Mountain Bike Lives Status = 2 down, 7 to go!!!

Well another real close one yesterday, myself and a couple of buds, Mike & Don, decided to hit a local developing trail system in the Detroit area, "Trail 47". It's a part of the Wayne County Hines Park system, which we are working with to develop this trail. Right now it's about a 15 mile out and back but the possibilities are endless. There's so much land that the trail could snake through for endless miles. But I regress.......

We were riding for about 15 minutes when we came to a short, but steep incline and at the top of the hill was a large root going across the trail and that's what I targeted to try to hop over. Mike and Don make it up and then I followed. Well I kept my eyes on the root as I attacked the hill and the next thing I feel is my head exploding with a violent BANG and I felt my whole upper body compress down on the bike. I started to lose control of the bike and fearing that I might start to fall backwards, I gained control and ended up jumping of the bike. As I tried to gain my balance, the pain was throbbing in my head, neck & shoulders. I just stood there dazed & staggering around while the guys came to see what had happened. What I had not really noticed was the humungous tree across the trail forming an arch over it. I guess I did see it but the other two riders cleared it so I just ignored it. I must of not followed their line and I took one with less clearance.

Mike & Don came back to the top of the hill and looked at me and said in amazment, "MAN, look at your helmet". I knew I collided hard with the tree but I was shocked to see the damage on my helmet. I had hit a stump of a limb that someone had chainsawed off the arched downfall. My helmet made perfect contact into it headon as you can see in the pics. The force was so great that it made a HUGE dent in the front and cracked the helmet all the way down. I will say right now if I was not wearing head protection I truly don't think I would be writing this right now.

That stump of a limb would have peeled the top of my head right off. So kiddies wear your helmet ALL the time...just a tip from Hodaddy!!!

So, now after the crash that caused the broken ankle & almost freezing to death and now this, is the life countdown dwindling away?

Quit riding you say???

NEVER!!!!!!

Muuuuuuuuuuwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh (evil laugh)

Update - Went to Doctor to see if any real damage since it was a head injury. I have a Stage 2 concusion. The x-rays for the most part were negetive except for one which shows something in the C-6 & T-2 plus there's alot of pain in the base of the neck. As they looked at the xrays I overheard them say "He came close to breaking his neck!!" So a shot of demerol and a shot of muscle relaxers and an appoitment for an MRI on Tuesday @ 6:30am and he sent me on my way. No biking of any sort for a week after the pain in the head stops. This is in case I crash again and hit my head. The Doc said that would be a very bad thing for me to do right now. So no biking and no kickboxing = SPINNING!! AGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Her Favorite Holiday!!!!

Halloween, it was my Mom's favorite holiday, at least the one she seemed to have so much fun at. On past Halloweens the calls would start early in the week prior to the day assuring her that she was coming over to pass out the candy. They would occur daily asking the same thing. Then on Halloween day the calls would start early assuring her that we were on for that night.

The last call before I picked her up would be asking if I ordered the pizza, she loved to buy the pizza for the festivities. I would assure her that I had. Then she would ask for the 10,000 th time what time I was picking her up. I would always shoot home before picking up the pizza and my Mom to get all the candy and house ready for her arrival and yes, put her chair in place. This would be the chair that she sat in the alcove, in front on the door so she could see the little witches and goblins walk up the walk to her smiling face as she prepared to hand out her goodies.

As I would always pull up to her apartment she would be outside waiting and she never ceased to amaze me with the witch's hat she would wear and the always present smile. She would always have her hands full of bags just chucked full of more goodies for the evening. After picking her up we would head to go get the pizza and then back to my house for what would be "her" night.

We would sit and eat the pizza and once done I would pour her a vodka & water, "shy on the water son!!". Then she would make her way to her special seat and there she would stay the entire night till the last little costumed child was taken care of.

But this year there were no actual phone calls, just ones that I anticipated that never came. I still ordered the pizza and still picked it up. I still got her chair ready with the bowl of goodies in front of it. I did all of this because my Mom was still going to be a part of my Halloween just like all the years past. I truly miss you Mom.

Last night her Church held an All Saints Mass and I attended. They called out all the persons who passed during the year and when their names were called a bell was rung and a family member lit a designated candle for them. When my Mom's name was called I walked up and lit her candle and the tears just flowed as I lit it and such a sense of calm came over me knowing she was alright and knew that I loved her so.

Happy Halloween Mom!!!!