Great Neighbors

I have the best neighbors. They put up with my on-going bus projects on a regular basis. Perhaps they even think that if the bus were gone, the property values in the neighborhood would rise for a change. One of them calls the bus my therapy. Another one calls it my baby. A third one encourages me when I have the engine sitting on the driveway for the 12th time in a year. They probably think I’m crazy. They are truly great neighbors.

This evening when I got home from work, the sun was still up and dinner was not yet ready. Diana and the boys were working on homework. I decided to head outside to begin replacing the poptop tent on the bus. I had just received the new tent in the mail yesterday and there it sat, burning a hole in the shipping box as I waited for Saturday to arrive to install it in the bus. I could wait no longer.

My poptop is a little different than the majority of those still on the road. Most still in use on Southern California roads, were manufactured by Westfalia of Germany. The Westfalia tops are recognizable because when opened, the roof tilts at an angle. From 1968 through 1973, the front was the low end, with a luggage carrier over the rear. From 1974 on, the front was the high end, with a luggage rack over the driver cab area. My top was made by ASI of Washington and sold by Riviera of Oregon (Therefore known as a ASI/Riviera top). The entire poptop goes straight up, not in a titled manner. There is a luggage carrier over the driver cab area, and a very comfortable bed for two upstairs. To replace the tent on a Westfalia top, the top has to be removed from the bus, requiring a minimum of two people to complete the job. The tent on an ASI/Riviera top can be installed with the top in place, although some disassembly of the spring mechanism is required (as easy job for one person).

Here is my thought process. I knew that as summer is coming to a close, the days are becoming shorter with the sun setting sooner. I also knew that Diana would soon have dinner on the table and my time was limited. Yet, I found it increasingly difficult to wait any longer. I could at least remove the old tent before dinner would be ready. I decided to give it a go. Even with the limited daylight left.

The old tent took about fifteen minutes to remove. After that, I began installing the new tent. About 20 minutes into the job, the boys came out and told me that dinner was ready. This meant that Diana was saying dinner was ready and sent the boys outside to deliver the message. Now Diana and I have been married for over 22 years, and there are two words I have learned in that time that make life a whole lot smoother; “Yes dear.” I stopped the job and headed inside to dinner.

After dinner, the sun was beginning to set, so I set about in completing as much of the job as possible. I worked as fast as I could, while trying to pay attention to details so the job would get done right. The sun continued to set and I soon found myself working in the dark. I retrieved a flashlight and held it in my teeth while keeping my hands free to do the work.

Picture this, Ron standing on a ladder in the dark, flashlight in his teeth, staple gun in one hand, screwdriver drill in the other, with a partially installed poptop tent on the bus. This is what my neighbor saw as he came over to investigate my latest project. I’m sure I looked very silly. What a great neighbor. He went home and quickly returned with a clip on work light and a long extension cord. The job went a whole lot easier after that, and I was finished by 8:30. I will post some picture later after the sun returns.

Two morals of this long story: Always remember, “Yes dear.” It will mean you get to keep the bus and not have to trade it in on a Honda. The second moral is, try to stay in good will with the neighbors. It will mean the difference between working in the dark and working in the light; and they may decide not to complain about all the car repairs.

Happy Bus Motoring :-)  (o v o)

Ron