day eighteen:

Well howdy buckaroos and buckerettes and a fine welcome from the Pacific Northwest.  Today was a day without much going on- no particular riding scheduled.  It was the kind of day my granddad used to call “lay by” day.  I never was quite sure what that meant but it seemed to mean that you took care of chores you could only do when bigger ones weren’t pushing their way to the front.  It was definitely a farm term.  Maybe some of you know what it means and can explain the whole proposition to me.  In any event Mike and I rode a mere 86 miles, the distance to and from the BMW dealer in Fife, WA, to have our bikes serviced.  Changing the oil for each bike was $108.00.  In case I’m not being clear this means that the total for both bikes was $216.00- for an oil change!  Mike and I think we may have found our niche market.  Here’s how we imagine that our first commercial would go:  “Hello fellow motorcycle riders and enthusiasts.  Tired of being raped every time you have your oil changed?  Does it bother you that the average car’s oil can be changed for about $30.00 and your motorcycle costs over three times that amount?  The tools are the same, the expertise is the same and the car uses more oil.  Hmm . . . our suggestion, come to Mike and Alan’s motorcycle jiffy lube.  For $49.95 we’ll change your oil and check all your bike’s fluid levels.”  I don’t know how long that took.  It would have to be test marketed and timed and honed a bit before release, but we think we may have thought of something big!

After our return from Fife, Mike and I washed Mere’s Jetta and gave the two bikes a much needed cleaning.  They await a complete detail job when we reach South Carolina again but for now simply removing approximately 30-40 lbs of mangled bugs and other assorted debris from each bike should improve not only their appearance but their performance as well.

In a bit of good news the Navy finally saw reason and allowed us and our bikes on the base.  They decided that our SC motorcycle licenses constituted a proper “endorsement” and that our motorcycle safety course certificate was no longer necessary.  It was funny coming onto the base for the first time.  I rode up slowly expecting to be turned away, jailed or at least roughed up a little and all the officer said was that I’d have to remove my sunglasses and put on my gloves!  OK, so we want you to get sun in your eyes but not on your hands!  Whatever.  As Foghorn Leghorn says, “For’, I say fortunately, I keeps my gloves handy for just such an occasion!”

So, that’s pretty much the day.  As I write this, Mere and Mike are getting ready to leave to pick up Megan.  It’ll be a happy reunion all around!  Tomorrow we all plan to go to Poulsbo, a small town a few miles from Bremerton, to look at old books and get some “health food” at a favorite bakery.  I’ll let you know how all that goes tomorrow.

Also, the pictures at the top are a few more from yesterday.  We just snagged them from Mere's camera, and they were more interesting than the ones we took inside of the BMW dealership!