17 August 2008
11 August 2008
09 August 2008
Sorry Noah
I am such a bad friend! You'd think with the few friends I do have I'd be able to plan well enough to follow through on something I'd said I'd do...
Noah, a friend from my living in Santa Cruz days, got married and is having a party today and I failed to arrange for someone to have the dogs this weekend so I could go. Waah.
Other than that, the day has been relatively productive- woke up early when dog #1 jumped off my bed to greet the early riser who had to go off to work, slept some more, then was licked awake by dog #2 at around 9:30. Did dishes, made coffee, granola for breafast, then went on errands. Dropped of a movie, mailed the leather pants back, (waste of $$), went to the Redwood Rd trail with the pooches. Then, did a minor shopping at TJ's and I love their hummus. Mm, hummus.
So, the rest of the day will be me lazing around and watching the Olympics and pretending to do some exercises. Later I'll run the dogs at the high school track and hopefully not get mad cramps.
...
Noah, a friend from my living in Santa Cruz days, got married and is having a party today and I failed to arrange for someone to have the dogs this weekend so I could go. Waah.
Other than that, the day has been relatively productive- woke up early when dog #1 jumped off my bed to greet the early riser who had to go off to work, slept some more, then was licked awake by dog #2 at around 9:30. Did dishes, made coffee, granola for breafast, then went on errands. Dropped of a movie, mailed the leather pants back, (waste of $$), went to the Redwood Rd trail with the pooches. Then, did a minor shopping at TJ's and I love their hummus. Mm, hummus.
So, the rest of the day will be me lazing around and watching the Olympics and pretending to do some exercises. Later I'll run the dogs at the high school track and hopefully not get mad cramps.
...
07 August 2008
Brutus's Demise
Jeff's trusty steed Brutus has finally bit the dust.
On Thursday nights, motorcycle riders meet up at "The Wall" for a group ride. Jeff had come in to the city to do some installation at my work, so we met together for lunch and picked up some Rev-it leather pants for me at Scuderia. After work I put the pants on and tried to make them comfortable- the pants fit tight around my waist and my knees were itching in the back from the fabric and I felt a bit constricted. But, they are leather and I am relying on them to stretch out a little bit and be as comfortable as they should be: a second skin.
I made my way through the traffic lane-splitting across the bay bridge, zoomed up 24 to Fish Ranch Rd and, since I thought I was too late to meet Jeff anyway I was taking my time as it was. At the intersection of Fish and Skyline with perfect timing, he rolls up with a group as I am turning right. So, on to the Wall, where there were upwards of 40 riders there.
The air was thick- not only with the fog which was wet and crisp, but heavy with testosterone energy, angst and overall I felt a really weird vibe. People showing off pulling stupid moves- wheelies, zooming through the curve at insane speed, some close calls with u-turns in front of cars, someone dropped his bike in front of everyone and it took almost a minute for anyone to help him pick it up.
I knew something was off, and I trusted my instincts and told Jeff I was going to do my own mellow ride and just head home, I didn't feel like heading out like this with a bunch of strangers and wasn't in the mood for all the hooliganism and shenanigans. He pulled my bike out of the precarious position it was parked in for me and I made my way home through the clouds, a nice mellow ride.
When I got home I called Jeff to leave a voicemail that I'd gotten home ok, and to my surprise he picked up, which I hadn't expected.
"Hi baby." "Hi, I didn't think you'd pick up, I was going to just leave a message." "Yeah well I'm on the side of the road." "Really? Are you ok?" "Yeah, I'm ok. Brutus isn't."
Turns out he had been pulling a fast start from a stop, drag racing with some of the guys, and hit a fluke wet spot in the road, milliseconds later he's sliding 70 feet down the road. If he hadn't been wearing the full leathers that he'd only recently spent the money to put together, it would be a different story entirely. From the marks on his elbows, knees, hip, he would be in much worse shape if he'd been wearing what half of the other riders out there wear: jeans, regular shoes, no kneepads...
Wow. So, needless to say, with the bike in the shape it's in and the near miss he had, I am very very glad for gear, and have been lecturing all my riding friends who go ill-equipped. Wearing full gear is admitting to yourself that you are not always in control of your own body and fate. Not wearing gear is admitting that your ego is bigger than your pancake brain and all I can think when I see stupid girls on the backs of bikes in shorts and flip-flops is "Crayon".
That experience made me realize even more than I knew already, trust my instincts. I knew something was in the air. I didn't think it'd be him, but something was up. I am glad I went home when I did, and I am even more glad that he is ok.
On Thursday nights, motorcycle riders meet up at "The Wall" for a group ride. Jeff had come in to the city to do some installation at my work, so we met together for lunch and picked up some Rev-it leather pants for me at Scuderia. After work I put the pants on and tried to make them comfortable- the pants fit tight around my waist and my knees were itching in the back from the fabric and I felt a bit constricted. But, they are leather and I am relying on them to stretch out a little bit and be as comfortable as they should be: a second skin.
I made my way through the traffic lane-splitting across the bay bridge, zoomed up 24 to Fish Ranch Rd and, since I thought I was too late to meet Jeff anyway I was taking my time as it was. At the intersection of Fish and Skyline with perfect timing, he rolls up with a group as I am turning right. So, on to the Wall, where there were upwards of 40 riders there.
The air was thick- not only with the fog which was wet and crisp, but heavy with testosterone energy, angst and overall I felt a really weird vibe. People showing off pulling stupid moves- wheelies, zooming through the curve at insane speed, some close calls with u-turns in front of cars, someone dropped his bike in front of everyone and it took almost a minute for anyone to help him pick it up.
I knew something was off, and I trusted my instincts and told Jeff I was going to do my own mellow ride and just head home, I didn't feel like heading out like this with a bunch of strangers and wasn't in the mood for all the hooliganism and shenanigans. He pulled my bike out of the precarious position it was parked in for me and I made my way home through the clouds, a nice mellow ride.
When I got home I called Jeff to leave a voicemail that I'd gotten home ok, and to my surprise he picked up, which I hadn't expected.
"Hi baby." "Hi, I didn't think you'd pick up, I was going to just leave a message." "Yeah well I'm on the side of the road." "Really? Are you ok?" "Yeah, I'm ok. Brutus isn't."
Turns out he had been pulling a fast start from a stop, drag racing with some of the guys, and hit a fluke wet spot in the road, milliseconds later he's sliding 70 feet down the road. If he hadn't been wearing the full leathers that he'd only recently spent the money to put together, it would be a different story entirely. From the marks on his elbows, knees, hip, he would be in much worse shape if he'd been wearing what half of the other riders out there wear: jeans, regular shoes, no kneepads...
Wow. So, needless to say, with the bike in the shape it's in and the near miss he had, I am very very glad for gear, and have been lecturing all my riding friends who go ill-equipped. Wearing full gear is admitting to yourself that you are not always in control of your own body and fate. Not wearing gear is admitting that your ego is bigger than your pancake brain and all I can think when I see stupid girls on the backs of bikes in shorts and flip-flops is "Crayon".
That experience made me realize even more than I knew already, trust my instincts. I knew something was in the air. I didn't think it'd be him, but something was up. I am glad I went home when I did, and I am even more glad that he is ok.
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