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Very interesting weekend

To: MR_AMC@hotmail.com, Bricklin@autox.team.net, morgans@autox.team.net,
Subject: Very interesting weekend
From: "John T. Blair" <jblair@exis.net>
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 22:08:15 -0500
   I may have told some of you, that my JohnC - my oldest son - was having 
a Junior (he's a junior at James Madison Univ - in Harrisonburg, Va., about
225 miles from our house.  Of course Mom and Dad wouldn't miss it for the 
world, right?  Right!  So we (Mac, me, ScottE) left our house about 1pm
Fri.  Stopped at my parents and picked them up and stuffed us all the my
Van.  Plus we had a cake, a meat platter, a couple of coolers of drinks, 2
suitcases, 
etc.  As we approached the rest stop just south of Richmond (marker 213 - New
Kent) my dad wanted to stop.  So we pulled in and stopped.  As I got out of 
the car, I smelled something funny.  Then for some reason, I walked around 
behind the van.  I noticed a trail of fluid following the line we took into 
the parking space.  Then as I got around the the pass. door, MAC said there
was smoke coming out of the fender at the door opening.  So I popped the 
hood.  Tons of oil all over the place - and a big puddle building under 
the van.  So our trip was over!  Luckily Mom and Dad had cell phones.  We 
called JohnC and told him, that Trudy - the van - had died and we probably 
wouldn't make the recital.  Then we called AAA and found that we had towing
for up to 100 mi - we were about 80 mi. from home!  Next we had to figure a
way to get back to the beach.  MAC noticed that the AAA had a discount at 
Hertz, so I called them looking for a mini van.  No gots.  I asked for the
biggest car they have - a Merc. Grand Marquis.  AAA reserved the car for 
us at the Richmond airport.  So now I call the Hertz place in Richmond to
see if they can come pick us up.  Nope - try Enterprise.  So I call them.
No mini vans and the biggest thing they have is a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  I
didn't think we'd all fit in that.  About this time, a fellow come up and
askes if he can help.  I told him that we had to find a way to the Richmond 
airport.  He said, "No problem - he was going right past it.  He'd be glad 
to take one of us up there to pick up the car.  So dad hops in this fellows
van and off they go.  Within 10 min. of dad leaving, the tow truck shows up. 
So we unload everything from the van and pile it on the curb.  The tow truck
driver says that no one has to go back to the beach with him. So I draw him a 
map, and off goes the van.  Now we - my mom, MAC, ScottE and I are sitting on 
the curb with all our belongings.  I was supprised at the number of people 
that came by to offer to help.  Very reassuring.  Dad show up about 40 min. 
later with the Merc.  We manage to get all the stuff in it, plus the 5 of
us.  
Admittadly, it was a tight fit.  Off we go, racing for JMU.  10 minutes back 
on the road, we hit some light rain and are in that for about 1 hr.  Again, 
we lucked out, not being caught in the rain with all our stuff on the curb. 
We make it to the recital with 20 minutes to spare.  So I set up the video 
camera and manage to tape and enjoy the recital.  Then today we took JohnC
out to lunch.  We didn't get out of Harrisburg until about 2pm and got home, 
after dropping my parents off about 5.  So tomorrow I get to jack up the van
and see what broke.   Hopefully it's just the crank seal again.  This time,
I'm putting a sleeve on the crank. 

So that was my weekend!  :)

John

John T. Blair  WA4OHZ          email:  jblair@exis.net
Va. Beach, Va                  Phone:  (757) 495-8229

48 TR1800    48 #4 Midget  65 Morgan 4/4 Series V
     75 Bricklin SV1   77 Spitfire     71 Saab Sonett III

Morgan:    www.team.net/www/morgan
Bricklin:  www.bricklin.org

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