07/28/09: 9+ miles. No pics. Pedaled hard, sweated a lot. MANY dogs out w/ their owners tonight; all well behaved. Rode w/ J; today she brought home a new puppy of 6 wks and 2 days. J's 10 yo daughter named the puppy, Poochy (something Glory). Cute puppy. I do not have time in my life to care for a perpetual 2 yo "child". Animals never grow into caring for themselves. I don't buy arguments that cats come close. Close, but still no cigar. My kids wanted pets as they were growing up. Knowing that I'd become the caretaker for any pets I inquired whether they would like for us to afford snacks or pet food. They always opted for snacks. Whew! As they became teens and wanted pets I replied that their siblings were like pets - take them out for a walk. I know they each will have pets in their adult lives. And then they'll understand the position I held while they were young. I've told them that I'll gladly attend any of their therapy sessions where they want to tell me how I ruined their lives by not giving them pets as kids.

Sweat is good. Menopausal sweat is like a geyser spewing out of every pore of my skin! I cannot get the temp cool enough tonight. This too shall pass :-)

Today was a busy day. Took a pair of shoes to get a lift placed on the bottom. Repairman was out sick. They told me to return tomorrow. Took another pair of shoes to the hospital that places lifts onto shoes. Insurance pays for a specific number of shoes. No more than that specified # of shoes. Any more that I want modified I have to pay on my own. The repairman place is ~ $25 less than the hospital based place. He wins my personal business.

Living life well involves making difficult decisions. Unpopular decisions. I've never been amenable to popularity contests. I bow out. I do what I believe is the right thing b/c it is the right thing. Not because of what others want to manipulate or persuade me to do b/c it is convenient for them. Well, this morning I gave it to my insurance claims adjustor over a matter. Not a life or death matter. In retrospect, I am choosing to believe that this "giving in" on my end will ultimately benefit me. I will remind her, when necessary, that I conceded to her on this circumstance. She will not play w/ me and bend the laws of what I'm entitled to b/c I faithfully paid my auto insurance.

Remember, if anyone is reading this, the premise of this blog was to hold myself accountable in this journey of healing/recovery. The physical healing is "simple" compared to the mental, psychological, emotional healing aspects. Taking a pill reduces &/or eliminates physical pain. I haven't yet found a pill that reduces &/or eliminates the spiritual pain & suffering. I told someone this afternoon that I am grateful that GOD allows events into my life that keeps me desperately dependent upon GOD and GOD alone. I choose to remain in the "shadow" of the Lord GOD, Almighty (Psalm 91:1). If I remain in the shadow, 1) I am protected; 2) I don't run ahead of GOD and "fix" things, I wait to move with GOD; and 3) nothing comes out of my mouth or life that hasn't been covered & authorized by GOD. I'm living life in the shadow, not hiding, but rather abiding.

Good night!
Blessings Abound!
~A~

07/27/09 - It's been over a week since I last triked. We've had several storm fronts go through our area; never know when it's going to rain. Wouldn't you know? While I was on the return to home........

........ rain droplets began to fall. Not too bad; certainly didn't get wet. I love the colors of the flowers in my yard. Rich, deep colors.


Perhaps you've heard the news: We (our town) get to keep "our" lady........... for $3,800. She remains on her perch by the river.


I don't know these people, but I envy them. Running is such good exercise. It strengthens the whole body, works fat off the whole body, allows you to eat any & all you want w/o regard to gaining weight/fat. I always felt refreshed after a run. Nearly always dreaded getting out there to run, but after a mile I was glad I'd made the effort.

Triking is terrific, but it doesn't provide the complete body workout. I miss that. Even though I work hard in PT and pedal hard while triking, something is missing. Haven't put my finger on it yet. As a runner, people didn't comment on how much fun I was having as we passed each other. In fact, people didn't talk to me as a runner. I wasn't even really looking at people when I ran. They were obstacles to maneuver around so I could complete the course. If anyone smiled at me I rarely noticed b/c I was so absorbed in my own thoughts (almost to one mile, can't stop now, dessert later, 1/2 way done, on the home stretch, I hope I remember to do whatever when I get back home, etc). I notice people while triking. Maybe b/c I don't want to hit them or them to fall on top of me or step into my way. I am so low to the ground we could easily get into each other's space. Perhaps b/c I'm low to the ground I'm constantly looking up to make eye contact so we don't harm each other. People always smile when they see this contraption approach. Little kids stop & stare. They literally stop. Sometimes w/ their parent(s) nearly riding over them or falling over them. We notice each other, sometimes stop and chat, nearly always share positive comments.

