July 12 , 2008
Well shit!
Thursday, July 3rd I was out on my motorcycle, nice day, just running errands, nothing crazy. Everything was done, I was almost home, and I had already told myself it was the last time on the bike until after OMBAC. I approached the intersection, needing to turn left, done it a million times. But as I watched the stale green light to make sure it didn't turn red before I got to the intersection, I wasn't watching the road, and I missed that small patch of loose gravel and dirt. Just like that I was on the ground, a big hole in my knee, blood seeping out. My shoulder hurt and I couldn't get up. Luckily, there were no cars behind me, so I didn't get run over. A bunch of people jumped out of their cars to help me, blocked off traffic, and called an ambulance.
I spent a bunch hours in the emergency room getting x-rayed, and having various other things done. When it was all said and done I had a dislocated left shoulder, 13 staples in my left knee to close the gash, a burn on my right calf from the exhaust pipe, a twisted left ankle, and assorted scrapes and road rash.
No OMBAC for me this year, the first one I will miss since I started playing it in 1993. Out of softball for the season, and no golf for awhile. It's now a week later, and stuff is starting to feel better, but I have several more weeks of the left arm in an immobilizer.
Lessons we learned from this story: Don't ride your motorcycle with shorts on, and pay attention to the road. I have been riding motorcycles since I was 17, and this is the first accident I've ever had. It's also the last, as I am now retired from motorcycle riding. I got pretty jacked up while going fairly slow. I have no desire to see what happens if you are going faster, or if you actually hit something.
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