Sorry, use carpet on your work bench next time.
Oh, the workbench is carpeted well enough. Problem was, I set it too close to the edge and it fell OFF the bench onto the concrete floor!
Arrrhghghghhghg!!!
Oh, well. It's only money, right?
Worse yet, as I started removing the right side fairing to do an oil change, I noticed that the caliper bolts for the front right brakes had worked themselves loose. The top one was about halfway out. Jeez-Louise, how does a klutz not notice something like that until it's very nearly too late?
Arrrhghghghhghg!!!
So, I get all the fairings off without incident except for noticing that I'm missing a screw. I get to working on the oil change and unscrew the filter. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big guy and my hands don't fit in there very well. I'm unscrewing it with my hands about a sixteenth of a turn at a time, taking my time. I had plastic draped over the pipes to keep the inevitable oil off them. (Yes, I'll use aluminum foil next time!)
At the last possible thread, I turn the filter the last time and it pops off out of my fingertip grip and flips around in there spraying oil all over the entire exhaust system, the underside of the bike, the floor of the garage, me and my shop rags. Whatta mess. Of course, the plastic worked like a dream and kept the oil off. Only off the small covered part, though. Naturally. The rest of my pipes were completely coated and dripping oil.
Arrrhghghghhghg!!!
I nearly gave up just then. But what the hell, I figured I'd at least put oil in it so I wouldn't forget. Can't screw that up, right? I'm doing fine 'til the very end of the third quart when I glance at the little oil check window to see if it's visible yet. It isn't. I look up just in time to see my hand wobble above the fill hole and dribble oil all down the side of the engine.
Arrrhghghghhghg!!!
I'm even closer to giving up for the day. I added about another half quart then decided I'd start the engine up to fill the filter. I start it up. Ahhhhh, that's the only thing which is going well so far! Sounds gooooooood! The oil warning light shuts off. Excellent. I wrap the throttle a couple times, not high or long, just a few little pops. I love that sound! Shut the bike off and go look at the little window to watch the oil rise and to see how high it's going to go . . .
. . . and notice I forgot to put the cap back on the oil fill hole. Can't even find the damm thing for a while.
Arrrhghghghhghg!!!
There's oil spray all over the side of the rear fairing, the gas tank, the pipe, everything else on that side of the bike. I nearly give up then. Whatta buttwipe I'm turning out to be. This day is starting to really suck, big time. Of course, nothing in the above narrative includes the countless times I dropped tools and had to hunt 'em down, the countless times I grabbed the wrong size tool and had to go back to the tool box for the right one, the time I rubbed my eye and got a little dab of oil in my eye, etc. etc.
Arrrhghghghhghg!!!
By this time, however, I decide that I might as well get all of my incidental bad karma out of the way all at once and I work on finishing everything, cleaning all the plastics, washing and waxing everything down.
Nothing else goes wrong. Nijinsky asked me to drive over and help her move a big-a$$ fish tank and I decide not to tell her how my day has gone! At least, until AFTER we get it moved!
With any luck, today will be much better! And yeah, I'm going for a quick ride to go play softball this afternoon. Wish me luck!
As I said before, if this is the worst day I have all year, I really have nothing to complain about.
--Wag--
