Triumphrat

dcpyatt · 06-11-2006, 10:54 PM

Went to visit my stepmother at her (and my late father's) house. First I pull into the wrong driveway because the houses all look the same and there is a gold Lumina sitting in the garage just like hers. Oops... rolled back down the inclined drive, using the front brake to slow me down... start the bike back up and pull up to the right drive.

Realizing the incline is too steep to park on I opt to park on the end of the drive... nope, still not enough lean to put it on the sidestand. OK, I'll park in the street in front of the old mailbox post.

As I roll off the drive kickstand still partially down I catch the edge of the curb with the stand. This of course throws the balance off the bike and onto me putting me in a slow motion fall into her hostas in front of the post. Litterally slow motion... I can't stop it from happening. So here I am laying in her flowers with a bike laying on top of me. Not cool... Luckily a couple were out walking and the man gave me a hand picking up Bonnie.

He asked if I was OK, I said yes just a bruised pride... the only damage Bonnie took was swinging her mirror mount around, which I finally got set right by the time I got home.

I went up to the door not sure how I would be received as I hadn't been by to visit for a while and I had missed my step brother-in-law's funeral, and I knew that my dad always teased her about getting a bike and she never would let him (I'm sure if he really was serious she would have gave in)

She looked out the window and commented on my beautiful bike. I told her it wasn't so beautiful laying in her hostas a few minutes ago. She liked it, though, and it was a great visit. My step-nephew stopped by while I was there and said "You've got a bike? COOL!"

It was a great day... on the way I had stopped at the cemetary and paid my respects at my father, mother, aunt, uncle and grandmother's graves, went by my old house where I grew up and travelled old back roads I hadn't been on in a while.

I lost two classmates in the past two or three weeks, having went to the first one's memorial on Saturday. He had moved to Washington state, so they made a DVD of his services and memorial and a slideshow of his life. Cancer took him in less than 2 months. But to his dying day he wanted everyone to value relationships in their lives. I took it to heart and visited while I had the chance.

I look forward to those valuable relationships here on RAT.NET too... can't wait to ride with as many of you as we can...

[ This message was edited by: dcpyatt on 2006-06-11 21:07 ]

dcpyatt · 06-11-2006, 10:59 PM

Oh, by the way, from words written on my friend Darrin's casket... Words he lived by and words we all should live by...

"THIS LIFE IS SHORT.... RIDE HARD!"

Darrin Huston
April 7, 1965 - May 19, 2006

[ This message was edited by: dcpyatt on 2006-06-11 21:06 ]

mecscc · 06-11-2006, 11:42 PM

Sounds like a memorable day, not only for the riding but for reconnecting to old ties.

About the slo-mo fall. Almost everybody has done it, and those who haven't, will. Better to fall in hostas than on a stretch of tarmac and gravel, which can do amazing cosmetic damage to a bike. Worst of those is that coming smartly to a stop at an intersection with about a million people watching, put your foot down on gravel because you weren't paying attention and feel that boot get farther and farther away -- all the while your body and your bike are following along...........sad.......true........inevitable.

Monte

MikeinLA · 06-12-2006, 01:47 AM

Reminds me of 20ish years ago on a Suzuki 650. Pulling out of the Post Office drive-through. Steep driveway angle to the street. Oops, car coming, better stop. Front wheel on street, rear wheel on steep angled driveway, put foot down....down....help, where's the ground? Noooooooooo! Foot finally down on the ground, but bike is too far gone by now. Gentle lay-down (had engine guards). Do you have ANY idea how impatient Post Office drive-through customers can be while you're struggling to pick up a bike? Ahhh, memories.

Mike

skeeterbarnes · 06-12-2006, 03:39 AM

been there...I pulled up to a friends house on my '88 Magna, missed the sidestand and slipped on the gravel (a lot!) from sanding in the winter (they hadn't been by to sweep it up yet--- early spring) and down she went... at least i was stong enough to let it down real slow with no damage...my buddy had a good laugh, but then he did the same thing a week later!!!

MA0458 · 06-12-2006, 10:09 AM

Going into Week 3 of icing and elevating the right foot... Thank god it was grass!

doctorjay · 06-12-2006, 10:58 AM

Hey dc, I'll ride with ya. We can meet somewhere between us. We'll try to stay away from gravel. This is a bikers worse enemy in my humble opinion. In high school, I layed my Honda over while looking at some girls on a hay wagon. Never lived it down