A new schedule for living...

Now that I'm about to embark on the Citizens Hospital job, I'll work a different schedule than Coosa. No more mornings to either sleep in or go hike or ride. Instead I'll have evenings after 7pm more or less and after 4pm on weekends. I am thinking I could resume karate for a time to rebuild flexibility and strength. I don't know if the lesson structure would be worthwhile to do that given the dojo's predilection for talking and ranting. They waste a  lot of time we could be working out. So I've given thought to the 24/7 workout place.This would also be a good time to enforce a good diet plan. I also want to continue to study.

Citizens Hospital

So after 15 years I'm making a change. The continued warning signals about cash flow and other considerations have forced me to pursue a position at another hospital. It seems the best thing to do considering my need for a secure work situation. With my age being over 60, I didn't want to wait for things to fail and have to go into a potentially saturated job market hoping to score a spot somewhere. So now I have a new position. Time will tell.

NO Half Marathon

After being dissuaded from going up Friday to get packet, I had to go this morning. Once we got up, I made the drive through a lot of traffic to get to the Boutwell Auditorium only to find the Kid's Marathon in full swing. Traffic was bumper to bumper. No where to park within many blocks of it. With time approaching 11am, I knew I'd need to get home in time to prepare for work. I thought it best to just abandon the event. With some regret, I won't be running Mercedes anymore. But I will probably get up and do the 13.1 anyway if not Sunday, then Monday to culminate my training. Then it is on to bicycles and hiking.

This morning I went out and did 11 of the miles within the time limit I allowed to do it before coming to work. I'm considering this enough especially since it rained on me most of the time and I was squishing along in my socks. Time to move on to the next phase of cycling and hiking to be ready for spring and summer.

100 days

I am in need of some standard to create a mark in time to aim for. It has been a difficult season to curb my appetites and get on track with my weight loss. Despite trying to do training for a half marathon, I've felt very tired and sore and unable to get my self under control. Perhaps by setting this date I can create a focus for my effort. It is nearly the right length of time to prepare for hiking this spring. I'd need the weight loss to do well.

Release

At Dr. Tropeano's today. He gave me the go ahead to PT myself and slowly build back strength. He said the arm looked good and I'm doing well with my recovery. So I can move forward from this point toward my normal activities.

F4 Crash site....

Bev's little quilting group got some bad news. Holston Presbyterian Retreat Center has gone up on the prices to the point they have to find a new location. They decided to try a Spring trip to Crosby Tennessee where a lady with a quilt shop has rooms they can rent cheaply. Since it is in the shadow of the GSMNP, I began looking for some hiking trails to travel. Lucky for me there is a campsite nearby with several trail heads there. As I began to examine maps and descriptions of trail loops, I saw a F4 wreckage mentioned. The year 1984 is mentioned. Then I read David Greggs name. Wow. I had always thought that the site was up in the middle of the park near Turkey Knob. I took a moment to reflect on that loss back in 2001 when we hiked up there on the Appalachian Trail. So I have a destination set. I've asked Mitchell if he'd like to come. Maybe weather will be right in April.

 Description:
I ended up hiking up this small peak twice that day. Once because I have trouble sitting and the others in the group were eating and I found the small undeveloped trail to grab the point; and second time at the end of the day, because one of our teammates (Ken Oeser) explained that there was scattered plane wreckage all over the area. Indeed, most of the wreckage was found along the knob as well as some very large parts in the creek bed below. There were two routes up this small knob - both found no more than a 0.1 mile past the junction with the AT and Snake Den Ridge Trail. The first is steepest and at the plane crash site where wreckage is in the creek below. The path is obvious steep and to the right of a large rock. The second is further upslope on the AT and on the right where an obvious opening in the woods is seen and once you go in you will see yellow plastic electrical wire holders nailed into the trees and then head upslope on the herd trail. Wreckage is everywhere.

Update: I've changed jobs and won't be able to go that week. Also, Mitch wants to do it in the Fall which might be problematic.

Ruptured Distal Biceps Tendon

What else is there to say. Another tendon rupture. Looking at surgery and 6 months of healing, at least.