I'm not really sure what the life lesson is here (my brain is full and I want a break -- nah, I take that back; I've had enough BREAKS). Perhaps that by being more grounded I'm able to make solid connections w/ others. More than "passing on your left" as when running. Some people don't know what that means - they step to their left, right into my path. Back in early Jan 08 I was praying for "a break". Life was utterly insane. I was taking 2 classes in GR: Organic Bio/Chem and Human Genetics. These were the last 2 pre-reqs I needed to admit into the 2nd degree accelerated BSN program. I was also teaching 2 graduate counseling classes at another U in GR. Plus, I was maintaining a full private practice. And keeping up w/all 3 of my kids' college lives/events. I had just witnessed little piggies get castrated. Life was full. Maybe even overflowing. I was sincere in asking GOD for "a break". I never envisioned that GOD would bless me w/ so many "breaks". Not only did my body incur 35+ broken bones, but I have been "off work" for 18+ months now. Life doesn't get any better, right? How have I found such favor from my GOD? The past 18+ mos have been a long healing process (in more ways than physical). I do believe GOD has blessed me w/ a break. An opportunity to take a break from the insane life I was creating. An opportunity to cherish what matters most. An opportunity to be desperate for GOD and GOD alone. That's all that matters. Getting so low to the ground (triking) that I have to constantly depend on provisions from Above.

Blessings Abound!

~A~

07/21/09: 6 miles; cut short by rain.

I rode to J's house to "pick her up" for a ride along the trail. We engaged in so much conversation that I never thot to take one picture. We were going to ride farther, but the rain finally began to drop faster and faster out of the sky. We took a short cut to my house hurriedly putting her bicycle in my Element & my trike in the garage. Then we decided to go inside and visit for a while longer. Our hearts enjoyed this exercise. We got a full body work-out this evening.

I don't know why GOD allows paths to journey alongside each other for merely a season vs a lifetime, but I'm totally grateful for the season. I know that journeying alongside is a major part of GOD's reason (like, who am I to question why GOD does or allows anything? GOD is GOD and that's all that matters.). We can edify and encourage and exhort each other along the journey. I am awed by the depth of love GOD bestows on me. Even in HIS chastisement I've grown to feel loved. I couldn't see the love part of that as a child when I was disciplined. I'm grateful that my parents loved GOD enough and had the foresight to discipline me so that I grew to know, love, & follow Christ. My friend, J, provided respite for my weary soul tonight.

Today was one of those days when the weather (barometric pressure, to be precise) demanded that I take a "big" pill (literally it is quite small but powerfully big in relief). This happened last week, also, when a storm moved through. Today, while in the car, I was in conversation w/ my daughter (who was driving, thankfully) and could not focus of what we were discussing b/c all I could think was "go away pain, go away pain". The pressure around me seemed to prevent me from breathing and I was aware that I was drawing my body into a protective position (curling my shoulders inward and pulling my legs up closer and tighter - sort of like a sitting up fetal position). Somewhere in this self-absorbed awareness (all outside sounds became muffled) I garnered the wherewithall to state out loud that I needed to take a pain pill. Then I snapped out of this bodily retreat to find a pill. Within moments I felt normal (those who know me well, please don't laugh at me while I'm so vulnerable sharing this intimate experience) and able to engage in conversation again. There, now the vulnerable part is over so you can laugh away :-)

I'm not sure if this level of experience means anything other than I'm terribly grateful for drugs. I'll discuss it w/ my neuropsychologist and family dr at the upcoming appts. Last week, I thought that sensation was odd. Now that it's happened again, perhaps it isn't odd, but merely normal at this stage. Sometimes it seems like all the hospital drugs aren't completely out of my system. I don't feel like I have complete control over my thinking yet; kind of like amnesia, as I would think amnesia would manifest. Like the world is happening around me and I can't interact w/ it - I'm not fully awake to interact w/ it; more like an out of body (mind) sensation. I think amnesia has more to do w/ loss of memory; it's more like stunned, paralyzed memory. I don't know how else to describe this. The rat is running around the maze but it is hypnotized (tranced) and dizzy. It doesn't happen all the time, but enough times that I'm beginning to notice a pattern. Maybe this is as good as it's gonna get. Maybe there's something I can do to prevent this. I guess I need to look for a pattern of precipitation.

Rambling. I love my trike and having the ability to get outside on it.

Blessings Abound!
~A~

PS: the Indy ride was 8 miles, not 10. It seemed like 10 long miles.

Sun, 07/19/09 - I think 10 miles. I forgot to check the ending miles when we returned today. Starting mile was 236. We (son, d-i-l, dog, & me) had a great day outside. Son & I rode to the canal, which is in downtown Indy. We met d-i-l & dog there for a walk. I triked while they all walked. Many people were out enjoying the weather. Skies were heavily overcast and just as we returned back to the house, rain began slowly falling.



This son attends IUPUI (they pronounce it ou (as in the you sound) - ee - pou (again: you)- ee. Not the way it is "spelled" - i - ou- pou- i. He & I rode around campus after his wife & dog returned home. There was a professional tennis championship event happening on campus - we rode around the courts. Son said he thinks he saw Danica Patrik at his gym during the recent Indy 500. He's played basketball w/ Michael Bolton and his former room-mate played basketball w/ Obama. This campus is in the downtown area of Indy. Very impressive.



