Stupid Hurts

A buddy of mine and myself where driving back into town and went from talking about our the days when I was his [tag]motorcycle[/tag] mechanic to his dream bike. He kept bringing up the [tag]Confederate[/tag] motorcycles [tag]Hellcat[/tag]. So I brought up the fact I knew where their factory was. He decided we should go by there so he could see his dream bike up close. I figured it wouldn’t pan out so I went along it.

When we got there they asked us to come in and if we wanted take the tour. This is why I always carry a camera.
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We also got to see a bike named “The Fighter” but it is still in the [tag]prototype[/tag] stage, and I was asked to turn my camera off first.

Confederate Bikes

I have always had [tag]insomnia[/tag]. You can work it to your advantage and I have learned to work with it over the years. When you learn to sleep only when your body allows you, and fight through that plastic wrapped feeling you develop after being awake for a few days. You can get a lot more done. Now I was reading the side effects of the medicine I started taking last week [tag]Zonegran[/tag]. It causes insomnia and drowsiness in most people, what a combination.

Sunday when I woke up midday and stretched I decided to lie there for a bit. I felt good, that usually doesn’t happen when I first wake up. So I thought about my situation for a little as I relaxed. Then something struck me as odd. I realized I wasn’t at home, I was lying on the side of the road in heap with my [tag]bicycle[/tag]. Unfortunately I didn’t know how long I had been there. That meant I had another seizure, I had crashed, and my memory was screwed up again, but I did get a good nap, there is always a bright side.

I woke up to stagger to the bathroom, on the way I realized I felt a lot worse than when I went to sleep. My mouth really hurt, so I look at my tongue in the mirror and notice it has been chewed up. There is nothing like that initial moment of realization, “I just had another [tag]seizure[/tag].”

Fortunately I was in bed lying down this time so I didn’t fall or get [tag]hurt[/tag]. The only thing I really remember is the first convulsion and waking up several hours later.

I found out today that one of the members on [tag]bike[/tag] forums has a personal website were he talks about [tag]cyclists[/tag] who have been killed or seriously injured by [tag]motorists[/tag]. His name is Corey Keizer, and the site is 15rides.blogspot.com. He has been hit by twice vehicles and he is working hard to raise awareness about cyclist [tag]rights[/tag]. I looked over his site and I really like what he is up. Since I have been looking for a third [tag]jersey[/tag] to round out my collection and I think I am going to go with the one available on his site. The jersey is $60 total and that’s about average for a good [tag]jersey[/tag], it also helps knowing the profits are going to cycling related charityies. The jersey is available here[newline]

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Normally I don’t go out of my way to promote sites or products, but I think I will go ahead and push this one as much as possible. A few people already know that my dad had to give motorcycles and bicycles up after he was struck by a woman in a head on collision, because she drove off the express way through a fence and onto an access road. Leaving him in a [tag]coma [/tag]for three months a paralyzed for six months, just because she was trying to change a c.d.

Makes you feel safe doesn’t it?

After spending more than 8 hours total in the [tag]hospital[/tag] on Friday, I learned something very important. I’m not dead yet. I don’t think I was all too sure of this fact before, but having a second opinion has left me feeling all sorts warm and fuzzy. Truthfully nothing really new was accomplished, the staff asked me the same battery of questions they asked on Tuesday, but I think the best part of the entire ordeal was when my doctor’s jaw dropped when he found out how much [tag]Topomax[/tag] actually cost retail.

After that I rushed across town to keep a second appointment with a new [tag]doctor,[/tag] and to deliver some [tag]medical[/tag] paperwork. That lead to more waiting and more testing. As the doctor read over my notes he spoke about a weird sense of deja-vu he got from them. Apparently he was one of the members of the board of neurology who was presented with my case several months ago when I was first admitted to the hospital and they originally couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I always said I was going to be [tag]famous[/tag] one day, but this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

Leaving Cooper Green I passed these hospital beds being stored in the parking deck. I am curious to find out if they ran out of space, are they broken, or if this is just where they keep the“special” patients.
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I want to paint a [tag]picture[/tag].
I lean forward, head cocked to one side, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, mouth pursed. That look of vague recognition. Something familiar but I can’t exactly place. This scene happens all the time with me I probably look exactly like the RCA dog. Everyday out there is someone or something that carries an odd sense of deja-vu or feels like a slightly smeared copy of a [tag]xerox[/tag].

