Some guy pulled up in our drive way a little bit ago. Had a bike on his car, and he was all decked out in cycling gear. Complete with yellow Team Discovery commemorative jersey.
Not recognizing the person, I opened the window, asked in a friendly way, "What's up?" and waited for a response.
He gave me a little head nod that told me "yo, what's up with you" or maybe it was a head nod with a little shake telling me, "What do you think I'm doing?"
Not satisfied with the exchange, I simply kept looking at him with my head out of the window from my office (no screen). After not even getting further acknowledgement from him, I quickly went to the computer to see if I had some meeting with someone today, perhaps explaining our visitor.
Nothing on the plan for today involving riding with the yellow jersey type.
So I went downstairs and outside to get a closer look. Turns out that this guy thought it was OK (it is, really) to park in our driveway because he's seen lots of cyclists here leaving for rides.
I explained the situation and told him that he could park here anyway, but I guess he was a little struck by it all. He apologized ("Sorry, my bad"), got in his car, and started to drive off. By the time he was at the end of the driveway, I pulled his bike from the grass to the driveway so he could see it...
He drove back up to me, got out of the car, shook his head, and without saying a word, put his bike back on the trunk rack and drove away. Without securing the bike to the rack.
When he hit the gravel transition from our driveway to the road, the bike hopped off one of the arms of the rack. He stopped, got out of the car, put it back on the rack (without securing it again), and drove off.
I'm trying to get back to work, but I keep getting stuck thinking about this strange occurance. Which ranks, in strangeness, higher than ranger humming "Girls just wanna have fun."
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
If this doesn't clean me out, nothing can
Budrick crawled into our bed too early and too late last night/this morning. Too early to really get up myself, but too late to put him back in his bed and think I could get more sleep.
So I made myself useful by throwing lunch together for Mama and Big Boy. Made some smoothies for everyone (once it was time for everyone to get up anyway, since the blender doesn't have a 'snooze' feature). But mio sforzo migliore came from the oat bran muffins I made.
Of course these are made from scratch. Do you think Chloe keeps a mix in her pantry?
So I made myself useful by throwing lunch together for Mama and Big Boy. Made some smoothies for everyone (once it was time for everyone to get up anyway, since the blender doesn't have a 'snooze' feature). But mio sforzo migliore came from the oat bran muffins I made.
Of course these are made from scratch. Do you think Chloe keeps a mix in her pantry?
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
OK, now I'll ge tback to work
When I get geeked on Italy stuff, guys like the Beaner roll their eyes or call BS on me. But here's a map of one of the most beautiful places in the world.
There, in the upper right, you can see Taceno and Cortenova, and a little southwest of there is a place called Esino Lario (which is usually part of the Giro di Lombardia route). Well, the cabin that Nuccia left Chloe is on the road between those two places. Now look across the lake at the tip there. What do you see? Bellagio. That's right. A little south of there? Madonna di Ghisallo.
Need help with the scale of the map? It is about 10K from the left edge of the map to the right.
Here's something more for the bike geeks. Third picture from the bottom...the one of the lake...that's the lake separating Bellagio and Esino Lario. On just the other side of the mountain is the cabin.
OK, sorry. Just got all "homesick" there for a moment. I'll eat some pasta and be alright.
So, who wants to go?
Angel Fire crew...do you remember?
I almost sort of do. Anyway, I got the iTunes spitting songs as I work. The Divinyls I Touch Myself is playing. Good trip. Good times. We owned that place, eh Brad?
Working the fields
We had all of the kids working the field the other day. Before the POSS2 got home with Mama, Noah and I were out in the pasture working on the 400m track we're building for running and riding ove rthe fall/winter.
It is pretty well cut in now. We're hoping for some rain to help the good grass take and finish off the goat head/sticker burrs for good, but in the meantime, we keep plugging away at it.
On Monday, I was ready to give it another cutting, but since we were expecting some rain, I wanted to clear the cow crap off of the trail. Make for better walking and running when out there in the dark.
So, Noah and I were shoveling the crap into the wheel barrrow. He was working pretty hard. Had to remind him that the faster we got it done, the less time we were working with shit, but we got it done.
When we got to the last 100m, I hollered to him, "Are you having fun?" He couldn't hear me since he had his playstation thing headphones on (he can listen to music with it--he was listening to Beastie Boys). He took out the headphones, asked "What?" and I repeated. His response was, "Well, I'm not having fun, but I'm doing OK."
Just as we finished the shovel work, Mama arrived with the POSS2, and they got on the lawn tractor with me, and we got to work cutting the track even closer to the ground. They helped drive.
