We perfected the weekend. We dialed it in right down to washing the last dish and changing the sheets. Everyone is sober and prepared for the week ahead. It’s kind of a letdown to get to this point. If only life could be bike rides, karaoke, and flea markets all the time. Things are never that easy. If I could load up on that Glitter Chariot and ride to that eternal after party I would, but some of us are left here on Earth to work hard and suffer.
I enjoyed one of those crystallizing crashes of clarity while flying down the Cadillac trail. A yellow-jacket punched into my exposed midriff and before I could choose otherwise my right hand was clasping its buzzing fury as my left hand gently pushed the bars past plane and I ejected thinking, “this is how it happens, just like this.” I mean injury of course, and pain, and a suspension of the good times in exchange for character-building opportunities.
The hornet escaped, or was crushed in the dust like me. I laid very still and conducted the physical inventory. Mystery was two beats ahead of me and unaware, just racing to the water fountain like a hundred other rides. All body parts passed visual inspection, with a few minor bloody scrapes. Hand, hand, knee, knee, foot, foot and I was standing. I felt euphoric, giddy, and most of all lucky. Sometimes you crash and nothing bad happens.
-Juancho
I had a close one Sunday. It took me right back to fearing every root. I was just coming out of the fog too.
Sorry you took a digger. I am gald you are not hurt.
The gods sure like the taste of our salt, don’t they?
Whew!
I was out there on the east side Saturday as well. No character building experiences, unless chronic back pain counts. Those picnic tables at Piney-Z are good for stretching if you don’t mind leaving with a waffle brand.
Oooo, that part about the yellow jacket gave me a physical reaction of goose bumps. Owwwie.
“Sometimes you crash and nothing bad happens.”
Yep.
…and sometimes you crash and bad things happen.
Hmmmmmm……what to do???
@#$k it! Go fast and take chances I say!!
Why?
Because WE are doing the hard work and the suffering!!!
🙂
B
Dude, you must have some good deeds in your account that you’re cashing in.
I, on the other hand, did someone dirty without even knowing it. A month ago, I was tooling along in a farm field on the Vaya (sporting the fat tires) and BOOM! I went down hard enough to feel like I’d been doing 20 mph. A month of sleeping on the wrong side, and the wrong bed (kept waking up Mrs. V), and I’m just starting to be normal.
Good on ya!!!