8000

i have 8000 miles on my bike, even though i have only had it for a few months, so it's time to do the 8000 mile check up. i have decided to do it myself, as i am cheap (thank you kelly) and i love to do small engine repair. i have had many motorcyles growing up, and have had to work on them all myself so i know what i am doing, i hope. i figure if it takes the shop 3 hours to do the work (costing 300 bucks) it should take me about 8 hours. i downloaded the manual online and it is 452 pages of detailed explaination of the entire bike. so that is what i am doing this weekend. saturday night i have tickets to the thrashers home opener, and i might be getting a couple extra if anyone wants to go.

on a second note, i may be getting a new puppy. a woman at work is bringing by a puppy today (1/2 australian shepard, 1/2 border collie) and i might take it home. it would be nice to have a buddy for max, as i am not there always to hang out with him, however i don't know if i want to deal with the whole puppy thing again. any comments on that? thats all i have for now, peace.

my ride to work

becasue of the ever increasing gas prices, i drive a motorcycle to work everyday. this is not that bad, i like to ride and all, but 80 miles round trip sucks. sucks more when i am getting 13 mpg (at 65 mph), and less when i get 37 mpg (at 90 mph). well it is starting to get cold in the morning, and i am definatly prepared for the cold but i have discovered a geological oddity. maybe not so odd, but strange to me. i start off in canton, ga and it is about 60 degrees... not that bad, warm enough if you have a jacket with a liner and some leather gloves. here i am cruising at about 80-90 mph, and i go through jasper (the next town north) and things are still the same. as soon as i get out of jasper, and go around this turn, the temperature drops at least 10 degrees, and is freezing. almost like i hit a wall of cold, and the rest of the ride is freezing. it really sucks, because here i am enjoying my semi-warm weather and boom, freezing. now there is a bit of a dip in the road there, not a valley per say, but i guess it is considerable enough to constitue a 10 degree drop. it's interesting to me at least, even if it does suck. i wonder how far i will make it untill i stop riding the bike to work, i do have a suit that is designed for 30 below, and with the wind chill at 90 mph i will be there soon. i will let y'all know.