I decided to come back down to Shaunavon again for the long weekend, and I opted to take my bike instead of driving my Jeep. I can officially say that that trip was the worst ride I've ever had!
It started out pretty good. I picked my bike up from Honda right after work on Friday, and rode home. Before I left Honda, the guy told me that I was running pretty low on fuel and that I was "blinking" (My fuel gauge that is). I never thought too much about it and went on my way. So I got home, packed my stuff, and hoped on the RR and headed to the gas station. I'm about a block away from the pumps when I start loosing power. I rev it but nothing happens and the engine dies. I'm right out of gas! I'm so close that I could throw a rock to the pumps! So I shake the tank up a bit and get the bike started again and make it to the pumps.
So now I'm not in the best mood...
I head out of town and open it up. When I'm about 15 minutes out of Lethbridge I'm going about 150 or so when I see a car parked on the side of the road. By the time I register that it was a cop, it was too late. I grabbed as much brake as I could, but I was pretty sure he got me.
As I rolled past I was down to a very innocent and harmless 101 KPH...
I knew he hit me with radar before that speed (Kinda wishing I hadn't lost that eBay auction on that X50 radar detector at that moment) and soon after passing him, he was coming for me... There was a few seconds where the though of shifting down and going full throttle crossed my mind... but my conscience got the better of me... and I signaled right and pulled over.
I quickly parked the bike and removed my gloves and helmet (As I was pumping the iPod at the moment, and I wasn't completely sure of the legality of listening to music while operating a motorcycle) and shut off my music. He told me to get my license, registration, and proof of insurance out. I did. (Luckily enough I had JUST put my new insurance in my tail before I left the house) He then asked me if I knew that I was caught doing 139 KPH in a 100 zone. I responded with an educated "Uhh... yeah" He then told me that I could get a dangerous driving ticket and some other BLAH... I didn't really care to tell you the truth... I knew I was getting a speeding ticket, I was already running late, I was wearing full gear and boiling my ass off and just wanted to get it all over with and screw off...
He went back to his car and did his thing. He then came back and told me the following "Well Chris this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to cut you a break today, seeing how it is a Friday, and a long weekend, I am only going to say that you were doing 10 over. It's less demerits on your license, and it's less of a fine." He then told me what I did and how to pay and all that crap. Then he told me to ride safe and "slow down!"
I happily folded my $90.00 ticket in my wallet, suited back up, and rolled out. (Going 100 of course)
Ok, so now after running out of gas AND getting a speeding ticket I'm really not in the best mood. I am slightly edging about speeding (Did anyway... HAHA.) But I took it pretty easy and continued on my way to Shaunavon.
Everything was going fine until about 10 minutes outside of Medicine Hat...
I'm minding my own business... just riding, when I get hit in the hand with a bug. Now, before I go on anymore I'd like to draw your attention to this small diagram. This is me, when I am wearing full riding gear. My full face helmet, leather jacket, armored gloves, reinforced riding jeans, and riding boots. There are only TWO places where skin is exposed. About an inch gap between my helmet and my jacket where my neck is showing, and a hole the size of a DIME where the Velcro strap comes across on my gloves.
Now it just so happens that this particular bug is so lucky to actually find and hit me in the tiny hole in my gloves and get inside my glove... Unlikely? I think so. However that is not the worst part. The impact itself hurt a bit, but the bug that hit me was in fact a bee. And what does a bee do? That's right, Bees string!
The bee hits me in the open hole, gets inside my gloves, and strings my hand! I start freaking out! My hand is on fire and the bee in still inside my glove! So I start punching my throttle hand with my free hand to try and kill the bee. I pull over as fast as I can so I don't crash trying to get shit under control. I whip off my gloves, grab the bee, SQUEEZE the life out of it then take a look at my hand. It's just throbbing! I pick the stringer out the best I could and just start swearing my head off. I am literally yelling "What the fuck! COME ON! Give me a break! AHHH!"
My hand hurts like crazy, and it starts swelling up pretty fast. After that it goes almost completely numb. So now I'm sitting on the side of the road with my hand that looks like a baseball mitt. As I sit there I'm thinking how ironic the whole situation is. I get a ticket for going too fast, and because of that, I slow down. Because I slowed down, the bee hit my hand. If I were to be going my regular speed, the bee would have just been another smear on my gear and the whole bee sting fiasco would have never happened!... Just what I think anyway... (By the way, it turns out I am allergic to bee strings. It took 4 and 1/2 days for the swelling and itching to go away.
Here is what my hand looked like almost 3 days after that happened.)
I sit there for a bit more, then decide to keep going. I could barely get my glove back onto my giant monster hand, but managed to do so...
After the gas, ticket and bee incidents the rest of the trip was pretty good. After hitting Gull Lake I stop caring about police and ripped the rest of the way. I couldn't have gotten to Shaunavon any sooner. I wanted to get off that thing as fast as I could and just sit my ass down and try and forget about that trip from hell...
