What the heck is wrong with me....

.: I just got into a bike/car accident.. grrrr... This is my third for those keeping track at home.. This is the first one that actually damaged my bike and I was worried about serious harm.. I'm fine.. obviously, as I'm writing this.. but basically my front wheel is done.. shattered it... The frame is ok.. don't know about the front fork yet.. need to check that out tomorrow morning..

.: The story.. I was riding my normal route from Ballard to Downtown.. I come up to the intersection of Westlake and Valley.. Not a very good interestion.. The walk signal was flashing the stop hand thingie.. but I still had time.. so I went into the interestion and bang.. I'm on someone's hood.. I bounce off the ground and skip a bit.. as I see the car's underside.. Needless to say a bit worried.. they were turning right and by their own admission, didn't see me and was thier fault..

.: I get up and check myself for serious damage.. none to speak of.. but I'm shooken up and wanted a moment to actually make sure I was fine before I said anything.. I look at my bike and see the front wheel.. I slowly and disappointedly remove it from the street and sit on the sidewalk.. Someone asks if I need an ambulance.. I decline, but I asked them to call the police so I could get an accident report.. Use that to get the driver's insurance to buy me a new wheel..

.: Cops get there.. and... after much waiting (about an hour.. seriously...) They told me it was my fault.. I can't enter a crosswalk if the hand was blinking.. on top of it I failed to yeild right of way to a car.. So they slapped me with a $159 ticket!!!! What? Seriously?!?!? I, a bike/pedestrain just got HIT by a CAR.. and you're giving ME a TRAFFIC TICKET!!!! Ruling that it was my fault so NO ONE gets money from insurance.. cuz my CAR insurance isn't gonna pay for me getting hit on a BIKE... I would have been fine if they told me it was my fault.. sucks to be you.. but to give me a ticket? I already got a ticket, I have to replace a really nice front wheel.. That thing is like $150 itself..

.: Aren't tickets there as a way of making sure someone doesn't do something again? Speeding tickets, stop light tickets.. all are there so we don't do something.. I don't know that many people who get hit by cars and are like "Dang that was fun.. I want to do that again!!"

.: Now my shoulder really hurts.. I have no front wheel.. and I have to pay a f'ing traffic ticket... I hate police.. seriously.... That is about the dumbest thing ever...

.: To the drivers credit she argued with the police officer that it was her fault to the point of the police officer got angry... The cop just really wanted to take the driver's story as truth.. and leave me out of it..

UPDATE: This is what my front tire looks like now..



.: I will be taking donations for the "Dan wants to get back on his bike" fund.. :)

Kaleentan Peak: First Class 3 Summit

.: Hurray! I'm alive... I made it up my first class 3 summit.. there were some rather difficult parts for me in it as I'm slightly scared of heights.. yeah yeah I know.. it's weird.. I love being up high, but getting there is nerve racking.. so I just move slowly..

.: Tim, Justin and I rocked Kaleetan Peak. And by rock I mean rock.. we made it up in 3 hours and down in 2 and a half.. Our guide book said it would take 6 up and 3 back.. We were the first to summit that day and the others who did, camped at the lake.. so we did really well..

.: The trip itself was really pretty.. valleys with snow.. crystal lakes.. slag fields that seemed to shimmer.. ok.. so they didn't shimmer but the whole scene looked sweet.. Blue skies to climb into.. You could see forever when you got to the top.. All the way to Seattle in fact.. it was the closest thing to my memories of Colorado that I've been..

.: On the way back we stopped for a celebration beer.. and I meet up with one of my sister's friends from college Sara.. Who is really awesome I must say.. Her job, stories, and personality, all top notch.. I said hi after much debate as to if it was actually her or not.. Afterwards Justin and I, with a little help from Tim, destroyed 2 huge plates of nachos.. and mannn they were yummy!

CSNY/Deja Vu

.: It's been a long while since I did a movie review. It's not been for lack of watching movies, because I have been watching plenty.. I'm just lazy.. Well, that or I've been busy, which is probably more the case.

.: So CSNY / Deja Vu.. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young have been one of my favorite bands for as long as I can remember. I was pretty stoaked to see that they had a movie coming out. I missed it in the theatres, but it came out on Netflix (hurray) and I had to watch it. I have to say that I knew they were political before I watched it so that didn't surprise me. For those who think Bush is doing a great job, might not be the movie for you.. But for me, I loved it.. Love their music and loved the movie/message... Keep on rockin in the free world! Overall I wasn't watching for it like I would a normal movie, so I can't really say the angles were great or the effects were wonderful, because it wasn't that type of movie.. I will say that watching the preview was pretty much watching the movie.. I wanted to hear more music.. I don't think their message would have been lost if they let a couple songs play through.. they did end up repeating themselves a bit.. I didn't mind.. The time passed and I enjoyed it.. :)

Seattle Hempfest 08

.: I didn't attend this event.. but there is a lot of press about it.. and the whole thing is questionable.. Hurray for the right to assemble and the right of free speech.. it's pretty kewl.. But it is illegal to do drugs.. so whhhhyyy is this festival possible? Because Seattle is AWESOME!

Seattle PI's Story..

The best quote from it:
"A Hempfest leader said the protesters show up each year and added that a group of transsexuals were en route to frighten off the preachers, something that also takes place each year."

lol... I just imagine organizers on radios.. "Rainbow Team.. Northwest corner.. The C-Team (meaning of course Church team) is attacking.. block them..."....

Moving? Suck...

.: I'm moving once again.. For those keeping track at home, I haven't lived in one spot for more then 8 months in the last 3 years.. Just crazy.. I'd LOVE to live in one spot for more then a year.. I wasn't planning on moving out of this apartment for a while as I love it.. It's a great place, great location, great peeps.. but they decided to raise my rent (I had an 8 month lease so they were gonna raise it after it ended..)... Adding insult to idiot, the parking ramp raised their rent too.. So basically I had to move out or start working the corner.. I tried that for a bit, but my pimp said that I was a disgrace to the shoes and told me to go home... Guess it's time to find a new place to live..

.: I pulled out the good old moving play book that I've created.. Flipped to the chapter on "In Town Moves" and started looking for new places. After looking at a couple spots, I found one that was in the right neighborhood, big enough, and cheap enough.. Called up the owners and...... it was rented already.. Looked through their website again and found another place... Went to check it out.. Looked ok.. Called them up again and they said they could send someone out there tomorrow... Tomorrow? really? I'm outside the place, it's only 4pm... Hurray real estate peeps working banker's hours... So I came back the next day... And waited.. and waited.. 10 minutes late, the person shows up... and then doesn't have the keys to the house................

*coughs*

.: Seriously? You forgot the keys? Alright... Make an appointment for the next day? sure.. Why not.. Now I'm curious about this place... My interests have peeked... So I came back.. Wow.. glad I did.. This 2 bed, 2 bath, walk-in closet, wood fireplace, 1200 sq foot apt was in my price range.. It has a garage and street parking.. this is important to me cuz I was thinking of getting rid of my car. It was costing to much to park it..

.: I filled out the application and turned it in.. Got a call the next business day saying I could move in.. When do we sign the lease.. blah blah blah.. Hurray.. I have somewhere to go.. Started packing my apt and I move Wednesday the 20th... Sweeet!

.: I'd post photos, but my camera battery wasn't charged when I went the third time.. I'll post pics soon though..