I'm back, and there's only about 800 new messages to read in the newsgroup.
Ryan C. was kind enough to loan me his bike while I was up there. I rode
with his bicycling team, but a third of the way into an 80 km ride (50 miles
for us 'Mericans) I accidentally jammed the chain while in the small-small
position (I'm used to 27 gears to choose from, rather than 12) while I was
already a bit behind. I got it loose, and we sprinted to catch up to the
pack. My right foot wasn't clipped in, and while distracted by that, I
managed to take quite a tumble into a debris-strewn road.
I tore the handlebar tape, but Ryan's Pinarello otherwise survived. Ryan was
very kind, offered me his tweezers to pull the gravel embedded in my flesh
as well as much sympathy. I opened up the ouch pouch I carry and managed to
minimally clean up, and we rode back to where his car was parked. He was
going to take me to a clinic downtown, but instead I went to some place
local.
After that clinic did only the barest minimum (put on antibiotic cream only
after I told them I had no access to a sink or clean water (having checked
out of the hotel that morning), and didn't make any effort to clean out the
wounds), I met Zoot Katz for lunch. It was only when I was with Zoot that I
realized that I'd cracked the helmet, too, when my head hit the pavement.
I really enjoyed meeting them both. Ryan was very kind to me, all around,
loaning me his bike, and taking care of me. Zoot is more -- well, I don't
know how to describe it. Less crusty? in real life, than he is on-line. As
always, it's good to match up faces to people you've only see in print.
Thanks, guys, for spending time with me.
Now, I've just got back from my local urgent care clinic, where they shot up
my knee and elbow with some local anesthetic so they could go to town
cleaning it out. The nurse used a toothbrush (!) to loosen out all the grit
still stuck in there. Apparently it had already gotten infected, so I was
given an antibiotic on top of the fancy cream I now have to slap on there.
Initially they were worked up over the fact that the helmet cracked and I
had a bruise on my head, but once they determined that my pupils contracted
normally and I was more or less lucid, they decided that they didn't need to
do a head exam, heh heh.
So, home and soon to be back in the saddle again!
--
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky