Been awhile, huh?

I know, I know...it's been a LONG time since I've added anything here... Life just sometimes gets in the way of what you want to do, y'know what I mean?

Anyway, it's been a VERY difficult winter for us this year, financially speaking. The work at my job just flat hit bottom...there were times I'd have two or three days off in a row...days off I didn't need with creditors calling me every day! I never stopped riding the scooter, though...

Back and forth to work with the occasional foray into Oak Creek Canyon or up Mingus Mountain. I did a couple up the mountain when it was cold enough to have a build-up of that "freezy skid-stuff" in the shadowed parts. In fact, I rode enough this winter to have completely worn out the palm area of my winter gauntlets! Had to throw 'em away last week.

I had an issue with the Buddy about three weeks ago I should share. At about 2 in the morning, I rode it to work as usual. And, as usual, I parked it in front of my Kenworth while I started the truck and did my pre-trip inspection. No problem. It ran well going to work. It started well and ran well when I was through with the truck inspection. I (again, as usual) rode it over to the covered parking slab for motorcycles and parked it in it's usual spot. I went into the driver's hut and secured my helmet, jacket and gloves and grabbed my scooter cover. I went back out to the scooter to administer said cover and to my horror, there was a pool of oil underneath the engine on the concrete. And it was (considering the engine only holds a quart) a BIG pool!! Being as how it was 2:00 a.m. and dark out, I couldn't see what the problem was. So, with my mind full of all kinds of horrific possibilities, I headed down to the Phoenix area to deliver my first load of the day. I got back to the yard about 9 a.m. and grabbed one of the mechanics and casually strolled out to my scooter at a dead run. Alex and I rolled around on the concrete for several minutes before I just happened to bump the screw-on oil filter. It moved. It took a moment to register, but yep, that was NOT supposed to do that! The oil filter had, indeed backed out...apparently from vibration...and had allowed all my oil to escape. Since I use only full synthetic oil, I wasn't about to mix petroleum based oil with it inside my engine, but the only full synthetic they had at the shop was a 30 weight oil. I filled the scooter with that and at the end of the day rode it home and changed the oil to the right stuff, putting on a new filter at the same time. Of course, I've been hearing every bad engine sound in the world now coming from my little scooter...but it's probably just my imagination...or is it? It's been three weeks and I've ridden it every day...a few trips to Sedona and one to Prescott this morning and it runs just fine and hasn't seemed to have lost any power. I took the valve cover off to make sure there was no galling or burn marks or anything and it all looks okay to me. ...but...what's that noise????

Speaking of my trip to Prescott today, I went over to visit my dear friend, Jenn...of "riding her GT 200 Vespa to Denver" fame. She and her sweetie, Frank are big fans of "Dry Heat", the band I'm in and we just released our first CD, so, of course I had to take a copy to her! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A RIDE!! Temps in the mid-seventies, not much traffic and a winding mountain road! I was able to ride with just my patch-filled jean jacket...no sweatshirt underneath...no insulated long-johns...no insulated gloves!! I felt forty pound lighter! I kicked it through the curves and hairpins at a swift, comfortable pace...not crazy, but not loafing either. Transitioning smoothly from one curve to the next while watching the hawk overhead or the quail flap clumsily to the road's edge. Almost made me forget the issues facing me everytime I look in the checkbook. Then again, isn't that one of the main reasons we ride?

I'd also like to let anyone reading this know that the Scarabs Scooter Club out of Phoenix is sponsoring the third annual "Skull Valley Rally" from May 18th to the 20th. There will be a meet and greet on the evening of the 18th, then the famous ride from the Valley of the Sunstroke across the Carefree Highway (Hwy 74) west to Hwy 60 north to Wickenburg. Somewhat north of Wickenburg, we pick up Hwy 89A and take that on up through Skull Valley to Prescott with a stop in Congress for coffee and conversation. There will be 3 or 4 new people inducted into the Scarabs in Prescott that evening, to be followed by much debauchery, drinking of wild potions and cavorting with luscious maidens. Whatever. Anyway, we expect to have a good time. Most will overnight there at the St. Michael's Hotel on Prescott's famous "Whiskey Row". I, however, will go over and annoy Jenn and Frank for floorspace for my sleeping bag. Maybe listen to a "Dry Heat" CD. I hear they have one... So, for more information, go to www.phxscarabsc.com and click through until you find it. I know it's there! And we would welcome you with much enthusiasm!! Good weather, GREAT roads, good times and great people...you'd enjoy it.

C-ya...ride on!
--Keys