Bike Wreck

I figured I better start off my blog with the most exciting and embarrassing thing that’s happened so far this trip. First, let me preface by saying that we’ve been out now since last Wednesday, July 13th. We went a little higher into the mountains and dry-camped (meaning no hook-ups in the boonies) for 4 days, then on Sunday came down to check into Camperworld. Our plan is to stay until next Wednesday, 27th.
 

So, for today’s excitement. We have a routine most mornings. I sleep-in, while the girls watch a movie on the little TV/VCR/DVD player we have here in the camper. Then I get up and we dress, have breakfast, clean-up and do chores, then we’ll all go out and take Tye (my beloved dog that you’ll hear plenty about) out for a walk. But in our case, we ride our bikes and he trots beside us. He has to be on a leash and I’m really good about wrangling his leash and my bike. I really am good at it. I’ve only wrecked once and that was a long time ago.

So, this morning we’re riding along as usual and I decide to take Tye on what we call the Secret Road, which is just a road right outside the campground. It’s about 1/4 a mile long and it runs along the river and beside some mostly uninhabited cabins. We just like to ride down to the end of the road and turned around and a lot of times on the way back, the girls and I will race on our bikes. This time though Tye and I decided to race (it was his idea : ). So we come flying down this road and as we approach the point where it curves around and enters the campground I tell Tye, “It’s time to slow down. Whoa!” And to his credit, he does start to slow down, but I’m not sure what happens to me. It really wasn’t Tye’s fault. I don’t know if I panicked and hit my brakes, but the next thing I know I’m stopping way to o quickly and I kind of half go over the handle bars and half just go down sideways. However it happened, I basically face-planted. My t-shirt has skid marks all down the front (when Brinkley saw it she said, "you have dirty Boobies" - nice), my capri’s have a huge hole and blood stain on them. And though my knee, hands and elbow are hamburger, I bet many of you can guess the first thing I thought as I hit the pavement. . . . “I hope no one is watching!!” I jump up with lightening speed and try to look completely unscathed. My chain has come off my bike and my tire has twisted around so it’s perpendicular to my handlebars. But don’t worry. On first glance, I was cool as a cucumber. Poor Lily. Luckily she doesn’t witness the face-plant; she just turned in time to see me lying on the ground, wallowing in my wounded pride. “Mom! Are you OK,” she cries. I assured her I was fine. I somehow twisted my bike tire around so it was heading in the same directing as my handlebars, and hobbled back to my camper. Brinkley, who wasn’t riding with us, was equally as horrified as Lily when she saw my wounds. All I wanted to do was lie down on my bed and cry because I felt so sorry for myself, and then have Kevin patch me up, but of course he was at work. So I put on a happy face and cleaned myself up best I could and we headed to the pool. I hope Camperworld doesn’t hold it against me that I sat in the hot tub solely for the purpose of letting the chlorine sanitize my wounds and the jets clean the dirt out of them. But don’t worry, a lot of gauze, medical tape, Ibuprofen and a nice big scoop of Almond Joy ice cream later, I’m practically good as new.