Skip to content
Menu
Justin Ball
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
Justin Ball

Ways to Not Make Use of Your Health Insurance – Cyclist vs. Rattlesnake

Posted on August 22, 2008November 1, 2021

Over the years I have seen a couple of bike wrecks. In one the rider’s frame was snapped in half and he took a LOT of skin off his back. It was a good thing he had a helmet. It cracked, but probably saved his head. The other wreck was the Cache Valley Century. At the end a couple of doctors I was riding with managed to bust up a rim pretty good, but came out ok.

I have long worried that someday my turn would come.

Today it did.

I am a pretty cautious rider. I don’t like wrecks. I don’t like hospitals. I don’t like needles. I don’t like surgery. I got a good dose of all of that today.

This morning I woke up early to go ride with Joel. I was debating taking arm warmers. They are extra bulk, but the cold (50 degrees I think) made me wear them. I was freezing, but you warm up when you ride. Turns out that today was a really good day to have them.

I like to ride with Joel. We chat about technology ideas, business ideas, and how those ideas relate to education. It was during just such a discussion that I missed the rattlesnake winding across the road in front of me.

I went right over the top of it. It isn’t the first time that I have hit a snake on my bike, but it was the first time that I hit one that big. It was two feet long and about an inch and a half in diameter.

Hitting the snake didn’t make me go down, but the feeling that something had just hit me in the back and settled in my jersey pocket sent me into an absolute panic. I tried to rip off my jersey and in so doing managed to run myself off the road. My knee caught the edge of the asphalt. The impact on the newly chip sealed road ripped my leg open. I was hoping for a scratch, but when I saw the inner working of my leg laid bare I was a bit ill and in shock.

The next steps went like this:

  1. What the crap do we do?
  2. Wash the wound with the water we had on hand.
  3. Look for something to wrap the wound. Today I was glad to have my arm warmers. I tied both around my leg. They make great bandages.
  4. Get help

Lucky for me Joel was there. There isn’t any cell phone reception in the canyon. He rode until he got reception and got help. Ironically, not a single car passed me the entire time I sat on the asphalt waiting. The thing that makes Black Smith Fork Canyon great – minimal traffic – also makes it a bit dangerous – no help is available at times.

Joel’s wife Julieanne and picked us up. Callie took me to the hospital and Joel was kind enough to hang out and offer help.

While we were hanging out doing the typical hospital wait for people to show up while your guts are laid bare all over the place we noticed an awful lot of armed police officers. On the way to the hospital we noticed that Zions bank was taped off. Sure enough a couple of guys tried to rob the place, got hurt, and we shared the ER with them.

I was hoping for a few stitches, but they called in an Orthopedic specialist and I found myself in surgery. That was fine with me. They put you out and so I didn’t have to watch them inject methyl blue into my knee or see them cut off the skin and stitch it all back together.

Today was probably my least favorite cycling day I ever. The snake and I both lost. I know because my health insurance and bank account are about to get a good workout and while waiting for help I had time to see the dead rattlesnake lying on the side of the road.

In a bit of irony the dr told me that my scar will be in the shape of an ‘S’. Maybe that will be an omen to tell the things to get off the road when i am coming.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Recent Posts

  • Around and Back to WordPress
  • Last Lagoon (This Year)
  • Logan Sunset
  • Grami Del
  • FanX (and Lagoon)

Recent Comments

  1. Around and Back to WordPress – Justin Ball on Gatsby 2.0 and Forestry
  2. More Stuff You Shouldn’t Hit on a Bike – Justin Ball on Why Cyclists Shave Their Legs. The Most Disgusting Post I Will Ever Make
  3. First Real Ride on the New Trek Madone 6.9 – Justin Ball on Rode Blacksmith Fork Canyon Tonight
  4. First ride up Black Smith Fork canyon this season – Justin Ball on Why Cyclists Shave Their Legs. The Most Disgusting Post I Will Ever Make
  5. How New Carpet and Rattlesnake turned me into a Consultant or What the Hell Happened? – Justin Ball on Why Cyclists Shave Their Legs. The Most Disgusting Post I Will Ever Make

Archives

  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • January 2020
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • February 2017
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • June 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005

