A good week for riding...

42 days to Safari. This has been a very good riding week. Bev and I have ridden most every day except Wednesday and I got in a very nice ride of 30 miles with Richmond and Paul. Today's ride went up to Sycamore. Sara and Melissa were going to do a 50 mile loop. Denis, Josh, Jake and Eric went off on about a 30 miler. When we left from the bike shop they were far ahead. It didn't take long to reel them in. Sara got close on the uphill into Sycamore. I saw her coming so I dropped the hammer and left her behind. My legs are getting some strength back. Not quite up to last summer, but getting there.

We are also counting down to the AHTC at Cheaha. That should be fun too. Then there is the Alabama Tandem Weekend. That might be a chance to meet some people to do some tandem rides with. Since we have no folks up here who ride and no one we think might ever get involved, we would be lucky to find some folks who might meet us for rides.

I can really feel the heavy weight of the old tandem lately. I am thinking about how light a new Trek 2000 or a Cannondale would be. When Bev has lost down to her target weight the only way to make further gain will be with a better bike. It might be nice to have STI shifting and good brakes.

Maxwell Atticus Simon

Welcome to planet Earth. The little fellow weighed in at 8lbs 2 oz and 20 inches. I don't think he appreciates the attention he was getting at the moment. This was apparently during his weighing in and bath time. This is the time that they stick the heel for some blood work. Poor little fellow. It doesn't get much better for us. The Buddha said, "life is suffering." Ain't it the truth! But there will be some pretty nice moments. Witnessing the miracle of new life is one of the better ones. I am glad to see some males coming to the family. All those years outnumbered by the women of the house have taken a toll. Now maybe we can see some manly influence for a change.

Spock

Spock is my favorite character in all fiction. A character who bridged the gap between two worlds and faced disdain from each. Who strove for excellence and exemplified strength, character, intelligence, and control. His nearly emotionless demeanor was a perfect foil for those who would attempt to intimidate or insult him. It was a style I would endeavor to imitate to thwart those attempting to insult, demean, or scare me in my own young life. I bought this little figure to remind me to guard against letting my defenses down and allowing emotional hurt to strike me. But I doubt my recollection of Spock will work for me again. It was the last gift from my past. Perhaps I will find another reservoir of strength.

There is an African proverb that says "when death finds you, may it find you alive".

On July 31st, I died.... After having several weeks of discomfort in my neck and jawline, I made an appointment to see my PCP to determine what was going on. The consensus seemed to center around a gall bladder problem. But he suggested that we should rule out cardiac. Once I got over to the hospital, I had a wait of 20 minutes or more before I was sent up to my room. Immediately I was taken for a chest x-ray. Once I got back I saw my nurse and the lab tech were there and I lay down to let her get the blood. As I leaned back, I felt a wave of nausea and everything went quiet and dark. I became aware again after a short period of time, I'm unsure how long. and from there it was a lengthy process to be transported to Grandview where I received a heart catherization and ultimately, bypass grafts. It was literally like hitting the off switch on your computer.

diddlee

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