Milestones

About one year ago, something happen to me, and my dog Sam. Actually it was one year ago yesterday! We had a birthday. I know, hard to believe, but we did. And guess what happened yesterday? We had another one! Pretty strange how that happens, huh? Sammy is 13, and I turned, well a little older than Sam.

I remember someone complaining about having birthdays, getting older and all of that jazz. I looked at her and said that there are a lot of people in the cemetery, who would give anything to have just one more birthday. She stopped complaining.

This is the awesome cake G made for Sam & I. It was yellow cake, chocolate frosting with dinosaur sprinkles on it. My favorite! Amongst all of the other cool stuff I received for birthday gifts, the coolest was the collectors edition 2-disc DVD set of all of the Droopy cartoons that G got me. I of course had to watch them all, before we went out to In-Play last night, and play video games, air-hockey and all of the driving simulation games!

Went for a ride this am, 2 hours at 185 watts. What does that mean? I am getting stronger on the bike. No where near what I was, but time takes time, I always say. I was cruising along, and sometimes felt like my chain was missing! It was a great ride. I need some more mental doughnuts like that.

Oh, Happy (belated) Father's Day to all of the Dad's out there. The Boyz & I celebrated, and they made me this banner to show their appreciation for their # 1 Dad!

Revenge, by any other name is still revenge

Still riding, shooting for 5x per week. I had some time on Tuesday, so I decided to join my old Vision Quest Coaching buddies for their ride, in the middle of no-wheres-ville. Stan-O, Michaelson, The Badger & Myself took off for a casual warm up, and some speed work, when BLAM! My rear derailleur cable snapped, and I was out of commission. Live to fight another day, head back to the car, go home and spend the evening fixing the machine.

I decided to ride with the boys on Wednesday. The Badger, still licking his wounds from the humiliating whooping I threw on him last week decides that he shall get his revenge on The Turtle. Of course, the only way he can do this is through aero-advantages with his bike, defying physics, slicing through the air like a knife, also known as cheating (on a training ride that is).

He shows up on the ride with this machine. Every aero advantage that money can buy, disc wheel, aero bars, deep dish front wheel, 15 lbs of FAST!

This is what my bike looks like next to his.

Needless to say, The Turtle was sent several "pain-o-grams" issued by The Badger himself. I was dropped off the group several times, only to be picked back up, and dropped again, like they do in Professional Wrestling. I tried to stick to The Badgers wheel like glue. He would look back, smile at me with that badger grin, and then go harder. I could hear him laugh under his breath, as he heard my heart pounding about 200 beats per minute, hanging on for dear life, legs throbbing like a hangover headache.

At a stop, I mentioned to him that "you must really be enjoying this, huh" and his response was something to the effect of "what? were we going that hard? I didn't notice"

Turtle = Licking Wounds

Badger = Revenge on The Turtle

8 Days a Week

Accomplished something that I have not done since September of 2006. I rode 5 days last week, and working on riding 5 days this week, 3 down so far, two to go. I plan on riding with my friend Robert this afternoon, then tomorrow am. Did 165 miles last week, and hope to get in about 145 this week. Nothing major here, but miles are miles, and they help clear the voices in my head who tell me to stay home, and play with Sam. (Oh, that really is Sam telling me that, and I thought I was crazy)

Had to go see Dr. Maxey yesterday am for another cortisone shot in my right butt cheek. This means that I get to see my favorite nurse in the whole world, Nurse Barb.

She was surprised to see me, as she thought the restraining orders she had taken out on me does not allow me within 1500 feet, BUT, being the resourceful turtle that I am, I contacted my attorney friends and found a loophole. The restraining orders do not cover "necessary medical treatments", ie: trips to see Dr. Maxey! Viola! Were in business. It's not my fault that Nurse Barb just happens to be Dr. Maxey's nurse, right?

We discuss the shot, chit chat etc. and I said that my file is looking pretty thin there on the desk. She explains that the rest of the 8" thick file is outside on the door, which includes copy's of all the restraining orders, legal paperwork etc. Oh well........

Nurse Barb, being the athletic type, is running in the annual Steamboat Classic next weekend in Peoria. 15K of hills & torture. Good luck to her, as she has placed 2nd in her age group, and hopefully she will pull off a "V" this time.

Dr. Maxey comes in, slaps on the gloves, instructs me to drop the drawers, pull the scoobs back, and he says " you ready? this may hurt a little" as he stick what seems like 6 feet of needle in my butt, right where the two metal rods intersect inside the femur & pelvis, and injects. Over, done!

While there, I stopped in to see my old Physical Therapist, PT Steve as Square Jane was off for the day. I miss all of those people, but not NEAR enough to see them on a professional basis.

I hope to keep on my riding schedule, even if it is slow miles, you have to start somewhere I guess.