Had It A Week...

So, I mentioned in the first post that I'd share my first bike lesson. Here goes...

I was super pumped to get my bike to the Eastern Shore. My instructor/comrade/bike delivery guy got to my house around 6pm Sunday. The sun was still out so we decided it was as good a time as any for the first lesson. We started out in my front yard - just getting used to the weight of the bike, getting it started, and shifting from neutral to first.

You shoulda seen me. I had on all my gear - helmet, jacket, boots, etc. Just pumped! LOL Anyway, the front yard ended up being a no-go because it rained so much earlier in the week that there wasn't much traction. No biggie. I live like five minutes from UMES so off to the SSC parking lot we went.

We got to the parking lot (he drove) & lesson one, part two commenced. I was doing pretty good too. I found a balance between the clutch and the throttle to get myself moving in first gear. Good thing the parking lot was empty, save the fateful UMES pick-up (more on that in a moment). I was rollin'! Riding around taking wide turns and such. I was instructed not to put both feet up until I got more comfortable riding around.

I was doing great until he told me to start working on shifting to second gear. The shifting was not really a problem. It was the new-found confidence that went along with my success. Here I am, riding around the parking lot, keeping my speed around 20 mph, making wide turns, generally doing well. And that's where I should have been reminded that "pride goeth before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction".

On my first attempt at a left turn in the parking lot while in second gear, I was near where the only car in the parking lot was parked. I wasn't gonna make it because my turns were wide so I turned right instead. Good job, me. The second attempt - not so successful. I started to turn left and tried to tighten up the turn. Didn't tighten up as much as I needed to and I was headed straight for the truck. I tried lifting my right leg, but to no avail. My shin hit the bumper. So, as the pain is shooting down my leg, I was just thinking, "I need to get off this thing!" when I should have been thinking, "hit the brake! hit the brake!"

Needless to say, I didn't hit the brake. I hit the pavement. And the bike hit me. In the infamous words of Cedric the Entertainer "I messed up my whole left side". The embarassment far outweighed the pain. And it didn't help that my instructor just laughed...and laughed...and laughed.....and LAUGHED.

The damage?? I'd try to explain, but only pictures will do it justice.

Before the fall -

After the fall -

Now, lucky for me, I am both determined, prideful (lucky only sometimes), and a bit handy. I managed to take the time to fix the plastics on the bike. Yes, they're rigged up, but workable, nonetheless.

After my fix -

The New Me

I'm trying my hand at this whole blogging thing because I've decided that 2009 is going to be the year I stop making excuses & try new things. So far, so good.

I took myself on a cruise in February. It was my first cruise and my first real vacation.

I had a blast! Nassau was beautiful, the food was good, and the people I met at dinner the first night were pretty fun. Everyone I talked to was surprised that I went on the cruise alone. I got the "what's a beautiful lady like you doing on a cruise by yourself?" line from most of the male staff I encountered. :-)

The only downside to it was I wish I hadn't gone by myself. Sure, I got to sleep a lot, which is something I don't really do at home (I try to keep busy), but I think I would have done more stuff on the ship if I had had some company. But, the regret is short-lived. The next time, there will be some company! lol

My next "New Me In '09" move was to purchase a motorcycle. I have wanted to have one for the longest, but I've always found reasons why not to do it. "It's dangerous" or "I could put that money on bills" or "There's no one to ride with" or "What will people think". Well, I figured it was time to put all the excuses aside and go for it. So I did.

I bought myself a 1999 Honda CBR 600 F4. One of my friends has dubbed it The Bumblebee. I don't have my license yet, but I do have a permit. I opted not to take a class, but have friends teach me. I'm not one for making mistakes in large group settings, so I know I would have been really uncomfortable in the class. My first lesson on the bike was yesterday. I'll chronicle that experience in another post.

So, what's next on my list? I'm not really sure. I just know that I'm going to try and take every opportunity to live life to the fullest. I don't want to die without having really experienced life simply because I was afraid of what might happen.