Stupid Hurts

Looking at my bike, it took the worse of it, but my eye is trying its best to swell shut.

I was leaving a store with Ben when we saw a group of messengers who knew me and told us about a bicycle race that was coming up in a few hours. The race was part of a benefit to raise money for a messenger who had been hit by a car and had his neck broken.  I think some people just need a small excuse to get drunk and some of us just need a small reason to race. Before the race had started some of the guys where already getting started drinking.

The race started with four people. There would have been five, but one of the guys popped both of his tires in the process of getting ready. (Probably a sign you need to stay home.) I was a little unfamiliar with Atlanta so I had a map drawn for me. We got moving and were holding a pretty fast pace. I didn’t feel really good and several times I thought about quitting, but I couldn’t just let myself quit. Somewhere shortly before the third stop I pulled out my manifest so I could check my map, and figure out where I was. I probably should have slowed to below twenty mph. I got hit by another bicyclist in the race who was going to cut through the parking lot I was in front of. I was moving fast enough to hit the ground and slid and have time to think “I hope I don’t slide into that curb.”  Once everything settled I was hoping I didn’t have a seizure on the side of the road, then I thought about my camera since it was in my bag. The other guy who crashed was one a brakeless fixed gear, so there were not a whole lot of moving parts. So once he got stretched out he was able to get moving again. We were both in first so I was hoping he would make, I found out he and someone else caught a flat tire later. So Ben won by default.

I picked up my bike, and was hoping to ride it to the next stop. It didn’t agree with me in the slightest bit. My bike looked like the back of a dress on prom night, There is no happy word it.  Even after adjusting the brakes and screwing with the drivetrain it was obviously not being pedaled anywhere. So I just threw it over my shoulder and started walking to the next stop. I stopped by a Krispy Kreme on the way when blood started getting into my eye, and I have learned people take their doughnuts pretty seriously in Atlanta, and you can get to the front of bathroom line pretty easily when you are dripping blood. It was swarming with people in the Krispy Kreme, and I had never seen someone sit down with the intention of eating an entire box of doughnuts. Apparently this is a fairly common thing.

The worst part of all of this, is the fact I spent a solid hour getting lectured by my dad about racing, crashing and hurting myself on my bicycle a few days ago.

I was thinking to myself. After having another pleasant night ruined by a seizure.

I have a boss who will not schedule because he thinks I am not medically fit to my job, and a doctor who agrees with him. Isn’t that the very definition of being disabled. I really need to follow up with someone on that on that Monday.

With the biggest smile on his face Stryder broke my glasses the night before last. Unfortunately just earlier that day during an impulse purchase I spent all of my money on an industrial sewing machine, and getting my current sewing machine tuned up. Thanks to the buyers remorse coupled with the fact I can’t exactly see, I haven’t really felt like finishing up any of my current sewing sewing projects.

Since glasses are one of only my real vanities I am putting them off until I can get exactly the pair I want. Which means I will need $400-600 dollars. (Which is unfortunate, because the parts I need to get my road bike street worth again will cost me just about that much.) Originally the eye Dr. was trying take the cost effective route and fit me for a pair of contacts that didn’t compensate for my astigmatism, but when we realized I couldn’t read. I vetoed that option fairly quickly and got the more expensive lenses. I wanted to avoid a post to my site that involved me plowing my bike into a car……Again.

And I couldn’t not post it.

Unfortunately, prohibitively expensive bicycles don’t just come up to you and place themselves between your legs like friendly dogs or people with low self-esteem. You’ve got to purchase them with money–like pedigree dogs or people with low self-esteem who have turned to prostitution”

It is one to wake up, not recognize the ceiling, and then look over and see a cute girl wrapped around your arm. It is completely different to wake up, not recognize the ceiling and have a blood pressure cuff wrapped around your arm……again.

I was on my [tag]fixed[/tag] [tag]gear[/tag] chasing one of my co-workers home from work when I had another [tag]seizure[/tag] while riding and passed out. I am not sure how long I was out for or what happened really, but when I regained consciousness I was surrounded by EMT’s and firefighters…….again

The [tag]firefighters[/tag] kept my bicycle due to the fact there was no space in the [tag]ambulance[/tag] for it so I have to go pick it up at some point soon. While filling out paperwork on the side of the ride I had to explain.
“Yes, I ride with no brakes.”
“Yes, it stops.”

Actually, one of the coolest parts when I answered the phone while en-route to the hospital and it was one of the local bike messengers calling to see if I was ok because he had already heard what happened.

After three hours in the hospital I got the same thing I always get.
“You seem fine, give us money, go home.”
I didn’t pay, but I did leave.

News of what happened got back to family fairly quickly. Several of my family members want me to give up cycling until my medical issues are sorted out. Considering that it has been 8-9 months at this point with no resolution, and I value what little personal freedom I have. I didn’t take the request all that well. I am more than a little depressed right now and I have had a very long day.

Maybe riding in the rain last week wasn’t such a good idea. Since then I have had to pull my Allez apart several times to lube parts and chase out phantom creaks and groans. After the most recent two hour stint in the shop I thought I had finally gotten rid of all the noises, only to find out my crank arms have essentially started to fail. The noises they are making is pretty appalling. When I pedal the chearing of metal sounds like my bike is crying almost.

After further inspection I need at least a new set of cranks and probably a bottom bracket. I would be pissed about it, but I ordered a new bike the middle of last week and it got here today. Or so I thought.

I walked up front at work to enter a ticket I had just completed and I saw the package I have been waiting for. I got really excited, but when I checked the packing slip I realized they sent the wrong size and the wrong color. Which means I have to send this one back and what another week or two to get the correct one in. For some reason brown got mistaken for silver.

Unfortunately I started weighing my options while deciding what I was going to do with the bike that was mistakenly sent to me. And I got to look at all sorts of things I don’t need to spend my money onm

I just got paid today, and I already only have a pocket full of change.

My roommates recently asked me to move out, and I have to admit it is for the most trite reason I have ever heard. My roommates want to be able to walk around naked. I guess that is worth inconveniencing me over. Because it really only bothers me because I am being inconvenienced, I honestly could care less about being thrown out. I just hate having to look for a new place. It is hard to hunt when I work 60-70 hours a week. Right now my next fore casted off day is the 11th. That doesn’t seem like so far off

I did find it a bit insulting to be asked to help with bills the day after being asked to leave. As of yet I have neglected to do so. I think I will keep it that way. I have been prone to bouts of swearing and ranting at work lately, and I think it is mostly stress getting to me, after stressing myself out about money for the past month or so. The worst part was when one of my co-workers came to tell me I was talking loudly to myself, I just told them it was the stress and to let me be.