The track is just about 400m long. 100m is a down slope, and about 50m-ish is flat, and the rest is uphill-ish. But really, it is all pretty flat. Just feels more uphill when you are out there. I've ridden my road bike out there and not picked up anything in the tires, so I think we've got it cleaned pretty good. It is about 8.5 feet wide all the way around.
We'll have some sort of play/training out there in the coming months.
It is pretty well cut in now. We're hoping for some rain to help the good grass take and finish off the goat head/sticker burrs for good, but in the meantime, we keep plugging away at it.
On Monday, I was ready to give it another cutting, but since we were expecting some rain, I wanted to clear the cow crap off of the trail. Make for better walking and running when out there in the dark.
So, Noah and I were shoveling the crap into the wheel barrrow. He was working pretty hard. Had to remind him that the faster we got it done, the less time we were working with shit, but we got it done.
When we got to the last 100m, I hollered to him, "Are you having fun?" He couldn't hear me since he had his playstation thing headphones on (he can listen to music with it--he was listening to Beastie Boys). He took out the headphones, asked "What?" and I repeated. His response was, "Well, I'm not having fun, but I'm doing OK."
Just as we finished the shovel work, Mama arrived with the POSS2, and they got on the lawn tractor with me, and we got to work cutting the track even closer to the ground. They helped drive.
The track is just about 400m long. 100m is a down slope, and about 50m-ish is flat, and the rest is uphill-ish. But really, it is all pretty flat. Just feels more uphill when you are out there. I've ridden my road bike out there and not picked up anything in the tires, so I think we've got it cleaned pretty good. It is about 8.5 feet wide all the way around.
We'll have some sort of play/training out there in the coming months.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Do you remember your first real bike ride?
I remember riding with Matt McCullough at SWT and we got excited about doing rides that seemed so far to us.
Anyway, Noah and I went out for 13.5 miles today. He's been off the bike, and I've been off the bike even more. But we knocked it out.
I've felt less fatigue after doing 120 mile rides before. Long, long way to go.
Anyway, Noah and I went out for 13.5 miles today. He's been off the bike, and I've been off the bike even more. But we knocked it out.
I've felt less fatigue after doing 120 mile rides before. Long, long way to go.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Must eat
To continue on this narcissistic theme, I am so frikkin' hungry to be a bike racer again. I'm chomping at the bit to get to training. But I catch myself when I realize I'm going to be doing 15-20 mile rides for awhile, and those will make me tired.
Long way to go.
Long way to go.
Monday, October 03, 2005
For Crying Out Loud
I'm so done with The Racing Post. Not that anybody really cares, but dang, I just don't want to be in those pages anymore.
Why?
Doesn't really matter, but it is safe to say that even if I do still own the thing, I definitely can't control what is printed in its pages. Not even when it is my own damn column.
Gump says, "And that's all I got to say about that."
Why?
Doesn't really matter, but it is safe to say that even if I do still own the thing, I definitely can't control what is printed in its pages. Not even when it is my own damn column.
Gump says, "And that's all I got to say about that."
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Brody is in the house!
My sister Shaun and b-i-l Neal made me an uncle again today. Brody Allen Harpstrite comes at us with 8.13 lbs and 20 1/4 in. Big Brother Aidan is happy to have someone to big brother to.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Oh yeah? Well you should have seen the other guy.
Dent. The car is gray, so stuff didn't show up in the pictures too well.
If you click on the pic you may be able to see it a little better.
There is a good gouge at the top of the dent, and you might be able to see one along the top of the pin stripe. It looks like a tire mark under the mirror on the door.
There is also a dent on the piece between the windshield and the door/mirror.
As much that mirror hurt, I kinda wanted it to have some visible damage. By the way, this is the only look I've really had at the car; I didn't look at closely that day.
This shows the initial impact at the corer of the bumper and then a different gouge at the front of the fender.
Thursday Update on Wooombpf
So it is an update for today, but I'll start with yesterday. Got a little worried yesterday. Physically and mentally I took some steps backwards, but I think (now) that it was due to a cumulative lack of sleep. It is hard to sleep when there is no good way to lie down.
I tried doubling up some sleeping meds, even with the pain killer and muscle relaxant. Nothing worked. Finally, yesterday afternoon, I finally just crashed. Even with the "wooombpf" sound playing every 15-20 minutes, and the increase in the gnawing feeling that when I ride I'm gonna have some issues, I finally just slept. It was only for an hour, since I had to pick up Noah from school, but it was a full-on, sweat through my clothes and the sheets, slobber on my pillow, hard sleep.
Awaking from that, I was somewhat refreshed. My left side ribs and left side guts, which are giving me the most trouble overall, were very sore, but it was the first time I've even FELT like getting up since the bump.
