08/29/09: Sat, HOT, 17 miles, no idea re: time length.

Wal-Mart was the destination goal. Not to go shopping, but b/c I knew that it was 5.2 miles from my apt. That would make for 10.4 miles round-trip and then a few more miles to add for a 17 mile trike. My daughter & I triked 17 miles this summer. My next long trike will be a goal of 19 - 20 miles. Wal-Mart always looms in the distance, doesn't it? A student from near Charlottesville, VA says this company is fighting the local city gov't to move onto historical ground.



The intersection at Wal-Mart provides the only "hill" in this area. There is an overpass along the horizon if you look closely at the grade increase on the right side. And on the other side of that overpass is a dead-end. So, I turned around and came back over this "hill". This is my hill training exercise :-) Sometimes life seems this way, doesn't it? Make it over a hurdle only to turn around and re-visit the hurdle from the other side.

This sign appeared quickly on a back, country (seemed like country to me) road. The first time I went by it the reading was 11 & 13 mph. I wasn't sure it was accurate, plus I thought it'd make a cool picture, so I turned around while fumbling w/ my camera and attentiveness around traffic, and took a pic of my 7 mph recording. Life's like that, isn't it? We don't believe we're doing as well as we are so we turn around to boast in our success and boom! Pride wipes out the bottom.

If you've ever wondered why your knight in shining armor hasn't arrived it's b/c he's here (below). And he isn't so shiny. Kind of rusty, actually. He's standing guard at this house in a neighborhood. Life's like that, too, isn't it? We know "the one" will appear and when s/he does, rust accompanies her/him. I believe this armor can be cleaned spotless. Will take perseverance. Will take elbow grease. Will take admitting there is rust & commitment to the difficult work.

Prayer is good. I believe we should remain in conversation w/ GOD all day long. However, when there's work to be done, we have responsibility. Many people prayed for me, continue praying for me, since that auto accident. I believe I have responsibility to do all I can to honor the faith of those who pray for me. Praying, in and of itself, for that metal knight to become shiny will not work. Someone is going to have to do some scrubbing and polishing. I know nothing about metalsmith work. In my imagination of the process, a thorough polishing will prevent future rust. As w/ rust in my soul, if I cover myself w/ a thorough polishing w/ GOD's Words, when the weather batters my heart, I will be protected. I have to continually bathe (polish myself) in GOD's Words.

Not far, maybe 4-5 blocks, from the knight in rusty armor standing guard over the entrance into the front door of his owner's house, stands a gigantic cat guarding another owner's back door. After I passed this cat twice (I turned around again to take this pic) I realized there is a bird house just to the right, around the corner of the house. I wonder if birds are scared away.

Be prepared for blessings to pop into your sight, that were there all along, but you never considered it blessing. Look w/ new eyes to re-see what is blessing your life. Last summer I used a walker and wheelchair. The summer before that I was running. This summer I am walking. Sometimes w/ a cane. And triking!

Blessings Abound!

~A~

08/26/09: 12 miles in 75 mins in the blazing sun. At the 10 mile point, I was at 60 minutes. Not too bad for triking in 90 + degreed sunshine! These pictures are in reverse order. You can see the sweated upon seat (coccyx) cushion after completing these 12 miles. I never sweated this much, on my trike, when in MI. But, to be fair, I never rode my trike in weather much over 80 degrees. I want to build my leg muscles; my R leg seems to be getting lazy on me; could be b/c my L leg is getting much stronger. I'll mention this at PT this Fri.



While out triking, I saw these friendly folks along the way. They are actually friends o'mine. I called B (the farmer woman) as I turned onto their street to tell her to come out front as I whizzed by. Her husband was home at the moment so I was able to greet them both, ever so briefly. She has shared many garden items w/ me since my arrival here. I hope to return to her gigantic garden this wkend. Incredible peas!

For the most part, drivers are very kind to me while I'm triking. As with running, there are jerks. When running, those who seemed to veer toward me fit into categories: 1) old. really old. Usually male. Like the people who started driving when vehicles were invented & the roads were first paved; they seem to take ownership of the road; 2) overweight. really overweight. Like their vehicles tilt to the driver's side; 3) eating ice cream. Can't tell you how many times people eating ice cream weren't paying attn to their driving. Sometimes 2 & 3 were the same person; 4) road ragers. red necks. bonafide jerks. These people are the same ones who are rude to grocery cashiers. Antisocial. Out looking to make someone else join their misery.

So far, while triking, I cannot fit anyone into such distinct categories. Well, except for old women. I chalk it up to they are just jealous. Old men gaze w/ intrigue. Younger men are fascinated w/ the design. Kids are excited about the "cool" factor. Women are jealous. That sums it up, I think. I know I am privileged to own this trike. Aside from the effects on my body from this accident, I would have never purchased this kind of exercise. I loved running. Still do; just can't do it now. I watch runners now and I am jealous. Sweat dripping from every pore on their bodies. That feels good. When done running. I remember the sense of fat melting out of my body. That may be part of what gives sweat such a strong odor. Imagine burning fat in a frying pan. It begins to emit a pungent odor when it begins burning. Same w/ running. That would be an interesting research project, if it hasn't already been done. Can fat cells be detected in runners' sweat? Is the fat content from runners' sweat different from lard mowers' sweat? (Re-reading the efforts of writing under the influence of my little blue pill this morning. I guess one of the effects is freudian slips. I meant to write LAWN, not lard :-) . Although I suppose mowing lawns in this kind of weather would also "mow" body "lard")

Triking does not seem to burn fat off my body, especially the way running did. I love eating! Won't stop that, but do need to increase my triking miles to accomodate my lusty appetite for F-O-O-D. The first word my youngest child learned to spell was f-o-o-d. When it was time to gather at the table to eat, I'd announce "f-o-o-d time". Funny. I can still see her, as a little girl, spelling that word. We were amazed that she caught on at such a young age.

