Being healthy can be hazardous to your health [link goes to a photo w/ some blood visible] →[More:] I ride my bicycle with a group of folks that ride on Wednesday and Sunday nights. The group is about three and a half years old, and for about three years, there was only one case of someone who fell off the bike and got hurt.

Then toward the end of the summer, some guy joined our pub crawl ride at the first stop who was already drunk. He went bombing down a hill on his crappy mountain bike and it started shimmying until it threw him off. It was the first time we had to call an ambulance. Verdict: Broken collar bone, mild concussion (he was out cold for about a minute... no helmet).

Then Linda (see link) hit a speed bump funny and went down, opening up a pretty good gash. Yeah, that's really her blood on the pavement, but she still had enough sense of humor about it to pose after the paramedics left. She's a serious mountain biker, so a little blood is par for the course (although not usual when she's riding on the streets in her work clothes).

Last night, though, was downright scary. Mary, one of the founding members of the group, hit a crack in the pavement that took her down before she could react. Fortunately, she *was* wearing a helmet, which broke into several pieces. The scary part was that she was knocked cold and was out for several minutes. In the practice of our little club, three or four people stayed behind to attend to her and wait for the ambulance, but the rest of us went on with the ride. When we left, she was still unconscious. Those who stayed behind said she came to while the ambulance was there and she was transported to the hospital. She was kept overnight at the hospital. The verdict was a concussion and brain bruise. A CAT scan this morning showed the brain swelling was gone and they sent her home.

We do this to have fun, but lately it seems like we are cursed. The first guy had no right riding with our group but he snuck in. The second two, though, were experienced riders that in a moment's inattention had some pretty bad falls.

It's scary.