This is the bldg where this son spends his days and partial nights. Two more years of here, then he's off to wherever the AirForce sends him. I admire his perseverance and dedication to his program of study.

Here's the "family picture" w/ the Indy skyline in the background.

Life is difficult from time to time. Sometimes life outright stinks. And sometimes life is magnificent. Today I longed for "home" more than I have recently. I just wanna "be there". No more pain. No more tears. No more separation. We'll be there. In the presence of GOD for eternity.

I will drive back to my house tomorrow, stopping in GR for PT. This is a long drive. I had to stop and nap on the drive down. This is not typical pre-accident. I could make a 12 hr trip w/ maybe one bathroom/eating stop. Taking a 4 hr trip was a challenge on Friday. I also saw an auto accident before emergency vehicles were on the scene. A car was in the median of a 4-6 lane highway w/a completely smashed in driver door. Then all the sirens showed up on the interstate. My heart breaks w/ compassion for the responders. All I wanted to do was get far away. Perhaps someday I won't wail w/ grief when I pass an accident. Second thought, perhaps we all should wail w/ grief when we see an accident. I used to be desensitized to this type of scene. Just a quick prayer for safety (too late!) & comfort (for the victim?) and I was on my way to the next thing I had to do. I felt rather "good" about myself for pausing to utter a quick prayer. Now I weep for the loved ones of the victims. Their lives are getting turned upside down and they don't even know it yet. The police responding to my accident called my Dad first. I don't know how they knew to call him. Why not my family in my State? My Dad gave the police my husband's number. My husband called our kids. I was already at the hospital before any of them knew. Their lives were being set into a swirl of great magnitude before they even knew it. I couldn't help them. Any of them. When an accident occurs, lives are changed. Many lives. In many ways. A prayer for safety and comfort is nice. But, now I choose to pray that those affected will become desperate for the Giver of Life to give them Life. Real Life. Comfort & safety do not compare to receiving REAL LIFE. Even though my living is fraught w/ pain of many kinds, as is most people's, I experience REAL LIFE in the midst of it all. There is hope that all our lives will reach out in desperation for the only Source of Life while living here.

Blessings Abound!

~A~

Sat, 07/18/09: Barely 2.5 miles. We got off to a great start. I'm in Indy w/ my oldest son & daughter-in-law. The plan was to ride along Indy's rails-to-trails path. Rode city sidewalks for ~ 1/2 mile to a trail entrance.





My front left tire felt like it wasn't riding correctly. I stopped and sure enough, it wasn't correct. Not only was the tire flat, but we pulled out a small chunk of glass. My guess is that it came from GR yesterday (remember all that glass along the roads?) Son rode back to his house and brought his truck to pick up me and my bike. Then we met his wife back at their house before heading off to a bike repair shop with the trike in my Element. Shop dude said he pulled out a couple more pieces of glass. A few dollars later, my trike is ready to go again. Running is immensely cheaper!

I neglected rotating this pic before posting. This is my sitting on my trike in the back of my Element going to/from bike shop (very close to son's residence). I felt like Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies show - on her rocking chair on the back of their jalopy.

Perhaps we'll go for another ride tomorrow. Perhaps a longer ride.

Blessings Abound!

~A~

07/17/09: Today marked the 1-yr anniversary of my engaging in OT & PT @ OAM in GR. For the first 3 1/2 months after I returned home from the hospitals, I attended therapies in my residential town. That was a terrific place to begin. By going to GR, I get to work w/ more therapists and use more equipment.

UHAUL installed a hitch onto my Element this morning (8:30 appt). While that happened I triked to PT, which was 6.25 miles away one way). MUCH broken glass along the way and probably more cigarette butts.



I will take you on a tour @ OAM for just a moment: the front doors automatically open and either warm you up or cool you down, whichever is the opposite of the outside temp.

I rode my trike right into the bldg - no bike racks were found outside. I continued on through the bldg to the elevator. PT is on the lower level.

Right outside the elevators on the 1st floor is this beautiful staircase under sky lights. My hand specialist is on the top level. My neck/spine & foot/ankle specialists are on the 1st floor. My chief orthopaedic trauma specialist has an office downtown connected right to the hospital. My physiatrist's office is in the downtown area at another hospital. Ny neuropsychologist & psychiatrist are in a bldg behind where I formerly taught graduate counseling classes @ a satellite office in GR (pic will be farther down this entry).

Traveling from UHAUL to OAM and back required riding on two ultra busy roads. Fortunately, there is a huge, elevated shoulder along both sides of the Beltline. I had an entire "lane" to myself. People were kind and patient at intersections. I made sure to follow traffic rules and to secure eye contact and wave to vehicle drivers before crossing any intersections. I triked through W MI's busiest intersection: Beltline & 28th St. I had to enter the middle turn lane to cross the opposing traffic lane to return back to the UHAUL base. People were generous in giving me space and time to cross lanes. Recently, I purchased a trike rack so it can connect into the hitch. Then I'll be able to have both back seats in my Element and transport my trike on the outside. I'm at my older son & daughter-in-law's house this weekend in Indy. He will help me assemble the rack and learn to attach it to the hitch. (BTW, the 3 of us will ride sometime this wkend -- more blogging to come)

Can you see the dark clouds (pic below)? We've been promised thunderstorms for a few days. The barometric pressure must have been bouncing around today. When my teeth and head begin hurting I know to bring out & swallow the big guns. Actually, it is a very tiny, yet potent pill. I've chosen to keep it in my system; my body warns me when it's wearing out.

