This time of year

I notice this feeling every year. It happens in May. This nagging feeling, that I must hop on a Vespa & ride away into the sunset. Maybe it's because the scooter rallies start in May. But, my love for Vespa has never died. Even though it has been 12 years since I rode on one. The last time I got on one - I was 8 months pregnant and went to the Victoria Rally. I borrowed a bike from my friend for the evening. I took the bike to the Shell gas station to fill'er up, just minutes before they closed. When I went to try and start the darn thing it stalled on me! The gas station was now closed & like a ghost town. It wouldn't start for me no matter what I did. Typical for a scooter that is almost 30 years old, yes. But, at 8 months pregnant & trying to jump start the bike it was quite the task - I wish I could have stepped outta my body to watch myself. I was running up and down the parking lot, trying to get her to start. I was almost in tears. I called one of the scooter club guys & told me just to leave the bike & take a taxi. Jerk. Finally a nice man gave me a good push & it started. That was the last time I rode a bike. I love the feeling of being on a scooter. The smell of 2 stroke, the buzz of the scooter that can be heard a block away before you actually see the bike coming. Love it all. I will love scooterz forever!!!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I had a really bad scooter accident. I crashed my bike (not my fault) back in Portland 13 years ago. I was out shopping for a dress for the Vancouver Scooter Rally. I was to be leaving the next morning with my friend Drat to ride up to Canada to partake in the fun. I had done the drive a few times. I moved to Portland that summer. It was the last day of August & I was coming back from unsuccessfully finding no party frock for the rally. I had my room-mate on the back of my bike (He was a bad luck charm, I swear!!!). It was dusk & a car in the opposite direction pulled out in front of me to make a left turn. He "apparently" never saw us coming at 25m/hr. I don't remember what happened really, I blacked out. When I came to, I had a group of people around me & they were trying to get me to the ambulance. The medics had my passenger already in a stretcher and were tending to him. I tried to walk away from the scene. It was now pitch dark. The last thing I had remembered was it was sunset. I was mumbling about how I was just in the nicest dream. Then I remember being pulled out of that dream, because it was like "I shouldn't be sleeping right now" kind of feeling. Then after I saw the blood all over me, I then was babbling about how I didn't want to look like Victor. Victor, had been in a couple of scooter accidents. One accident losing a lot of teeth after smashing into the back of a truck. They were able to stick his teeth back in his head - but they did it all wrong! So I feel my face. It's really messed up. Bottom line was, I broke my jaw, a few teeth, my cheek & the whole left side of my body was tweaked. Collar bone - knees & knuckles. I was a mess. The moment I saw my passenger, I ran up to him -asking if he knew what happened. He was saying how his back was broken! THAT made me loose it!!! I was balling & really freaking out. I get to the back of the ambulance and we head to the hospital. They tried to give me oxygen, but it was just was so painful. I was a wreck to say the least. I spent many hours there. Being a Canadian in a hospital in the States with no medical is a bad thing. I guess really, being an American in America with no medical is a bad thing too. They weren't going to admit me. They did. I got a half ass assesment of my condition. I had to tell THE doctors that my cheek was definitely broken as they pushed & pulled on it, it was terrible. Friends started pouring into the hospital, but they wouldn't let them in to see me. Just one friend. Alicia, another one of my room-mates. She cleaned me up & everyone in the waiting room was sending me love notes. I felt so loved. My passenger left the hospital before me, he never even waited or came to talk to me. He just bailed. He ended up being fine. Thankfully. I was the one that ended up a mess.

I was discharged, and was sent home. Only to woken up every 1/2 hour because I had a concussion. The next day I called back home to make plans to get fixed in Canada. It was 2 days of walking around with a broken jaw waiting for my dad to fly down to get me. My face was the size of a pumpkin & as we were waiting in the waiting area to get on the plane. My dad made what he thought was a joke about "How people are going to think he's a woman beater". So terrible. He made me feel so gross. It was an unbearable plane ride home to Canada. When I got back home, it was straight to the hospital to get my jaw wired & get mending up. Even after all this drama, I borrowed some one's scooter to drive around to Dr. appointments. Had to get back on the horse, you know what I mean!? Better than fearing it for life. I feel safe riding on a scooter. Just have to be ultra aware of the drivers around you. Accidents happen. One thing I think I would do differently is, get a full face helmet.

This year I am actually really considering buying a scooter. With the cost of gas & parking. It's seems only logical. I have been on the hunt for the last week. Since I am pretty much outta the scooter scene now, I've reached out to a couple of scooter mates to put it "out there", that I am looking. I've discovered this new mountain of knowledge of scooters on the internet. It's made me a little cautious of private scooter sellers. With all the Vietnam bodged up bikes. So scary. People import these bikes from Vietnam, with super nice paint jobs but the engines are a mess really and the bikes are all bondo'd up. Sometimes 2-5 different bikes to make one bike. Really not safe & a total hazard for the road. I can not believe that people who sell these bikes are knowingly selling these hazards. They are unsafe & are willing to sell them to make some quick cash.

Horrid.

I've run outta time - I got to go home now. I really didn't meant this to be such a lame tragic story. You probably think I'm crazy for wanting a scooter again!

I just have to though!!