Noah and I drove the couple of miles over to where I was hit. I've mentioned several times how lucky I was, but it is even more evident now. I'm lucky for just missinig a drive way (instead I landed in a ditch). I just missed hitting a street sign ("Narrow Bridge Ahead') and the narrow bridge that was ahead. Where I fell was, in fact, right in front of the golf course. For those familiar with the area, it was next to the hole that runs parallel to the road.
I slept some more when we got home, and it was just as deep a sleep as earlier. Had to wake up to go get the POSS2's since Mama was held up in an important meeting, but we managed.
Noah watched the babies while I slept even more. It seems that I sleep for about an hour very deeply, then I wake up, go get a drink or something to eat, say "Hi" to everyone that lives here, and then I sleep again for another hour or so. This was one of the first days in a long time that we actually got everyone to bed on time, and I slept from then pretty much through the night, minus the POSS2's coming in to customarily make sure we are still there or something.
All that said, aside from my left side ribs and guts, I feel sore but lots, lots better. My elbow works, but I don't have much range of motion, and I absolutely can't bang it on anything. But I think we've for sure turned a corner here.
You couldn't tell that I just left to go to the doctor, but I did. Definite broken rib on the left side (just one, though?), so I feel less of a wuss knowing that something is indeed busted. Nothing is broken in my shoulder, but I didn't really expect there to be since it feels like tissue/ligament/tendon issues and not bone issues.
All things considered, I fell pretty ok. If I can talk Noah into bringing the trainer to the house from the barn, I might even get my track bike on there and spin for just a something small in the next couple of days.
I tried doubling up some sleeping meds, even with the pain killer and muscle relaxant. Nothing worked. Finally, yesterday afternoon, I finally just crashed. Even with the "wooombpf" sound playing every 15-20 minutes, and the increase in the gnawing feeling that when I ride I'm gonna have some issues, I finally just slept. It was only for an hour, since I had to pick up Noah from school, but it was a full-on, sweat through my clothes and the sheets, slobber on my pillow, hard sleep.
Awaking from that, I was somewhat refreshed. My left side ribs and left side guts, which are giving me the most trouble overall, were very sore, but it was the first time I've even FELT like getting up since the bump.
Noah and I drove the couple of miles over to where I was hit. I've mentioned several times how lucky I was, but it is even more evident now. I'm lucky for just missinig a drive way (instead I landed in a ditch). I just missed hitting a street sign ("Narrow Bridge Ahead') and the narrow bridge that was ahead. Where I fell was, in fact, right in front of the golf course. For those familiar with the area, it was next to the hole that runs parallel to the road.
I slept some more when we got home, and it was just as deep a sleep as earlier. Had to wake up to go get the POSS2's since Mama was held up in an important meeting, but we managed.
Noah watched the babies while I slept even more. It seems that I sleep for about an hour very deeply, then I wake up, go get a drink or something to eat, say "Hi" to everyone that lives here, and then I sleep again for another hour or so. This was one of the first days in a long time that we actually got everyone to bed on time, and I slept from then pretty much through the night, minus the POSS2's coming in to customarily make sure we are still there or something.
All that said, aside from my left side ribs and guts, I feel sore but lots, lots better. My elbow works, but I don't have much range of motion, and I absolutely can't bang it on anything. But I think we've for sure turned a corner here.
You couldn't tell that I just left to go to the doctor, but I did. Definite broken rib on the left side (just one, though?), so I feel less of a wuss knowing that something is indeed busted. Nothing is broken in my shoulder, but I didn't really expect there to be since it feels like tissue/ligament/tendon issues and not bone issues.
All things considered, I fell pretty ok. If I can talk Noah into bringing the trainer to the house from the barn, I might even get my track bike on there and spin for just a something small in the next couple of days.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Tuesday Update on Wooombpf
Busy day. Had lots of folks stop by. Scored well with Niles, because he brought by lots of venison. Andrew D stopped by on his ride, which was cool. My Mom made a brief stop on her way to Longview.
Lots of calls too. It has been pleasantly overwhelming.
I feel worse physically today, but my head is totally clear. Recieved a letter from the guy's insurance company telling me to call them when I'm off the pain meds and that I need to send them some tax stuff for the last three years. Now, that's getting into my business, but I think it is a good sign that we are getting somewhere, though.
My body did stiffen up quite a bit from yesterday. I think it is due to feeling better yesterday so I moved around too much. Or maybe it was the Pilates video. Who knows?
Becky brought some books by yesterday. I read some stuff by Sedaris, which is laugh out loud funny, but once I started the second book of his, I felt like it was too much. Now reading Pico Iyer's Video Night in Kathmandu and diggin' it. And I ate all of the shortbread cookies she brought by too.
