Sunday, August 29, 2010

It Hurts

Yes it hurts, it hurts a lot. My arm, the swelling's travelled down to my forearm.

I remember the first time I got stung by a wasp, I was in 2nd standard and as a 7 year old, knew enough to keep away from the sunny-wings. I'd seen "swollen" friends but the second hand experience couldn't prepare me for the time, I was waving at my friend at school and this aggressive beast landed on my fingers probably taking my waving hand as some kind of a threat, I tried to jerk it off but...POKE!!! EYEEEOOOWW!!! you freaking monster...Aw!! that hurt!!

Over the years, I've had near-sting experiences but somehow always managed to dodge the needle-ass. Till one day some 10years ago, I decided to throw all old books outta my room. I stacked up the books and took them out in sets (big sets). I held them in both hands and supported the stack on my chest and held them from above with my chin (some big stack eh). I kicked open the door without realizing that a couple of wacky-wasps were having a good time on the door. Rest is history, two wasps landed on my lips and decided to teach me a lesson I'd never forget and POKEY POKEY...YYYYEEEEOOWWW!!! up went the stack of books flying everywhere as the beasts flew away after doing their job. I ran to the bathroom to see the damage in front of a mirror. Pain was intense and shooting through my head, I could see my veins around my head pulsating from the adrenalin rush I'd just experienced. The freakin stinger was dancing in my lips and I swear I've never been so badly attacked on this part of my body (maybe apart from one other time but that wasn't a wasp...almost one). I roamed around for a few days with HUGE pouty lips and it was embarrassing. It was like every person I looked at, I was asking for a kiss!!! YEEOOOWW!!!

This year has broken all records though, I've been stung 4 times in 8 months. 3 of these occured at the same time. Some two months ago I was riding to my institute singing loudly on the bike, AH! what a beautiful morning it was till I rode through a dispersed swarm of very angry wasps. I though I'd dodged them till I felt a sharp pain on my neck near the larynx...yeow!! then another one below it...yeow!! then another on on my chest...YEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! WTF...I reached my lab in great pain till one of my labmated decided to rub the area with an iron ring (to remove the sting I guess). Stangely this one recovered by the evening with nothin more than a mild itch and redness.

But no reaction was as great as yesterday's (i guess the latest pain is always the most painful of all). It was another happy morning till a freakin stupid wasp banged into me, I was at high speed and didn't wanna react, I brushed it aside but it didn't go far, I landed on my bicep, close to my shoulder and through my shirt it stung me with a fury like I was her sworn enemy. This one planted it's sting pretty deep, I saw her sting me, she almost dug her whole ass into my flesh, as hard as she could, the shirt for her was non-existant, she wanted to punish me. It hurt so bad that I howled on the bike, it hurt so bad that I started laughin loudly swearing at the top of my voice. The stinger danced in my flesh for eternity and all the time I was on the bike, I laughed out loud (it seemed to ease the pain a bit and also helped me accept that I couldn't do anything else about it). It's been a day and a half and it still hurts. The area upto my wrist is swolled (that means the entire length of my inner arm). It's tender to touch as well and there a mixed sensation of pain and itch. Also there's pus formation on the exact area of the sting (I guess the sting is still buried in my flesh)

Oh This Hurts but not as badly as my heart!!! Why'd I grow up!

wobble wobble

Got fork gaitors (front fork covers) installed at the agency. These guys did a crappy job of fixing the shockers back on (they didn't tighten the screws equally and I didn't know abt it back then). Over a period of a few thousand kms, the front tyre got worn out unevenly. Wobbling developed and I couldn't figure what the reason was. I went mad at the new advice that every new mechanic would give me. I replaced swing arm bushes, got rear wheel balanced till the guy refused to entertain me anymore (he thought I had OCD...which I almost did), got sprockets replaced, got new rear tyres (got swindled in the process). I always looked at the rear for the reason and could've never believed that it was originating from the front wheel till it became really serious on one trip up the hills. I barely managed to get back home, such was the wobble and finally found that it was originating from the front. I got disc brakes checked, got new steering bearing and greased them and got a front tyre. After more than one year (and trust me a couple of thousands of rupees down the drain), I am riding a bike that doesn't wobble.

Tyres are a big problem if they aren't "fitted" properly and not all puncture-walas know that. The tyres can have inherent manufacturing defects in the sidewalls that make them uneven and cause wobbling.

Wobbling "can be" a very complicated issue (not always) and requires a double check of a many parts of the bike.