Had a most comically tragic half-hour this evening. Biking through White Plaza on my way back from Green to dinner, there were about four bikes and three pedestrians trying to get through the same space at the same time. In particular, one guy coming from the opposite direction shaded left instead of right—perhaps remotely justifiable by the presence of another pair of people who would have been slightly inconvenienced by that move—around the woman who was in both of our paths; I'd gone right by default, but a little late because I was waiting for two other bikes to clear out.

I'm not sure about the physics of the collision, but I do know that I went over my handlebars and onto my side. Luckily, my head didn't even touch the ground, and my backpack and thick autumn-night clothes prevented any skin damage, so I gathered my wits and sat up after about half a minute to test out the joints and the bike.

I could stand without much problem, and the frame seemed intact, so I just realigned the handlebars (yay for hex wrenches in saddlebags!) and assumed I was good to go. Funnily enough, however, the wheels didn't turn. At first, I assumed the brakes had just been displaced, but then realized that both of my wheels were bent, and enough so to be a hindrance to even wheeling the bike home. So, I shouldered the 25-pound thing for the quarter-mile walk home. Through Braun, up Mayfield, and up the fantasically thigh-strengthening hill, wallowing in misery.

Since I got back late and needed to be at rehearsal by 7:30, my dinner consisted of ketchup-topped pasta. To ice that cake, there were no more forks left in the tray at the end of the dining room tables and I spilled a stray glass of water in reaching for a spoon.

Then I chatted with some good friends, took a warm shower, lost myself in obscure medieval texts and music, had a splendoriffic meeting/agenda-setting session with the Hornettes, and came home not long after 11 to my truly wonderful drawmates and a present on my desk.

Dysfunctional hip joint and all, a good day.