It is worth noting here that Noah has really stepped up in the last week. He's helping out tons, and he was already good about helping out before. I think he's a keeper.
When my Mom stopped by, she left behind a big plastic tub that has all kinds of stuff from my growing up years. There's my cub scout shirt, some pictures of when I was a baby, a few books, a baby tooth, my first BMX jersey, some stories that I wrote in second grade, etc. A childhood in a box. Pretty neat.
Lots of calls too. It has been pleasantly overwhelming.
I feel worse physically today, but my head is totally clear. Recieved a letter from the guy's insurance company telling me to call them when I'm off the pain meds and that I need to send them some tax stuff for the last three years. Now, that's getting into my business, but I think it is a good sign that we are getting somewhere, though.
My body did stiffen up quite a bit from yesterday. I think it is due to feeling better yesterday so I moved around too much. Or maybe it was the Pilates video. Who knows?
Becky brought some books by yesterday. I read some stuff by Sedaris, which is laugh out loud funny, but once I started the second book of his, I felt like it was too much. Now reading Pico Iyer's Video Night in Kathmandu and diggin' it. And I ate all of the shortbread cookies she brought by too.
It is worth noting here that Noah has really stepped up in the last week. He's helping out tons, and he was already good about helping out before. I think he's a keeper.
When my Mom stopped by, she left behind a big plastic tub that has all kinds of stuff from my growing up years. There's my cub scout shirt, some pictures of when I was a baby, a few books, a baby tooth, my first BMX jersey, some stories that I wrote in second grade, etc. A childhood in a box. Pretty neat.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Update on Wooombpf
Feeling LOTS better, so long as I sit still. I took the halfcast off of my elbow and am keeping a folded up bathtowel around it for protection. The cast and sling were to help keep it propped and protected, but it feels better if I keep it up anyway, so that's what I do naturally. Using the towel as protection is a little more user friendly in most ways as it allows me to at least type on the computer somewhat normally. I still can only peck out a few lines before having to rest since my right shoulder doesn't like my right arm to be elevated as high as the keyboard very long.
My teeth still hurt as does my jaw, but I ate quite a bit yesterday so I was probably just doing too much too soon.
I went most of yesterday without pain meds, but I had a rough time from mid-afternoon on and had to get some in me. NOt sure where it came from, but I lost my stomach a few times yesterday as well. That said, I was more active yesterday morning than I had been all days combined since being hit.
Ribs sill hurt just as much, but that is to be expected. My upper back is stove up pretty bad, but the great news is that my lower back (which had been giving me fits before the accident) hasn't been an issue at all. Can't turn my head too quickly or my neck barks, but moving slowly gives me about 75% 5ange of motion.
Knees are tweaked as well as hips, but not so much that I dread it when getting up like I do my neck, back, ribs and shoulder.
Mama sent me a link to get the police report form so I can get that assignment done. Finding it online is a huge bonus because I can't really drive so well at the moment to get to the police station.
Becky, one of my LSWorkers, just stopped by with all sorts of goodies. I've got fresh DVD's and loads of reading stuff. The kitchen is now flowered and there are even some things to eat that don't take any effort.
I'm gonna try to read it all, because Becky is one of those folks who, when she sends me an email, I have to open a dictionary and a browser to google so I don't go all public school on her.
Thank you so much, Becky!
That's about it for now.
My teeth still hurt as does my jaw, but I ate quite a bit yesterday so I was probably just doing too much too soon.
I went most of yesterday without pain meds, but I had a rough time from mid-afternoon on and had to get some in me. NOt sure where it came from, but I lost my stomach a few times yesterday as well. That said, I was more active yesterday morning than I had been all days combined since being hit.
Ribs sill hurt just as much, but that is to be expected. My upper back is stove up pretty bad, but the great news is that my lower back (which had been giving me fits before the accident) hasn't been an issue at all. Can't turn my head too quickly or my neck barks, but moving slowly gives me about 75% 5ange of motion.
Knees are tweaked as well as hips, but not so much that I dread it when getting up like I do my neck, back, ribs and shoulder.
Mama sent me a link to get the police report form so I can get that assignment done. Finding it online is a huge bonus because I can't really drive so well at the moment to get to the police station.
Becky, one of my LSWorkers, just stopped by with all sorts of goodies. I've got fresh DVD's and loads of reading stuff. The kitchen is now flowered and there are even some things to eat that don't take any effort.
I'm gonna try to read it all, because Becky is one of those folks who, when she sends me an email, I have to open a dictionary and a browser to google so I don't go all public school on her.
Thank you so much, Becky!
