What are you up to today? This week?

[rodentraiser]

I was sitting here typing when I heard a seagull across the road calling and calling. In the city here, all the roofs are flat and the seagulls use them for nesting. Three years ago I watched the parents raise 3 chicks, then they were gone for a year, last year they had 2 chicks and this year only 1.

Because there's seagulls nesting everywhere, I really couldn't tell which one was calling. But I can't see the chick across the street and the mother is standing on the edge of the building, looking stressed. The sound is heartbreaking. There's another building right below the one they're on with a door that opens to the top and that door is open. I'm wondering if the chick fell off the higher building and someone came out and picked it up.

The mom is quiet now, but she's still standing on the edge of the building and I still can't see the chick anywhere. I hope everything is OK.

[rodentraiser]

Everything is fine. I saw the chick a couple hours ago he was following mom around on the roof. I noticed the door was shut when the chick reappeared, so who knows what happened.

When they start flying, it's not uncommon for them to land on that lower building. No seagulls will nest on it because on nice days, people do leave the door open and someone has a dog that will come out occasionally.

One year a baby learning to fly landed on the roof and stayed there throughout the evening and night. We had a huge storm come up and he started calling for his mom - their call is very distinctive. I was feeling so sorry for him and then all of a sudden, his mom flew in and looked like she was nuzzling him for a while and then she flew off again. He was much better after that and in the morning I didn't see him anymore. Probably he flew off to be with his family. They break up pretty quick once the babies are flying.

[pdlnpeabody]

I wish I had more cheery news, but aside from still being alive, I haven't got too much.

On Monday morning I rode to my doctor's office for a post-admit follow up.  The ride back home is only around 4 miles, but I never made it.  4 different drivers either drove out into the roadway so close that I had to use the bicycle lane to avoid a collision or made left turns directly in my path.  I guess missing 3 of the 4 was pretty good odds.  Long story short, a lady was apparently looking right at the traffic across the street instead of looking left at approaching traffic in the lanes directly in front of her.  By the time she tried to drive out across traffic, I was only a few yards away doing the 50 mph speed limit.  I know I impacted on her front fender, but the lights went out after that.  By the time I woke up, I was in the ICU at the one place I've been trying to stay out of.  The ventilator kept me from talking to my DW, who was on the verge of a panic attack, so I wrote to her on her palm during the hour I had to wait for that gawd awful machine to be removed.  Apparently to protect traffic accident patients from retaliation (especially if the "accident" was intentional), everyone is given an alias wrist band.  So for the past 3 days I have been Oaves L. Trauma, born January 1, 1903.  While my dad was visiting, I told him that since I'm now 36 years his senior, he has to start calling me "sir".  And to stay off my lawn.

I just got home from work this evening.  As much as I need a break to recuperate, my employer is stingy with Paid Time Off (sick leave and vacation in one), so I was to return to work, with a walker, 2 hours after being discharged from the trauma unit this afternoon.  I should be glad that the worst a 3,000 pound SUV and asphalt can do to me is break or dislocate a few toes and tear my quad tendon, but it is really uncomfortable.  The fact that my motorcycle I have had for over 9 years is totaled isn't helping the situation.  I (and my lawyer) just home she has good insurance.  

[mesp2k]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.  Hope you feel better soon.

 

[havanaholly]

Jeremy, you are too young to remember Li'l Abner, but if you aren't the incarnation of Al Capp's Joe Blphtx (The little man in black who went everywhere with a storm cloud raining & lightning over his head), you come close.

[mesp2k]

[Mary K]

Jeremy, I swear you are most definitely being handled by the same prankster who's had me the last while.  Bless your heart and hang tough,don't let the bleeps win.

Me?  I'm doing well.  Eight months out now from an emergency quintuple bypass open heart surgery that the dear folk at the hospital said I'd never make a "meaningful recovery" from, hey, babes, I'm cooking, cleaning, shopping, around and about the town, and, yeah, enjoying every golden day.  Take that, you fools who have no clue of the power of the will to survive - and live, baby, live!

