And he goes by the name of "lucky"...

On Apr 1, 2008, at 7:17 AM, John Rodgers wrote:
> Volks,
>
> Thanks very much for the kindnesses, the voices of concern, and the
> well-wishes that have been expressed, both on list and off. I am
> functioning and making progress. Please now get on with the
> business of
> Vanagon business.
>
> But before closing, a few words:
>
> My life has been a bit different.
>
> I fair t-boned a compact car with the Red Brick(vanagon content) -
> nobody hurt, minimal damage to the brick, more to the compact. I have
> been in three airplane wrecks which totaled the airplanes - not air to
> ground crashes but where airplanes out of control ran into
> something on
> the ground. I have had helicopter pilots transitioning to fixed wing
> aircraft try to hover the trainer planes 5 to 7 feet in the air,
> only to
> drop very hard to the t\runway, thus bending things. blowing tires. I
> have had parts fall from airplanes in flight, I have put two airplanes
> on their backs in landing incidents, I have flown a Cessna 180 on skis
> through an outside loop - not because I wanted to, but as a disparate
> measure to avoid a certain killing crash. I have had turbofan engines
> automatically shut down on the airplane while on the takeoff roll
> where
> liftoff would have  put me over a 600 foot drop into the sea. I
> have had
> a really pissed off loon attack me and my kayak. Of course I
> brought it
> on by playing a tape recording of his own voice back to him. I don't
> know what the tape said, but boy did he get mad.! I have eaten a
> porcupine with no ill effects, I have eaten Eskimo "Stinky Fish" with
> ill effects(don't ask - bad memories), I  have had the privilege of
> hunting with  the Yupik Eskimo people. I been chased by one of the
> most
> dangerous animals in Alaska - a cow moose with a calf. . Lightening
> has
> struck my place three times - once burning the paint off the metal
> front
> door and frying the overhead lamp and fan in my living room, once
> blowing all the siding off my barn/shop all the way around d the
> base of
> the building, and once hitting my oak tree and me at the same time -
> killing the tree, but sparing  me, and my latest performance was to
> have  a heart attack!
>
> Life has been an adventure for me!
>
> I ain't even a'gonna ask "what's next?"! I might get struck by
> lightening - again! Or worse.. :-)
>
> Gad! You gotta be tough to be old!
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>
> John Rodgers wrote:
>> Vanagon content:  I drove myself in the Red Brick to the clinic at
>> the
>> VA hospital to see the PC. I was rushed to the ER. The rest is
>> history.
>>
>> Today I got out and did some walking. First time since getting out of
>> the hospital for a heart attack. All went well.
>>
>> I had heavy pressure in the chest, difficulty breathing, pain in the
>> right and left sides of the jaw, pain in my teeth. Classic heart
>> attack
>> symptoms. Spent five days in the hospital getting worked over,
>> then the
>> docs came and said I showed no heart damage of any kind, that I
>> seemed
>> to have suffered some sort of stress related heart event, and I
>> should
>> take the pills they gave me to prevent such a thing from happening
>> again. AND to lose 80 lbs.
>>
>> At this point, I feel great!
>>
>> It was an adventure.
>>
>> I think I am going on vacation.
>>
>> John Rodgers
>> 88 GL Driver
>> Chelsea, AL
>>
>>