Day 1 P.W.

June 10, 2008 - Tuesday

P.W. is post-wreck and I'll be blogging on that time line for a week or so. Getting up yesterday was a trial. I knew it would be a stressful day; I knew there'd be a lot of telephone calls and dozens of e-mails to answer in regards to a couple apartments advertisements we'd had running over the weekend. I really wanted the Beastie then - to drive into Zürich on my machine and start the day out right. I took Florian's reliable ol' Tweety Bird instead. He went to Bern in the afternoon to check out a '92 Chevy Daytona, so he let me use his machine. It was nice of him, and it was much better than having to take a car or the train. In the morning I called my mech and ordered the seat frame in silver. (Could have had it in black, too, but silver is better since the tubeframe is silver.) He said if the importer had the frames in stock they'd be here by the end of the week. Here's hoping. I didn't call my insurance; I probably won't. I'll ask about full coverage when we insure the customizing parts, though. It just might be worth it, even if it costs double of Teilkasko. I also didn't get up the gumption to call my airbrush artist yesterday. I felt stupid, having to tell her already that I needed the airbox cover redone, and put it off until today. As soon as I got back from my lunch walk I was able to place the order for the cover from Frank Parts. I paid right away, and the money went through, even though the bank page said the earliest transfer opportunity would be the 12th. My order status is "Being Processed" and I'm hoping to have the cover on Friday or next Monday. I left work at 1630 hours and braced myself to meet a congested Zürich. The Letzi was closed to traffic on account of that dang European Soccer Championship, and over lunch cars were standing with their engines off all around the Badenerstrasse. But things weren't so bad. I got through rather well, considering I needed to take a much longer route to get to my mechanic's than usual because the Hohlstrasse was closed. I arrived shortly after 1700 hours and checked what they had in stock. I got the LED rear light assembly in silver (560.-), new handlebar ends (49.-) and a new mirror (159.-). Grand total 758.- For three spare parts. I've corrected my budgeted 1500.- for repairs up to 2000.- I sure hope that covers it, but I don't know. I forgot to ask how much the seat frame would be. I guess I'll find out at the end of the week. They didn't have the left foot peg in stock, but I can pick that up when I pick up the frame. I treated myself to a Buell cap and a Buell T-Shirt, both way overpriced, paid with the debit card, packed it all up and made my way out of Zürich and up to Birmensdorf. I'd called Kevin at lunch and asked whether I could deposit the parts with him, since we'd be rebuilding the Beastie there anyway, and said I'd swing by around 1800 hours if that were okay with him. No one was home when I arrived, though, so after unsuccessfully trying to call him, I left the parts in the Harley Davidson bag on their porch beneath the table and left. I was standing down at the red light - the same red light where the day before I'd wrecked my most prized posession - when Kevin's Duke roared up from the left. It turns out he'd had an hour to get home through all the traffic, and he was flustered over it for a moment, until I dug out the parts and we got to looking at them and discussing them. He gawped at the price of the LED light assembly, and I voiced skepticism at his thought that the seat frame might not be so expensive - after all, it was just poured metal. Well, so is the back light assembly. I dread paying for that frame. We sat on around in the living room and chatted about bikes and school and apprenticeships and babysitting until his mom came home at 1930 hours. She took a look at the parts and realized that KTM really wasn't that expensive after all. I got a call from Florian around 2030 hours, saying he needed the Tweety Bird back. And that was the end of Monday. I was hoping to put the last touches of red on Strabo, but so much for that. And Wednesday evening is takentoo, because then Florian and I will go to Polo to pick up new blue metal grips for the Beastie, a silver license plate frame to cover some of the scratches, and a birthday gift for Florian since he'll be turning 19 soon. Time flies, and the money is keeping right with it.