Categories

  • 2.3.2
  • 3g
  • 3tera
  • 420
  • 51weeks
  • 64bit
  • accessibility
  • ActionView::MissingTemplate
  • activemerchant
  • ActiveRecord
  • activesalesforce
  • acts as taggable
  • acts_as_facebook_user
  • acts_as_nested_set
  • acts_as_state_machine
  • advertising
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • air quality
  • ajax
  • Alyssa
  • ama
  • amazon
  • amazon s3
  • amazon wishlist
  • amazon.com
  • ancestry
  • animal cookies
  • antshares
  • apache
  • API
  • apis
  • apollo
  • apollo client
  • apple
  • Apple Store
  • Apple Time Capsule
  • application
  • applications
  • Art
  • ASP.Net
  • assert_sent_email
  • asyncronous processing
  • Atomic Jolt
  • Aubrey
  • Authentication
  • authorize.net
  • Autumn
  • babelphish
  • back problems
  • backbone.js
  • backup software
  • backups
  • bacon
  • Battlestar Galactica
  • big companies
  • birthday.
  • bitcoin
  • black cherry vanilla coke
  • Black Smith Fork Canyon
  • blockchain
  • blog
  • Blogging
  • bluehost
  • books
  • BoomStartup
  • bread
  • buddypress
  • bug
  • bugs
  • business
  • business. mother's animal cookies
  • cache county
  • cache valley
  • California
  • Cancun
  • canvas
  • capistrano
  • Catholic Church
  • cereal
  • chauvet obey 40
  • checkbox list
  • checkboxes
  • chess
  • Chicago
  • china
  • chocolate
  • Christmas
  • Chrome
  • church
  • Cinderella
  • Cisco
  • cloud computing
  • cms
  • code generation
  • code sprint
  • coke
  • Comcast
  • commerce
  • Common Lisp
  • communities
  • Community
  • complex
  • Computers
  • conference
  • conference software
  • configuration
  • consulting
  • cookies
  • cooking
  • COSL
  • cosmos
  • count
  • courts
  • cows
  • create
  • creative commons
  • cryptocurrencies
  • cryptography
  • css animations
  • cucumber
  • currency
  • Cycling
  • database
  • dataloader
  • date
  • death
  • death ray
  • debugging
  • decentralized applications
  • dell dimension 8400
  • democray
  • deployment
  • developing
  • development
  • Devin
  • diet
  • digg
  • Digital Ocean
  • digital-photography
  • disease
  • disguise
  • disgusting
  • disney
  • disneyland
  • DiSo
  • disposable
  • DMX
  • Docker
  • domain name
  • domains
  • doom
  • dr strangelove
  • driving
  • Dryers
  • DVI
  • ec2
  • economics
  • economy
  • ecto
  • edge rails
  • Education
  • EFF
  • Egypt
  • ElasticSearch
  • elastra
  • elections
  • elixir
  • email
  • Ember
  • Ember.js
  • encoding
  • energy
  • engine yard
  • engines testing
  • engineyard
  • enterprise
  • epp
  • error
  • errors
  • ethereum
  • Event Machine
  • expercom
  • facebook
  • failure
  • Family
  • family history
  • family reunion
  • family search
  • family trip
  • Family Vacation
  • familysearch
  • familysearch.org
  • farmers market
  • fashion
  • fences
  • field trip
  • file uploads
  • Firebase
  • fireeagle
  • fix
  • flat tax
  • flowers
  • folksonomy
  • food
  • France iPad Internet access
  • free book
  • freedom
  • friendfeed
  • friends
  • fuel
  • Fun Stuff
  • funeral
  • Funny
  • funny kids
  • gadgets
  • galleries
  • gamenight
  • garden
  • gardens
  • garter snake
  • gatsby
  • gatsbyjs
  • gearsynper
  • geek
  • gelatin
  • gem
  • gems
  • gems ruby on rails
  • genealogy
  • genius
  • geocaching
  • geotagging
  • girl's camp
  • gistr
  • git
  • github
  • global
  • gmail
  • godaddy
  • Goliath
  • Google
  • google bomb
  • google docs
  • google hacks
  • Gorden B Hinckley
  • government
  • gps
  • grand master
  • grand-teton-national-park
  • graph ql
  • graphcool
  • graphql
  • graphqlsummit
  • great firewall
  • grocery
  • gross
  • group work
  • HABTM
  • Hacks
  • halloween
  • happy
  • has and belongs to many
  • has_many
  • hashgraph
  • Hawaii
  • health
  • health insurance
  • heirachy
  • Heirarchies
  • helps
  • Heroku
  • Holiday
  • home building
  • home improvement
  • home plans
  • homebrew
  • homework
  • hosting
  • house plans
  • House Stuff
  • housing
  • human rights
  • hyperledger
  • i18n
  • ice cream
  • icls2008
  • idaho
  • ideas
  • identity
  • identity_theft
  • iiw2006b
  • image
  • image processing
  • inbox
  • induglences
  • insane
  • inspiration
  • install
  • Instructure
  • Interesting
  • internet
  • Internet Explorer
  • InvalidAuthenticityToken
  • iPhone
  • jackson-hole
  • jamis buck
  • Javascript
  • JavaScript (Programming Language)
  • Javscript
  • Jenna
  • jeweler
  • jobs
  • joyent
  • jQuery
  • jungle disk
  • jurlp
  • justin ball
  • kids
  • knowledge workers
  • lambad
  • laptop case
  • launchup.org
  • lds
  • LDS church