Here's the bldg where I use to teach. Behind this bldg is the place where neuro guys work.

Across the street from the brown bldg, as I called it, is the city limit sign . . .

. . . and the Calvin College sign. My camera battery died right before I could take a picture of the walkway over the highway. Calvin is a beautiful campus.

I was astounded by the plethora of cigarette butts on the sides of the roads. I expected some broken glass, but there was more than anticipated. I thot clean up crews managed that after a crash. I had no idea how many cigarette butts are discarded, w/o concern, out the window. Sad.

I missed seeing all the great colorful vegetation of my usual triking grounds. Occasionally, a wild flower forced itself to grow, causing me to smile at its determination to live.

Beautiful life can appear from cracks in hardened "soil". Underneath the hardened exterior has to be soft soil in order for the beauty to grow. That soft, fertile soil is inside each of us. Life wants to grow and produce beauty. So many things can interfere w/ that process. Toxins, poisons, strangulations of various kinds. Sometimes I face good struggles in making a choice to grow in spite of whatever gets thrown my way. Sometimes I throw garbage into my own life (over-eating, eating the wrong kinds of things, allowing the king of lies to tempt me into false beliefs about my abilities, etc). I guess things aren't always what they seem. Or just because someone hangs out with the "crack ups" doesn't mean they are a crack up. Who knows what beauty may burst forth.

Blessings Abound!

~A~

Flowers from J - grown in her friendship garden. She honored my love for daisies. Aren't they spectacular??!


One of the entries onto the trail I love. Fred Meijer is a mighty, mighty man in our neck of the woods. He uses his almighty dollars to make places beautiful and healthy.

The quarter in the road.

07/14/09: 8.5+ miles. An interesting day w/ my trike.

I did actually trike on 7/14, but am a day or so late recording the event. For many reasons. One, I was non-stop on the go via some form of transportation w/ errands & appts. Two, I fell asleep b/f typing. Tues morning I awakened w/ my glasses underneath me in my bed, in perfect condition. Odd, b/c sometimes I can just clean a lens and it will pop out. Wed morning I awakened to my cell phone being in my bed. I guess I'm falling asleep hard & fast.

While in PT, I rec'd a voice msg from Chaplain Dave w/ the fire department, which assisted in my rescue. After a warm conversation he invited me to the fire dept mtg later this week to meet the persons who were "there". I initiated this invitation a few weeks ago and am honored they are inviting me.

On the way home from PT I saw the man who lives in the red house just a few feet from the scene of the accident. ~ Two wks ago I saw him walking down the driveway from his mailbox and told myself that if I saw him outside again I was gonna muster up my courage and introduce myself to him. Well, there he was. Walking back to his house from the mailbox again. I turned into his drive, rolled down my window, introduced myself and asked if he remembered the accident from 01/22/08. He absolutely did. He aided the rescue workers by managing traffic until the police arrived to set up a detour. ((Aside: my younger son was 10-15 minutes traveling behind me on this same road. He was one of the first vehicles to be re-routed along the detour. I'm so thankful he was not one of the cars that passed by the scene. He told me later that he was thinking about calling me around the time of the accident to let me know he was on the road with me somewhere. I was returning from a class in GR; he was traveling to our town from GR; he usually called me to inform me of his ETA. For "some reason" he did not call me that morning. He struggled w/ guilt over not being there for me. This son o' mine was there continuously for me in the hospital. He picked my nose for me when I couldn't. He fed food to me. He kissed my feet.)) Back to the 72 yr old man. Yesterday was his birthday; I sang "Happy Birthday, Dear Vernon" to him. He was glad to know I became okay. He said I was in bad shape & the rescue workers were very concerned for me. I still cannot comprehend what happened & how my body survived. Much of me died in that accident. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

While the oil, etc was being changed in my vehicle, I took off on my trike, planning for just a short trip since the oil changing place was not busy. Well, once I got a taste of 26.2 mph going down hill by the golf course I was hooked. I wanted to go farther and faster. Most of this trike I stayed in the 3rd big gear (gear #s in the low 20's). I wanted to work my legs as hard as they could tolerate. Plenty of people were out biking, walking, walking dogs - why doesn't anyone walk a cat? Ended up taking the truck route back to the apts behind the HS, returning to the oil changing place. Great workout! Near the HS there is a quarter melted into the pavement. Often while running I'd check to make sure the quarter was still there. It was a landmark feature.

