Date:         Wed, 12 May 1999 15:26:56 -0700
Reply-To:     Pete Cassidy <pcassidy@APPLE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Pete Cassidy <pcassidy@APPLE.COM>
Subject:      Intro!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Hi all,

     I've just joined the Vanagon mailing list & guess it's only
polite to introduce myself, so here goes!

My name's Pete Cassidy. Myself and my wife, Lynda,  arrived in the US
in November '97  as a result of an internal transfer with Apple
Computer whom I work for. We're originally from Ireland. Anyways,
Lynda's brother was already here in Sacramento (Paul - busman@jps.net
from the Type 2 mailing list). He insisted that we pick up a Vanagon.
We ended up paying about $2,000 for a Country Homes van in reasonable
shape. Picture at http://www.jps.net/lyndau/images/gina.jpg
After a few weeks, we were cruising down I5 when there was a clangy
munchy noise as the flex plate departed company with the rest of the
transmission. Oops! $500 later, we were back in action!!

     Well ... we had a lot of fun with that bus; travelling to
Mendocino, breaking down in the middle of nowhere, camping on
the side of back roads. We spent about $1,500 in total getting 'Gina'
back in good shape; I even ended up re-wiring all the cooked ECU
electrics myself!

     Then Lynda became pregnant - due November & Gina had to go. We
put an advert in the Sacramento Bee and after a few days a young
couple arrived to check it out. A few hours later & they were off to
Wyoming for three months travelling. They got a good deal too at
$2,500.

     Paul (busman), Lynda's brother, traded his lovely '90 Lexus for
a few grand & we took up his payments. He then went out and bought
'Mary' - a '70 Westy three months his junior! Everyone thought he
was crazy! So we drove around in our comfy, cozy Lexus. Everything
was great. Baby Katie duly arrived in mid-November & all was well
with the world ..... well, sorta.

     Ever tried changing a wriggly-damp baby on the back seat of
a leather-clad car? Not easy! We knew something wasn't right. Paul
in the meantime, Lexus-less, was swanning around Northern CA
in his Westy without a care in the world; we were swathed in cotton
wool, cossetted with electric everythings, in the leather lap of
luxury. *sigh* how booooring!! Our car never breaks down, we can't
go away for spontaneous weekends anymore, it just doesn't *feel*
like driving, Katie hates the car (and loves Paul's bus!). It
didn't take much to convince Lynda in the end.

     Last week we sold the Lexus and used the funds to buy an '88
Wolfsburg Edition Vanagon with the weekender option. Woohoo!!
The guy who bought the Lexus thought we were nuts. Maybe we are!

     The ironic part is that the young couple returned from
Wyoming after 3 months and 7,000 miles. He got a job here at
Apple, in the building next door. I get to see my old bus in the
parking lot every morning ....

     Sorry for the long and rambling intro. I'd better stop now!

Pete C
'88 Wolfsburg

--
Peter Cassidy,                     pcassidy@apple.com
Sr. Test Dev. Engineer             (916) 394-5302 - phone
Sacramento Operations Center       (916) 815-0762 - pager
Apple Computer Inc.