This goes way back to 2004… We often refer to the story as “Hold my beer, and watch this!” Happy Father’s Day Dad!!!
My husband bought a mini-bike for the boys a few years ago. Little 2HP thing, and I made sure the boys always wore a helmet, and they enjoyed doing laps around our back yard (insert Mom’s worried sigh here). The bike is used and old and after a few months it wouldn’t run right anymore. Uncle Pete came to town for a visit and next thing you know, I’ve got a mini-monster garage going on out back (insert a Mom’s eye-roll here) – they proceeded to remove the 2 horse power motor and replaced it with a 6 horse power motor (Insert Uncle Pete’s famous quote “It’s for the Children….” here).
For the non-horse-power initiated, most go carts run off or 4 horse power motors – so yes, this mini-bike is hell bent for disaster (insert Mom shaking her head here, going to check that the health insurance is all set). Dave and the boys have been riding this thing around for a few weeks now – with the helmet, and with the knowledge that this mini-bike can go really fast. Jeff is pretty cautious on it, but Eric loves spinning the rear tire in the dirt as he is running his laps – and giggles the whole time.
Flash forward to last night. Dad just arrived in town with all of his belongings packed in a yellow rental truck. Dave shows Dad the new and improved toy, shows Dad how the tire spins (insert Male snickering here) and proceeds to hand the mini-bike over for a spin. That is where this whole thing goes wrong. (Insert Male Ego here) Dad takes a slow loop around the back yard, comes back and says “I think the clutch is slipping”. Dave says “It’s a centrifugal clutch” (whatever that means), then Dad takes off again – only this time I see him pull the throttle wide open – the rest occurs in slow motion… The front wheel starts wavering, the handle bars start jerking wildly right and left and right – then I watch in complete horror as my Dear Old Dad goes flying over the handlebars and tumbles a few times into the grass. He starts fumbling around for his glasses and notices a burn from the exhaust on his leg, but other than that he is fine (why didn’t I have a camera rolling?).
What is it about men and the need to take themselves to the brink? I think my Dad has lost it for getting on that thing and cranking the throttle wide open, but then I think – DAVE! The last thing you want in your life is my Dad living on our couch for three months with his leg in a cast!!!!! I am thanking God for a happy ending to this one!!!!!!!!!! What does Dave say about this? He now has a new respect for my Dad!? What’s a lady to do?