I enJOYed linner (lunch-dinner) w/ a frd, J. She brought the fabulous flowers pictured at the top. I am a blessed person to have such wonderful friends, like J. Thanks, again for the company and take home souvenir :-) I took them into Subway and sat them on the table. Our table was the only one decorated w/ flowers.

I am exhausted. I'm in the final weeks of wrapping things up at the homestead to go south for a few months. I am taking my trike w/ me! And I'll be exploring totally new areas on three wheels. I am eager to get there, which will mean details here have been finished. This is not a permanent move - just for a semester. I'll be closer to family (and "old" friends) which will allow me to participate in their world and celebrations for a few months. And I'll be teaching a class at my undergrad alma mater. This will be exciting. We are calling it a "work re-entry trial". I anticipate much support and feedback to help me get back on my feet :-) Anything that happens will be great!

Blessings Abound!

~A~

07/12/09: And, we're off ..... perfect day for a 25K. The weather was gorgeous, well, still is, as I write this. I'm at my younger son's house near Kzoo. His place is very cool. I call his windows great framed living art. There are no window coverings. Sitting at my perch in his living room I can view nearly 180 degrees of outside w/ zero bugs bugging me. The sunlight filters through the trees; birds search for food in his yard; the wind shusses through the leaves; insects chatter; a gentle breeze stirs through this room; cars hum nearby; bugs bo-ing into the screens; fireflies glow at night - perfect! He sits across the room on his computer and here I am on mine. We can communicate w/each other in many ways.


My daughter joined me on the 25K adventure; she on her bike and me on my trike. This was my (& our) first "biking" event. Had no idea what to expect so decided to have no expectations. My child won a registration prize (she's very lucky at winning prizes) - I think that geeked her up even more. Our only instructions were to follow the green arrows.

We had a green map, but she's map reading impaired. Generally, I'm quite adept at reading maps, but this one confounded me. I could not follow it. It was a very clear map. I think I didn't know my orientation from the beginning so the directional arrow on the map made no sense to me. Worst case, which happened to us, is that we get off the marked roads. We didn't go far out of way. My nose knew something was off (besides the fact neither of us had showered pre-event).

You know how significant milestones occur in life and we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing? Like JFK being shot. Baptisms. Weddings. Babies being born. The Challenger blowing up. 9-11. Farrah Fawcett dying. Receiving bad news. Receiving good news. Sometimes milestones occur and we don't even pause to acknowledge them. Another birthday. An anniversary. Pet dying. A promotion. Spending time w/ someone you enjoy.

We treat events & people like ordinary occurrences. A moment that disappears; we expect another moment. One of those milestones happened along today's trip. I passed the 200 mile marker for outdoor miles on my trike. To capture the "where was I when this happened?" I took a picture for the visual reminder:

One place where we "got off track" was at a SAG (support & gear) stop. We assessed we didn't need anything so we passed by it. Turns out this was a point where the route doubles back for a few hundred feet. Once we figured out we were on the wrong road we returned to the SAG stop to get "support" in reading the map. Glad we stopped. Not only was this our food (Subway - veggie subs, nonetheless) & hydration (Gatorade & H2O) station, but it provided a porta-potty & technical support. Biking Dude (pictured below) helped her w/skill development, adjusted her seat and handlebars to help w/ her posture and comfort. She was elated to get this help.

There were several vineyards along our journey. If there'd been a wine tasting event we would have definitely stopped. Our legs were aching (& daughter's butt -- I think she needs to wear biking pants, but NOOOO, she's not gonna wear those "diaper" padded pants at her young age) and we were of mind that some good wine would make us forget about the aches & pains. Perhaps all the vineyards were owned by the same person and we were merely riding circles around the same vineyard :-)

I took pics of a couple roosters by the road, but they were in the shade by the time my finger hit the button. Surprisingly, I only saw daisies two times. Once was a single daisy by a driveway. Not a single bunch of daisies, but one solitary daisy. Odd. The other time there were several daisies, but I was zooming by too quickly for the picture to capture anything but a blur of white dots. We saw several chipmunks and many dead animals. The scenery along the journey was beautiful, but I guess I wasn't expecting so many hills. The brochure said, "gently rolling hills." I ran through Hell, MI several years ago and have the t-shirt to prove it. I suppose if one drove along the course through Hell, one could call it a "gently rolling hillside". It was torturous on my running legs. I think I would have been swearing if running today's course. Thankfully, I was triking. None of the "gently rolling hills" were as steep of grade as the one at my local lake, but the upgrade continued on and on and on. Cresting the hill was a thrill until I realized a series of new "gently rolling hills" was ahead. On one of the downgrades I zoomed up to 29.1 mph. That was amazing! Descending many of the other hills, I easily accelerated to the mid-2o's range.

My daughter and I rode like rubber bands. She was much quicker at ascending and I descended more quickly. Often, she'd linger at the top of the hill waiting for me to catch up, then I'd zoom by her and she'd pass me on the next ascent. During our connecting times we'd catch up w/ whatever we wanted to discuss. Isn't this how life goes? Especially when we're so busy. It is imperative we spend time together. Being intimate - being in time together. The here & now. Present.