That's about it for now.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Wooombpf
Howdy,
Hard o be entertaining because it is difficult to type, me head hurts, and it is about time for some more of these fine, fine meds. But here’s what I’ve managed to peck out…
While out for a mid-afternoon one hour spin, I was hit from behind by a motorist. It was straight up, plain and simple, an accident. I wasn’t the target of an angry driver or someone who was trying to brush me back or whatever. Not sure how fast he was going, but this is a 50-60 mph road.
I was heading southwest on Country Club Road in Argyle at about 1:45-2pm. I was very near the right edge of the road with my tires on or very near the white line, which is customarily where I ride. My habit is not to take up much of the lane, as I prefer to give motorist as much room to pass as possible. I understand some folks may feel they should take p more of their lane for safety, visibility, and to force motorists to pass in the other lane only when safe. But I prescribe to the idea that I want to be the least nuisance possible, since I live in the area and these are essentially my neighbors.
I was caught by the front fender and mirror of the car. My body took the blow. I spent a little time on the windshield and top of the car before dismounting into the nicely groomed ditch. Fortunately I missed the pavement.
The initial hit was sudden and unexpected. My best recollection (and so far, very much recurring) is the sound of “wooompb” as I was being hit, and my vision growing quickly black with a light growing rapidly smaller and smaller to the size of a pin hole while spinning, sort of like what I remember seeing in the Batman shows as a kid. That sound was the same sound you hear when cars hit each other.
My next glimpse of memory is being in the air in a “flying” position over the car and looking down into the windshield and seeing the driver’s hands on the wheel. At that point I don’t remember much except for thinking “I got hit and I’m probably dead.”
My next memory is hitting the ground, then a blank time, and then landing on my back and hitting the back of my head. I went out for a spell (I don’t know how long). I do remember thinking as the lights went out again that I hoped I wasn’t in the middle of a multi-car accident and that I could just end up where I ended up without having to deal with cars on me.
I couldn’t feel anything when I came to from that,. My thoughts were that I was either dead or that I was in such shock that I wasn’t feeling anything. I tried to do an inventory of body parts, but I couldn’t feel anything. I could hear my middle child saying names of the parts of the body as I checked to see if they were still attached.
Everything was very fuzzy and moving in a haze. Sort of like what the Young Guns were seeing when they took the peyote. But I wasn’t taking peyote.
The motorist stopped and tried to help me up as I was trying to get up. I wasn’t altogether with it, but came to very quickly when he grabbed my left elbow to help me up. Alarm clocks don’t seem so bad now.
He asked if he could take me to the hospital, and he was extremely apologetic. Looking back now, I can say that he was in shock himself. Another motorist then stopped and asked whose fault it was. The man who hit me said, “Unfortunately, it was mine (meaning himself).”
I looked at my phone to see what time it was, and I realized that I needed to get home quickly since I had to pick up Kid #1 from school. I asked the man to take me home instead. Mind you, I wasn’t entirely with it, and neither was he, which is why we didn’t call police. He asked me several times if he shouldn’t just take me to the hospital.
So, we piled my bike into his trunk, I called Chloe on the way home and asked her to meet me there, and the guy drove me home in what was the most harrowing 10 miles I’ve ever been in a car. He was a mess just out of being scared. Wrong side of the road, driving 15 mph, pulling out into traffic, etc.
While sitting in his car, the list of damage to me was being rung up. My shoulder and ribs were giving me the most pain, but my hips, back, jaw and elbow were close behind.
I asked the driver to stay with me at the house until Chloe arrived, which he did without hesitation.
Once Chloe arrived, she got his name, license number and all that. It occurred to me that we should have a picture of his car showing the damage, and she took that. Once certain she had enough information from him, she sent him on his way, and then we went to pick up Noah (kid #1) and then went to the emergency room.
With nothing poking out of me, it took awhile to be tended at the emergency, but I was seen. Was x-rayed (not kidding) about 40 times, and I had a CT scan done to check for internal damage.
Damage to me-
Dislocated right shoulder
Broken left elbow
Rib “damage” primarily on the left side, but the right got some too.
Concussion
General pain in teeth (all), jaw, back, neck, hips, left knee, and right ankle
Damage to bike-
Broken right seat stay
Trashed Powertap rear
Broken saddle
Don’t know if anything else yet.
I’ve pretty much stayed in bed since getting home Tuesday night. I can’t roll over on my own, and I need assistance sitting up. However, as of last night, I could get up the stairs if I took my time. All that said, with the pain meds and muscle relaxants, I don’t feel much like getting up anyway. There’s a nice supply of DVD’s being played on my laptop. Typing notes is a painful process since I can only one-hand it, and that hand is connected to a shoulder that isn’t working so well.
