Lawnmower Man.

So it's been one of those crazy weeks. Of course. It's two weeks until new student orientation, which is of course when everything goes absolutely nuts.

Monday the N-boy was on the way up to campus to take me out for an iced coffee when he had an encounter with a lawnmower on his bike. Not just a little push mower, either, but one of those big industrial zero turn radius riding mowers. He was on the bike trail, preparing to pass said lawnmower when the driver (rider? operator? what does one call that person?) decided to abruptly turn left across the trail without looking first. Fail.

This is when the N-boy got lucky and his inclination towards over-preparedness paid off.

1. He was wearing his helmet. But he always wears his helmet so this might not count. 
2. He, as always, had strapped down every possible item in his bag. And secured the bag to his body.
3. He was riding his mountain bike, as compared to one of his other fixed gear bikes. 
4. Said mountain bike is the only bike he owns with actual brakes. 
5. We got his health insurance activated early since his Fulbright insurance ended the day he arrived back on U.S. soil. 

All of this meant that when he slammed on his brakes and flipped over his handle bars, landing on his left shoulder and yet miraculously not hitting his head on the hard cement path he wasn't seriously injured. His shoulder is very bruised and covered with abrasions, his left hand is cut up and swollen, his knee is banged up and he is quite sore overall. But he didn't get a concussion, he didn't break any bones and he didn't slide under the lawnmower and its spinning blade of terror.

My favorite part of this story, however, is the part where he arrived at my office, pulls me into the hallway and while holding his injured arm against his side tells me he is going to need to go to Health Services after we get coffee because he was in an accident. And then starts to walk toward Starbucks. Sigh. Boys. He was summarily redirected and eventually given a green light by the nurse to go home to apply lots of ice and Advil.

I helped by bandaging his hand. My tendency to go overboard is one reason I'm not a nurse.