  • learning
  • legal
  • Lego
  • legos
  • leopard
  • lesson
  • Levi Leipheimer
  • Liahona
  • library
  • life
  • lifestream
  • Links
  • litecoin
  • LMS
  • loans
  • localization
  • logan
  • Logan Canyon
  • logistics
  • logitech
  • LTI
  • lucene
  • lucene.net
  • Lucifer
  • luvfoo
  • mac
  • Mac OSX 10.6
  • Mac Ports
  • macbook
  • macbook pro
  • Maker
  • Maker Faire
  • manage
  • marginal changes
  • marion
  • marriage
  • Matt Mullenweg
  • me
  • medicine
  • Meetings
  • merb
  • Mexico
  • micro-blogging
  • microcontent
  • microformats
  • Microsoft
  • Middle East
  • migrations
  • mom
  • money
  • Monitor
  • morph
  • morph exchange
  • morphexchange
  • mortgage
  • mosso
  • motorcycle
  • mountain biking
  • Mountain West Javascript
  • Mountain West Ruby
  • mountain west ruby conference
  • mountainwestrubyconf
  • mozy
  • MRI
  • mtnwestrubyconf
  • muck
  • multi-user
  • music
  • mwjs
  • mwrc
  • mysql
  • mysql gem
  • MYTecC
  • Neat Stuff
  • neighbors
  • newgem
  • No Programming
  • node.js
  • nuclear weapons
  • nutcracker
  • Oahu
  • Oauth
  • oauth-plugin
  • Obama
  • Obie Fernandez
  • OER
  • OER Glue
  • olympic torch
  • olympics
  • omniauth
  • Open Assessments
  • open source
  • OpenContent
  • opened2007
  • OpenID
  • opensocial
  • optimism
  • ordered tree
  • oreos
  • osx
  • outdoors
  • outsourcing
  • ozmozr
  • pain
  • panasonic plasma
  • Paris
  • password recovery
  • payday lenders
  • paypal
  • pety
  • PGP
  • Phil Windley
  • photography
  • photoJAR
  • photos
  • php
  • pickle soup
  • pickup
  • piclens
  • Pictures
  • plasma tv
  • Playa Del Carmen
  • plugin
  • plugins
  • poinsettia
  • Political
  • politics
  • portablecontacts
  • PostGreSQL
  • PostGresSQL
  • poverty
  • privacy
  • problems
  • product: web
  • professional
  • Programming
  • Projects
  • prophet
  • protect_from_forgery
  • protests
  • prototype
  • psych
  • psychology
  • queue
  • rails
  • rails 2.0
  • rails conference
  • Rails I18n Textmate bundle
  • RailsConf
  • RailsConf07
  • rake
  • rant
  • react
  • react router
  • React.js
  • Reactive
  • reactjs
  • reactrouter
  • realestate
  • recipe
  • recommender
  • records
  • red green
  • redirect_to
  • regular expressions
  • relay
  • religion
  • render
  • replace
  • reputation
  • require.js
  • research
  • REST
  • restaurant
  • rFacebook
  • ridiculous
  • rightscale
  • ringside networks
  • river
  • river trail
  • robots
  • romantic
  • roomba
  • rpsec
  • rspec
  • rspec bundle
  • rss
  • ruby
  • Ruby On Rails
  • Ruby On Railst
  • ruby_on_rails
  • rvm
  • s3
  • sad
  • Salesforce
  • samsung ml1740
  • sarah sample
  • scalability
  • School
  • Science
  • scorm
  • scream
  • script.aculo.us
  • SDK
  • search
  • senate
  • SEO
  • serverless
  • servers
  • sessions
  • shopping
  • shortcodes
  • shoulda
  • sign language
  • simple
  • small business
  • snakes
  • Snelgrove
  • social graph
  • social media
  • social network dilution
  • social networking
  • social search
  • Social Software
  • socialsoftware
  • society2.0
  • soda
  • software
  • software design
  • Software Development
  • solidity
  • solo
  • soviet union
  • sovrin
  • sql
  • sql server
  • SQL Server 2005 Express
  • sql server 2008 express
  • starling
  • start ups
  • startups
  • starvation
  • stm bags
  • stm medium alley
  • storage
  • subversion
  • target
  • tax
  • Teachers Without Borders
  • tech
  • teeth whitening
  • template not foudn
  • templates
  • test-spec
  • testing
  • tests
  • textmate
  • thanksgiving point
  • The Japanese Mafia is controlling the weather
  • The Kids
  • The Plan Collection
  • The Web
  • theming skin
  • theplancollection
  • theplancollection.com
  • time
  • timr
  • tips
  • to_json
  • tools
  • Tour de France
  • transfer
  • translations
  • Travel
  • Travel, Disneyland, LA
  • trees
  • trip
  • truffles
  • tutorial
  • tutorials
  • tv
  • twitter
  • Uncategorized
  • uninsured
  • universe
  • unpack
  • unread
  • upgrades
  • uploader
  • uploads
  • user discovery
  • user interface
  • userfly
  • utah
  • utah government
  • utah senate
  • utf8
  • Vacation
  • values
  • vinegar
  • virtual hosts
  • walmart
  • warranty
  • Waste of Time
  • weather
  • Web
  • web design
  • web development
  • Web RTC
  • Web2.0
  • web2con2006
  • webservices
  • weddings
  • Wesley Connell
  • whereigo
  • wife
  • windows
  • Wired
  • wishlist
  • with
  • word press
  • Wordpress
  • work
  • workling
  • wpmu
  • xml
  • yeast
  • yellowstone
  • zentest
©2023 Justin Ball | Powered by SuperbThemes & WordPress