One of the things I forgot to mention in that last post is that I was asked to participate in cancer fund raiser fashion show. I'm going to be a runway model :) I didn't get picked by anyone looking at my picture, I just know people who know people. It's called the "Surviving in Style" show, and all the models (about 25 total, only two or three dudes...) are cancer survivors. It's going to be hosted by Cynthia Nixon (Miranda from Sex and the City, she's a cancer survivor) and Steve Raible. they're going to be reading bios of the models as they are working the catwalk. I'm going to be paired up with a fashion designer who is going to design something specifically for me that I get to keep afterwards. It's on June 14th, I have no other details yet. I was e mailed an information pdf I haven't opened yet. When I know more details, I'll let you know. But it sounds like it's going to be a kick in the ass hole!!
The Shining
Well, I love starting out blog posts with that word. If you're planning on treating your sciatica with acupuncture, I'd encourage it. I haven't had one hundred percent recovery as a result of acupuncture, but it has lessened the amount of pain I'm experiencing.
Also, I just finished reading The Shining. Great book, very creepy. It made me want to read more scary, creepy, disturbing, nightmare inspiring literature. Any suggestions? What's the scariest book you've ever read? This one or Pet Cemetery have to be up there for creepiest books I've read.
Also Laura and I are taking a cruise in May up to Alaska. It'll be a seven day excursion, we sprung for a room with a private balcony, so that should be fun. And cold so I won't have to worry too much about sun exposure. Never taken a cruise before, should be a very positive experience.
There's lots more going on, but this is all I can remember at the moment.
Also, I just finished reading The Shining. Great book, very creepy. It made me want to read more scary, creepy, disturbing, nightmare inspiring literature. Any suggestions? What's the scariest book you've ever read? This one or Pet Cemetery have to be up there for creepiest books I've read.
Also Laura and I are taking a cruise in May up to Alaska. It'll be a seven day excursion, we sprung for a room with a private balcony, so that should be fun. And cold so I won't have to worry too much about sun exposure. Never taken a cruise before, should be a very positive experience.
There's lots more going on, but this is all I can remember at the moment.
Prodigal Daughter
Like the prodigal daughter, Danger has returned to me. Laura drove me up there yesterday afternoon and I picked her up. It was kinda funny because they called me Friday to let me know it was done, I couldn't pick it up just then, so I got it Saturday. When I got there eager to hop on it, They said "We're almost done, he's just putting the fairing on". I had to wait about another hour for them to be done. I guess I'm lucky I didn't try to make it up there Friday... I'm just glad to have her back. She looks good :) All her clasps on the saddle bags are nice and new-feeling. I was going to say nice and tight, but that seemed a little to "blue".
Anyway, I've been ordering stuff online to assemble a sound system for the bug. parcels are starting to trickle in, when I get it all together, then I'll try and figure out how the heck it all comes together. One thing's for sure: parts for that thing are cheap as heck-fire. I found a stereo that looks like a vintage original stereo, but I can connect my ipod to it. Should be cool looking... Am I repeating myself?
Anyway, I've been ordering stuff online to assemble a sound system for the bug. parcels are starting to trickle in, when I get it all together, then I'll try and figure out how the heck it all comes together. One thing's for sure: parts for that thing are cheap as heck-fire. I found a stereo that looks like a vintage original stereo, but I can connect my ipod to it. Should be cool looking... Am I repeating myself?
Garage Ornament
I went to see Danger in the shop the other day. She looks to be almost done, and the guy running the shop said she was supposed to be done Tuesday. I seriously doubt it'll really be ready tomorrow, but a boy can dream, right? I think I'm gonna call my insurance company and ask them what they are planning on doing with the wrecked parts of the bike. I saw my broken fairing while I was there and thought it would make a nice garage ornament :)
In other news, my eye doctor prescribed eye drops to keep my eyes dilated, which makes everything blurry. So I had to go to Walgreens and get myself a pair of hipster glasses to wear for up close stuff until further notice. I look......smart.
In other news, my eye doctor prescribed eye drops to keep my eyes dilated, which makes everything blurry. So I had to go to Walgreens and get myself a pair of hipster glasses to wear for up close stuff until further notice. I look......smart.
Open Mic 2!
The next open mic has been scheduled!! Tomorrow, Friday March 2nd at Harvey's Lounge in Edmonds. Show starts at 9 :)
In other news, I've had one acupuncture appoint last Friday, and receiving the second treatment this Friday, then a couple next week. And yesterday I had my first physical therapy appointment. I hope all this helps with that sciatic.
