Wednesday, September 3, 2008

A boring report of slow progress - and a really exciting link

First, I get a tiny bit better each day. I can take a shower unassisted, meaning I can get my hurt leg over the side of the tub and slide my bottom over onto a plastic chair in the tub, then use a hand-held, Euro-style shower head and get clean. It's a thrill - to me.

I'm getting range-of-motion back in my knee and my hand, but it's slow. My therapists do a house call or two a week. I do my exercises and watch more CNN than is good for me. I'm Wolf'd half to death.

As this is written, the Republican Nat'l Convention is happening in the Twin Cities. My nephew Nick lives there but sent me this marvelous link to the web site of a Denver-based bicycle racing team, Garmin-Chipotle. I live here but I'd have missed this. Thanks, Nick!

Last week as you'll recall, the Democratic Nat'l Convention brought those shady tax-'n'-spend lefties to Denver. Jonathan Vaughters, prime mover of the Garmin-Chipotle team, our American team based here in the Mile-High City, had a chance to ride with one of the Democrat heavies.

He's 65, he fits into racer-cut medium jersey and shorts, he can ride a bike set up for a pro, and I'm proud to say I voted for him. Maybe he really won in '04. Both presidential candidates ride bikes. Maybe they should have sprinted it out, one on one, after 50 rolling miles...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://smithersmpls.com/

Thanks to local Minneapolis blogger extraoridaire, Smithers!

We were real close to having a prez who shaves his legs! Har.

Anonymous said...

Hey, there.

Get better fast and keep writing.

Last year I broke my collarbone, also all by myself and badly enough to require surgery to make the ends knit so I would not have back pain and also be able to ride again.

Thankfully I was up and riding within about 4-5 weeks. And a year later completed the D2R2 100K ride without pain (I'm still a slow rider).

http://www.franklinlandtrust.org/epicride.htm
I wiped out on a small-wheel folder once too.
Something about sharp turns and leaning that didn't work with that geometry and the small wheels. But that was just scrapes.


So... hang in there!

You'll be on the moto and bike soon.

Maynard said...

If you didn't do so, please click on the link in Ray's comment and read the ride promoter's warning about the D2R2 ride Ray finished after he healed. I believe the 40-miler would do just fine for me...

We live near Mt. Evans, an interminable climb. The 116mi event at D2R2 involves as much climbing as TWO Mt. Evans ascents...

Sjb said...

of your mishap. I've been more involved with medicine than I'd wish this summer. My leukemia had progressed to the point where the docs recommended treatment. I've got 5 of 6 rounds of chemo finished and I'm having a good response. Unfortunately, treatment doesn't cure this cancer, just keeps it knocked down for a while. Oddly, I still have yet to feel ill from this disease. The day before I started treatment we rode to Molino Basin, later, I found out my hemoglobin was only 10 on that ride. Its amazing how a body can adapt. Hope you recover quickly.

Steve
Tucson