Not doing any mini crochet these days, the hands just won't do it, but am crocheting fullsized goodies just for fun.  Funny how coming so close to dying (could hear the angels singing and fully expected to wake up chatting with my mom - 10 years passed now - when they had me do the reverse countdown for anesthesia) changes what matters to you.  My greatest joy now is getting out, talking with any and everyone about any and everything.  I take enormous pleasure in simple human contact, oh, hey, when was THAT ever simple!  But you know, it is, when you genuinely just want to listen, with compassion and no judgment and maybe a wee bit of love, to the stories folks tell about themselves.

I'm living on borrowed time, know it, and now treasure every golden second.

Much love to you all, it is a deep delight to see so many of you all still here.

Mary

[havanaholly]

Mary, dearest friend, take my hand, we walk the same path.

[rodentraiser]

Holy cripes, Jeremy. Well, look at the bright side. I think you've used up your quota of bad things all in one go, so you should be just fine from now on.

Mary, I wish I had your attitude. I was so lucky in so many ways after having my aneurysm, but it happened so fast, I don't feel like it happened. I don't have any perspective on it changing my life or anything. In one way, that's a good thing but bad in another way because my attitude towards life really could have used some shaking up.

[havanaholly]

There's nothing like being told you shouldn't be alive or having God tell you "Not yet" to give you a real wake up.

[Soapz]

Well, I am going to try to spread some positive news - maybe it'll swap over to everyone who has the not-so-positive quota of 2016 filled up.

So, I picked up my niece at the Nola airport yesterday, she flew in from Germany all by herself. - I haven't seen her since she was a little kid of 6 - we are going to have some serious fun here together. 

On Monday, I'm meeting up with Holly and Kathie for lunch - awesome and long in the making.

Next week is my last week of class - then it's three weeks doing nothing until classes start again late August. I only have a total of 15 pages left to write on my papers - I'll knock those out over the weekend.

And my Tudor is here. Did I mention my Tudor is here? And I found the Brooke Tucker Christmas book for $20.00, and the Sue Haeser curtain book for $14 - all around good things happening here.

[havanaholly]

Oh, Chris, which Tudor did you get?

[Soapz]

The Olde Coach Inn. I thought about waiting for the other one until next year, but.... with what the British Pound is doing right now, I might have to get it in September ... 

[pdlnpeabody]

I have always said I have more lives than a cat,  and to be able to bounce back (eventually) from that kind of collision, I'm doing better than most.  Of course, now that I've been hit 13 times (9 on bicycles and 4 on motorcycles), my guardian angel must be a chain smoker.

On the other hand, my record of always walking or at worst, limping away from an accident, no longer stands. I'm still waiting for an electronic copy of my record, but it will probably take a little longer since it was created under an alias.  What I'm most interested in, is admission reason #4 - "malingering".  I'm dying to find out how an unconscious person can fake an injury.  Especially when all of the injuries were proven on x-rays and MRI scans.  I'm also planning to go to the tow service and get photos of my dearly departed bike.  I'm almost dreading what I'll find.

I'm hoping I'll be able to work on the houses while I recoup and the lawyers get the settlement hammered out.  I won't be able to replace the bike until that happens.

[havanaholly]

5 hours ago, pdlnpeabody said:

...I'm also planning to go to the tow service and get photos of my dearly departed bike.  I'm almost dreading what I'll find...

You might want to let your insurance folks or your lawyer take those photos.  I remember when the orthopedist let me ride in the car DH took me to see the remains of my little /Renault Alliance after the log truck ate it,  I instantly understood why the Highway Patrol reported me killed!

[KathieB]

5 hours ago, pdlnpeabody said:

... now that I've been hit 13 times (9 on bicycles and 4 on motorcycles), my guardian angel must be a chain smoker.  ... I won't be able to replace the bike until that happens.

Really? You're going to replace the bike? Jeremy, you have a wife and four children. Why are you even thinking about putting yourself in harm's way again? Next time. when some inattentive 18-year-old Pokemon-Go-playing driver hits you, your guardian angel may well be away doing pulmonary rehab after years of smoking. We don't want our last words from you to be posted here by your next of kin.

[grazhina]

8 hours ago, pdlnpeabody said:

Of course, now that I've been hit 13 times (9 on bicycles and 4 on motorcycles),

Jeremy,  maybe you better stick to 4 wheels, maybe you're not meant for 2. If I'd been hit just twice on a 2 wheeled bike I know I'd stay the heck away from them in the future. 

