you get poked in the rectum.

Whew.

Took my wheely to the shop..........the new tires I got are just a SKINCH too tall, and I got a lift kit for it. Not too expensive. But got invited back to same place to hog hunt Fri through Sun again, and so I called him to see if he'd put the lift kit on today. He said yes....I coulda done it, but not by tomorrow (it's 32 degrees, thunder, heavy rain, trees all iced over, not the weather to tear into a wheely's suspension)........ so I TRIED to take it to him.

But it wouldn't start. It did start, but only for a second, and blue smoke went everywhere. Then it died. And nothing I could do would start it again.

I finally winched it onto the trailer and took it to him. I originally figured it was just flooded, but after I got home *slapping head* I thought "No, it's EFI". Shouldn't flood.

I left it, in driving rain, and came home. I had to call Mother's insurance adjuster----he had called her and she wants me to deal with him---- I had looked up KBB value and what he told her sounded appropriate. But I called him back. Ha....I'm not only one having trouble, he took his laptop to a claim and rain got in it, and fried it. He had 'filed' the numbers and said the Regional Office in New Orleans would have to call us with the info, he was SOL. Best he remembered was around $4,500 though, so now we have to find her a replacement car for that. Geez.

Back to the story.

So, my guy tells me that this thing has been through water and 'fine dirt' has hurried along the process, and I'm out about a grand to rebuild it. However, that's a wild guess estimate, because he said "I don't know what else I'm getting into when I tear it down". And before you ask, this is an honest man. He was the Chief Mechanic for the biggest ATV dealer in town here (Sells everything, big place) but quit because they are crooks. Since then, Feds have busted them for some kind of withholding scam, and I don't know what all. This guy quit all that long ago and went independent, and is well respected by everyone here, and honest.

So, I don't know what I'm getting into........I ain't got a Thou laying around, but I can't be without this bike, either. Just got those new tires, and the lift kit is paid for......and I have no other option. Here, they are absolutely required to hunt....or get around on weekends like this one would have been.

I want the new John Deer RXR 850i, but they are about $16,000 and no one even has 'em, they're scarce as .22 bullets. So that's just a pipe dream. Thus, I'm left with no choice but to have this one fixed.

Needless to say, I ain't going anywhere this weekend! I was so tickled to find this thing for the price I paid a few years ago.

Sigh. It's like I'm Joe Btlsflk sometimes.