Jesse Owens is nearing completion. Yay!! A small nick I had on the right side of the bike (unrelated to the accident) is also being repaired. Chicago BMW estimated that it would cost $600 to replace the entire panel (my desire). I chomped on the bullet and ordered the panel. When the replacement panel finally arrived from BMW (Germany), it was damaged! Back it went. Glad I asked Morton BMW in VA, where Jesse's been since October, for an estimate. Their quote was $100 less than Chicago BMW. Morton also told me about a guy they "highly" recommend, who does repair and detail work. I went with him and saved a few bucks--and feel better that I helped keep a small entrepreneur in business. Some friends told me to leave the boo-boo alone because it gives the bike character--yeah, right. I wished their bikes similar character. If Jesse were an old bike, I might leave that mark alone, but I earned that scratch when the bike was barely a couple of months old--far too new to endure a blemish.
When Jesse comes home he will look new and that matters to me. I am still scratching my head over my "get off," so having Jesse flawless will be therapeutic. Jesse will sport new moto-like lights. Just when I was going to plop down my hard earned dollars for PIAA lights, I decide to go with Martin Fabrication lights, which were recommended by a trusted friend who knows about all this stuff. Come spring I will fly to VA and ride Jesse home. No date in mind yet, but I'm working on that. Since it might still be cold, Jesse will have a new, auxilliary fuse panel to plug in the winter jacket and pants--which I don't yet own--working on that too.
CycleWorld Motorcycle Show makes a stop in Rosemont, IL in February. I will be there! It will be my third visit, Dave's first. The show has become symbolic for me. It means the ride season is around the corner. I am looking forward to serious motorcycle-ride therapy. I am still challenged by the demands on my energy and time. But I'm working to get free. The bones continue to heal--way too slowly for me. I really thought I'd be whole by now! I've accepted that it is only in my dreams that I'll get to do some cross-country skiing this winter. Oh well...this too shall pass. In the meantime, I'm doing all I can to embrace living in what feels like the arctic plain! We're under a weather advisory--nothing new here. We have heavy, whirrling snow, frigid temps, and a wind chill that will slap the skin off your bare face. Brrrrrrrr! Yes, Jesse and I are ready--almost.***
Note: Liberty Mutual finally admitted their error and corrected the problem. Still, as soon as my insurance with them has expired, I will be looking for another company.