Anyway, as I told my teammates, y’all don’t know anyone luckier than me. I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and vibes. Mostly I want to thank my wife, Chloe, who has had to really pick up the slack. With three kids here (10yr, 3yr, and almost 2yr), she’s had her hands full. Noah has been a huge help in taking care of the little ones, getting stuff for me, and making sure he was cared for himself. I want to thank Andrew and Stephanie Hassan for watching and feeding kids #2 and 3 while I was in the hospital. I want to thank David for kicking butt at the last Tuesday Nighter in Plano. I’d like to thank the athletes I work with for understanding. I also want to thank all of those who have sent notes and “get well” wishes and offers to help. And I’d like to thank my teammates who knew just how much to joke and how much to care.
Cri
Hard o be entertaining because it is difficult to type, me head hurts, and it is about time for some more of these fine, fine meds. But here’s what I’ve managed to peck out…
While out for a mid-afternoon one hour spin, I was hit from behind by a motorist. It was straight up, plain and simple, an accident. I wasn’t the target of an angry driver or someone who was trying to brush me back or whatever. Not sure how fast he was going, but this is a 50-60 mph road.
I was heading southwest on Country Club Road in Argyle at about 1:45-2pm. I was very near the right edge of the road with my tires on or very near the white line, which is customarily where I ride. My habit is not to take up much of the lane, as I prefer to give motorist as much room to pass as possible. I understand some folks may feel they should take p more of their lane for safety, visibility, and to force motorists to pass in the other lane only when safe. But I prescribe to the idea that I want to be the least nuisance possible, since I live in the area and these are essentially my neighbors.
I was caught by the front fender and mirror of the car. My body took the blow. I spent a little time on the windshield and top of the car before dismounting into the nicely groomed ditch. Fortunately I missed the pavement.
The initial hit was sudden and unexpected. My best recollection (and so far, very much recurring) is the sound of “wooompb” as I was being hit, and my vision growing quickly black with a light growing rapidly smaller and smaller to the size of a pin hole while spinning, sort of like what I remember seeing in the Batman shows as a kid. That sound was the same sound you hear when cars hit each other.
My next glimpse of memory is being in the air in a “flying” position over the car and looking down into the windshield and seeing the driver’s hands on the wheel. At that point I don’t remember much except for thinking “I got hit and I’m probably dead.”
My next memory is hitting the ground, then a blank time, and then landing on my back and hitting the back of my head. I went out for a spell (I don’t know how long). I do remember thinking as the lights went out again that I hoped I wasn’t in the middle of a multi-car accident and that I could just end up where I ended up without having to deal with cars on me.
I couldn’t feel anything when I came to from that,. My thoughts were that I was either dead or that I was in such shock that I wasn’t feeling anything. I tried to do an inventory of body parts, but I couldn’t feel anything. I could hear my middle child saying names of the parts of the body as I checked to see if they were still attached.
Everything was very fuzzy and moving in a haze. Sort of like what the Young Guns were seeing when they took the peyote. But I wasn’t taking peyote.
The motorist stopped and tried to help me up as I was trying to get up. I wasn’t altogether with it, but came to very quickly when he grabbed my left elbow to help me up. Alarm clocks don’t seem so bad now.
He asked if he could take me to the hospital, and he was extremely apologetic. Looking back now, I can say that he was in shock himself. Another motorist then stopped and asked whose fault it was. The man who hit me said, “Unfortunately, it was mine (meaning himself).”
I looked at my phone to see what time it was, and I realized that I needed to get home quickly since I had to pick up Kid #1 from school. I asked the man to take me home instead. Mind you, I wasn’t entirely with it, and neither was he, which is why we didn’t call police. He asked me several times if he shouldn’t just take me to the hospital.
So, we piled my bike into his trunk, I called Chloe on the way home and asked her to meet me there, and the guy drove me home in what was the most harrowing 10 miles I’ve ever been in a car. He was a mess just out of being scared. Wrong side of the road, driving 15 mph, pulling out into traffic, etc.
While sitting in his car, the list of damage to me was being rung up. My shoulder and ribs were giving me the most pain, but my hips, back, jaw and elbow were close behind.
I asked the driver to stay with me at the house until Chloe arrived, which he did without hesitation.
Once Chloe arrived, she got his name, license number and all that. It occurred to me that we should have a picture of his car showing the damage, and she took that. Once certain she had enough information from him, she sent him on his way, and then we went to pick up Noah (kid #1) and then went to the emergency room.
With nothing poking out of me, it took awhile to be tended at the emergency, but I was seen. Was x-rayed (not kidding) about 40 times, and I had a CT scan done to check for internal damage.
Damage to me-
Dislocated right shoulder
Broken left elbow
Rib “damage” primarily on the left side, but the right got some too.