  Joe Btfsplk

[rodentraiser]

23 hours ago, havanaholly said:

There's nothing like being told you shouldn't be alive or having God tell you "Not yet" to give you a real wake up.

 I don't think God's talking to me any, though. But since only the good die young, I know I gotta lot of years left yet.

[rodentraiser]

10 hours ago, KathieB said:

Really? You're going to replace the bike? Jeremy, you have a wife and four children. Why are you even thinking about putting yourself in harm's way again? Next time. when some inattentive 18-year-old Pokemon-Go-playing driver hits you, your guardian angel may well be away doing pulmonary rehab after years of smoking. We don't want our last words from you to be posted here by your next of kin.

I'm wondering what his insurance will be if he replaces it!

[pdlnpeabody]

13 hours ago, KathieB said:

Really? You're going to replace the bike? Jeremy, you have a wife and four children. Why are you even thinking about putting yourself in harm's way again? Next time. when some inattentive 18-year-old Pokemon-Go-playing driver hits you, your guardian angel may well be away doing pulmonary rehab after years of smoking. We don't want our last words from you to be posted here by your next of kin.

I haven't been hit in 12 years, and I went shopping after that one.  I acknowledge that drivers are far worse than they were back then, but a car isn't much (if any) safer.  My sister was in the exact same type of accident last year.  She was traveling on a 50 mph state highway, an elderly driver was for whatever reason, failed to obey the stop sign she ran, and my sister T-boned the other car.  The difference is, she was nearly crushed inside her own car since cars aren't designed to survive crashes at speeds greater than 35 mph.  If I had been driving, I would probably still be in the ICU.  Driving in itself is an act of putting one's self in harm's way.  If the driver who ran out in front of me had done so just a few seconds sooner, she would still be in violation of traffic laws, but I would have had more time to react. 

10 hours ago, grazhina said:

Jeremy,  maybe you better stick to 4 wheels, maybe you're not meant for 2. If I'd been hit just twice on a 2 wheeled bike I know I'd stay the heck away from them in the future. 

The first two times I was hit, the drivers didn't even slow down.  The third one hit me head on, so I was partially injected into the guy's windshield, but I didn't get a scratch.  The problem was, at 16, you're immortal (or so we all thought) and I didn't think I was ever going to be allowed to drive.  Four wheels and doors weren't an option.  It was after collision #8 broke my arm that I started looking for legal options to the driver's license roadblock.  At the time, my income prevented anything but a motorcycle.  Now it's a lifestyle.  I have never felt comfortable driving and can hardly stand going a day without riding.  I'm not sure how the settlement will work out, but I'm handling the replacement of lost property, which won't be enough to replace the bike, let alone everything else.  If my DW will stop hassling me about that, I'll see about using some of the medical settlement that my lawyer is working on to buy a used car.  I don't plan on using it if I can help it, but it's something we will need since we do have kids.

3 hours ago, rodentraiser said:

I'm wondering what his insurance will be if he replaces it!

That depends.  If I have to finance my next bike, I will be required to insure it until it's paid off, after that insurance isn't required since most riders don't survive long enough to file a claim.  Since I wasn't at fault, the insurance will be around $60 a year.  You can't get PIP coverage for a bike either, so they can't charge too much. 

[Mary K]

Jeremy, every Friday night a troop of Hells Angels (they're mostly old farts now, but still riding serious Harleys) blows into town to hang out at the Brick tavern (oldest continuously operating bar on the west coast).  I fully understand your passion for your bike.  Remember John Kay, Steppenwolf, and "Born to Be Wild"?

[grazhina]

My first ever boyfriend from when I was still in my teens over 40 years ago was killed last fall when he lost control of his Harley and it crashed into a tree. My oldest son who's 40 lost control of his Harley on some black ice a few years ago, and was lucky to walk away with a few scrapes. This was because the car that whipped around the corner moments after his crash fortunately managed to miss him. 

[pdlnpeabody]

9 hours ago, Mary K said:

Jeremy, every Friday night a troop of Hells Angels (they're mostly old farts now, but still riding serious Harleys) blows into town to hang out at the Brick tavern (oldest continuously operating bar on the west coast).  I fully understand your passion for your bike.  Remember John Kay, Steppenwolf, and "Born to Be Wild"?

