I was lucky to get a lie-in til about 9.30 which was good, and we had a quite relaxed morning. At midday I set out with our eldest to visit his friend who lives a couple of miles away... perhaps a bit less than this, depending on the route taken. We had a good ride and nice chats whilst doing it. We both acknowledged that cycling together was a good thing to do and we should do more of it.
We cycled through the University and down towards Fulford, and to Candy and Eugene's. Candy was celebrating the near end of her job... she's sick of all the travelling, despite the ethical nature of the work... she is another 'low carbon wannabe' and has been going round businesses and helping them reduce their energy bills. But, it's been a cycle ride to the station, a train journey to Leeds, a 20 minute wait, a train journey to Bramley and then a one mile walk. Too much travelling... so she's jacking it in at the end of this week and is going to write a book.
She was chatting with our mutual friend Denise, and I spent a few minutes with them before cycling back via a well-known logpile. It was agreed that I'd collect my son at 7.30pm.
So, a quiet afternoon... our other son played on the computer and had some nice gentle times with Mum. I did various jobs around the home and garden, and we had a rice stir-fry for tea, containing the home-grown Oca tubers... a wonderful flavour. I wish I'd grown more of them! Trouble is they are daylight sensitive as well as frost sensitive, so they don't start making tubers til about 4 months after midsummer, so the longer after October they can be kept frost-free, the better. These were growing at the side of the house, protected from the worst of the early frosts, so plenty of pretty pink tubers.
7pm came all too soon and I cycled back through the University grounds to Candy and Eugene's, collecting 3 logs on the way. I had another little chat about shared interests before asking my little charge to find his shoes and get ready to come home. On the way out of their house, leaving by the back door, I tripped on a stick or mini-log that Eugene had collected for their Clearview stove (yet another person influenced by seeing ours!) and landed flat on my face in the gravel, with a log or branch somehow pinning my right leg down and wedged into my welly boot, I think. I couldn't move. I lay there for a few seconds mentally checking my limbs for breakages... and decided I was OK, but couldn't move. My son, who had been walking behind me, somehow moved the obstruction off my leg and I was able to get up. Although I knew I was bruised, I needed to get home (needed to get my child home actually) so we continued on our way home, chatting happily. He'd had a good time, with two friends, a variety of activities.
When we got home I told Gill how he'd rescued me and she put an ice pack on my calf, whilst my caring son looked after me. I think he must have been shocked to see me fall over and be unable to get up.
So, a very good day, plenty of bonding activity. And not a good day for my leg which is badly bruised. Listened to a bit of Equinox 107 and then a tear jerking film with Julie Walters playing Dr Anne Turner who after witnessing her husband dying from a degenerative illness, found she was developing something similar. So she decided that when it was almost too much to bear, she would commit suicide, and the drama, 'A Short Stay in Switzerland' was about this. Really powerful, had me in tears several times. Thought provoking too, as it' such a contentious issue. I do believe though, that we have a right to die in certain circumstances... and I would probably consider this option if I found myself in a similar situation. But would I be brave enough to go through with it? The drama alluded to the statistics that many who get the go-ahead from the Swiss Clinic decide not to do it.
Not too late a night as getting up early tomorrow.
Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts
Slept well and Gill asked me to take our youngest to school as his bike was out of order, Gill had tried to sort out a new inner tube but the shop, Cycle Works, had sold her a tube that was way too thin/narrow for his chunky wheel/tyre.
Soon after I got back from school I set out for a house a bit further up Hull Road where our friend Beth is a gardener. She'd asked me to come and help dig out the compost heap so she could spread it as a mulch under the raspberries and roses. I dug out 11 barrows full and then started to turn a large heap into the vacated space. Whilst I was doing this, I was pulling on my fork to try to pull some material towards me, to make it easier to fork up and move, and I pulled the handle into my mouth by accident, splitting my top lip. I was initially worried that I'd knocked a tooth out but it was only my lip which was bleeding. After a glass of water and a two minute breather, I continued shifting the heap and justabout finished the job. Very satisfying work, pity about the accident.
