Road Rash

May 6th, 2008

It’s been a while since I’ve last written a post. It’s not that nothing has been going on, it’s just that nothing extremely exciting has given me that push to sit down and write a post. Well, I’m happy and sad to report that something “exciting” happened to me today: I got ran into by a truck while on my bike.

Now, before you freak out: I’m fine. A little battered, a little bruised, but alright.

It all went down this morning when I decided to do the “right” thing and ride my bike to campus despite the rain. It hasn’t rained here in a while and I don’t usually have to make the decision on whether to ride my bike or take the shuttle but I usually end up siding with the latter. Maybe it’s because I wanted to get to campus quickly or maybe it was because I hate riding the shuttle but for whatever the reason, I decided to take my bike.

There is a certain feeling of release you get when you are out in the rain without an umbrella or raincoat protecting you. Part of it is because the rain is refreshingly cool sometimes. This is especially true if you are out for a jog or doing some other type of athletic activity. However, there is also the mental aspect of it, the exhilaration that comes from letting your guard down and standing directly against the elements. It’s a feeling that you don’t often get when it’s sunny every day and you spend a significant part of your day in the shelter of a building.

So I was headed to campus, making my way down a well-biked sidewalk to get to the pedestrian walkway. Usually I am headful of people coming out of the driveway next to Rock Bottom Brewery but maybe it was the emotion of being in the rain that got the best of me and I was a little less cautious than usual. I noticed the white truck inching out of the driveway, looking in the direction opposite to me. As I drew closer, I realized what hand I had been dealt. I tried my best to lessen the blow by trying to turn with the truck to avoid it but I swiped the front of the truck and went tumbling to the ground.

The man in the truck was understandably worried. He inquired into my well-being but I first inspected my bike for any noticable damage. My left hand was scraped up and instantly bruised but the shock of it made any pain an afterthought. Slowly I gathered my faculties and I realized my leg was also a bit bruised up. The man offered me his card and I initially refused. He persisted though and finally I took it before heading on my way.

A fairly short visit to Student Health uncovered a minor contusion to my left leg but otherwise I was in decent shape. My bike seems to be ok too. The real winnter in this story is our blog though, as it now has an interesting story.

- Sat

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Viewing 3 Comments

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    Hey Saturnino. Remember your old TA from Trachtenberg's class? My boyfriend, Andy (perhaps you know him as "merz") has been following you on Twitter, apparently. Thus I found your website.

    Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience with the wrong side of a truck. Another friend of mine from Drexel was just nailed by a cab a few weeks ago. Apparently it's open season across the country. I'm glad to hear you're ok.

    By the way, if you're still looking for some good Chard recipes, email me. I've got two :)
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    Hi Michelle! Nice to hear from you again. What are you up to these days?

    I'd love to hear your chard recipes though. We came up with a pretty good one but we're getting a bit tired of fixing it all the time so a new recipe or two wouldn't hurt :)
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    Well, here's my favorite of the two: Quinoa Chard Pilaf!

    1 T olive oil
    1 diced onion
    3 minced garlic cloves
    2 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed
    1 c. canned lentils
    8 oz. fresh chopped mushrooms
    1 qt. vegetable broth
    1 bunch Swiss chard (get rid of the stems)

    Step 1: Heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and saute until onion is tender--five minutes or so. Then mix in the quinoa, lentils, and mushrooms. Pour in the broth. Cover, and cook 20 minutes.

    Step 2: Remove pot from heat. Shred chard, and gently mix into the pot. Cover, and allow to sit until the chard is wilted.

    Step 3: Eat and be happy!

    There's also a simpler one for just red chard w/onions, which you can find at Allrecipes:
    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Red-Chard-and-Cara...

    ...come to think of it, that may be where I found the first one, too. I have too many recipes... can't keep track of them all!

    As for what I'm up to, I'm working as a science writer for a non-prof in Philadelphia, freelancing about half-time, and will be teaching (science writing) at Temple this fall. And in my spare time, I'm working on a new vegetarian recipe website :)
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