We decided it was time for an oil and filter change for my bike today. It needed a little warm-up first, and rather than just running it here, I took the bike out for a little solo ride. I headed out to a local school parking lot, did a few slow maneuvering exercises, and then headed home, but I found that the Little Hussy wasn't ready to enter our own driveway (you'd think she had a mind of her own), and she just blasted on by. So I rode on for a just a little bit, found another parking lot, did a nice little circle there, and then headed home. And then the fun began.
Why on earth was everything on the Hussy so tight? I'd have been really happy if I could have managed the removal of the old filter on my own, but that just wasn't how this worked out. We'd raised her up a little on a ramp, so that we could slide the oil pan under, but even so, we just couldn't get the old filter out. So I suggested we gently lay her on her side on the lawn, and that gave us better access. I admit it took a man to unscrew the sucker. I did replace it with the new filter, and of course once that was all set, I filled the baby with fresh oil.
Later on in the day, we headed out to Genoa Bay with Stephen and his friends Steve and Dawn. Steve got himself a big Honda Shadow (I think it's an 1100cc bike). It sure was a gorgeous ride until some stinging got to me. I felt frantic with the intensity of a burning stinging sensation and tried to rid myself of this nasty horror while riding, but it just felt like it was getting worse... darned near felt like my neck was in contact with stinging nettles. I had to signal and pull over to the side of the road. Stephen was ahead and since the road has many winding turns, he didn't realize I wasn't behind him anymore until he saw a truck coming up behind him. Vic, Steve and Dawn, all riding behind me, pulled over when I did, and they saw what flew out of my collar: a fracking bee. Geesh, the little pricker sure took a chunk. I'm awful happy that the folks at the delightful restaurant on the water were good enough to supply me with vinegar and a bunch of serviettes to get some of the sting down. Vic and Stephen are both extremely allergic to bee stings, and we didn't have any benadryl or epi pens with us, so I was glad I took the sting and not them. And of course we learned a good lesson: bring benadryl on the bikes!
Despite the sting, it was a glorious ride, especially on the way home. It's actually delightful to know I have to be home before dark; it affords me the opportunity to enjoy the most incredible sunset rides! We have some pictures, and I'll get them up later. For now, I just want to keep track of my rides. Sure love my bike!
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