We had a lovely time together. We'll talk about this the rest of our lives.

Running would've been a lot easier to prepare to do. All that's needed is good running shoes. Well, and socks. And moisture-wicking clothing. And a supportive athletic bra. And nipple guards or Vaseline if you're male. But, that's it. Triking requires all the above + a trike (or bike) and a helmet and loading/unloading muscles. Thank goodness for my muscular son today. HOWEVER, if I'd been running those hills today, I know I would've been swearing. But, I would've sweated and burned a lot more calories and felt like I'd actually done something when I finished. I miss running. Very much. Running events do not provide Subway at the mid-way point. No way. That was a bonus for today :-) And the ability to carry on a conversation while participating in an event was a reward. I'm working on re-framing how I view the inconveniences of triking and the loss of running. I am very grateful to be able to choose to trike. I am grateful to be able to choose to go outside whenever I desire. I am grateful. GOD is good in all things.

Blessings Abound!

~A~

07/05/09: 11.5 miles TADA: I conquered the hill! Remember that my goal was to conquer this hill at the lake by the end of July? Well, here I am, at the top, looking back down, and we've barely started July :-) No one had to push me up this time!

Pictures do not adequately depict reality. This hill really is quite steep. This second pic is from the bottom looking up. The hill looks like a short distance in the picture. I should've measured the length. Perhaps I'll climb it again. As I was going up, two men were stopped on their bikes. One of the chains broke. I offered tools, but they needed pliers. I'll add pliers to my tool kit. They informed me that I may need to use them if my chain breaks. Good to know. Other than this samaritan act I pedaled and pedaled up the hill. I used mental tactics learned while running: project ahead 10" - 12" in front of my foot and "take one more step" (one more pedal in this case); pedal just to the next leaf on the road or the next crack in the pavement or the next pebble on the road. Focus, focus, focus. Climbing this grade required every synapse to be focused on the task at hand, er foot. There were no reserves to think of pleasant things. Just git er done! Kind of like life, aye? Keep the plow to the task. Look ahead and remain focused on the task. Shoot for the prize.

I triked along the trail also. What was so cool about that was passing a runner! Oh, the joy of calling out "on your left." One bad thing about being on a low to the ground recumbent trike is that I'm very close to any dead animal on the road. And there were plenty today :-(

Along the way I plucked some wildflowers and made a bouquet to photograph to remember this ride. I love daisies. Make time to savor all the colors of summer. I "feel" winter coming. Not sure why that thought keeps coming to mind. I am much stronger heading into this coming winter. Last winter was tough. Many people talked me through those difficult days. I am grateful for their presence in my life.

On the next triking adventure I will pass the 200 mile mark! Woohoo. Just 3 1/2 miles from now. Kind of makes me want to get back out there tonight. I won't. Nor tomorrow or Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday. I understand that in biking terms this is a "second century."

In closing, I want to state again, I LOVE DAISIES. Such a happy flower.

Blessings Abound!

~A~

July 3, '09: 8.5 miles. Today was a journey of leisured errands. Kind of at the last minute I realized I could trike to this morning's chiro appt vs drive. So, I hurried to get my gear organized to head out the garage door. Triking takes far more time to organize than running. Running was wonderful - at any moment all I had to do was change shoes, throw on my running backpack (if "running errands"), and run out the front door. W/ triking, I have to put on the helmet, secure my baggage (for errands) to the trike, back the trike out of the garage, once the door is opened, get my coccyx pillow out of the Element, which means I had to grab keys to unlock the Element, close the garage door (garage opener battery is dead so I have to WALK back inside to the wall switch, then walk back out to the trike), and head off. Often, I cross my right hand over my left shoulder to locate the seat belt. Seems like I should secure myself into or onto the trike. Then I utter a "duh" and pedal away.



My chiropractor is the best! Typically we laugh about ourselves and talk about our fun plans. Today he told me that I look tired. I am tired. Not sleeping well, again. I wonder if my body builds a tolerance to my sleep Rx and then it's not effective. I'll discuss this w/ my neuropsych this coming week. July's an odd month. People go on vacations and aren't "in" for business. Of course, no one checks in w/ me to see if their week off fits into my schedule :-) If Martin isn't "in", then Amy will be, or Bob. Anna's always there and very eager to serve. I've tried not using it (sleep Rx) a few times; zero sleep is far worse than 3-5 hrs of sleep. And last night I got SIX hrs of sleep, yet I feel and look tired. When I woke up & saw my clock I wondered if I was okay b/c I'd slept so long. I wonder if this sleep deprivation (I truly sympathize w/ Michael Jackson re: inability to obtain adequate sleep - it makes one feel insane!) is a life-long malady. Another question to ask the right person....... Martin.



