Merci, Mon Amis ... h'as we sumtam say ere in ole V'mawnt ... I don no if I
will be able to tak you h'up h'on dat off-er por le drive to dat Mexico?
But ... moi appreciate' dat h'offer?

Ben ... I truly hope you don't take offense at my writing in the patoise
style above.  My uncle, who was a truly wonderful role model and has been
gone several years .... taught me well the patoise ... as he learned it in
Iberville, PQ ... and I cherish and will always try to keep the traditions
alive ....

Sam Conant

----- Original Message -----
From: "Benny boy" <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
To: <VANAGON@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>; "Sam Conant" <samcvt@COMCAST.NET>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 11:21 PM
Subject: Re: What i see through my lens....

> Sam, you are one of the most/best frigging human being in this sometime
> "empty" list! I'm starting to feel you're pain my friend, damn, i can't do
> nothing! Life Suck sometime (and you guys/moderator give me a break here
> if
> i say some 4 letters words! i'm French, i swear all day, it's a fact in
> French, believe me).
>
> Sadly, this is a mailing list and not a forum, a forum would be nice to
> have
> a place (like a open subject) to chat about other stuff than engine or
> Vanagon (look who is talking), anyway, post like yours give "life" to this
> list... yea, it's not friday, who care! I can't wait the day when someone
> here will tell me to buzz off... 5-10% of my life is spent writting on
> this
> list! And it is a great list!
>
> Men! i would "Steel" you 2 and bring you into our Mexico trip next
> december,
> i'll drive, you relax in the back! your wife could benefit of that nice
> southern sun, on the beach.... we would go sailing!
>
> I guess that for now, i should take you're past invitation...  your so
> close
> to me!!!
>
> Here  little picture for you, and your wife, that is all i have to give:
> http://www.benplace.com/floride/100_0084.jpg
>
> Another few one about what this list should be about, getting out of the
> virtual world:
> http://www.benplace.com/roadhaus/100_0197.jpg
> http://www.benplace.com/roadhaus/100_0196.jpg
> (me and Mr.Chase "Roadhaus" having fun in my garage....)
>
> I have quite a few pictures with list member... they are simply the best!
>
> You didn't mixed anything... on the opposit!!!
>
> Courage mon ami! COURAGE!
>
> Benny
> ps.: i forgot to tell you about me... i'm a bum, i smoke cigarette, i
> drink
> beer... well, i enjoy life! it maybe shorter because of all that.. but
> it's
> GOOD :-)
>
>
> On Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:34:32 -0400, Sam Conant <samcvt@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>
>>Garcia Miguel,
>>Several years ago, during my six month "mid-life walk-about" with my 84
>>Westy, I decided to leave the U.S. and head for Panama (first).  Except
>>for
>>one scary night when I pulled several hundred yards off the road into the
>>scrub, the trip was truly easy and fantastically pleasant.  My scrub event
>>was on my second night south of the U.S. border.  Something awakened me in
>>the early AM ... and, it became apparent that the noises circling my
>>"wagon"
>>were not made by scurrying animals ... Something about human voices
>>alerted
>>me, I guess.
>>
>>Quietly, I reached down, pulled out the 9mm pistol I had picked up just
>>south of my crossing ... took off the safety, and let a stream go into the
>>tops of the cacti in which I was spending the night.  While I wasn't able
>>to
>>interpret the language, I was quickly aware that my "signal" has alarmed
>>and
>>suggested strongly that my Westy (with Vermont plates) might not be the
>>best
>>pirate stop on the trail.  The rest of the trip south was fine, as was my
>>month later trek north and across the Canadian border and on to the North
>>Slope of Alaska.
>>
>>One result of my mid-life walk-about a few years ago has been the
>>realization that more of us folks in the Western, Anglicized world ought
>>to
>>think about spending quality time, out and about, contemplating our
>>respective navels checking out just who and how we want to be when we grow
>>up the next time.
>>
>>Several years ago, and a few months after my "walk-about," I decided to
>>demonstrate that a mental health professional can actually and really
>>retire.  So, I became a full time Disaster Mental Health volunteer with
>>the
>>American Red Cross.  At the same time, I accepted a position as President
>>of
>>the board of a local cable TV station where I had been hosting and
>>producing
>>a weekly community affairs program.  After several years of demonstrating
>>that it is truly possible to "fail competently at retirement," I resigned
>>both volunteer positions to assumed overall practice management
>>responsibilities for my wife's primary care, private medical practice.
>>After three years and at my recommendation, we closed the solo practice in
>>April, 2006 and my wife accepted a beneficial officer from a practice
>>owner
>>in Waterville, Maine.  In February 2007, my wife and I returned to live in
>>Vermont from Maine where she had accepted a private practice position
>>replacing two physicians who had decided to return to California.  In
>>November, we embarked on still one more journey when my wife underwent
>>major
>>surgery to remove a couple of GYN tumors which are never, ever found to be
>>cancerous.  My wife's were - and matasisis had set in.  After a second
>>surgery and consultation with the Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston,
>>following their recommendations, my wife began a full regimen of radiation
>>treatments in Maine.  When that schedule was completed,  we decided to
>>return to our Vermont home and engage in chemo-therapy here, near our
>>home.
>>She will complete that schedule next Tuesday.
>>
>>S0 now, while we have had the radiation and chemo schedule to confirm that
>>Lynn and been doing everything possible to deal with her diagnosis ...
>>Next
>>week marks the end of knowing that she is doing whatever is possible to
>>fight her sarcoma.  So;  from next Tuesday on ... until her as yet
>>unscheduled follow up CT-Scan  is completed (probably in late August) Lynn
>>will have to sit back and wait for the results that CT-Scan .. to know
>>just
>>how much hope we can allow ourselves to have and hold on to.
>>
>>So, those of you who pray and those of you who share concerns and thoughts
>>for Lynn, please keep those prayers and thoughts happening.  We appreciate
>>and need them.
>>
>>Finally, I recognize that I have mixed subjects up with this one ....
>>Please
>>cut me some slack .... This time?
>>
>>Sam Conant
>>Colchester, Vermont
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Miguel Pacheco" <escorpion1955@YAHOO.COM>
>>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 1:18 AM
>>Subject: Re: What i see through my lens....
>>
>>
>>> Benny Boy, actually, the more you look like Che, the better off you are
>>> in 'mi querido Mexico.' A buzz cut is classic gringo. Entering with long
>>> hair and a Kombi (they call them all Kombi down there)is to your
>>> benefit.A
>>> Che sticker on your Vanagon is a great idea too! Now, re-entering the
>>> USA
>>> will be the exact opposite of course. So wait until your return trip to
>>> buzz your hair, shave off all those stinkin liberal bumper stickers from
>>> your vehicle and paste a big ol NRA sticker on your rear glass.
>>> Buena Suerte!! Miguel