The series of three close calls on the motorcycle repeats itself again. (The first repeated from the previous diary entry.)
On Monday morning I'm heading for one of my favorite freewayentrance ramps at a great rate of speed on the motorcycle. Thereis a car ahead of me that I have to beat into the turn (a la DajiroKato or Valentino Rossi). I go around the outside of the car andhold off on braking until the last possible moment. Or, in thiscase, beyond the last possible moment. There is tire smoke, therear wheel/tire is locked up, and the rear end is fishtailing backand forth as I lean the bike over to go around the corner. Islide wide in the middle of the corner (with the rear end againwanting to step out) and scrub off speed, but eventually gatherit back together and spin up the rear tire on exit to easilybeat the car. (The bike has now given me a warning to get backto one of the basics: Don't touch the rear brakes. You onlyget yourself into trouble with the rear brakes.)
On Tuesday afternoon there is an offsite meeting that I have to ride my motorcycle to. I'm in a bit of a hurry, but nothing radical. A lady decides to make a left turn directly in front of me on Pacific Coast Highway. Except that as she starts the turn, she sees me, and decides to stop in the middle of the road. I'm hard on the brakes as I try to get stopped in time to avoid contact. I again get a bit too much rear brake and send the rear end of the motorcycle sliding back and forth as I come to a halt just in front of the lady's car such that she cannot complete her turn. I sit there for a few seconds with a nasty glare on my face as I stare at her. I hear a few horns blasting as other traffic wants the lady to get out of the middle of the road. But she cannot move until I decide that she has seen enough of my nasty glare for what she has done. I finally shake my head, grab first gear, and continue on my way.
On the Tuesday afternoon ride home from work there is a large pickup truck ahead of me and to the right. Sometimes you just get a sense of something about to happen. This is one of those times. I continue to keep a close watch on the truck (and specifically the left front tire/wheel) as I also check for enough space around me (just in case). It happens! The driver of the large pickup truck decides to make a very sudden lane change into my lane. Because I have moved over to the left edge of my lane I have enough time to take further evasive action. The driver of the truck actually does see me at the last minute and yanks hard on the steering wheel to get back into his lane. Contact was avoided by at least a foot.
Thursday is to be a nice day, so I jump on the mountain bicycle early in the morning and ride to work. It is a 16 mile bicycle ride that takes about an hour (because of traffic lights). I have to stop once as the sidepack with my work clothes in it slips a bit and I have to re-secure it. Every once in a while a school bus passes. If the conditions are right and the diesel engine is burning appropriately rich enough, I get a good blast of diesel exhaust into my system. Sometimes this blast will take me back to Guatemala City or San Salvador where all of the buses run rich because of the altitude. And I picture myself making my way though the cities with armed guards at every bank and fast food restaurant.
The Thursday afternoon bicycle ride home goes slower. There is a slight tailwind but I'm tired. I make it home in time for the telephone to ring and for Person Roy to ask if we can move our coffee/soda appointment earlier. I agree, take a quick shower, andhead for the coffeehouse. Person Roy lives only a mile or so from my house and workswith test tubes and DNA samples all day. We have good conversations about miscellaneous topics and, eventually, agree to get together again shortly.