Another lesson learned today the hard way

[skimo]

On the way to work this morning, I was for lack of better words driving with my head up my ass. Wasn't in a hurry to get to work but just thinking about what I had to do today. Well I was probably running about 35-40 mph, the next thing you know there's a car stopped or moving really slow in front of me. Don't remember seeing any brake lights at all. Traffic ahead apparently slowed as a car made a right turn on to a narrow uphill side street. Ongoing traffic to the left and curb with lined palm trees to the right. So grab a whole bunch of front brake and to tell you the truth I don't know if I even got on the rear just happened to fast. Of course it locked up and got squirrelly, like trying to balance it on ice. Once the left engine guard touched the ground both tires really broke free and the front tire did a hard left, snatching the handlebar for my right hand. I came off the left side of the bike. The bike was sliding the down the road on the left side engine guard and the left side bag guard. And of course I was sliding on my left side shoulder, arm, and head with my chin tucked hoping the ride would stop soon. Actually once I hit the ground the sliding wasn't to bad, except for the thought I maybe sliding into oncoming traffic which thank God I wasn't. Well the ride finally stopped and I was on my feet fairly quick. The guy in the car ahead of me got out and said he was sorry which now perplexes me; but at the time it just didn't register. Couple of folks helped me pick up the bike and it was ridable. After quick inventory of me, I got on the bike, cranked it up and rode home. They thought I was crazy. Another factor is that the second house from the corner of the narrow side road just loves to irrigate the road and their lawn every morning. The road didn't appear visibly wet were I locked it down but now I'm fairly sure there was moisture or dampness on the road. The skid mark was less than 12 feet but the engine guard mark was at least 30 feet.

I got home and called in sick to work and didn't think about that place all day. Here's the injury report, quarter size road rash on left wrist and left knee with a some minor carpet burn on left ankle. I will say the tourmaster jacket is great, without it the left arm and shoulder would have had injury. I'm pretty avid about wearing a helmet and it did paid off today.

Well the bike is going to need left engine guard and left bag guard. The tank did get a little nick in the left front from the windshield bracket since the corner of frame stop on the left side was chipped way when the front tire when violently left. But the rest of the bike looked ok and it rode fine on the way home. Those guards really protect the bike.

I thank God it wasn't worse. Last week on the way to work I was almost rear end. Just stopped at a light behind a mini van, just put my feet down and heard someone locking it up.
Looked in the mirror and the young girl driving a small car was coming at me. I pulled around the left side of the van quickly up to the driver's door expecting to hear a crash. The young girl let off the brake and swerved to the side of the road stopping along the right side to the van. The soccer mom in the van was clueless and gave me this blank stare. I point the other side of her van.

Just amazes me one day I'm extremely alert and on top of my game and the next week I'm just clueless myself. This is the thing that scares me.