At this point anyone who says 50 first dates is a cute movie can bite my ass. It is hard to maintain any kind of interpersonal [tag]relationship[/tag] even on the friendship level, when every couple of days you have to ask someone what their name is. Plus it can be very difficult to get close to people without a monumental effort on their part when you can’t even remember how close you are with them on a day to day basis, and truthfully there is no polite way to say,” I don’t [tag]remember[/tag] what you look like [tag]naked[/tag].”

The [tag]trees[/tag] were high enough that they towered above me and I couldn’t see the road. The sun played lightly through the branches and painted patterns playfully across the road. The bird songs sounded like symphony. Every [tag]pedal[/tag] stroke rocketed me ahead and my [tag]bicycle[/tag] felt perfect between my legs. But no matter how amazing this scene was I had to accept one simple fact. I was now [tag]lost[/tag].

I was riding to a bicycle shop across town that I never go to because they were the only place in town that had the final parts I needed for my [tag]fixie[/tag]. Instead of sticking to the route I had plotted out on my [tag]map[/tag], I chose to follow the directions given to me by a guy I met on the side of the road on a gorgeous time trial [tag]bike[/tag]. The directions involved cutting across a parking lot and looking for a gate, several really fun hill climbs, and lots of great descents. It turned out to be loads more fun than the route I had originally planned. But unfortunately I had to stop several times and scratch my head while I consulted my map of the area.

I think that road is a secret gemstone among cyclist in the area. Heading back I realized all the signs mark it as a dead end and I think passed more people out on their bicycles on that one stretch than I have seen in the city total.

Eventually I did make my way to the bike shop and my fixed gear is finally built now. I think maybe I will go out and play with it instead of writing more.

I have been off handedly been looking for a replacement for my [tag]Langster[/tag] since it got sold while I was in the [tag]hospital[/tag]. [newline]
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There is one in town in my size, but being as it is the last one till next year, they are asking near $800 for it. It seems just a bit [tag]excessive[/tag] to me.

I made a big fuss about getting a [tag]fixed[/tag] gear [tag]bicycle[/tag], rode it about 3 times. Then I tried to die before losing it. Honestly I need a second bicycle like I need a hole in my head, but I rode Rocky’s fixed [tag]Trek[/tag] a few nights back and I really want my own fixie again.
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Too bad the current budget doesn’t allow for such toys

Last week when I participated in “The [tag]Ride[/tag] Of [tag]Silence[/tag]“ I took several dozen [tag]pictures[/tag] and submitted them to the local [tag]newspaper[/tag]. Unfortunately after a week passed with no response, I just assumed they chose not to run it or not to inform me.

Then today I got a call from Sarah telling me to check the newspaper out. Turns out they decided to run my picture and my write up after all. Sad to say it went uncredited, but it is still nice to see my picture and words in the newspaper again.

Here is a link to their website Stillwater
Newspress

and here is the picture they chose to run

More pics from “Ride of Silence” are here
Ride of silence pics

It has been [tag]cold[/tag] the past few days here in [tag]Oklahoma[/tag]. One of the running jokes around the house has been the fact when I came out I only brought [tag]summer[/tag] clothing with me. Luckily no one knows I really only own summer clothes.

Earlier today while I was elbow deep in a small pink bicycle my boss comes around the corner to tell me, “look it’s [tag]snowing[/tag] outside.” To which I responded, “you know the travel agent didn’t mention that.” “Does this mean I still have to test ride that other [tag]bicycle[/tag]?” Unfortunately I still had to. I don’t think anyone has ever seen a women’s comfort bicycle kicked down the road that fast before.

A bit later I decided to brave the cold and try to take some new pictures. While setting up downtown I realized my [tag]camera[/tag] batteries were dead. Feeling just a bit impotent I rolled over to the coffee shop for hot [tag]chocolate[/tag].