Smoothing out the wrinkles:
Lines on the face, lines on the road, paths to follow. Take the woody path with creepy eyes and webs that cling or take the easy appearing one.
Take your pick really. Either way. you always end up seem to find yourself wading thru an absolute quagmire without waders.
I still don't have my new tyre, the whole bike needs a service as well. The ol girl runs well down the road these days, but I would like a change. Well she's not that old really, brand new she was for a while and then I got the phone call, 4500k on the clock.
A bit of a story, but lets just say that an unlicenced rider was hooting down the road on my brand new bike.
Ripping it round the corners and did the nasty. Missed a tree by a fraction. Bounce bounce, man/bike boinges off fence posts and the like and bounces some more.
There wasn't quite blood n guts all over the road, but there was a compound fracture to be had, witnesses and a copper leaning over an anguished pained face looking for a breath test.
4 months later, the fellow is kinda fixed, but the pin they stuck in his arm snapped 6 weeks later. Got 3 elbows now, The bike is fixed after great expence, I woulda got a new one - but I didn't, only the bills to pay then. A friend helped me out considerably.
These days when I see that copper who's still in this town, I don't know what I get the horrors from most.
The call out from the kids to tell me there's a policeman wanting to see me.
the fact that I greeted him in quite disgusting pyjamas on a Saturday morning while I was giving myself a mudpack.
The fact that the man was scared stiff in his pain while the ambos cut off his jacket - of an angry woman. ME
and that once I'd quit weeping on the step that I had to call the cops and begin to sort out the mess, and the greeting I was, "Oh, yes you're the wife - you're the one" - I still don't know what he had told them, but it's a pretty good bet that he knew he had earned himself a mightily angry woman at home.
And the truth is, once I'd found out from the copper on my door step that the said victim was going to survive, I was angry to be sure. I probably said something along the lines "I'm gonna kill him". So that went back to the station, and I was known.
I sat there on the step for a bit longer once the policeman had left and told me the news. Well I sat there for about 3 hours I think, and didn't get myself to the hospital with clothes n the like for another 6 hours later, didn't seem much point to go earlier as he was in surgery, rang the hospital, and even the hospital knew that I was a mean bitch. Quick trips, had work to get to and kids to look after.
3 days later I cleaned out the bag from the hospital, and absolutely freaked out pulling out all the empty packets of stuff from the ambos, wads, syringes, stuffing, blood soaked. They'd stuffed it all inside his helmet, once they got it off.
So 3 days earlier I sat there on the step that day. and cried over lotsa spilt milk.
I cried moreso, rather than any dedication to him, the fact that I had 2 young men here that I was once again put into a position to care for, and they were more important than he.
I cried that foolishness got him in such shit. I cried cause I felt bad about the anger I felt that he hadn't listened, that everything I'd worked hard for was put in such disregard and that ultimately there was such a lack of respect about what I had worked for to achieve, that he thought it was ok to just go and tear her around the corners without any thought. When I'd asked him not to ride my bike, and here he was, with a shattered arm, kids at home asking, employers to answer to, a dispointed woman @ home. Love to give, but not to burn.
And that was the crux, a lot of things came to a big turning point from then on in.
It took a while to work out. A few months to be sure, Bad arguements, lots of yelling, a turning point of what knowledge we had to offer to each other, deepest of friendships, love and limits.
We kept the neighbours entertained for quite some time most likely. Till we came to a mutual agreement and then the healing process began.
I still havn't quite worked out since if we were both just damned lazy to leave and pull the pin completely. Or the fact that we've just known each other for so long now that parting would be more painful.
One thing, well 2 really. I am most certainly glad that our agreement has stood the test of time so far, and the second that I raved and raved about the certainty of wearing decent gear on any bike.
He throws 'like a girl' now, so he says. But thats his problem. If he weren't wearing it, he could've lost his whole right arm. These days bone has grown over the whole wound, busted plate n all, he has a hard knot of calcium over the break and another dirty great scar, physically and a lifetime lesson to wear for us both.

Discussions last night with the elder of the lads. Problems at school, dedication lacking. Hasn't come to the conclusion yet, or the realisation or to be able to tell the difference between work and playtime.
Or perhaps to realise the value of education.
He's pulling the same arguements now that I think of it. the 'not understanding' one. Which was a pretty similar one that I attempted to pull on my ol man. As I recall it didn't work either.
The ultimatem was that he has a week to get his act together after too long of cojoling from working parents. Time to wise up. Childhood is over.

Tomorrow is another day, and I hope it will be a good one, Im looking forward to a just getting on with life and enjoying days that are mine. Sorting out the gear earlier and working on a banner, back to the loft to cut out the next stage of this template. There's a big bag full of fabric that hasn't taken to the sky yet. got line ordered, but I want to get this one up this weekend. Need to find my gloves - in buggy bag.
Yep, season is starting and I do have to get going, chipping away at it.

I wonder if that young fella will call that I met last weekend, will he be curious enough. He wants to get a line set, damn that will set him back somewhat.
But the beach is looking clear, time to head over to the BOM site, which is a big blank tonight.
well it should be S.E this time of year, trades kick in most likely, if the weather isn't haywire from climate change.
Time to get some kites in the air. (and drag along a complaining lad to to help me out.)