Well, Friday was the University of Illinois Students' party day. I don't really know but I don't think that Unofficial St. Patrick's Day (Unofficial as it's referred to most often) has been around very long. I know it has been for as long as I have been here at the university but I believe it wasn't much before that. One thing I had thought about, that corresponds pretty closely to the time frame for the removal of the Chief as our beloved mascot. Again, I really don't know the real time frames of either of these events but I could see a correlation if they do happen to align.
Anyway, I didn't do anything, just sat in my dorm room and did hw. I attempted to go for a bike ride but turns out my tire had blown off of it's seat after I aired up the tires on Thursday and it put a pretty big hole in my tube. I tried to fix it but couldn't get the patch to stick right. Luckily I had another tube meant to replace my back tire tube sometime in the future. I put it in the front tire but decided it was too late by that point to go for a ride on that beautiful day.
But that was ok, I finished my assignment and Saturday was just as beautiful. I went out on a bike ride and had to turn back once because of a bike issue. Quickly fixed I headed out again and rode out to the mall area. Unfortunately for me the traffic was very busy and this dual city has horrible roads filled with potholes. Well when trying to avoid being hit by a car I looked back and when I did my bike going probably about 15 mph found it's front tire in a pothole as big a round as the tire and about 3 inches deep. Well once in the tire didnt come out and being my front tire the rest of the bike kept it's inertia, as did I and both went over the handlebars. I would have been fine with a bit faster reaction rate or a curbless road but instead my chin found direct contact with the curb and split a 1.25 inch gash in my chin. I got to the side of the road pretty fast dragging my bike with me and a woman and her children stopped and helped me out. Thank You though I don't remember your name. Well if I had thought it through I would have rather called a cab but the woman called 911 after looking at me. The standard response around here is typically 2 police cars, a firetruck and an ambulance. I guess off campus it's only the later 2 because I didn't see any police but the firetruck arrived first and then the ambulance. Again, really wish I hadn't ridden in the ambulance. I have no idea what it's going to cost but it really shouldn't be much seeing as all I got was increased speed of checkin at the emergency room and another gauze pad. :(
At the emergency room I got 2 internal stitches and about 13 stitches to keep my wound closed. It originally looked like a hole the size of a quarter in my chin. I have a couple other scuffs but I'm fine with those. I really wish I hadn't hit my chin. Anything other than that I would have just brushed off. Even a gash in my arm I probably would have just bought peroxide and rubbing alcohol at the mall and patched it up myself, and would have rode my bike back, but my face, darn, couldn't see how bad it was until I washed myself off in the emergency room. Life lesson: Extend arms more, they don't Require stitches or a mirror to see! Oh, and if you can get up immediately after the crash, call a cab, not 911.
Oh well, if my parents let me I'll pay for the ambulance ride. I really hate that I didnt think of a taxi on the spot. The idea actually didn't come to me until Sunday. Oh well. Life goes on.
-Gregory Michael