That was before my time, but hasn't fallen on deaf ears.  Great group and great song.  I'm also a fan of Zeppelin.

My grandfather on my mom's side was a Hell's Angel.  I tried the MC life before starting a family, and even the law-abiding groups (Hell's Angels and all the other 1% clubs aren't law-abiding) demanded too much, so I'm a founding member of a "one patch" club.  Funny thing about my grandad, he warned me about staying clear of his and any other club due to their criminal activities and bigotry, which he refused to be a part of.

There have been a number of fatalities around here in the past few months, but many of them involved excessive speed, failure to wear a helmet and/or inexperience.  The oldest rider in our group is also our least experienced.  We used to say we're like "Wild Hogs", only without all the crashes.  Because of him, we can't say that anymore.  He has spilled on almost every other ride due to inexperience.  At 56, I expected a greater level of maturity for a "beginner", but his last accident was for the same reason why most riders crash around 6 months after they start riding- he got over-confident and aggressive, which is always a bad riding attitude.  Luckily, he's a giant of a guy and has gotten away with only a few scrapes and bruises.

Sorry if I'm rambling.  I haven't been able to take any medications for the stomach or crash issues, so I'm trying to find distractions from them. 

[rodentraiser]

Aw, John Kay and Steppenwolf were the greatest. Steppenwolf has a website up and I think John Kay is still touring, although I'm not totally sure about that. He and his wife also support a wildlife sanctuary that gives homes to abused elephants.

Incidentally, the person who wrote Born to be Wild, Mars Bonfire (originally Dennis Edmonton and that wasn't his real name either), put out an album with him singing the original Born to be Wild. It's on Youtube if anyone wants to take a listen.

And I loved Wild Hogs.

 

Well, we just got back from the NAME show. I met Christine and saw CJ and we all had a good time together. But I will say one thing, it was a very expensive show to go to.

We had to pay for parking and that ended up being $12. We had $2 tickets to get in, so that helped some. But most of the items in the sales room were just too expensive to think about buying. I got a small golden poppy plant in a pot because it reminded me of the poppies in California and Lisa found some neat cloth and lace we can use to make stuff with.

We also walked around the exhibit room, but while it was neat to see so many exhibits for a change, the majority of them were in 1/4" scale. In fact, at least half the items for sale in the sales room were quarter inch. Lisa was interested in seeing all this, but I have zilch interest in quarter inch.

Traffic going through Tacoma on the way up was a horror. It was better coming home but - surprise! - I went to make the left turn to get on to I-5 and my engine light went on and the car started surging like something was blocking the fuel line. Well, I didn't get on the freeway, but it took almost two miles before I could find a place to pull over. By that time, I had found that if I gently fed the gas, the car would drive OK and Lisa and I decided to try to make it home. Car was fine all the way home, but either there is something wrong with the fuel line or a sensor is out. I can't take it in to be fixed until the 1st. And I have 3 doctors' appointments on the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 4th. Eeeee.....

I have to admit, I wished I had saved the money and not gone. It was fun, but not that much fun. Lisa came over about 2 hours before we left and helped me spackle my house. She kept telling me we could have had it primed today instead of going to the show. Now I kind of wish I had stayed home and done that instead.

Anyway, I'm home and tired and going to take a hot bath and then go to bed. Or watch a show on the computer, read a while, and then go to bed. Something along those lines, anyway.

 

[pdlnpeabody]

38 minutes ago, rodentraiser said:

Aw, John Kay and Steppenwolf were the greatest. Steppenwolf has a website up and I think John Kay is still touring, although I'm not totally sure about that. He and his wife also support a wildlife sanctuary that gives homes to abused elephants.

When I was very young and living in Orlando, I didn't realize the significance, but our little congregation had two singing legends- a young Michael Jackson (he was there less than a year), and my parents thought it was interesting that there was a "Tommy Reynolds" whom they thought shared the same name as THE Reynolds of Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, until we visited his home for the first time.  There were gold records on his living room wall and he was the Reynolds from the band.  He got out of the music industry because the environment was toxic to a good marriage and family values.  The same way I found motorcycle club life to be a sure fire way to ruin a marriage.  How do I put my wife and kids first when the club wants all of my time and energy?  Listening to other members talk about their 2nd and 3rd marriages was huge red flag.