Premature Octogenarian Vacillatory Bipedal Locomotion

... or, "Why I'm Limping like an Eighty-Year-Old Man."

There's a good deal more bruising down my left side that's not easy to show on a family-friendly web site, but what's really got me sore at the moment are the small areas of road rash on my left knee and ankle. They're not swollen anymore, but starting to heal up and scab over, so they're really stiff and inflexible. Just that little amount makes me really appreciate the leather jacket I was wearing, since I slid most of the 30 or so feet down the road head-first on my torso. And I'm not even going to talk about my helmet. Considering that I was only going about 35 when I hit the ground, and looking at the rash and scrapes it has, I'm amazed at the amount of skin my jacket saved. So yeah, mom - get yourself a good motorcycle jacket before you go off terrorizing the neighborhood again this spring. Don't make your son worry.

Tragicomedy

If this weren't my life, and if money weren't such an issue at the moment, the last two days would be pretty damn funny. Unfortunately, it is my life, and I'm still in grad school, so neither of those is true. People I talk to on a regular basis know that I just had my bike in the shop for over a week for various work, though it was moved from "sometime soon" to absolute necessity when I noticed oil spraying out of the right side engine casing and all over the rear tire. Like I said before - recipe for disaster.

I just got my bike back Monday afternoon with nearly $800 worth of work done, including a new rear tire, chain, sprockets, engine cover & gasket, and new oil & a filter. All necessary, but lots more than I was expecting to spend. And I paid in cash. So what happened next?

Last night I wrecked my bike. Thrashed. Washed out the front tire going about 35 mph on my 4th trip in 20 minutes down the same stretch of road next to campus. I'm fine. A little sore, swollen, bruised, and with minimal road rash, but more pissed off than anything. My bike is completely ruined. Repairs would be more than it's worth, and I don't have collision coverage. So, basically, while I couldn't afford full coverage for the past three and a half years I've had the bike, saving a few thousand dollars, I've paid for it in the long run. I no longer have a motorcycle, and won't for the foreseeable future. Fie. What's even remotely comical about the whole thing is that I just dumped a huge amount of money (for a grad student, at least) into the damn thing the day before! "Here's $800, can I go wreck it now?" I'm a freakin' idiot.

Weekend Rundown

I know it's been a while since I last rapped at ya, but much has transpired over the last few days.

Thursday was cool because former president William Jefferson Clinton came to Rice for a lecture. He only spoke for a little more than half an hour, but it was purposeful and to the point - a really neat experience.

Friday attacked me with the beginnings of a nasty cold, through which I rallied that evening to go to a Mardi Gras dinner party with April at Matt and Tracy's newly furnished house. A bunch of other friends were there to make it a great time, even though I was lethargic enough to be considered legally dead, I think.

Saturday Jonah and I rode up to Metric Motorcycles so he could change out his front tire, and on the way through the insane traffic, I noticed my engine casing was leaking prodigious amounts of oil that ended up spraying all over the rear tire - a recipe for disaster. So, intending to get a new rear tire and chain soon anyway, I left my bike at the shop. It seems it will be at least a week before I get it back, and not before dropping at least another five hundred bones on my main mode of transportation. (That's more than twice the number I have in my body, so I guess I'm going to have to find a donor.) Saturday was also Jonah's birthday, which a bunch of people celebrated at Slick Willy's and The Gingerman. I think the alcohol killed a bunch of the bugs swimming around in my head, but the cigarette smoke riled up my throat even more.

Sunday was laid back for the first part, but we had an indoor soccer game - our last of the season - that guaranteed our first place finish! By that time I think my body had just about given up trying to fend off this cold any more, and I started crashing hard after getting home last night. So today I feel like complete crap, and I'm writing this from home. I'm going to work on my paper on my laptop so the day's not a total waste, but when I seem on course to go through all the tissues in my house before the close of the day, I don't think much will get done. Of course, had I refrained from all my activities over the weekend, this cold would probably be kicked by now. But who wants to do that? (Ask me when I get fired.)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I know it's late in the day and I've already talked with you, but I want the rest of the world, or just those few that read this blog at least, to know that it's your special day! So here's to the greatest mother a son could have. I wish you good health, much love, and boundless happiness for your next year, just like you ensured I had throughout all my formative years. Happy Birthday, Mom!