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Apparently I am in good shape after bouncing off of two hoods.
Going down congress towards town, a truck is signalling to turn left, an audi is waiting to turn right out of the apartment complex. I'm flying down at 28-30mph with cars right behind me and the freaking truck tries to turn. I kept thinking, no way, no way, and he turns.
I hit the brakes and swerve before I bounce off his hood and then hit the Audi. I go across/over the hood and roll on the concrete. I land face up and am staring at the clouds wondering if I still have all of my limbs.
The truck guy gets out and asks me if I'm alright, am I okay, and when I mumble something like I am okay, he leaves. LEAVES. The guy in the Audi came to check on me (and his car) to make sure I was okay. Bruises, minimal road rash and no damage to the bike (miraculously). But boy was I shaking.
I am sore and bruised. ouch. | | |
| Pick Up Lines that DON'T WORK
"Hey, when are you going to ride with me on my bike. Because you know, it's a REAL bike." : 42 year old guy at work with a 22 year old son (how old I am) and a Harley.
I fucking hate Harleys.
A recent new modification of this pick-up line:
Old Guy: "Hey, can I borrow $600?"
Me: "Um, NO."
Old Guy: "What kind of friend are you? It's for your good anyway"
Me: "..."
Old Guy: "I need to buy ____(insert random motorcycle part)___ so that it can sound reaaal good when you are riding with me, so all your friends will be jealous".
Me: "I hate loud motorcycles".
++++
Another guy at work thinks it's very funny to tell me when he sees me on my bike that
"Oh, I missed the chance to kill you today. You were right behind a bus and I could have squished you. Darn it"
or
"I saw a cyclist today and wanted to run it over"
or
"I like to hit cyclists"
And he's suppose to LIKE me? I'm sorry, I've had too many friends injured or even killed from people like you. It's NOT FUNNY.
++
Yet another guy at work: "Hey, can I take out a life insurance policy on you? If you keep riding, you're going to get killed"
+
I'm going to start carrying my ulock around school.
posted by Marsha @ 4:32 PM 0 comments
This is Getting Ridiculous
It's almost Thanksgiving. I've been teaching for almost four months. The time has flown by. I have learned so much about the profession, about myself, and remarkably even more about the nation we live in. I am humbled, but perturbed by the ideas and people I have encountered... Scared almost for the world that we live in, definitely terrified by the education system and future of this place for the youth of today. What other state would stop requiring children to learn their multiplication tables and base their entire education on standardized tests.
I have serious reservations about the district I teach in. I am aiming right now to leave in Austin another 3-4 years before setting out on some journey to Elsewhere to find What I am Looking For.
++++++
Oh the Experiences at Work
Last Friday there was a Faculty/Staff Bowling Event After School.
I have since learned from the Back to School trip that when something is specified as "ropes course", it really means a camping area with a river to cool off in. There was no belaying, climbing or repelling. It was like vacation with my family where we looked at superficial things before getting back in the car to let the experience of the road fly by at 80 miles an hour. The most physical act was getting on and off the bus (stairs) or walking to the river (slight downhill/uphill) and wading in the water (the water was moving).
I decided last minute to attend this bowling event, and caught a ride with a colleague who said she would be going home immediately afterwards. Awesome, I'd be home by 7 to cycle around downtown and possibly meet up some friends before crashing. The bowling was less than stellar. Definitely felt like a family event and too much competition that didn't mean anything to me. It'd be pushing it to call this type of bowling "athletic". Actually, any sort of bowling.... blah. But apparently this is the most athletic event the majority of my co-workers will do. Bowl. Yippee.