Home via the bread shop and had a fairly restful afternoon before going down to school to collect our little one, who again got a lift on my bike to do the journey. When I got back I zoomed down to Cycle Heaven to sort out the inner-tube problem, and visited the Building Society to put in the cheque from the organisation which was being very slow in paying. I am so glad they've paid up as I really didn't want the hassle of taking them to court.
Soon after I got back from school I set out for a house a bit further up Hull Road where our friend Beth is a gardener. She'd asked me to come and help dig out the compost heap so she could spread it as a mulch under the raspberries and roses. I dug out 11 barrows full and then started to turn a large heap into the vacated space. Whilst I was doing this, I was pulling on my fork to try to pull some material towards me, to make it easier to fork up and move, and I pulled the handle into my mouth by accident, splitting my top lip. I was initially worried that I'd knocked a tooth out but it was only my lip which was bleeding. After a glass of water and a two minute breather, I continued shifting the heap and justabout finished the job. Very satisfying work, pity about the accident.
Home via the bread shop and had a fairly restful afternoon before going down to school to collect our little one, who again got a lift on my bike to do the journey. When I got back I zoomed down to Cycle Heaven to sort out the inner-tube problem, and visited the Building Society to put in the cheque from the organisation which was being very slow in paying. I am so glad they've paid up as I really didn't want the hassle of taking them to court.
A fairly early start as had to be at St William's College next to the Minster by 10am. Cycled down, in costume, with the unicycle on the trailer, and met Gill from Zentist, the shop on Gillygate which is having the Christmas Fayre today. There's lots of stalls and talks on assorted esoteric subjects including 'the power of angels', and stalls with Tarot, Crystals and massage.
But whatever my personal beliefs about some of the subjects at the event, I was happy to be their unicycling advertiser, with a large placard on a stick which Sue had made into a good poster advert. So from 10am I unicycled around York and people read the placard, some asked where the event was, so the advertising worked.
At 12 I met with Gill and the boys for lunch... they first had a look around the Fayre but they weren't much interested, apart for meeting up with our friend Will and his girlfriend Alison. We went to the St Williams College Restaurant and had one of our first meals out together, which was really good. The nosh was what I'd call 'haute cuisine' as it was presented in an arty way, with squiggles of reduced balsamic vinegar and a swirl of lemony oil stuff. I could never do haute cuisine, I am more into having a reasonable quantity and having a good balance of different foodstuffs. The restaurant manager, Ed, introduced himself, as we met many years ago at a LETS event, he's friends with my friend Carole's son.... York is SO small!
So then I got back on my uni and wobbled off to wander round the streets of York doing my advertising. Met my friend Neil, who trades as Leo the Caricaturist, and quite a few other people who know me, which was nice.
Towards the end of my day unicycling I was going down Colliergate and wasn't concentrating as I should have been and my wheel met up with a dip in the road which matched it perfectly, so it stopped and I continued forward and downward and landed on both knees, which suffered abraisions and bruising and blood. A chap came to my aid and said he'd been thinking how good I was! I ignored the pain and got straight back on the unicycle and did a last half hour.
When I got back to St Williams they were all offering things like rescue remedy, aura readings etc, but I told them my immune system was quite strong and my body repaired itself reasonably quickly without much help. I was paid and I cycled home, tired, cold and achey, but satisfied I'd done a good job... I've been invited back for next year!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I had a cooked lunch, I had half a reject avocado and some sandwiches for tea.
But whatever my personal beliefs about some of the subjects at the event, I was happy to be their unicycling advertiser, with a large placard on a stick which Sue had made into a good poster advert. So from 10am I unicycled around York and people read the placard, some asked where the event was, so the advertising worked.
At 12 I met with Gill and the boys for lunch... they first had a look around the Fayre but they weren't much interested, apart for meeting up with our friend Will and his girlfriend Alison. We went to the St Williams College Restaurant and had one of our first meals out together, which was really good. The nosh was what I'd call 'haute cuisine' as it was presented in an arty way, with squiggles of reduced balsamic vinegar and a swirl of lemony oil stuff. I could never do haute cuisine, I am more into having a reasonable quantity and having a good balance of different foodstuffs. The restaurant manager, Ed, introduced himself, as we met many years ago at a LETS event, he's friends with my friend Carole's son.... York is SO small!
