grew up in a
little town called Schwenksville, PA, which is about two miles down
route 29 from the Bus Depot...Used to fish in the Perkiomen Creek right
across the street. I now live by the ocean in San Francisco.
I was first "intorduced" to VW busses back in the late 60's when I was
jsut a kid. Every august swarms of them would converge on our little
town making their way to the 3 day Philadelphia Folk Festival...which is
the oldest folk festival in the USA (37 years), and is held on a big
farm in Schwenksville. As kids, we would sit along main street and
watch the parade of colorful vans and busses and their wild occupants
pour into town the last weekend of August ... headed for the 'Ol Poole
Farm...and the great campground where 10,000-15,000 camp for 3-4 days.
What a treat for us country kids who had no excitement beyond going
fishing, swimming and getting the local cop to chase us... As I grew
older...I navigated through a right of passage or two in a vw buss
parked in that field on the ol poole farm ... with music and laughter
and singing filling the night air. I still go to the festival and
strongly reccomend it to anyone who appreciates/loves music. SEE
http://www.folkfest.org/
http://www.bway.net/~rjnoonan/phillyfolk/
My interest in things mechanical comes from my experience with dirt
bikes. My first job was at a motorcycle shop where I assembled new
bikes and test rode them. I was 14 years old and hitch-hiked the 10
miles to and from work every day that summer...I got paid $1 an
hour...and earned enough to buy a Suzuki 185, which I entered in my
first race (I rode it to the track on back roads!) I eventually raced
motocross as an amatuuer and professional in the U.S. and Canada.
Next ...it was off to the oil fileds of wyoming to earn $ for
college...after working on 2 rigs, I ended up being the "shooter" on a
siesmic crew near Jackson, Wyoming...we would helecopter into the
mountains...lay out 100lb. charges...whcich I would set off uasing a
detonator in a back-pack ...what a job!....it took me way up above the
arctic circle in Alaska (Maybe creek...Umiat) From there, I ended up
outside of Homer, in a small cabin about 2 miles off the road where I
spent a winter keeping a dog team...and a small trap line.
From there it was back to phil;adelphia to study philosophy at
Temple...although I returned to Alaska to fish salmon in Bristol Bay
every summer. Then on to Law school at the University of
Pennsylvania...and to San Francisco after graduation. I bought my
syncro westy soon after my twins were born...and right after I won my
first big trial while on my own...I won just under $1,000,000 for my
client and his family only a few months before he died ...a very tragic
medical malpractice case...
I looked at over 25 vans before I finally found the syncro westy. I
didn't even know they made syncros...or anything...I was lucky...it was
in pristine condition....so, anyway, here i am...demographically
speaking.
steve
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