| killer truck | 1:27 AM |
This'll be the first non-grief entry since my mother died. I'm hoping there will be more of these after this one.
I was driving a new truck down Skyline Blvd, and I came less than a foot away from hitting a deer. I saw it on the other side of the road and started to slow down not really sure if it was going to bolt or not and if so in which direction. So I'm slowing down and the deer's sort of going in one direction, then another, then it bolts in front of me. I brake with all my might (the trucked performed excellently), and stopped the car just in time for the deer to run in front of it, practically brushing it's fur against the grille.
Now, relieved and impressed that I didn't kill the deer and the truck handled so well, I immediately hit and kill a raccoon. I didn't see it fast enough to even begin to react. You can't imagine my horror. I wanted to turn back - I know I probably didn't want to see it, but I was afraid it might still be alive and need help...I know, stupid. The truck is now known as the death mobile.
| new bike! | 12:16 AM |
speaking of new apartments, i got a new bike, too! it's a beauty. gsf400. i don't have pictures yet, but i'll show her to you real soon. it was the bike i originally wanted for my first bike, but i couldn't find a decent one to buy when i was finally ready to do it. i love je oola, but i couldn't pass up this bike either. 1991 bandit with just over 7000 miles and no damage, never dropped at speed. a cute little high revver just like the ninja. and it's comfier, too, for someone of my stature.
of course, first thing i do just after i've handed over my cash and signed all the paperwork is drop the poor thing as i'm trying to take off to take her home. I was a little horrified (my new bike!) and embarassed (since they were both standing there watching me -- nerve racking), but i dropped it so slow that the tank didn't suffer any damage at all. i broke the ball off the end of the clutch lever (that's two I have to replace now), and scuffed up some bits, but those are easily replaced bits. denting the gas tank is far harder to recover from :)
| log, log, log | 12:40 AM |
i rode right into a log the other night. we decided to go for a night ride down skyline blvd. but i was freezing my ass off not too long into the ride, so i was hunched over hugging my gas tank and watching the road and next thing i know, there's a stinking log in front of me. i whacked it with my tire and drove on my merry way. the bike was fine and hitting the log didn't even startle me.
tonight as i was riding home, the back end got all squirrelly on me -- squirming around as i was braking -- and it didn't even phase me. which is probably a good thing. it's got to be better to stay calm and under-react then freak out and over-react, right?
i was walking towards the elevator this morning and a co-worker said i had a nice bike. yeah, i heard it was a good beginner's bike. Oh, you're a beginner? yup. Tell me more. And I did -- I told him where to take his MSF class and about the bay area riders' forum.
i love my bike. and i've ridden it all summer, but it still happens to be early enough in my riding career that every single time i ride, i love it more and more. riding to work, i zip along the freeway and wish it would never end. and i used to hate the freeway. i used to take surface streets when i could. which i think was good for me and good practice, but now i just want to tear down the freeway and not have to stop. i still ride carefully. i don't go too fast. my bike can do 80 comfortably, but i haven't pushed it past that. and let me tell you, the ninja ex250 is an awesome bike. i love it and think it was a more than suitable choice as my first bike. i just need to find warmer gear now that summer is slipping away...
| New Car | 1:17 AM |
I bought my first car, a used Audi TT. I've been driving that Escort for 10 years -- anything would've been a step up and I was thinking of getting another little affordable hatchback, but we've got a Subaru already, so I got myself a fun little car instead. The only complaints I have about it are 1) backing out is a little bit of work since rearward visibility is partially limited due to the placement and shape of the C-pillars, and 2) it's too easy to shift into 4th gear when I'm trying to shift into 6th. I've only done it a couple of times and now that I know about it, I pull the shift knob to the right and down when I shift from 5th gear instead of straight down. Other than that, she's quiet and smooth and handles beautifully. And she's easy on the eyes to boot.
I also start a new job in a little over a week after President's Day. I'll be leaving my group and joining another, but I will finally be a full time employee again. I'm very excited about the change though I'll miss the hell out of working with Ed and probably spend less quality time with him than I already do. But he's got exciting things coming up for him, too :)
| My First Bike | 1:06 AM |
I have a bike! I've been looking for a couple of weeks now. I was going to buy a friend's 400 Bandit, but that guy turned out to be a psycho and I got myself out of that. Then I looked at a beautiful, red Ninja 250 this weekend and that girl turned out to be a lying, greedy little thing so I didn't get that one either (she posted an ad for $2100 for a 2001 Ninja -- very reasonable -- and then told me she had someone offer her $400 more for it than she'd posted in the ad. Who the hell would do that? And it had a weird dent she lied about, a gunky chain and jerked when it started -- last two things pointed out to me by Ed, my motorcycle buying consultant :)
But the one I ended up buying tonight is practically brand new. A 2001 Kawasaki green Ninja 250. Ed took a couple of pictures, but they're dark. The pictures John sent me are nicer. The seller and his wife were so incredibly nice and friendly. The transaction went so smoothly and professionally. And he's taken amazing care of the bike -- it literally looks brand new: no scratches, less than 1300 miles, broken in gently, oil changed a couple of times, everything is clean and spotless. I was a little jaded after that experience with the woman who wanted to start a bidding war this weekend, but gosh this was nice and easy.
I zipped around the parking lot at Google when we got it back. I haven't ridden a motorcycle since I took my safety course. Ed says that was four years ago, but I think it might only be three. But anyway, a little coaching and I was doing circles in the lot. Tomorrow I'll get her insured. Awww...I LOVE my new bike! :)
