Women In The Wind

The Spoon definition:

An ordinary wooden cooking spoon with a hole drilled in the top of the handle.

A piece of rawhide is looped through the hole making it easier to keep with its possessor at all times.  On bowl of the spoon is the WITW Logo – reverse side of the bowl is “Oops”.

 

The Edmonton Chapter has a spoon to pass between its members for various periodic “Oops” incidents made by members.

 

Edmonton Chapter members claim the spoon for any motorcycle related incident that is preventable.  As in:

running out of fuel

unplanned gravity checks

refueling then riding off without your helmet

losing members on a ride you are leading

can’t start bike no matter what you try, only to find out the kill switch is on

etc… etc… etc…

 

Member carrying the Spoon must have it on display at each meeting and event or be fined a looney.

Chapter spoon 

Edmonton Chapter

the spoon travels

 

Lisa received the spoon in the fall of 2007 and was it’s proud guardian during the winter months.

 

May – Marlene’s Story – Lisa passed the spoon to Marlene. The story goes – on the first ride of the season the group started traveling south when a small group branched off and stopped in Beaumont to change glasses. By the time they got back on the road, the group ahead was out of sight.  Marlene glanced at the map and noticed Hwy 21 was highlighted so thought that was how they would get to the destination. With mechanical problems along the way and gas needed in Camrose they were very late. When we got to Tim Hortons they found out that (even though Marlene is anal about maps) she had not even followed the planned map. It took them about 45 minutes to catch up with the rest of the group. 

 

June – Bonnie’s story. At the May meeting, when Missy asked if anyone had a spoon story to share, Bonnie sat quiet as a little mouse, innocent as can be, until a good friend Jiggs said “Hey Bonnie, tell the girls about your spoon story”,  Bonnie was unsure what Jiggs was referring to until reminded of the speed bump episode .

Again, it happened at the first ride of the season; Bonnie had got herself stuck halfway over a speed bump at the gas station.  The bike kept stalling and stalling and then a guy came out of the gas station and asked if he could give her a push over.  She graciously accepted so he gave a push and over she went. It was only when she was to leave that she realized the bike was in second gear.

 

June – Georgina’s story - On the pre-summer nationals poker ride, I dropped my bike in the Jungle's parking lot at Alberta Beach. We were getting ready to leave as a group. Everyone had their bikes running and were set to go, including me. When I went to kick back the kickstand, the cuff of my leather pants got tangled up with the kickstand. When I tried to get free, the bike started to lean. I couldn't get my foot down in time and down went the bike. Nine of my sisters in the wind got to watch me drop my bike. But then my sisters jumped off their bikes and helped me get mine upright again. Thanks sisters.

 

June – Myra’s story – the spoon was presented to Myra who found out after parking her bike and walking away without putting the kick stand in place, that yes… gravity is still working.

 

June – Maureen O’s story -   A friend of mine who is getting on in years calls her senior moments “brain farts”.  I had one of these neuro-stinkers at our Summer Nationals Poker Rally.  We were ready to start the ride, and so I rode over to the starting point, parked my bike, and got my poker card.  I was anxious to get going, as I knew we were on a tight schedule.  There were many ladies behind us, also getting ready to go.  I was leading the first group and was feeling some pressure to get going; I was thinking about the route, and hoping I would not make any wrong turns, and hoping that the ride would go well.  Of course, with all that pressure I was putting on myself, something was bound to go wrong.

 

I got on my bike, and tried to start it.  Nothing.  I tried again.  Silence.  Of course I panicked.  What was wrong…the bike was just running.  So I checked the kill switch and the kickstand.  And pushed the starter again.  No luck.  So I kicked the gearshift down into first and then back up into neutral.  And tried to start it again.  By this time I was VERY upset, and there probably wasn’t a calm thought in my head.  So just as I was about to get off and kick the tires, Marlene came up, looked down at my bike, reached over and turned the key on.  “There you go”, she said, “you get the spoon for that one”.

 

I didn’t get the spoon for it, as there were other incidents on the poker ride that were more spoon-worthy, but that didn’t diminish my feelings of utter stupidity and embarrassment to have done that in front of so many ladies.  However it helps to remember that we have all done these things, and as long as no one gets hurt, we can usually laugh about them later.

 

 

July – Bonnie’s story – at the July meeting when Bonnie was trying to explain the why’s and how’s of the mess she made of the chapter finances, Myra quietly handed her the spoon.

 

July — Deb M’s story — Now the reason for this note is to let you know that in one of the 'cyclebabble' I was reading the 'spoon' thing to my partner thinking to myself how funny is that to forget to turn your fuel line on. Well I just returned from a wonderful (my first long) trip to Campbell River, B.C and back. I white knuckled it all the way there especially thru the mountain & passes. On the way there my bike broke down 4 times, it had just been serviced and was road ready. After 16 hrs, 30 degrees in our leathers our (my) nerves were shot. We were pissed off with each other because we couldn't find a place to stay when we stopped to yell at one another because he didn't take 'the road captains' course and didn't know how to ride in a group (me). With no resolve we remounted and were on our way. He took off and my bike decided to just quite again so I pulled over and wondered how long and far will he go before he notices I'm not there???? I tried to do what we had done before to get my bike going again nothing worked. 10 min later he comes back, we look things over, I checked my gas, ok then all of a sudden I realized that at the last stop to argue I had turned my fuel switch to off.....oops....boy was he pissed off.....but as we were getting ready to pull out I said, "boy I deserve the 'golden spoon' for that one". Well he looked at me with the look of what the heck are you talking about and then it hit him......with that our mood broke and we both laughed. So I deserve the spoon, even for a couple of other reasons that I will one day share but not today.