Sometimes it sucks to be me. Need proof?
I can't even ride a go-cart without risking life and limb. Here's the story...
My buddy Tim bought a second-hand "yard cart" at the flea market the weekend before last for $150. It's basically the same kind of cart you'd find at mini golf courses and fun parks all over the country...only this one has had its original 3 and a half horsepower engine replaced with a 6 horsepower relative monster. It had no brakes and the chain kept jumping off, but Tim is one of those guys who can't resist a good "project."
So for most of last week, we tinkered. We thought we had most of the "bugs" out of it, but it still needed testing. And I didn't earn my reputation as a human crash-test dummy for nothing...
So last Wednesday I was driving it around the block. Everything was going well (or so I thought), so I decided to have a little fun with it while I was coming down the rather steep hill back to the house...a move that soon proved to be pretty stupid on my part. A bearing unexpectedly broke in the rear wheel, sending me careening headlong into a rock-strewn drainage ditch. Luckily, the cart took far more damage than I did. The steering knuckle snapped in half and the steering shaft was bent in the impact, while I escaped with only a few scrapes and bruises...plus a severely bruised groin where I caught the steering stabilizer in a rather, ahem, sensitive area, and a most unfortunate drug-resistant staph infection that found a scratch on my right leg to be a quite comfortable place to settle down and start a family.
So, for the rest of the week (and part of this week as well), I got an unexpected "vacation" from work. I was also loopy from all the fun painkillers and antibiotics the doctors at Urgent Care chose to prescribe for me. Otherwise, I was walking a bit funny (and being very careful about how I sat down) while I helped Tim rebuild his cart. All told, it could've been a lot worse. Tim and I are already laughing about the whole experience.
And no, I'm not going to post pictures.
I can't even ride a go-cart without risking life and limb. Here's the story...
My buddy Tim bought a second-hand "yard cart" at the flea market the weekend before last for $150. It's basically the same kind of cart you'd find at mini golf courses and fun parks all over the country...only this one has had its original 3 and a half horsepower engine replaced with a 6 horsepower relative monster. It had no brakes and the chain kept jumping off, but Tim is one of those guys who can't resist a good "project."
So for most of last week, we tinkered. We thought we had most of the "bugs" out of it, but it still needed testing. And I didn't earn my reputation as a human crash-test dummy for nothing...
So last Wednesday I was driving it around the block. Everything was going well (or so I thought), so I decided to have a little fun with it while I was coming down the rather steep hill back to the house...a move that soon proved to be pretty stupid on my part. A bearing unexpectedly broke in the rear wheel, sending me careening headlong into a rock-strewn drainage ditch. Luckily, the cart took far more damage than I did. The steering knuckle snapped in half and the steering shaft was bent in the impact, while I escaped with only a few scrapes and bruises...plus a severely bruised groin where I caught the steering stabilizer in a rather, ahem, sensitive area, and a most unfortunate drug-resistant staph infection that found a scratch on my right leg to be a quite comfortable place to settle down and start a family.
So, for the rest of the week (and part of this week as well), I got an unexpected "vacation" from work. I was also loopy from all the fun painkillers and antibiotics the doctors at Urgent Care chose to prescribe for me. Otherwise, I was walking a bit funny (and being very careful about how I sat down) while I helped Tim rebuild his cart. All told, it could've been a lot worse. Tim and I are already laughing about the whole experience.
And no, I'm not going to post pictures.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
Yah, we feel each other on the money issue. I've had to cancel my plans this weekend so I can work instead....so I probably won't even go to the parade.