Monday was my opthamologist appointment. I have an eye infection that includes an inflamed retina, cysts, and my pupil is sticking to my iris. I have to use steroid eye drops 6 times a day, and dilation eye drops 5 times a day. My eyes are going to be dilated all the time. I guess now would be a good time to go on a coke binge (does coke dilate your eyes?).
In other news, I've had one acupuncture appoint last Friday, and receiving the second treatment this Friday, then a couple next week. And yesterday I had my first physical therapy appointment. I hope all this helps with that sciatic.
Monday was my opthamologist appointment. I have an eye infection that includes an inflamed retina, cysts, and my pupil is sticking to my iris. I have to use steroid eye drops 6 times a day, and dilation eye drops 5 times a day. My eyes are going to be dilated all the time. I guess now would be a good time to go on a coke binge (does coke dilate your eyes?).
Disciplines
You know what's funny? Within the next month, I'm having appoints with the following disciplines: Acupuncture, massage therapy, oncology, dermatology, psychology, physical therapy and opthamology. Hooray!!
Seriously though, it's nice to be getting some of these issues taken care of. Like the consistent pain in my sciatic nerve. If you can help it, you should take good care of your sciatic. Once that bad boy starts hurting, ugh... That's all I can say.
Other then that, the bug is running fine, just took it in for a tune up and oil change and complete bumper to bumper inspection. There's some work that needs to be done on it, I had the mechanic do about half of what it needed, the other half I'll take care of in another couple paychecks. That little car is running pretty strong. The more I get used to driving it, the more fun it is. You know what it's like to adjust to using an unfamiliar clutch. And I have a name for her: Ro (short for RO5185426, my study drug).
Seriously though, it's nice to be getting some of these issues taken care of. Like the consistent pain in my sciatic nerve. If you can help it, you should take good care of your sciatic. Once that bad boy starts hurting, ugh... That's all I can say.
Other then that, the bug is running fine, just took it in for a tune up and oil change and complete bumper to bumper inspection. There's some work that needs to be done on it, I had the mechanic do about half of what it needed, the other half I'll take care of in another couple paychecks. That little car is running pretty strong. The more I get used to driving it, the more fun it is. You know what it's like to adjust to using an unfamiliar clutch. And I have a name for her: Ro (short for RO5185426, my study drug).
VW
Well, I finally got my car situation figured out. I'm back to being self sufficient, at least for the time being. Yesterday afternoon I went and got a '74 VW Beetle I found on Craigslist. It's silver with black interior. It's in really great shape, I could probably show it if I wanted to. It runs well too, making it all the way to 70 mph on my way home from LaConnor (where I bought it from). It's a fun little car, that's for sure. It needs a sound system, which is fairly easily handled, I'll probably just get something simple so it won't get ripped off in my neighborhood. I need a name for her, so if anyone's got suggestions, I'm open to them. I'm leaning toward "Berlin" (cause she's from Germany), or "Marcia" (because of her era). Any ideas? I'll post pictures of it when I get home from work today.
Other then that, not a lot going on. I'm thinking about taking a cruse sometime in May, an Alaskan cruse most likely. I've never been on a cruse before, so it should be interesting. Also, KatiRose and I are getting closer to our next open mic, I'll keep you posted on the when's and the where's of that situation. Probably gonna do a different place next time, a place less popular then the Hopvine, leaving more available seating for folks who want to check it out. We're doing a few really nasty hip hop songs in a folk style. It'll be really fun/offensive. We're doing the songs completely unedited, leaving in words that people like us (white) are not supposed to use in public (or ever...), but it should be funny. Or at least that's our hope.
The Rise of Danger
I finally heard back from my insurance company, and they are going to go ahead and do the repairs on the bike. This was incredibly good news to me, because I think I might be a bit upside-down in that loan. I think I'm gonna ask the shop replace any chrome parts that have an option in black, to go ahead and go with the black. It might cost me a few extra bucks out of pocket, but I think it'll mark Danger, almost like a tattoo you'd get to commemorate the occurrence of something significant. It should be in the shop for quite some time. I'm told they have to take everything off my frame, cut the neck off the thing and send it to the factory where these frames are made. That neck will be welded onto the new frame because it's got the vin number on it. I'm almost gonna have a completely new motorcycle (with 40,000 miles on it).
It's still hard to believe what I did Monday. Very few people walk away from things like that without a scratch, let alone show up for work on time and work a full day. I think the shock of the situation is starting to fade. The memory is still there, crisp upon recall, but it's not forcing itself into the front of my consciousness. Especially now that all the metaphoric heavy lifting is done. Now the real heavy lifting starts. I'm gonna try to make it up to the shop to photo-document the process.
