White Man Beer - made without hops

I got mail! I ordered this shop manual last Friday and was surprised to get it this morning via FedEx. I put the pen on top to give a sense of perspective; it's huge! As you see, it covers '61 to '65 so not everything applies. VW would make changes not just at the model year rollover but throughout the year, so I have to pay attention to the manual's instructions vis a' vis Ilsa's manufacture date - October of '61.

Shortly after the manual arrived I went out to the garage and spent a couple of hours working on her. It reminded me of how I felt when I'd begin tearing into a kitchen in one of our 100-year old homes. Before beginning I'd be nervous, a little anxious about the size and complexity of the job ahead. In that case it meant ripping out walls, ceilings, plumbing, electrical...pretty much gutting the room. Here it means the same thing, minus the plumbing.

The front bumper came off first. Then I went to work removing the gas tank. That meant taking off the left front tire to get to the gas line connection, draining about a gallon of gas, disconnecting the gas gauge cable and lifting it out. That revealed the front steering and suspension parts, as well as the master cylinder and front lines. (click to enlarge)
The larger of the two plastic tanks in front is the windshield washer fluid tank. It has a Schrader valve, just like a car's tire. You fill up the tank to within a couple of inches of the top and then use an air pump to put in 30 psi. Push the button inside the car and the air pressure forces the fluid onto the windshield.
The much smaller plastic tank to the right is for brake fluid. If you enlarge the pic you'll ID the master cylinder by looking for the very rusty tube about the size of your index and middle fingers side-by-side. Almost funny if it weren't the only thing between the driver and certain death in the form of a 2-ton SUV in front of him. Not surprisingly, the brake system got major upgrades over the next few years.

I expressed myself on Facebook this morning re. the celebrations over the killing of Bin Laden (revenge vs. justice) so I won't repeat myself here. I have noticed that most of the excessive celebration seems to come from college-age students. Methinks any excuse for acting out is a good excuse in that age bracket, and this is an opportunity they're not going to pass up.

I am in awe of the courage and skill of the elite members of our Armed Forces. Remember when they shot the pirates who were holding the American captain of an oil tanker? Done perfectly as they bobbed up and down on the high seas. Now another example of how good and brave they are. Humbling.

I also am struck by the words of the Seal who, in real time, informed the team assembled in the Situation Room in the White House. The code name for Bin Laden was "Geronimo." When he had been killed the Seal in charge of informing the President said, "For God and country, Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo is dead."
That rates right up there with, "Let's roll."

This morning I stopped into the branch of our bank located inside the grocery store just up the street. The people who shop there are mostly Sun City residents. As I stood in line waiting for a teller I thought about how freeing it is to live here. Wanna wear socks with your sandals? Nobody notices because it's so common. Plaid shorts, white running shoes and black over-the-calf socks? You're in good company. Those big, scary plastic sunglasses that cover the entire upper portion of your face? High fashion.
Takes all the pressure off of wardrobe choices.