Christmas in October - Was . . . $95

Well, I just got Christmas in October...
Last two take offs out of three, the left engine (~700 smoh with ~ 5800
total) has sagged off a bit then by the time the gear was up it picked
back up...
Flew over to the kindly old shoemakers shop - err, sorry, wrong fable -
mechanics shop for a pow wow... Long story short, after cutting the oil
filter, run ups, full throttle pulls, electronic strobe checks, scratch
head, scratch other brain, the kindly old mechanic lit his horrendously
stinky pipe (I swear he smokes horse ****), ostentaciously eased the
family jewels over to the other side, and opined that it was just carb
ice...
After our usual method of calm discussion - involving lots of anglo
saxon deities, wild gesticulations, slopped coffee, and tire kicking -
I agree with him..

This cost me a few bucks plus my gas - where I had been picturing a
fresh overhaul if not a replacement engine.. It must be Christmas...!

denny