At 10:18 AM 7/9/96 -0500, Douglas wrote:

>I'm going to assume you have the *IDIOTS* book :>) If not, run, don't walk, 
>and get one. Read it from C to C. Read it again.

AMEN.

> Then get the engine one ONE 
>of your units running. When you bring life back into one of these things,
>your 
>hooked. 

AMEN again.

There once was a time when I was totally dependent on my bus, Mabel. She was
my only car, and my transportation schedules changed at her whim. It was
eminently frustrating. I spent a couple of hours working on her every day,
and if I had not _had_ to do the work in order to get where I wanted to go,
I might have given up. There were times when I was ready to sell her and get
something, anything else. Even a Gremlin looked good. But now that I have
another car, a more reliable one that takes me where I want to go, there's
no way I'm giving up on that lovable old bus. One crank of that starter, one
whiff of that engine compartment, one look out from behind that big ol' bay
window, and I'm in love again. Why? Because she ain't just some pile of nuts
and bolts that doesn't work; she's a pile of nuts and bolts that I put a lot
of sweat and cussin' into. She's a pile of nuts and bolts that I can fix
myself, with duct tape and a coat hanger if need be. And, she's my ticket to
membership in the best club I have ever known: the unofficial, amporphous
ranks of VW owners.

I hope you don't give up. I know I'm glad I didn't (and I'm saying that even
though she's not running right now!).