"When it begins here (east of Portland Oregon) with the gray skies, the freezing rain or freezing fog, the black ice-covered roads and the daily high temps in single digits, I have to leave.."

Lightweight. 

Jack Elliott
1984 Westfalia

> On Dec 5, 2014, at 8:59 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Friday and not of interest to all, I think..a semi-self-centered post..
> 
>   In the next few days I will again be leaving the Pacific NW on my normal
> wintertime sojourn,  driving my 84 tintop/westie interior with it's inline
> ABA VW motor and five speed manual trans......Snowbird, I am.  When it
> begins here (east of Portland Oregon) with the gray skies, the freezing
> rain or freezing fog, the black ice-covered roads and the daily high temps
> in single digits, I have to leave..
> 
>  It's my  intention to post some highlights of this trip on my
> long-neglected blog page.   I am hoping that with my smart phone and a
> little more familiarity with the digital media it will be easier for me
> now.   We'll see how it goes,
> 
>   The general plan is to find a weather window to head south along the
> east slope of the mountains and eventually end up in the desert of southern
> California and Arizona for a month or two of off the grid living.
> 
> I usually easily pay for this trip, a few times over,  by having all my
> medical, dental and optical work done in Algodones, Mx...... at Mexico's
> honest prices...The services in Mx. are almost affordable, usually at about
> 30% of what the Health Insurance industry and the Medical industry have
> agreed they can get away with charging us, here in the United States for
> the very same products and services.   For example, my asthma inhalers
> (Provental) cost ME $14..my co-pay to my insurance here in the states,
> after I give a doctor $100 for an office visit to renew my prescription for
> these common meds...In Algodones, the very same brand (Glaxo) inhaler is
> $3.00-full price.......I am told the US pharma companies charge our US
> insurance companies well over $50 each for those athsma inhalers.  I buy a
> bag of these Puffers, about 15 of them for the year  (there is my gas money
> for the trip right there),  .My eyeglasses in Mx. are usually about $70 per
> pair for photo-gray blended progressive lenses with high dollar name brand
> frames,  including the exam and it takes about 2hrs from the time you walk
> in the door till you leave with your new glasses...A root canal is $130 and
> a crown is 1/10th the price I was quoted in the US....It seems a national
> disgrace that every day of the year you encounter crowds of seniors and
> sick people who've come to Mexico, to  this former small agricultural town
> to try to get the services they must have but can't afford in the
> US...There are Medical Tour Bus companies out of Yuma, AZ who'll truck you
> across the border for the day...
> 
>   This is my 5th or 6th desert winter trip in the 84 Vanagon.   Gasoline
> is going to cost me about $140 each way (1100mi) with the mileage I get
> from this ABA 2.0 liter motor..  http://www.fuelly.com/dashboard     the
> Fuelly App says it cost's me $14/mile to drive my van right now.   People
> often ask..."How do you manage to take these extended trips??"..Well, I
> just turn off everything here and head out the door and I usually end up
> saving money by not staying here in the cold and snow, trying to keep the
> house going and  pay for it on '90s era carpenter wages..
> 
>   I am 'ready' this year for possible mechanical issues with my van   The
> 'innards' are becoming 'well-used'..the motor has lots and lots of hard
> miles on it now but still hums along happily (so far...)   there are some
> noises and the van is now 30 years old...but thanks to the various online
> lists and forums I've become pretty comfortable with my ability to do
> almost any mechanical task on the van...so if she blows....I'll hit the
> junkyard for a 'new' motor and perhaps get another 75k miles for ~$300...
> I have no glaring reason to doubt the van's dependability but Dang!...I
> drive the crap out of this vehicle and eventually  stuff wears out, right?
> 
>   For this Friday Post,  I have not added to the blog below, but there it
> is...as the winter progresses I'll hopefully be able to add something
> interesting  to it on a regular basis....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://dhanson928.blogspot.com/