5/7/18: Troutdude came and rescued ALI and her stove-up rider yet again, and he hauled us to his sister's place in Atmore, AL. Today I saw a doctor in the ER of a nearby hospital and things turned out 'pleasantly' surprising... I use the term 'pleasantly' inappropriately in many ways... Pleasant in that my injury is minor - a couple of bruised rather than cracked or broken ribs and no other issues - but still a most unpleasant overall experience nonetheless... well, in terms of discomfort and inconvenience, that is.
In many ways, this is another of those 'silver lining' sagas that is, on balance, a most pleasant experience... Much more to this story, so I'll be starting a new thread on this 'adventure' that will offer more detail and 'the rest of the story'... I very much appreciate all of the comments, personal experiences shared, and encouragement offered by all who've replied to this thread... The whole thing does get much better, and the support of this family is a big part of that!!!
DDT
I’ve mentioned before about making so many U-turns over the years, that I’d reached the point where I could routinely execute a rather elegant maneuver… Apparently not every single time, it turns out…
There we were, gliding along on US 80 heading east yesterday… a route we’ve taken many times over the years. We were on the stretch between Tuskegee and Phenix City, Alabama, wandering over to Morehead City, NC, for a visit with my cousin Nick. Naturally, I hadn’t planned to go this way, it just sort of unfolded as we meandered north and east from Atmore, AL, where Troutdude had replaced ALI’s front tire. That’s kind of a story in itself!
I’d had a new tire drop-shipped to Dennis’ house, so the replacement could be done there. The original plan was for me to beeline it there following Solo1’s birthday party for replacement in-time for me to make the Hill-Billy Highways Ride scouting run the following weekend.
Well, for some reason, whenever I start to plan anything, stuff happens, guesstimates get all askew, and unforeseen factors creep-up on me. In the case of tires, Murphy’s Law comes into play, and those old tires either seem to accelerate the wear on them, or they appear to grow new tread.
I just can’t seem to accurately predict when they should actually be swapped so efficient, timely replacement can be accomplished. It used to be much simpler, as I would just keep an eye on them, then find a dealer when the tread began to disappear. Nowadays, that has to be coordinated and scheduled in advance, and therein lies the rub!
I usually err on the side of caution and wind-up having them replaced a bit early, but I have been known to misjudge the timing, which forces another tire purchase out someplace totally unexpected. Oh well…
On the way to New Haven, IN, for Wayne’s 90th birthday celebration, ALI’s left rear wheel bearing went out in north Alabama. The ride to the big birthday bash had to be aborted, and a rescue mission was launched by Troutdude. ALI and I were transported to Mandeville, LA, where Dennis once again found and corrected a problem… and offered to change the front tire while I was there. Nah, I think I’ll go scrape off another thousand or two miles first, I decided, so… off we rode towards Pikeville, KY.
Bike touring being what it is, weather often alters plans and dictates new routes… as it did this time. Instead of going more or less directly to the gathering’s host hotel, I took a longcut by going west into Texas, then north through Oklahoma, across southern Missouri, Illinois… to avoid a rather nasty weather system making its way across the nation’s heartland. We then had the revised plan altered when I got Ninja-fied in Mount Vernon, IL. Everything changed after that in terms of ride route and expectations! All for the better, too… another example why I enjoy breaks in routines and changes in plans so much!
The scouting ride was filled with unexpected things popping-up, friends showing-up who it was previously thought would be unable to attend, plus a few other predictably unpredictable things… The day of departure, we dined at the same biscuit place we’ve visited on other occasions, and then I broke-off from the group to begin our meander down to Louisiana for resolution of that nagging tire issue… It still wasn’t quite time yet, but it was time to just get this looming, unavoidable chore over with!
I was the last to leave the parking lot that morning… I stood beside ALI and watched as the other attendees went KSU and rode off. I thought about how bitter-sweet such things are… These were very special people… friends… to this mostly solitary rider, and I do enjoy hanging out with them. Part of me wanted to go with them, but another part of me knew better… ALI and I have other important things to do, and… Anyway, we all waved to each other, and I felt, again, the pangs of leaving a very desirable situation for an uncertain, undetermined future.
While all of this had been happening, Troutdude’s sister, Vicki, in Atmore, AL, had fallen and broken her foot on top of some other lingering health issues. Her husband needed to work, but Vicki could not get around and care for herself. Good-to-the-bone Dennis picked up the slack by going there himself to be her care-giver and to make it so Mark could continue to work uninterrupted…
Dennis took with him, since he would be going in his truck, all the tools necessary plus my new tire, so I could come there instead for the replacement. Can you believe this guy? He always finds a way to accomplish everything he needs to, to take care of folks who need and depend on him, and always to produce a harmonious outcome. I did go there, and another unplanned, unforeseen few days evolved into a very special visit with primarily the three main characters… and a new front tire was installed…
On the way to Atmore, I’d received an e-mail from Nick telling me of some Spam he’d fried-up and how good it had been… Well, long story short, we decided I’d just go over there, pick up some more of that delightful meat product, and the two of us would have us a Spam-frying extravaganza! Nick is an outstanding cook, so you can bet the farm there will also be some sensational veggies to go along with the main attraction!