After leaving the chiro I mulled between taking the trail, which I love, or the streets to get to the bank: the next errand. I chose the streets b/c I haven't been on them for a while and the hills would provide a good workout in preparation for the 12th's 25K. I saw a yard sale and decided to stop. I haven't been to a yard sale in years. I don't have the patience for yard sales. Well, the organizer of this event arranged the tables and wares so that I could ride my trike around the displays. She (the organizer) said she deliberately arranges in this manner b/c many people attend who use walkers or motorized carts. And I was her 1st triker. Kudos to those who think of us alternatively-abled people. Someone ought to write a public article about that great lady. She's an un-sung hero. As I was triking away from the driveway, a lady was crossing the street in her electric cart. She had hip-replacement surgery recently. What a great world / country in which we live. Back in the day, people w/ physical restrictions had to remain in their houses. THANK YOU to whoever contributed to heightened awareness for the alternatively-abled. As I write this I think of a dear friend, N, who has a 24-ish year old son, who has abilities of a single digit month's old baby. She chooses to physically pick up this man-baby and take him out for errands, church, etc. Fortunately, there are many devices which assist w/ transporting him: adult-sized strollers, car seats, etc. Again, THANK YOU to whoever worked tirelessly to design devices and change policies so that most people can engage in enjoyable activities. If you know of any of the "whoevers" please inform me. I will personally thank them. Following is a picture of my $1 yard sale purchase today. I plan to invite people over to dunk foods into this chocolate pot. Kind of like a fondue. I've been considering re-igniting the fondue parties from the past, but haven't decided to make a splurge purchase. For one buck I can't lose. Even if it doesn't work (it looks brand new inside the box) I "donated" one dollar to someone who is desperate enough to part w/ this gadget. Times are tough. I guess people are willing to sell their cherished belongings to pay their bills. I've always wanted to have an open-house sale. Come in & buy whatever you want. Simplify. Really, if you die, what does it matter anyway? If your house burned down, what does it matter? Stuff. We, er I, surround myself w/TOO much. And I just purchased one more thing to add to my crowded cabinets. But, I will make some good memories (those cannot be sold or burned down) w/ this dollar treasure. Finally, here's the chocolate melting pot, "treat maker":

Oh, I didn't even have any cash on me, so "she" held the choco treat maker for me, while I triked on to my next errand: the credit union. There I did my deeds, including collecting a "free $100 bill" for my daughter who asked that I get one for her if they were being handed out today. I also collected some "ones" for me to return & claim my yard sale purchase and perhaps happen upon another yard sale.

The next errand on my list was to go to the medical aids store in town and exchange one of my compression stockings for another color. Weeks ago I purchased two pair of "natural" colored stockings. Well, they made my legs look "Asian" - more yellow toned. I don't mind that Asian tone, but it just does not work for the olive pigment color of my flesh. My lower legs looked jaundiced in those stockings. I had to wait several weeks for the store to obtain "suntan" colored compression stockings in my size. Well, these make my legs look kind of "Jamaican". I don't mind that Jamaican tone, but it looks a bit odd when it says "suntan". I guess I was thinking Caucasian "suntan", not Jamaican "suntan". So, exchanging the pair I haven't worn yet was on my list of errands for today. By the time I finished the bank and yard sale (an Anatomy/Physiology co-student was at the yard sale, too. We visited a while. Then when I zoomed out of the driveway a van stopped in front of me - turned out to be another friend from town, so we visited for a few mins), I was hungry and it was close to 1 pm. I left home at 9:40 am for the chiro appt :-)

Triking brings an aura of leisure that running never provided for me. GOD is so good to me by allowing me the opportunity to take up triking. My body shape is not what it was when I was running, but I'm working on it. After lunch and chatting for nearly an hour w/a cousin during my chomping on a salad in her ear, I headed to the post office for the 3rd errand on the list. As I headed down the street to steer me in the direction of the medical supply place, I saw this van going another direction:

Ready Ride was my transportation for one year. I decided I could trike fast enough to track it down given that it was going through traffic lights downtown. So, off I chased it. I found it here, in this parking lot, w/o a driver. Knowing that this company assists "medical patients", there were a few options of places to investigate. I was hoping for a gleeful reunion w/one of my former drivers. Not finding the driver in the nearby medical offices, I became fascinated w/ this:

Apologies for the poor camera quality. Being so low to the ground on the trike, the bright red against the white and green caught my attention. If I'd been running, I'd never have seen this ladybug nor taken the time to watch her on a mission to go from one place to another. I thought about picking her up and bringing her home as a pet, but didn't.

