Date:         Tue, 23 Nov 1999 22:54:45 -0400
Reply-To:     Paul Schiemer <schiemer@MAGICNET.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Paul Schiemer <schiemer@MAGICNET.NET>
Subject:      Hello Gang, I'm back...
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Was away for a long time in Central Asia & the Orient.
No vanagon content, heck, didn't see a ONE anywhere!!.

Come home to find my Westy had been vandalized by neighbor thugs (long
story).
They put sugar in the gas tank (yep, pried open the locking cap!)
I started it up okay fine, but it very rapidly deteriorated in performance.
BOY, did it stink back there. I didn't know then what had happened.
Took off the Weber and futzed around, opened bowl and found the remnants of
their handiwork. Heck, it wasn't as bad as I thought- easy enough to
correct, albeit time consuming. Fuel cell, filters, pump, etc.
My ying-yang-zen like state precluded me from thinking bad thoughts.
Now the ol' '81 is up and running just fine thank you.

Off this weekend for a long camp on the beach, just contemplating my navel.
Although I haven't seen any messages yet (just resubscribed) I'm sure it's
gonna be just as much fun as when I left.

Oh yeah, guy walks up to me at the post office today, "How do you like it?"
he asks. "Uh, like what?" I ask back. "Your Volkswagen!" he says.
"It's great." I say, not wanting to bore him with the sugar gas story, and
I'm smelling a bit like fuel anyway.
"I've got an '83 and I just took a trip for three months in it." he says.
I'm impressed, of course. He continues, "Yep, I was a little worried when I
left, thinking the thing wouldn't make it, but it only gave me trouble in
the mountains."
"WOW, that's a great story. Where'd you go?" I ask, thinking Colorado.
"Chile." he answers!
Talk about drop jaw!!