Survival
Dear Diary,
I made it through another week.
Actually it was all kind of a pissed off blur. I don’t remember what happened. I remember restoring another database. I remember setting up a couple more backup plans. We got a NAS. I immediately took half of it and started to dump non-critical backups on to it.
Today, I tried to hack the NAS. The network manager said I could play so long as I didn’t solder anything or destroy the firmware. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of entertainment! I could have downloaded a simple Linux kernel and tried to boot the device off of USB or plugged in a console and tried that method. <shrug> It’s not mine and it is so new there aren’t any published hacks for it yet. Everything online talks about the previous version which is very different from a hardware perspective.
For lunch, I went for a ride. Clackamas River Rd, South on 213 until I used up half of my lunch break. I turned around, took a few side roads, and returned to work about 5 minutes early. Nice ride and only 2 people tried to kill me.
The first was a GMC SUV while heading South on 213. I was slowing for the left turning cars 4 up in front of me. Immediately in front of me was a van and in front of that was a loaded logging truck. It should have been incredibly obvious that everyone was stopping. I was trying to pay attention to the van in front of me. When I look in my rear view mirror, before I have even stopped to wait all I could see was the SUV. Dumb son-of-a-bitch. He stopped at 2 feet from my rear wheel. I was on the left side of the lane about 3 feet from the center line, so he could have pulled to the right and easily missed me but noooo… Mr. Dumb-fuck had to track straight. The bastard did the same thing to me 3 more times before I managed to drop him in a four lane section. What a cock-knocker!
The next wunderkind turned left in front of me. (The most frequent cause of motorcycle accidents.) The road was a two lane state highway. I was traveling north. There was a road on my right side and a center turn lane for people heading south to get onto this East bound road. Got it. I’m riding about 300 yards behind a small pickup. In the on-coming turn lane is another SUV. The SUV turns in front of me. No problem. There’s plenty of room. But not for the asshole in the little car BEHIND the SUV who can’t see me. He pulls out without even looking! It was obvious he didn’t look because he slammed on his break and stopped in the middle of the fucking road. Great. I’m rolling off of 55, because I could see this coming. I have 4 options. Stop. I can turn right on to the road and try to make the 90 degree corner. I can try to shot through the remaining space between the fuck nugget and a car sitting at the stop sign on my right. Or I can go right and ride in the on-coming lane. Hmm… The DL doesn’t really like panic stops. I tend to lock the rear wheel when it unloads under heavy braking and the front end actually locks up and slides before the rear end can lift up. No stoppies for me. I don’t think I can make the right turn. I don’t have enough room to setup and if I miss I am plowing into a couple of cars, broadside. The gap in front of me might be wide enough, but then again the stupid fuck might close it. I continue to slow but choose to go right. I could see there wasn’t anyone coming for at least a 1/4 mile. Once I get past him, I accelerant and merge back into my lane.
A normal day on two wheels.
I ended up drinking a fruit Rockstar and having two donuts for lunch. Now I’m home just long enough for this cathartic release and to switch over to my truck. I need to be at the airport in about 30 minutes.
Once more into the breech…
<shrug>