Back to the van..... I heard a door slam nearby and peeked around the corner to see a human in the van driver seat. I hurried onto my trike and went over to the driver side. I recognized the driver as one of original drivers. Bottom line is: I fired her. IMHO she was not a safe driver for me being so new out of the hospital from a near-fatal-auto-accident (nor a safe driver for anyone really). Several times I told her that I was fully alright w/ being late to an appointment if she would back off the car bumper traveling in front of us. Essentially, she told me I needed to get over my concerns b/c she had driven so many years and thousands of miles w/o ever having an accident. I responded that prior to January 22, 2008, I could have bragged about the same thing, but than a (jerk) crossed the center line and hit me head-on resulting in my need for her to provide safe transportation for me now. When I arrived at that day's medical appt I called her office and fired her. I put all that aside today when I triked up to the driver's window and offered a warm and friendly greeting to this lady. I thought maybe she didn't recognize me since I was wearing a helmet, so I offered her my name. She merely acknowledged, " I know," then said "hello", rolled her window back up and turned back to what she was doing. Well, now. Affirmation that my gut was right about her character. Sad. Hurts. My firing her did not reduce her work (she's related to the boss). I guess she just likes things to go her way. Oh well. And another thing: if Mr. (Jerk) had been following a safe distance from the vehicle in front of him, he would not have, as he claims, not been able to stop from hitting the vehicle in front of him, thereby losing control of his vehicle on ice and hitting me. Now, I'm not an accident recreation engineer, but (I know that contradicts what I just said, "but" I'm really NOT an accident recreation engineer, if that's even a title) if what he claims is true, then why did his vehicle "full head-on" collide w/ mine? Why didn't the side of his vehicle hit me? Why head-on? Would the results have been any different? My endearing term of "Mr. (Jerk)" does not intend to indict his nationality, as I'm sure, at some point, may become another whine of his. Yep, I'm angry right now. And very, very sad. My life is only getting better. In the midst of that, many people who love & support me have had to suffer too. I wish my suffering did not have to cause them to suffer.

Another blessing from GOD is daisies. I smile when I see daisies. (subject change JIC you're wondering) Maybe it takes me back to the childhood days (beginning sound of dai-sies - HA) when I really believed the magical power in "he loves me, he loves me not". Even when I picked a "he loves me not" daisy, I just selected another one until I found a "he loves me" one. I never settled for "he loves me not". Daisies are planted in my front yard in one spot. I think deer may have enjoyed them this year - I haven't seen them. Fortunately, these and many others abound around town (deer & daisies).

I hope they make you smile, too!

Right around the location of the daisies I saw another yard sale sign. Recall, I'm on my way to the medical supply store to exchange my Jamaican suntan stocking for Caucasian suntan ones. Assuming the yard sale was nearby I took off on another rabbit chase. About a mile later I found the "yard" sale. There were 3 tables, mostly cleared (good for their business), w/ remaining baby items. That phase is so very history for me. While briefly chatting w/ the two ladies sitting in the driveway a man leapt over the back deck to check out my trike. Not sure where he came from or to whom he belonged. The women didn't seem too bothered by his sudden presence. One of them said, "No, you are not getting one". I guess he belonged to her. I offered him a spin on my trike. He quickly assented to just sitting on it. He couldn't sit still so I suggested he just go to the end of their driveway and back. He went out into the street. This thing is addictive. Now I know what I'm addicted to (A friend recently asked me this question. I thought of oreos, self-help books, and not much more, that I'm aware of anyway. Now I can add my trike to that list!) People came from nowhere to check out the trike. I was the only person in the driveway when I arrived and then suddenly there were 15 more. I handed out terra trike cards like candy in a parade. TERRA TRIKE - add me as a commissioned employee!!! I'll settle for a tune-up / year for all the advertising I'm giving you. I left this out of the way, way out of the way, yard sale and headed back to the medical supply store.

We've had rain all week so no rain today was a treat. Air temp was a little cool, sky was fully overcast. But, it was great to be able to be outdoors on my trike w/ no agenda driving me to hurry on, except that the store likely had a closing time (Jamaican suntan, Asian yellow, or African black are my only options). I looked up to the sky as I felt sun penetrating my Caucasian skin. BLUE SKY! I pulled out my camera and without looking for the "perfect" position, just made a picture:

Do you see IT? Immediately, in addition to the sun's warmth I felt embraced by the SON's warmth. All that love (heart) for ME. GOD blesses me way more than I deserve. Honestly, I think I do deserve some blessings b/c I'm honest, loyal, faithful, committed, perseverant, etc. I'm more than satisfied w/ the blessings of shelter, food, air, ability to purchase clothing of my choice. That's quite enough for me. But GOD continues to overwhelm me w/ WAY MORE than the "simple" things for basic needs. I'm not talking about material things. I'm talking about the joy of engaging w/ the "shes" and "hes" in life, the sheer beauty of ladybugs and daisies, pictures in the clouds that appear just at the exact right moment I click my cheap little digital camera. You can see the grey overcast cloud in the background. That's what we had all day until the "heart" suddenly appeared. Nah, I don't believe in Jesus or Mary showing up on toast. But, I do believe in the transformation that can take place in a person's heart when they believe that GOD is real in their lives. That's grace. That's overwhelming blessing. I've lived a life that easily became too busy for me to openly cry out "thanks" to GOD for simple, yet magnificent, and transformative blessings. I don't want to return to that life. I want to move at a trike's pace and see the ladybugs in the grass.

Blessings Abound and Abound!

~A~