The last round finished up around 6:30 and then it was decided that not only where we NOT going home, but we would be touring one guy's progress on remodelling his new home. Then we went back to his condo to play three hours worth of Scene It? TV Edition. Yes, three hours of retarded tv trivia from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today. For those of you who know me, I do not watch tv. I own a TV that has spent the better part of it's life roosting in my closet. And now it sits on my little dresser. It has yet to be turned on since June. Needless to say, I could only answer one trivia question... "Walker, Texas Ranger". It was a word scramble and my inner PlanIIness briefly made an appearance. Sometime between answers, Suddenly Susan and The OC, I was sorely tempted to walk home from deep South Austin. I am not going to participate in these faculty get togethers again unless my job depends on it.
The thought of wasting those hours of my life where I could have been finishing up "Spoked Dreams" or spinning off the calories from my two Shiners, I was sitting on a couch in front of what I suppose is an impressive plasma tv with all the dressings having my brains turned to mush. I try very hard not to waste my time, especially so much of it is now dominated by work-- lesson planning, behaviorial documentation, grading... just to name a few preoccupations. I find it hard to believe complaints from my coworkers who ramble about never having time to exercise or "do anything", yet they are consistently spending hours a day in front of the telly. I have no sympathies for that. Sure, if you have children to raise and a family to run, I can see how time is precious, but if you waste your life in front of the tube, children and Sig Other by your side, maybe you should consider OTHER family activities instead of eating in front of the tube.
(I am thankful that my mother insisted that when dinner was served the TV was off. It's nice to possess the ability to conversate with other people over food.)
/rant #1
++++
I find that when I do not ride more than a day I get very cranky and irritable.
Last thursday I went to a bike-in movie with Vanessa, Tony, and Bobby and I met a Nick who also has a Bailyworks SuperPro. He was rather excited to see another one in town and in a very fancy pink. I thought he was rather cute with his puffy hair, but I got his e-mail from Whit after the interview for FGG, and I haven't heard back, so I'm not going to hold my breath. Oh well. He has such a beautiful red moyer frame.
The '74 Giro Italia film was awesome... there is such a rich history in cycling, I am ashamed it has taken me so long to discover this community. The next movie, The Messenger, is a bizarre, loose adaptation of De Sica's The Bicycle Thief. very bizarre. I'd say the comment of the night is "I'm a muthaf*ckin' messenger".
I would like to host a bike-in movie at my house. And serve hot chocolate. The weather has been getting rather chilly, except for yesterday which was a steamy 90 degrees before the front blew in.
++
It was a lovely four day week of work. Gave a test at the end of the week so I spent the beginning of the week reviewing for the test and whatnot. Friday was Staff Development, which meant no students! A much needed break. This SD the Vertical team (elementary that feeds into middle school that feeds into the high school) met at Travis HS which meant a short 5 minute ride from home. The school is packed of course with fat people. Not that all teachers are fat, but man, I have never seen so many people who have let themselves go so badly all packed into one place.
There was one woman who literally looked like a big, fat, toad. She was barely 5' tall and easily weighed 250-275 pounds. It made me cringe to see her struggle desparately to make it down the hallway. And to hear her say, "I don't {gasp} know why {gasp}they have to put the {gasp} seminars in classrooms{gasp} so far away {gasp}" made me want to scream. I couldn't imagine what she would do if they had any of the seminars UPstairs. I don't think she would be physically capable of walking up them.
Needless to say, I was bored to tears in all the "seminars". I skipped out early at 2:45 to miss the rush of traffic leaving the parking lot (I didn't want to die) and headed immediate to AustinBikes for internet and bike solace.
Which leads to a very hearty congrats to Sol and Nicole :) I can't wait for May to roll around and see the cute addition to the family.
+
Borat is really funny. You have to go see it.
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Oh my god.
I spent 3 hours working on my fixie at AustinBikes, and it is FINALLY complete! Oh, man, he is SO HAWT. I was just so excited it finally came in at J&A's, and since I live two blocks from Sol's shop, I swung by and set up shop and got to use all their fun tools to finish disassembling my fuji and then putting everything on. Hot sky blue race tires to go with the blue lettering. | | |
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