That's it, hope you're having a very good day, sir.
It's still hard to believe what I did Monday. Very few people walk away from things like that without a scratch, let alone show up for work on time and work a full day. I think the shock of the situation is starting to fade. The memory is still there, crisp upon recall, but it's not forcing itself into the front of my consciousness. Especially now that all the metaphoric heavy lifting is done. Now the real heavy lifting starts. I'm gonna try to make it up to the shop to photo-document the process.
That's it, hope you're having a very good day, sir.
Verse
It's been interesting at work with all the other bikers, guys I don't even really know, seeking me out where I work and checking on me, shaking my hand, etc. I even got to meet the guy who helped me get the bike turned upright. He said my body slid closer to 150 feet. Lynnwood Harley finally came and grabbed it yesterday from work. Turns out there's $12,600 damages. I haven't heard back form my insurance company, weather or not they consider that to be totaled or whatever. We'll see. I've decided not to stress about it because I can't do a single thing about it.
I did write a little verse about it today though, I'm going to share it here:
I am constructed from fire forged metal
settling back into a meadow of nettles
Drinking boiling water straight from a whistling kettle
drop a cinder block down onto my gas pedal
In the moment after the red glide slips
and slides, grinds, sparks and skips
I approach the landing at 60 on my hip
the sound I'm making on the blacktop is "ZIP!"
My bones are carbon fiber and my skin is leather
nothing can stop me altogether, not even the coldest weather
The aggressive professor pleasures in several severed tethers
I'll take whatever, whoever, whenever, whatever.
Anyway...
Processing
Well, one day out from the big spill. Processing. Last night I actually had a dream about whale watching. Not necessarily out on a boat doing some "official whale watching", more like Laura and I were strolling along an ocean beach, I was looking out into the water and started to see whales breaching the surface of the water. I think they were gray whales, or humpback. Either way, they were completely majestic.
I almost wonder if there's some subconscious correlation to those wonderfully formidable creatures hurdling themselves into the air, and the sight of my wonderfully red motorcycle hurdling itself into the air as it flipped over to emit a whole new shower of sparks. The dream: Beautiful. The experience: Horrifically distressful.
I don't think it's a good idea to say (or type) "the worst", but I know we all know that there could easily have been worse outcomes to this story. Much worst. Damage to that beautiful machine I call "Danger" is the very easiest of the outcomes to transcend. I have a bruise on my hip, my body is a little sore.
Most dudes who do what I just did (enter "the worst"). I jumped right up. Not out of pure adrenaline, though it was involved. Some people will have a crushed hip and legs and just jump right up with all the adrenaline but I was legitimately unscathed. There is some scraping on the right snaps on the outside of that chap leg, and the zipper tab for my jacket picket on the right side broke off. Other then that, there is no wear on my gear at all. My helmet didn't even touch the ground. I must've slid at least 100 feet.
The sound of my leathers along the black top is fresh in my memory. It sounded like a zip line. Zzzzzzzzzzip!!!
Anyway, I'm tempted to post pictures of the wreckage that Danger became, but I'm afraid I'll scare my mom too much :) It's pretty gnarly. And by the way, I'm not going to hesitate if/when Danger gets out of the shop. I can't wait to get back on that mother fucking horse!
I almost wonder if there's some subconscious correlation to those wonderfully formidable creatures hurdling themselves into the air, and the sight of my wonderfully red motorcycle hurdling itself into the air as it flipped over to emit a whole new shower of sparks. The dream: Beautiful. The experience: Horrifically distressful.
I don't think it's a good idea to say (or type) "the worst", but I know we all know that there could easily have been worse outcomes to this story. Much worst. Damage to that beautiful machine I call "Danger" is the very easiest of the outcomes to transcend. I have a bruise on my hip, my body is a little sore.
Most dudes who do what I just did (enter "the worst"). I jumped right up. Not out of pure adrenaline, though it was involved. Some people will have a crushed hip and legs and just jump right up with all the adrenaline but I was legitimately unscathed. There is some scraping on the right snaps on the outside of that chap leg, and the zipper tab for my jacket picket on the right side broke off. Other then that, there is no wear on my gear at all. My helmet didn't even touch the ground. I must've slid at least 100 feet.
The sound of my leathers along the black top is fresh in my memory. It sounded like a zip line. Zzzzzzzzzzip!!!
Anyway, I'm tempted to post pictures of the wreckage that Danger became, but I'm afraid I'll scare my mom too much :) It's pretty gnarly. And by the way, I'm not going to hesitate if/when Danger gets out of the shop. I can't wait to get back on that mother fucking horse!