Depending on who I was talking to, I told different lies about my black eye. I told different lies to people at the same parties or at work. That made it very fun.

1) I told my bosses I got in a barfight for some reason. "Felipe mouthed off and I had no choice but to get involved. I didnt' want to, but it happened".

2) Closest to the truth: Central Park road race. The newbie in front of me hit his brakes and I crashed into him. Definitely wasn't my fault.

3) "I was in a Brooklyn Critical Mass. I didn't think they were arresting people out there, but apparently they are. The cop yanked me off my bike and threw me to the ground. Spent the night in jail. I've totally got a lawsuit on my hands." (I had a 15 minute conversation about it with a friend who DID spend the night in jail for mouthing off to a cop once. Never did he think I was full of it.)

4) Best one: I was in a deli buying some beer, and this dude comes in and sticks up the guy at the counter. He clocks me across the face, shoves me into a wall, and runs away with the money.

Occassionaly, I'd tell all three stories to people at the same place, then have to tell it a fourth time when everyone was around. "I thought you were in a barfight?" "I thought you got arrested at Critical Mass?" Yeah, actually, I got drunk & fell off my bike.