Sad and Happy

I'm a little sad tonight. The last few days have been an exercise in patience, and dread, and hope, all at once.

The motorcycle shop called to say the damage was assessed at $859.75, and my concern was that this might be enough to total the scooter, depending on what the adjuster decided. So...I started to look reluctantly at my replacement options.

I was rather excited at the prospect of a small bike like the Suzuki TU-250, or a Kymco Like 200i. Honestly, I like the Suzuki just a bit more, but then I got a bit of happy news.

They didn't total the scooter and she'll end up with all new plastics over most of the body. I am so relieved. I don't have the cash on hand for a new bike, and I didn't really want one. I like my scooter. We've become quite comfortable with each other and know each other's idiosyncrasies. It's a little like an old shirt that has a few holes in it, but it's just so comfortable you can't bear to part with it.

Now I just need to get my Honda running again (I haven't had the cash to keep it on the road, but it only really needs a carb cleaning and an oil change, and maybe a little polish here and there), and get my truck fixed before winter (also not running at the moment).

Let's just hope I don't park in front of any more inebriated motorists.

Domino effect

Tonight was a pretty normal night at work. I arrived and parked my scooter between the two cars parked out front just like I always do, and went about my business.

It was 9:50, with just ten minutes to go until I could go home when I heard a horrific crash from in front of the house. I popped up to look outside, joking to my co-worker that my scooter must have fallen over.

When I saw a younger man pacing around muttering beside a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, I knew something wasn't right, then I noticed that my co-worker's 2004 Jeep was nosed up against the scooter. (a full three feet from where it had been previously).

 

The man in the street was muttering loudly and then looked at me and asked "Dude, are you ok? You weren't hurt were you?" My shocked response of "well, I was kind of on the couch at the time, so, yeah, I think I'll be ok," was followed by the realization that this guy was definitely toasted.

A short moment later, my co-worker emerged from the house (restraining himself from strangling the idiot in the street, who was more concerned about where his cigarettes were than with what had happened), and I popped inside to call the police. While I was on the phone to the police, the idiot in the street decided to turn his Jeep around, and took out the mailbox in front of the house in the process.

At first I did not notice any damage to my scoot, being distracted by the rather large wrinkle in the back end of my co-worker's car. however, my scooter had been wedged between two other cars and I eventually noticed that there were cracks in the front fairing that hadn't been there before. 

 On either side of the front fairing, in front of the bubbles where the turn signals would be in any other country, there is a new crack caused by the squeezing of the scooter between two vehicles, not to mention some cracks to the fender beneath the seat.

After the drunken neighbor moved his Jeep, he ran into his house and hid. This happened just as the police were beginning to arrive. We were hoping for a COPS moment, but unfortunately they didn't see the need to bust down the guy's door. It turns out the guy has a suspended license and a previous DUI. They won't be able to get him on DUI again because of the circumstances, but he will be charged with a huge laundry list of other things, and he'll probably be hearing from a few lawyers as well, not that he's likely to have the ability to pay, but the vehicle apparently belongs to his father, who allowed him to drive it.

The scoot is rideable, but it feels a little wobbly at lower speeds. I guess I'll have to take it to Trans-Am tomorrow to get it looked at, and I've already filed a claim with my insurance.. Updates will be forthcoming.

Sad songs

Music has power over the mind. There are songs that move the heart and songs that stir the soul. Music can be happy, sad, angry, melancholy, moody, or engender any feeling in between.

I went to visit an ailing friend today. A man of music. He has rubbed shoulders with the greats of the musical world, yet despite this he told me "there's a difference between knowing people and knowing people." (or something very close). I think his meaning was, you can know a lot of people, but it's the folks upon whom we have an impact (or who have an impact on us) who really matter.

His is a sad song at the moment, but with bright notes. Even in his ailing state, he was willing to give this young musician some guitar playing pointers.

Lee, my friend, you've had an impact on me, and I appreciate it.

It's not a question of if...

Yeah, you seasoned riders know just where I'm going with this post just by the title.

I was riding home from the chiropractor and had almost arrived at home. A white Jetta stopped suddenly in front of me and the choice was either hit it or drop the bike.

Sooo...down the scooter went and me with it, though somehow only my hands and right knee hit the pavement. I wasn't going terribly fast, so the worst of it was an emptied carb, a crack and some scratches on the front fairing and brake handle, and somehow a bit of rugrash on my left ankle...which never hit the ground. I didn't even scrape my hands or knee.



The damage was minimal, as can be seen from the photo, and the cure for the emptied carb was to simply tilt the scoot the other way and she started right up.

I love East Petersburg. It's generally a quiet little town, but the light at State and Main is a hazard. This is my fist crash there, but I've had a number of close calls. For some reason drivers seem to think that it's a good idea to rattle on through town at 40+, then slam on their brakes just before the light.

I'm thankful for a father who taught me to give a good amount of distance between myself and the preceding vehicle, otherwise I'd be decorating the hood of a white Volkswagon right about now.

Fog and flowers

 Lancaster county on a late August morning is a place of muted beauty. The sun is rising later. Mist rises from the meadows after the nearly nightly rains. The air is cool. If one is fortunate to be out early enough (say, six am), traffic can be non-existent.

The other day, I arrived at work a few minutes before six, to find that I wasn't actually scheduled. So, the scoot and I traveled the back roads of Lancaster County for a bit before returning home. There were some small surprises, like the light foggy mists hanging above the fields, and a table on the side of the road with gladiolas for sale at 25 cents a stem.

Having a crate on the back rack is helpful and my wife was pleased to be greeted by fresh flowers when she awoke.