Concussion
General pain in teeth (all), jaw, back, neck, hips, left knee, and right ankle
Damage to bike-
Broken right seat stay
Trashed Powertap rear
Broken saddle
Don’t know if anything else yet.
I’ve pretty much stayed in bed since getting home Tuesday night. I can’t roll over on my own, and I need assistance sitting up. However, as of last night, I could get up the stairs if I took my time. All that said, with the pain meds and muscle relaxants, I don’t feel much like getting up anyway. There’s a nice supply of DVD’s being played on my laptop. Typing notes is a painful process since I can only one-hand it, and that hand is connected to a shoulder that isn’t working so well.
Anyway, as I told my teammates, y’all don’t know anyone luckier than me. I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and vibes. Mostly I want to thank my wife, Chloe, who has had to really pick up the slack. With three kids here (10yr, 3yr, and almost 2yr), she’s had her hands full. Noah has been a huge help in taking care of the little ones, getting stuff for me, and making sure he was cared for himself. I want to thank Andrew and Stephanie Hassan for watching and feeding kids #2 and 3 while I was in the hospital. I want to thank David for kicking butt at the last Tuesday Nighter in Plano. I’d like to thank the athletes I work with for understanding. I also want to thank all of those who have sent notes and “get well” wishes and offers to help. And I’d like to thank my teammates who knew just how much to joke and how much to care.
Cri
Friday, September 09, 2005
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Steamboats, Fried Chicken, Anti-freeze, Taking out a loan for gas, Pine Cones, And Our Visit to TN to See Apple Granny
Mama did a great job getting us packed into one bag. Kaner would be proud. All five of us were packed into one duffel bag. This is without cycling stuff, but still, diapers and clothes for five people for a long weekend in one bag is cat 2 packing, at least.
We made a trip out to Eagle's Nest to see Apple Granny and to try to talk her into leaving the farm there and moving in with us. With the babies and such, we couldn't afford to fly out there, so we packed into my "new" wagon and made the 12 hr haul on the road.
Before leaving on Friday, however, (my b-i-l) Lonnie and his clan stopped by for a quick visit on their way to CO. In the big picture it is kinda funny that they were plowing up I35 on their way to CO while we were loading up to plow I30 and I40 to TN, yet we somehow still had a Chloe-style dinner here at Stella.
I didn't get to eat with them, as I was at the shop getting new tires on the "new" car. Pretty much a leap of faith that the 13yr old car would make the 1400 mile trip, especially considering the only driving I'd done with it at that point was the test drive. And to think that I'm not much of a gambler.
We hit the road at about 10pm. The kids slept for the most part, which made for a pretty dang easy trip. Now that I think about it, it wasn't until Tuesday morning, when I took Noah to school, that he'd actually sat in a seat in the car. For the 12.5 hr trip there and the 13.5 hr trip back, he was packed into the back of the wagon with our bag, a blanket, a couple of pillows, and his PSP thing.
Anyway, we went up to see Apple Granny and enjoy a quiet weekend in rural TN. Now that Mama has a real job, we can't get away for a week at a time like we used to do, so we had to squeeze in our RnR qucikly. After driving through the night, I had a world class nap on Saturday...windows open, hearing the critters in the woods, and even the sounds of a tug boat in the far distance on the TN river.
There was visiting and some being made useful for Aunt Betty and Apple Granny. A trip up to the church to take some bottled water, carrying a few things out to the barn and up from the basement. Had to be careful, though, because I didn't want Mama to think I was all hip on doing chores.
Somewhere in there was some real good banana pudding that Granny said was for my birthday.
The little ones played with the dogs and sticks and stuff. Noah and I hiked (a pretty tough hike, actually) through the woods, across a couple of pastures and down to the river where we climbed on fallen trees, watched a steamboat go by, and got up close with a cottonmouth. It was pretty much a Tom Sawyer/Norman Rockwell-type weekend.
The visit was short, but it was a good one. The land up there is postcard beautiful, and the roads (though I didn't bring my bike) beg to be ridden. The rolling hills, 2-mile climbs, the forests, the perfect pavement, the country-quiet...
We hit the road for the return leg on Monday morning. The wagon ("Ingrid") was holding up with a minimal of coolant and oil leakage, and the spedometer and tachometer freeze was only temporary. Overall, as travelling goes, Ingrid is a solid vehicle for us, and after driving the Bessie and Moby for so long, we were glad to have something that got gas mileage in the 20's instead of the pre-teens, especially since we were paying anywheres from $2.99 to $3.69 (fugg!) per gallon.
It is one thing to travel through the night with babies in the car, but it is quite another to travel during the middle part of the day. But all things considered, I think they did a fine job of it. There was a short bit of cabin fever from all of us, but we're also rolling in a spot that is half the size in which we are accustomed. 13+ is a long time for a grown up to sit in one spot, so for the babies to be strapped into those seats was a significant chunk of their time alive.
We did stop for coffee, a lot. We also stopped for a family fried chicken dinner at a fast-food joint called Mrs. Winner's. The whole time we were there I had a voice in the back of my head that sounded like crOzzy saying, "Winner, winner, chicken dinner." Another de-car wasa at a rest stop in Arkansas where the babies ran around while me and Noah chucked rocks and a water bottle up into a pine tree to knock down cones. Mama has been collecting pine cones lately, so we were speeding up the process. Knocking pine cones out of trees is fun. Should try it sometime.
It was pretty late when we got back, but the adventure was a good one. The quality time with Apple Granny was still too short but worth the trip. The nap I had on Saturday, however, was certainly worth it too.
We made a trip out to Eagle's Nest to see Apple Granny and to try to talk her into leaving the farm there and moving in with us. With the babies and such, we couldn't afford to fly out there, so we packed into my "new" wagon and made the 12 hr haul on the road.
Before leaving on Friday, however, (my b-i-l) Lonnie and his clan stopped by for a quick visit on their way to CO. In the big picture it is kinda funny that they were plowing up I35 on their way to CO while we were loading up to plow I30 and I40 to TN, yet we somehow still had a Chloe-style dinner here at Stella.
I didn't get to eat with them, as I was at the shop getting new tires on the "new" car. Pretty much a leap of faith that the 13yr old car would make the 1400 mile trip, especially considering the only driving I'd done with it at that point was the test drive. And to think that I'm not much of a gambler.
We hit the road at about 10pm. The kids slept for the most part, which made for a pretty dang easy trip. Now that I think about it, it wasn't until Tuesday morning, when I took Noah to school, that he'd actually sat in a seat in the car. For the 12.5 hr trip there and the 13.5 hr trip back, he was packed into the back of the wagon with our bag, a blanket, a couple of pillows, and his PSP thing.
Anyway, we went up to see Apple Granny and enjoy a quiet weekend in rural TN. Now that Mama has a real job, we can't get away for a week at a time like we used to do, so we had to squeeze in our RnR qucikly. After driving through the night, I had a world class nap on Saturday...windows open, hearing the critters in the woods, and even the sounds of a tug boat in the far distance on the TN river.
There was visiting and some being made useful for Aunt Betty and Apple Granny. A trip up to the church to take some bottled water, carrying a few things out to the barn and up from the basement. Had to be careful, though, because I didn't want Mama to think I was all hip on doing chores.
Somewhere in there was some real good banana pudding that Granny said was for my birthday.
The little ones played with the dogs and sticks and stuff. Noah and I hiked (a pretty tough hike, actually) through the woods, across a couple of pastures and down to the river where we climbed on fallen trees, watched a steamboat go by, and got up close with a cottonmouth. It was pretty much a Tom Sawyer/Norman Rockwell-type weekend.
The visit was short, but it was a good one. The land up there is postcard beautiful, and the roads (though I didn't bring my bike) beg to be ridden. The rolling hills, 2-mile climbs, the forests, the perfect pavement, the country-quiet...
We hit the road for the return leg on Monday morning. The wagon ("Ingrid") was holding up with a minimal of coolant and oil leakage, and the spedometer and tachometer freeze was only temporary. Overall, as travelling goes, Ingrid is a solid vehicle for us, and after driving the Bessie and Moby for so long, we were glad to have something that got gas mileage in the 20's instead of the pre-teens, especially since we were paying anywheres from $2.99 to $3.69 (fugg!) per gallon.
It is one thing to travel through the night with babies in the car, but it is quite another to travel during the middle part of the day. But all things considered, I think they did a fine job of it. There was a short bit of cabin fever from all of us, but we're also rolling in a spot that is half the size in which we are accustomed. 13+ is a long time for a grown up to sit in one spot, so for the babies to be strapped into those seats was a significant chunk of their time alive.
We did stop for coffee, a lot. We also stopped for a family fried chicken dinner at a fast-food joint called Mrs. Winner's. The whole time we were there I had a voice in the back of my head that sounded like crOzzy saying, "Winner, winner, chicken dinner." Another de-car wasa at a rest stop in Arkansas where the babies ran around while me and Noah chucked rocks and a water bottle up into a pine tree to knock down cones. Mama has been collecting pine cones lately, so we were speeding up the process. Knocking pine cones out of trees is fun. Should try it sometime.
It was pretty late when we got back, but the adventure was a good one. The quality time with Apple Granny was still too short but worth the trip. The nap I had on Saturday, however, was certainly worth it too.
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