raanch

Earlier this week I scheduled this afternoon off so I could ride the new motorcycle. It's 67 degrees and sunny... YAY! Mr. Weatherman! I wasn't on the bike for long, but I got up my gumption and rode it to the housing development behind our home. Nervous and exhilarated and nervous and more nervous, I toddled up and down the driveway a couple of times and then was on the road. About a hundred yards down the road is the entrance to the development. Once there, I went to an undeveloped part that's been paved. I did OK for awhile, but then I got a little wonky in my coordination when I realized I was not going to complete a turn. I laid the bike over. It wasn't bad; I was going very slowly. I just wasn't stopped and put my left foot down and, with the bike moving foward, when it started to go over, my left leg was ill-positioned to stop it. I immediately cut the engine, got out from under it and, after a couple of tries, got it back up. I accidently hit the horn both times! "Hey everybody! Look at this guy who thinks he can ride a bike!" Nah, that only was in my head for a quick moment. I got back on the bike, composed myself and started again. I rode several more lengths of the road and 90 degree and 180 degree turns. After those, I got back on the "in-use" roads and went home.

Had I still been drinking and if I'd ever even gotten on a bike in those days, I would've had lots of vodka shots to "steady my nerves" and to celebrate my accomplishment. Today I don't need that or want it. I'm simply content with having taken a small step, suffered a small setback, continued trying and stopping the lesson after a short while. Today I don't have to do it all at once.

I got a boo-boo on my leg when I laid the bike down. It's the subject of my entry for this week's half-nAAked Thursday.