So then I got back on my uni and wobbled off to wander round the streets of York doing my advertising. Met my friend Neil, who trades as Leo the Caricaturist, and quite a few other people who know me, which was nice.
Towards the end of my day unicycling I was going down Colliergate and wasn't concentrating as I should have been and my wheel met up with a dip in the road which matched it perfectly, so it stopped and I continued forward and downward and landed on both knees, which suffered abraisions and bruising and blood. A chap came to my aid and said he'd been thinking how good I was! I ignored the pain and got straight back on the unicycle and did a last half hour.
When I got back to St Williams they were all offering things like rescue remedy, aura readings etc, but I told them my immune system was quite strong and my body repaired itself reasonably quickly without much help. I was paid and I cycled home, tired, cold and achey, but satisfied I'd done a good job... I've been invited back for next year!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I had a cooked lunch, I had half a reject avocado and some sandwiches for tea.
Gill took the boys to school and I got on with finishing off the documentation to allow the Green Festival to happen, and got it in just before the deadline at midday. In the afternoon I felt strangely freed up, released, so got on with a bit of logging and then at 3 went to school to pick up the boys.
On the way back, I came along Windmill Lane towards Hull Road and there was a blue sports car half in the cycle box which is just infront of the traffic lights, and is for bikes not cars. My boys are being trained to ride on the road, so I positioned my bike directly infront of the car, at right angles to the front of it, to allow the children to position themselves infront, where they could get a safe start when the lights changed. When it went green, the car revved, the woman driver obviously impatient. As I then cycled away following the boys onto Hull Road, she accelerated and crashed into my trailer, which got partly wedged into the front of her car. I got off and remonstrated with her, opening her door and telling her I was angry with her for driving into my trailer. I asked her to reverse, and I pulled my trailer free, and cycled off as I was angry and didn't want to get in a confrontation with the stupid woman. I didn't check my trailer until I arrived home, when I found that one wheel was skew wiff and broken. I realised that I should have got her details, and cursed myself for leaving without checking the trailer.
Then my brainy 9 year old piped up that he had memorised the number plate and had written it down when he arrived home! What a darling! What a star! I phoned the police and gave them the details of the incident, including the registration of the stupid woman's vehicle.
They phoned me back and said that it was a company car and the company would give my details to the woman, who if she agreed it was her fault, would pay for a new wheel and repairs. If she contested the incident, I could report it to the police and they'd get involved.
However the trailer still rolled and the wheel was broken only enough for it to wobble when it turned round, so I cycled down to Cycle Heaven and asked them if they would be able to replace the wheel, and they ordered one.
I did a pick up, using more of my panniers and rack than usual, as my trailer might not support much weight.
Good electric storm this evening, spectacular.
On the way back, I came along Windmill Lane towards Hull Road and there was a blue sports car half in the cycle box which is just infront of the traffic lights, and is for bikes not cars. My boys are being trained to ride on the road, so I positioned my bike directly infront of the car, at right angles to the front of it, to allow the children to position themselves infront, where they could get a safe start when the lights changed. When it went green, the car revved, the woman driver obviously impatient. As I then cycled away following the boys onto Hull Road, she accelerated and crashed into my trailer, which got partly wedged into the front of her car. I got off and remonstrated with her, opening her door and telling her I was angry with her for driving into my trailer. I asked her to reverse, and I pulled my trailer free, and cycled off as I was angry and didn't want to get in a confrontation with the stupid woman. I didn't check my trailer until I arrived home, when I found that one wheel was skew wiff and broken. I realised that I should have got her details, and cursed myself for leaving without checking the trailer.
Then my brainy 9 year old piped up that he had memorised the number plate and had written it down when he arrived home! What a darling! What a star! I phoned the police and gave them the details of the incident, including the registration of the stupid woman's vehicle.
They phoned me back and said that it was a company car and the company would give my details to the woman, who if she agreed it was her fault, would pay for a new wheel and repairs. If she contested the incident, I could report it to the police and they'd get involved.
However the trailer still rolled and the wheel was broken only enough for it to wobble when it turned round, so I cycled down to Cycle Heaven and asked them if they would be able to replace the wheel, and they ordered one.
I did a pick up, using more of my panniers and rack than usual, as my trailer might not support much weight.
Good electric storm this evening, spectacular.