I left Atmore feeling those same emotions I always do when I must leave special people for who knows how long… The only comfort comes from knowing there will be another time… sometime…
I didn’t have a firm destination in mind for that first day of what I’d figured would be a three day wander over to the North Carolina coast… One just can’t plan such things when the actual route isn’t even known! I pulled away from Vicki & Mark’s house with a certain route in-mind… and within ten miles I’d already changed that to another series of roads. Ten more miles and I’d changed it yet again!
We finally came upon US 80, so then I just resigned myself to taking that route over into central Georgia and then making the next somewhat random selection. That’s when fate interceded, and my plans were once again changed!
That particular route is not a straight-shot on a single highway. There are a couple of dipsy-doodles, turns, and joinings with other routes for the navigator to be mindful of… Paying close attention is not my strong-suit these days, and that partially explains why I’ve made so many U-turns over the years. I was upon another turn-off so quickly that I didn’t have time to first check traffic, then to make the turn down the ramp… No problem, I’d thought, I’ll just backtrack and make it right…
No close oncoming traffic for half a mile or so, and nothing behind us, so I pulled onto the emergency lane so conveniently placed for those such as I, and I began bleeding off enough speed to make the short loopty-loo. Another glimpse down the road to confirm sufficient time and distance to safely make the turn, a look over my shoulder to ensure no one had snuck-up on us from that direction, and… DAYUM! What just happened?!!!
I laid on my back on the pavement with my eyes closed, as I did a quick body inventory to see if I was still intact. And if not, what might be the prospects. I tried to get-up, but it was too difficult, and my shoulder, arm, and knee were starting to hurt… Not just a boo-boo like those ‘mom’ used to kiss and make all better, but more serious and worrisome because I knew it would likely get even worse. I relaxed to calm my nerves… I tried to get up again, but… I couldn’t make it happen…
One of those on-coming cars stopped, and three good Samaritans got out and rushed over to me. Are you OK? Should we call an ambulance? No thank you, I seem to be relatively OK, near as I can tell… Do you need help getting up? Yeah, that would be nice…
They helped me to my feet. I extended my arms and moved them about… Great! Full range of motion and no increase in pain, so that was a good sign. I looked myself over and no blood, just a tear in the left knee of my jeans. This tear will not compete with the one in Reb’s ‘special pair’, but… I removed my helmet, dew rag, and gloves, and looked our girl over. She was resting on the two guards provided by Honda for just such an event, and no visible damage anywhere… no leaks, drips, or other tell-tale indications of dire problems… mirrors, brake and clutch levers, shifter, all OK… So far, so good…
My new ‘best friends’ then helped me to get ALI up on her side-stand… Again, all went well and still no problems with her in any way… By far, the most significant pain was in my left shoulder area, but it did not appear to be the joint itself… Great, I may have cracked a rib or two high up near the clavicle… which had just passed more careful reinspection. No complaints, though, as things could have been much worse!
My rescuers said they’d stay with me until I mounted and rode off, just to be sure… They did… Before doing that, however, I took a picture of the likely culprit in all of this, shaking hands with three most generous folks, and filing away the cards presented by those kind souls.
One of the two ladies is a Chicago police officer, the gentleman and other lady were traveling with her. She told me they weren’t supposed to be on that route either. Fate had placed all four of us, five counting ALI, in that precise location at the same time, and that had proven to be a very good blessing for this amazingly fortunate trekker!
We traveled another hundred miles or so following that unpleasant incident. I began to dissect the occurrence, and to try to figure out what had happened. I now think I’d been distracted by all the factors I was trying to process at the same time… on-coming traffic from both directions, looking ahead then back over my shoulder, gauging the width of roadway, calculating the time necessary to accomplish the maneuver, bleeding off speed to take advantage of the momentary lull in traffic volume. I apparently had failed to notice a wee patch of gravel in the emergency lane onto which I had pulled us…
As I’d slowed us and pulled over, I was still applying brakes, which ordinarily would not have been a problem, as I’ve learned to be very ‘ginger’ when doing that in a turn of any sort. The combination of modest deceleration, turn of the front wheel, lean angle, and no allowance for the gravel… had produced a hard lurch as the front tire slid, then apparently ‘grabbed’, and then slid again. Inertia and momentum produced a somewhat hard impact with the pavement after falling off the now stationary bike. I’d also heard a loud bang during all of this, which was my helmet slamming onto the pavement… I’m mighty glad I wear one!!!
I focused on my discomfort and isolated pain. By far, the worst of it was in my left shoulder area near but just below the collar bone. It really hurts more than anything I’ve encountered in many years, especially when I cough. I had fallen on my left side, and my left upper arm had been extended forward, but enough remained under my rib-cage to cause uneven pressure to that area… enough to produce the only significant injury… Well, the only significant physical injury! My pride and fragile ego were severely impacted… I thought about that, too…
Scared riding can get one killed! Cocky, aggressive riding can also lead to catastrophe. Confident but careful riding is the sweet-spot to be sought… I did seem OK on that score… I wasn’t having any thoughts of giving-up riding, but I was also thinking how this had been a relatively low-cost reminder and wake-up call!!! I’d done nearly everything perfectly… only one little boo-boo… Ah, but the Devil is in the details, right?
I talked with Troutdude about all of this that evening. He suggested I take some over the counter pain-medication, and that I also consider taking a day or two off from riding to give myself a chance to recuperate some… Solid advice, I think, and that’s the way I am leaning at the moment… I just may have to visit Nick another time…
DDT
