Quick Update

Not motorcycle related, directly anyway...

So, after I got laid off, many people were quite upset. Turns out, some of the folks who fund my salary, were not happy. I am paid by at least 3 different grants. One of them decided they couldn't continue to pay my salary. They neglected to inform the other grants or get their input. Those other folks were not happy at all. So, I am currently still employed. Basically, my lay off has been postponed for another 6 months to give me time to continue working on these other projects and to try to come up with a longer term plan for my position. In the meantime, I'm looking for a more stable job.

The good news is, I've been riding a lot more. Riding always makes me less grumpy when I get to work. It's been quite a challenge to remain positive and professional on the job. Motorcycling helps a lot. It also saves me some money being cheaper at the gas pump. And, I'll need to do more of that while my future employment is in question.

The GS went over 22,000 miles last week. My warranty runs out September 12th. I had some stuff checked out after our vacation. I got my clock and odometer fixed. It was a blown fuse. The bike looks great according to the certified BMW techs. :-)

I also added a new sticker to the GS. I took off this sticker from the rear left side panel.

I replaced it with this sticker that I'd been saving since 2009, waiting for the inspiration to come to me as to the best location to place it.

 The Forester just rolled over 17,000 miles yesterday. :-) Oh, and did I tell you that my lovely hubby got rid of the dead Bronco in our driveway? I can now park the Forester in the driveway! Woo hoo! We are down to three cars in front of our house (that's down from 5). Our pseudo son-in-law has been using the small truck since the grandbaby came. We've just learned that he is skilled at tile work and plumbing tasks. We may have a chat with him about exchanging some of that work for the truck. We've got lots of projects in the hopper.... Could be a win-win for everyone. :-)

The hubby and I had our first official co-babysitting night last night. Little Ava has hit a constant crying stage it seems. She screams more for her mother (of course) than for others. Her mother is quite exhausted. Here she is, as cute as can be, while she's not crying. :-)

Happy trails folks!

Mike's Motorcycle - Boulder

My second ever oil change happened recently. 4,000 miles was the magic number. I'm a fairly loyal customer and had planned to use the dealership for service, at least while the GS is still under warranty or still owned by the BMW bank. But, they really are not conveniently located, especially during the week. Fortunately, there is a shop near my work. Mike's Motorcycle is a place I'd visited before, even before I got the GS. I happened upon it when I walked to what I thought was a post office. (It turned out to be a drop box.) It is a 15 minute walk from work. Not only is it close but (surprise!) the oil change is significantly cheaper than the dealer. Win-win. I rode over to the shop to drop off the bike. They even let me leave my helmet there. Very cool! A couple of hours later, it was all done. :-)

The only thing about oil changes is having to remove the tank saddle bags. It's kind of a bummer but I think, after lots of practice, I'll be able to put them back on exactly how I want them. It actually wasn't too tough this first time. I think I'll trim the straps a bit too. That will make the process more manageable.

I may still use the dealer for other things, but we'll see. They do have loaner bikes there, which is enticing. :-)

600 mile Break in Service

This past Saturday I dropped the bike off at Foothills BMW in Lakewood for the 600 mile break in service. I was told to bring it in some time after 600 miles but definitely before 1,000 miles. There were just over 800 miles on the bike when I dropped it off. :-) I was going to get a loaner bike but there weren't any lowered ones that I felt comfortable riding. And the bike wasn't going to be gone for very long anyway so maybe next time.

After I picked up the bike I rode out to the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden.

I have ties to Mother Cabrini so the visit is always sentimental for me. It is a very short ride up the hill but it is a very nice destination point. After the break in service, which included a wash, the bike seemed quite peppy. Maybe it was just because I was supposed to keep it under 5,000rpm before the service. I hopped on the highway to head to Golden just to open it up a bit. That was fun! I wonder what the bike can do when it is loaded down with gear. Might be time for a camping trip. :-)