Failure is not an option

Well, you know that "it was totally my error" comment from yesterday's ride about dying at the second stop light? It wasn't... not totally at least.

It was, in that I knew something was wrong yesterday at first and probably shouldn't have ridden her after that but it wasn't because, she ran fine all day after that first time. So she
fooled me. I thought I let the clutch out too fast and she never complained the rest of the ride. What was happening though, was that her clutch wasn't adjusted right and today, the clutch cable snapped. I got the "hint". Sometimes it just takes awhile... lol

The day was gorgeous again. My brother was having the family over for a crawfish feast. Since I just went to a crawfish thing last night, and they don't do much for me (let alone looking at them makes me think of roaches!), my brother said he'd throw a burger on the grill for me. Oh how I love my family! :)

I had time before the party was starting and Renegades was having a benefit so decided to ride up there first for a quick stop. I couldn't remember what exit to take and ended up getting off at Airport and riding on through to the turn around at Broadway.

First light on the feeder, the scoot stalled on me, just like yesterday. I waved the cars behind me on and walked her up into the Shell station parking lot. Actually, just barely out of the street as there was an incline. Once there, a nice guy came over to help me get her up the hill. Another guy stopped at the light turned the corner right, and came into the lot and asked if I needed help. It is so nice to know that there are good people in Houston!

I told both "no" when they saw me trying to kick her and offered to do it for me. I had told them if I was going to ride her, I needed to do it myself. No shortcuts. No help kicking. I said, "Eventually she talks to me." They nodded their heads in understanding when I said that I just learned to kick two weeks ago for the first time. I didn't tell them that I usually have to sweet talk her a few times by whispering, "Come on baby..." and "I know ya got it in you, girl." Hey, it works... lol

The guy in the white car pulled on out but the one pumping gas waited until I had her going and then gave me the thumbs up with a huge smile. I will always feel a sense of accomplishment when I hear her talk to me.

Funny thing about this scoot, she starts easier from cold than from hot. I got her going in two kicks at home in the garage. Once she's warmed up and dies, she takes a few extra... or maybe my strength is not as good after riding for awhile.

Don't know and doesn't matter. Eventually she speaks to me again.

Once she was running I noticed she wasn't shifting. When I let go of the brake, it was like she was speeding away from me. Strange, because she was in neutral from the kick start... or so I thought. She wouldn't shift up or down. I rode her around the parking lot behind the gas station. She started shifting again but there was a 'clanking' sound to her. I thought, "that sounds like a chain." Didn't know what to do. Turned her around and headed for home to try and figure it out.

Got back on the feeder and rounded the u-turn under I-45. Up to the next stop and the same thing, she died. I was in the middle lane so the right hand lane guys let me walk in front of their car and up into the Chevron lot. Once again, an incline! Oh boy. And, once again, another guy stopped, rounded the right turn and drove into the lot, parked his car and pushed me up the hill. I wish I was strong enough to walk her up those inclines... will have to think on how to do that on my own.

In the Chevron lot, went back to kicking her and, once again, she wouldn't start and wouldn't start and wouldn't start. This was the hardest time yet. There were two tow truck drivers that drove into that lot over a five minute period and sat driver's side window to driver's side window sharing some discussion and watching me.

They're waiting for me to walk over... I can feel it.

I was not going to give in. No matter how long it took, she was going to kick. And finally, she did. Once they saw I had her running they both left the lot immediately. I just smiled, got on the scoot, and put on my sunglasses again.

Low and behold, the darn clutch lever was totally slack. The clutch cable had broke. Where's a tow truck driver when ya need one!!! LOL

So, what to do... no worries ~ I have AAA. They say that anywhere within 100 miles of home, they'll tow me. I get out my trusty little membership card and make the call. The gal quotes me three free miles, not one hundred, AND it is six to nine dollars a mile after that. For some reason, when they sold me my membership, they never told me I wasn't getting the 100 miles free. Crazy way to find out!

Hang up and I know Robert, from Osborn's Cycles, is just up the road at Renegades so I call and ask him who he knows that is trustworthy for a tow back home. I knew this was gonna cost me, I just didn't know how much. He told me he'd call me right back. He made a call and I was now in a holding pattern until Dale could get to me with his truck.

Soooooo... there I sat. On the busy corner of I-45 and Monroe twidling my thumbs and wishing I was smart enough to know how to fix her. Went into the Chevron and got a water and came back out and figured I could call someone to bounce off this new tech question of replacing a clutch cable. Had a nice long conversation with Jim (thank you Spidey!) and it appears that all the "symptoms" she was having with my issues of hard shifting and difficult to find neutral were NOT simply because she's been sitting since 1994 without being ridden. Most likely, she wasn't adjusted correctly.

My new project is to take apart the clutch and clean her up and replace her cable and do a few other things Jim suggested. Tried to get at it tonight but apparently I can't read the manual very well... why am I not surprised! LOL

Project number one is now on hold pending removal of the gas tank to check on pinched wires. Dale helped show me how to test the horn and the meter showed no power. The lights were working before I changed out the carb. Battery is fine.

Do you know the nice thing about riding her? I get to learn faster than if she was something brand new. All these experiences are going to bring me to the point of someday being able to fix her on the fly. They are part of my road to freedom. I never want to skip a single step.

A long time ago, when I first started in the real estate business, I worked for one of the top agents in the world. What that did was expose me to quadruple the problems of the job in one fifth the time as a normal agent would experience. The learning curve goes much faster, the more you get to do in the shorter amount of time you do it in. I had a lifetime of education compacted into a few years.

So it shall be with the FXE. I'm just glad the clutch cable broke on me and not my son. I knew there was a reason for the delay in getting the inspection sticker.

My mom said to me yesterday about my riding and all the other extreme things I like to do for fun, "You have a death wish."

She's got it backwards...
I have a Life Wish.

I want to feel every breath I take and know that it's pumping air into my lungs. I want to exhale only to realize that a new moment to live has begun again. I want to see all the colors of the world in all it's glory. I want to smell all the things that make this world our home. I want to hear the wind rustle in the big redwood trees again and know that I am standing amongst God's greatest creations. I want to touch and be touched, feel both love and pain, laugh and cry and sing. I want to live, not just exist.

I will die living... not live dying.
I choose life.

But for now, for this moment.... I just want to know how to fix the one thing that brings me joy. I pray I can learn. I will never stop trying. I hope that is enough.

As NASA always says, "Failure is not an option."