So, eight days after my accident, I went on my first bicycle ride.
Yesterday when I got home, Jennifer and I ran a couple errands.
We crossed Ashby. No big deal.
We went to Bay Street to return something for Jennifer, and we had dinner to celebrate.
There was no pain, and I only got nervous the first time a car passed me.
I’ll probably go for a ride on Saturday, and then try biking to work again next week.
So yesterday was the monthly role-playing game. Steve hosted in his condo in the City. I took BART in and walked the six or so blocks to his place. I was feeling pretty good.
During the game, I sat on his couch next to the dining room table, so that I would have a cushioned seat. I iced my back twice with a session of heating pad in the middle when things got uncomfortable. Then afterwards John, Scott, and I walked swiftly back to BART because there were fireworks going off at AT&T Park, and we wanted to beat the Giants fans to the train.
We did just walk, but today I’m a bit stiff. Probably just due to the total distance.
I wished my mom a happy Mother’s Day, and asked to postpone our Mother’s Day time for one week. I just didn’t think I’d be very good company.
Then I called my grandmother who’s in the hospital in Kentucky. She sounded pretty good, and was finishing up lunch. The fare sounded pretty good with soup, a Benedictine sandwich, and a dietary cheesecake. A far cry from the Jell-O you tend to hear about.
She asked if I was going to see my mother, and I briefly had to explain my circumstances. I glossed over them, because I may be stiff, but I’m not in the hospital. Or nearly 95 years of age.
So Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there.
So I’m back in the office today.
I’m learning a few things about my self today.
Opening doors uses a surprising amount of muscles in the back.
Leaning from the chair into a lower drawer also flexes interesting locations in the back.
Also, good posture is always less painful than slouching.
So, an update.
I’m sore, but otherwise doing okay. I slept through the night, and even slept on my back for a few hours.
After some questions from work people, I figured I should say that I never hit my head. My helmet has no scuffs, so that’s all fine. I have no road rash, or tears in clothing or shirts.
The only thing that took any damage is my Chrome bag. Not a whole lot, but you can see in the fabric where it contacted the ground.
So to sum up in GURPS terms: I made my default acrobatics to reduce injury (but did not critically succeed), and the Chrome bag game me a point or two of Damage Resistance against the fall.
So, today’s ride home from work was not the best of incidents. (Remember my earlier post and/or read my mom’s post, and buckle up).
I was less than two blocks from home when suddenly I was tumbling over my handlebars. I tucked and rolled, and hit my back on a parked car.
What had happened was that in a stopped car, a girl had opened the rear door (I’m guessing to get out), and neither she nor her mother saw me. Then right before I went past, my bike hit the inside of the door, and I went tumbling.
I didn’t hit my head, but I am a little bruised. My right wrist is a little stiff, and I’m pretty sore along a couple of my lumbars.
The alignment on my bike is a little messed up, and one of the brake handles is askew, but I don’t think the wheels are messed up.
I had a good soak, and took some ibuprofen. We’ll see how I feel in the morning.
