I can't wait to leave here....

Not only is the Ragin' Mrs. in Idaho, waiting for me to go on leave, not only is a new duty station awaiting me in Wisconsin, but once I'm back in the States I'll be able to fix my bike, and have it stay fixed."

Went to start the bike the other day. Checked the fluids, checked the chain, made sure everything was good to go. Turned the key, hit the switch, and heard..... "GrGrGGGGG"

What the hell?

Looked the bike over. Finally figured out that it's the battery. I've got a sealed gel battery, and it's slowly been losing juice to the point that it won't kick the starter over. So I've got it charging right now. But after talking to a buddy of mine who also has a bike, it seems that HE has gone through three of those gel batteries this year alone. For some reason the gel batteries here don't hold a charge. Maybe the people that sell them are not maintaining them while they sit on the shelves. Maybe the climate here just kills them. We don't know. But the last gel battery I had lasted three friggin years. This one has lasted six months. Combine that with the fact that I've got to take the carburetor apart and I can't do that here because I can't get a gasket set shipped to me in time.....

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr........

I've got less than two weeks left here and then I'm on a plane headed to the states. I'll be celebrating the 4th of July with my family. I can't wait.