by Greg Koelker
“Life is full of surprises, some good, some not so good.” — Pablo Picasso
Surprise parties are good. Surprise visits are too. Almost stepping on a big snake in the yard is a surprise I can live without. Driving over the speed limit around a corner and discovering an alert constable-true story- is not such a good surprise. Having your eBike quit being an eBike with three miles of rolling hills left to go home is a bad surprise. Discovering it was just a loose wire and getting back in the saddle again was a good surprise.
Some surprises can be painful. A nephew was surprised by his recent property tax bill. So much so that they are moving. I was surprised when I filled up two cans with recreational gas for the lawn mower and the tab was almost $50. I was surprised when I realized that I left my wallet on the kitchen counter when the waitress brought the check the other day. Mark was surprised when he got stuck with my check.
This week, I was riding Cardio – I named my eBike Cardio, down Proksch Coulee Road to Stoddard. I stopped to talk to Jeff and Terry at the town hall. Congratulations to Patrolman Terry Levendoski on his recent wedding. I rode on across the railroad tracks and onto Lake Road south of Stoddard. I suddenly realized it was getting close to time for coffee break back at the ranch, so I decided to turn back home. I started my turn in a gravel and sand roadway, and was surprised to find myself bucked off Cardio onto the edge of the blacktop. (Upon further review, it could have been the result of operator error.) I was wearing a helmet. Anyway, after a moment to repeat a few TVMA words and do a quick triage, and make sure I wasn’t in the way of someone passing in a vehicle or worse yet, someone who had seen my graceful swan dive; if video of this somehow ends up on Youtube, I wanna know how. I managed to get to my feet; those of a certain age know that this is no small feat. I was able to lift the bike, and set its kickstand. Once upright, I discovered I was leaking from my right knee and both elbows. My elbows, left knee, shoulder, and ribs all hurt. I dusted off, checked Cardio, and remounted. I left a blood trail all the way home. Back at the ranch, I am sorry to say I surprised Ellen, not in a good way. She was not impressed with a bloody biker coming into the kitchen. She did a little more triage. We took a quick coffee break with some of her leftover birthday cupcakes. Then I took a shower and tended to patching up my wounds. I spent the rest of the afternoon napping in my chair.
This morning, the lacerations are healing, but my left arm, left knee, back, and ribs are not my friend.
Anyway, I’ll get back in the saddle this weekend, I hope.
Until next time, get out. “Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” – Boris Pasternak, author of Dr. Zhivago. Maybe.
Be careful, more than me anyway. Happy birthday to my brother, Del, and brother-in-law, Chuck Wright.
Also, Ellen wants to thank everyone for their birthday wishes and to the Sister Squad for bringing a birthday lunch today. (Awesome, lasagna, bread, salad, birthday cake with strawberries. Barb also brought some mostly sugar-free chocolate chip cookies for mostly me.)
I read this today: Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation. Something to think about anyway.
Again, pray for peace.
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Greg Koelker is a lifelong resident of the Driftless region along the Mississippi River. He is the acclaimed author of the “Grouse Hollow Journal,” a column that celebrates rural life, nature, family heritage, and the traditions that bind communities together. While technically focused on the “outdoors,” his writing often explores broader themes of community values and education.
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