Yes, I agree, it is one of those = momentous occasions when one would open a bottle of champagne and celebrate.  = It is a time when things may get a little better and looking forward to healing = and progress.  It is like the remission of a cancer and the hope of = total health...  This time it is more mental than physical, where a whole = family would be influenced into real happiness. 
The Westy is a great member of any = family.  Bonding is always easier in a Westy...
Now you don't jump for joy just yet, = take it a little easy, let her love it her way.  It was not easy for her to = admit it, so now don't push her into admitting more at once.  It is kind of = late in the year for a lot of sunshine and more outings, but the ice has been = broken and don't make her regret it. 
Your sufferings may be over, there is = light at the end of the tunnel.
Wishing you a happy = reunion.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: Alan Bosch
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM =
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 = 8:04 AM
Subject: Yippie! My wife no = longer hates my bus!!!


There are = milestones in every marriage.  Wedding day, birth of a child, buying the first house together, getting a phone call from an old girlfriend that doesn't = know you've been married for three years - you get the picture. =

So early yesterday morning, my wife says = she wants to do something together as a family.  She suggested we load up the = kids, pack a picnic lunch, and head southeast to the Finger Lakes region. =  Wine country, antique shops, and the fall colors.  I asked if we could = take the bus just because that's exactly what the darn thing was designed = for.  After a few minutes of thought, she agreed.  We left the = house at 10:00 on Sunday morning, taking NY Rte. 5 & 20 East to Geneva, NY, = then NY Rte. 14 South to Watkins Glen, stopping at various shops and wineries = along the way.  The weather was crisp with intermittant rain and a few = flakes of snow.  The colors were wonderful and the kids really got a = kick out of running wild amongst the grape vines of the west side of Seneca Lake. =  We stopped for a picnic lunch in Dresden, NY, pulling over into a little = parking spot overlooking the lake, and pulling up the table in the bus. =  It was a cozy affair but no one complained.  The kids thought it was = cool.

After wandering about the = shops of Watkins Glen for an hour or two, we set out West on NY Rte. 23, bound = for Hammondsport on Keuka Lake.  We walked around there for a while = then headed up to the Bully Hill Vineyards, which was like rummaging around = an older relatives basement - all sorts of interesting things to see and = stuff for the kids to do.  We got there late so the activities were = winding down.  The kids did get to a hey ride which was a trip highlight = for them.

To save time on = the return trip, we caught I-390 in Bath, NY, headed north to Dansville/Wayland = where we picked up NY Rte. 15 for the remainder of the drive into = Rochester.

The bus ran great!  No = problems or unforseen catastrophies.  We all had fun and saw about eight = other buses of various years, including one VERY nice, cream and green late 70's = Westy in the parking lot of one of the wineries.  My son Dan, ever = vigilant of other buses, even saw two that were parked in driveways at various = points along the trip.  I knew my marriage took a turn when my wife = started to wave at the other buses, after about the third of fourth one we = passed.  Once home, I asked her what she thought about the trip. =  She said it was fun and she couldn't believe how much more could be seen when = riding the bus.  All those windows coupled with the fact that we didn't = seem to go very fast...  (I allowed her this one dig...).  More = importantly, she said she'd do it again.  This from a women that hates - = loathes is perhaps a better word - VW's.

Alan Bosch
& Phred ('88 Wolfsburg)