Wrench Day? more like wrench in the works...

Ever have one of those days where every, single plan you make just gets shot to hell and left in a ditch?

Had to take off yesterday afternoon from work due to a case of food poisoning so I needed to work 10hrs today and tomorrow to make up for it. Today just happened to be the day where I set the record at my command for the number of build-outs validated and processed in 1 day. We normally do about 25-45 per week, but I had over 100 today alone. Roughly 1250% more in a single day for what is supposed to be only a collateral duty assignment. grrr...

I thought it was going to be a good day since I got my parts in this week:

18" Warp 9 rear wheel assembly
Zeta UX-2 7/8ths to 1 1/8ths handlebar adapters
Pro Taper Contour (CR Hi-Bend)
Pro Taper Pillow Grips
A pair of Twin-Air Filters (I always buy in pairs so I have a clean one ready to install)
Zeta Magnetic Drain Plug

I zoomed over to Cycle Gear today after work and got the Michelin AC-10 tire mounted and balanced in the time it took to pick out a pair of Fox T-Shirts, some Twin Air filter cleaning supplies, and the afore-mentioned Pro Taper bars and grips.

Scooted to my friend's house where I keep the bike and it was already after 6:30pm CST and the temps were still 97°F with 86% humidity, which puts the heat index right at 110°f or so...

The base was at Black Flag conditions all day today so I wasn't looking to do any heavy work, just swap a tire and some handlebars...easy, right?

Decided to start with the rear wheel swap so I would have my 18" and 21" on it, allowing me to take the 17s back to Cycle Gear to get my OEM Bridgestones reinstalled and balanced for street riding.

I went to remove the chain from the WRX so I could clean and store it while using the replacement PD unit I got to fit the 47 tooth sprocket that came with the Warp 9. I did a quick look at the links as I rotated the tire with the bike on the stand, trying to locate the master link on the OEM chain...only it doesn't seem to have one... Grrr.... I look at the other side...no master link. Looks like a pressed chain, and I hate those.

By this time the Yamaha shop that actually wants my business is closed for the day so there's no chance to pick up a master link tonight.

I decided that I'll just swap out the OEM bars for the Pro Tapers. I started removing the Acerbis Bark Busters. Turns out the little, wedge-shaped clamping pieces inside the bars won't disengage from each other. I tried threading it in just a little and tapping with a mallet to separate the two pieces. I tried WD40. I tried completely removing the guards and just threading the screw a little into the first piece and pulling. Tapping again, etc. No go. I did just about everything except sacrifice one of Karl's chickens to JoBu. No Go.

By this time, I'm covered in sweat (or humidity, it's tough to tell between them in Memphis), a nice, dark, lightning-laden isolated storm is moving across the back 30 acres heading towards my work area by the garage, and I have 4 of Karl's 6 kids yelling at me simultaneously to watch how well they ride their bikes in the driveway (Note to Self: Condoms FTMFW!) and now I have a headache.

I'm simply too disgusted to continue so I get the bike into the garage and get the kids into the house so they aren't struck by lightning, and I make the 35 minute drive home.

I suppose it's for the best anyway since I'll need to pick up a master link as well as a new mounting kit for the bark busters tomorrow (so I can leave those little spawns of Satan in the OEM bars)

If I drank, I'd drink. Enough venting. Time to watch season four of Air-crash Investigators...

I'll save everyone the reply by including it here, lol.

You had me at the mention of food poisoning...

Best of luck for round 2 of wrenching.

Sarah

Food poisoning sucks. I have such a sensitive gut that if anything's off, I'll puke. As for making plans, I don't bother. I've had too many of what you've described to just say fuck it and roll. Any time I make plans they get shot all to hell so I just wing it now. Hope it works out better the next time you attempt it.

Yummy Bargain! Looks like if I do any work I can get heatstroke at no additional cost! GRRR....

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Hourly.aspx?chart=Heat%20Index&location=USTN0333&day=Tomorrow

Time - Heat Index

9:00 AM	- 96°
10:00 AM	- 102°
11:00 AM	- 107°
12:00 PM	- 109°
1:00 PM	- 110°
2:00 PM	- 112°
3:00 PM	- 112°
4:00 PM	- 112°
5:00 PM	- 110°
6:00 PM	- 109°
7:00 PM	- 106°
8:00 PM	- 101°
9:00 PM	- 96°

*ships over a case of ice wine*

I think it's pretty funny that on most days our humidity is as high as some places temperatures...

I honestly wouldn't mind 100°f temps if the humidity were 5% but, when it's 87% and the UV Index is at 10, it's downright dangerous to be out

No wonder California grapes shrivel like they do. I know when I'm working in the bush on fires and they drop buckets into the fire, working in that environment is pretty draining. We chug water ever 15 minutes to keep hydrated or you end up getting packed out. It even makes it hard to breathe.

clint wrote:

The base was at Black Flag conditions all day today so I wasn't looking to do any heavy work, just swap a tire and some handlebars...easy, right?

Ahhhh I remember the days when that little flag and the wet-bulb readings actually meant something. Then I went to the sand-box and found out what "hot" really is.


Sucks though you didn't get all you waned done in a timely manner. I know the feeling all to well.

SheWolf wrote:

Food poisoning sucks. I have such a sensitive gut that if anything's off, I'll puke. As for making plans, I don't bother. I've had too many of what you've described to just say fuck it and roll. Any time I make plans they get shot all to hell so I just wing it now. Hope it works out better the next time you attempt it.

I have a motto I've been using at work since we have been so short handed. It may apply here:

"We have a lot of things planned for today that we aren't going to get to".

Corprin wrote:

clint wrote:

The base was at Black Flag conditions all day today so I wasn't looking to do any heavy work, just swap a tire and some handlebars...easy, right?

Ahhhh I remember the days when that little flag and the wet-bulb readings actually meant something. Then I went to the sand-box and found out what "hot" really is.


Sucks though you didn't get all you waned done in a timely manner. I know the feeling all to well.

Ahh I remember those days well, myself. I did almost two years in the Persian Gulf myself over 4 deployments standing in the catwalk at the bow of the USS Independence doing Mine Watches in 115-120°F temps (God only knows what the wet bulb temp was)

Had my first heat stroke in that area as we were transiting the Straits of Hormuz...damn near died.

I'll leave that to you younger fellas today and simply say, "Thanks! for all you do for us."

clint wrote:

Ahh I remember those days well, myself. I did almost two years in the Persian Gulf myself over 4 deployments standing in the catwalk at the bow of the USS Independence doing Mine Watches in 115-120°F temps (God only knows what the wet bulb temp was)

Be happy. You could have been with us in the infantry, humping it in body armour with plates, a rig, and a ruck weighing in at 60 lbs plus.

I have a theory. It goes like this:

Daylight ops should be left to the UAVs and anything else that flies, along with the treadheads in their air conditioned boxes (yeah, I know, they don't want to play without accompanying infantry). Watching a MBT go by with an umbrella over the commander's cupola as they cover us in dust just pisses me off.

And we in the infantry should only go out at night, well equipped with our Super Kite sights, AN/PEQ-2As, etc and just play in the dark in our little Near IR world.

The weather is much nicer then, and any Afghans you bump into in the dark of night are probably hajjis.

When I start thinking about a job I've got to do, I estimate the time I think it will take, then double it and add an hour. That will usually get you in the ballpark.