stupidity

yesterday marked 1 year since i got doored by a car riding home from work. i fell off my bike again yesterday but this time it was my own stupid fault. i was expecting a call and my mobile started ringing in my back pocket as i was riding. i tried to break, pull over to the curb and pull my phone out of my pocket all at the same time (not sure what i was thinking-- too much i think). so i ended up on the pavement (more embarrassing the painful at the time). i bent my rear derailleur though (so the gears don't change right and i keep having to bend it back out away from the wheels so i doesn't hit the spokes). i think i'll be making a trip to the bike shop in the next week. i've got a big purple bruise on my knee now and a cut on my hand and my neck is tight again (and i ended up missing the call). its my own fault though (that'll teach me). on the way back home i almost got hit by a car that was NOT my fault. the woman was at a stop light in the lane going straight. i was going to go straight too so i was coming up along the right side of the left turning lane (note to north americans: i'm on the other side of the road here). the woman decided just as i was passing her that she wanted to change into the left turning lane and proceeded to do so without making sure the lane was actually clear. i managed to swerve out of the way and glare back at her, a little shook up. i proceeded to the front of the straight lane and then bumped into a sideview mirror of a taxi (i was a little shaken from the incident). next year december 19th is gonna be a bike free day for me.

this video (which has nothing to do with the above story) is a training thing i decided to test out on wombat to try to get her a bit less agressive and curious about other dogs. i downloaded a dog barking sound and played it a few times. she growled the first time and i scolded her. i think this video is the 3rd time thru. now she just lays down and lifts her ears.