BMW Offroad School "incident"

 Our "enduro" bikes are primarily road bikes but also capable of modest off-road travel with riders of sufficient skill. To gain those skills we enrolled in the highly regarded two-day BMW Performance Center off-road motorcycle training in Greer, South Carolina. There, riding school bikes similar to our own, we would learn how to negotiate trails, sand, gravel, hills, ruts, and rocks. And to add to the fun, four other friends from our local "BMW gang" signed up as well.

Most of the first day went well, and all of us gained knowledge, skill, and confidence. We all took a few falls, of course, but that's part of learning and our gear prevented any injuries. ... until
in the mid afternoon, Bettie caught a bad mud patch on a slope, spun out, corrected, then fell as the bike headed for a fence. Dejas vu all over again: the bike landed on her leg (same one), this time breaking the distal fibula and tearing the ligament. So back to Houston, to surgical repair, and now she is on crutches for a couple more weeks.

A dollar bet won by the Texans from the instructor

An old joke goes "Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?" Well, we actually did enjoy the experience in spite of the injury. Later as I was on the phone describing the mishap to a couple of friends, one a psychiatrist and the other a psychologist, I could well imagine them trying to decide exactly which section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual applied to our particular psychopathy, and perhaps you are pondering a similar question. Why subject ourselves to this risk and damage? I can philosophize about the need to accept  life's risks etc etc but that will be unpersuasive for non-motorcyclists and for motorcyclists, unnecessary. Suffice it to say Bettie and I are eagerly waiting the time when she can get back on her bike and we can again be off. Our plans are to ride to Arizona this April and see the Grand Canyon, including a ride down to Phantom Ranch (this last on mules, not motorcycles).