When I go out to trike, I change the gears to maintain constant pedaling at a medium intensity. This gives for a great lower body workout. "Buns of steel", in my fantasies. Well, & then I guess my "buns" are lopsided b/c my L leg is definitely stronger than my R leg - that's got to be humorous to view when I'm walking. Hadn't thought of that before. One solid, sleek bun and one droopy bun :-) All my friends must be really kind to my face b/c no one has indicated that my backside is funky. Triking does not provide much upper body workout or aerobic workout. Perhaps my L arm gets a bit of a workout when I hold it up & out to signal turns!

I have a chiropractic appointment in the morning. Several local chiros would not take me as a patient b/c 1) too much paperwork since auto is involved, 2) been too long since date of accident, & 3) out of state auto insurance company and the locals feared not getting reimbursed for care provided. Well, I finally found one. He uses same techniques as my MI dr and shares many similarities in family size/arrangement. Plus this NC dr is from Canada & attended college in Chicago so we can talk about MI together. He's traveled b/t the two C's often. He understands the winters. That's partly why he's in NC & not up north. I look forward to getting to know him. He said he's "tentative" w/ adjusting me, pressure-wise, never worked on anyone w/ as many fractures. But, he will increase his confidence slowly. He also was IMPRESSED by the speed of my MI doctors getting info to him. I merely made calls and voila, papers zoomed to him. He said I must have "clout" w/ those drs for them to respond so quickly. I smiled. Those drs saved my life. Kept saving my life. Continue saving my life by speedily getting papers/charts to the right places for the next treatment. They've been very, very good and reliable to me. I feel like I owe them something (in addition to continued improvement) that I can never repay. Good thing they bill insurances, I guess. Reminds me of Jesus. What a price HE paid so that I can have eternal life. I feel like I owe HIM something, too. I pay HIM forward. I look for anonymous ways to share love, helpfulness, compassion to others. There are many, many good people all around us. People want to do good. And they do. I have to accept the best they can offer when they do good to me. Not judge their motives or efforts. That's b/t them and their Maker. I merely have to accept the goodness they offer. Squeezing into my space on the road is not goodness!

Okay, the little blue pill is kicking in; lines are blurring as I type. Good night!

Blessings Abound!

~A~

08/24/09: 12 miles in 65 mins; avg 11.07 mph

I triked chiefly through residential areas this eve. I went alone. Enjoyed the architecture of the dwelling places.



On the previous day. I returned (in my element) from the beach and here's what I saw at one point.



If you can read backwards, this RED flag says, "No Smoking" I saved this last night b/c something didn't seem right about the previous sentence, but my brain under the influence of Lunesta could not figure out what was wrong about those words. The flag says, "NO SWIMMING". I guess the 60+ surfers out in the waves (which you cannot clearly see) were not technically "swimming". I remember, while in college here, as a storm was brewing off shore, that a group of my friends went to the ocean to catch the large waves (NOT ME, DAD). Well, Carl had to catch "one more" and one more and the final one. At his "last one," which turned out to be his last one, he was struck by lightning and dead in the water. That was a very difficult funeral to attend as a 20-something year old.

As I was taking my trike out of my apt last night, these 2 young women from here, were preparing to shove off from the dock to kayak in the river. Water is everywhere around here. The books & movies you've read or seen about the south eastern US accurately depict the vast amounts of waterways (Prince of Tides & Nights in Rodanthe, quickly come to mind). Everything connects to every place via waterways.

My goal this fall is to trike over the Washington Baum bridge which connects over to the island of Manteo. It is a TALL bridge. Very TALL. One attempt will make me want to conquer it again, I'm sure. The incline is way steeper and longer than the hill at the end of the lake that I conquered earlier this summer. I think I read that this bridge is over 1 mile in length, but close to 1/2 of that is downhill :-) I'll have to choose a day when the wind is not too strong, however I'll be close to the ground so I wonder if that will matter as much. Certainly less than if I was riding a bicycle.

Getting settled into routines. Hopefully, by the end of this week all my PT & dr appts will be set into a pattern. As I was arriving town people were leaving for trainings and vacations. Public school begins this week so I think everyone's into work mode now.

ADD is frustrating me. I think the ADD is increasing b/c I'm not fully settled into a routine. I'm keeping watch to see if this is something that's going to have to be medically treated for a while. I hope not! Pre-accident I was able to manage tasks to completion. I am driving myself crazy as I catch myself just getting up and walking away from something I need to finish. True to my style, I am able to camouflage this so that others aren't noticing. Perhaps I need to attend a 12-Step mtg and come out of the closet as having ADD. HA, would attendees even notice my presence? Likely they'd be so distracted themselves they wouldn't notice. Funny how we're like this, isn't it? Admit it, we all have "issues" we work over-time to keep in the closet. At least we think we are, but everyone else sees it b/f we usually do.

Time to go check my laundry. Can't just leave it until I remember. I'm setting "alarms" to remind me to get it done. Whatever works is good, right??

Blessings Abound!

~A~

Tue, 08/18/09: 5 miles. I could likely guess the route I triked. People were quite friendly, giving me plenty of time & space on our shared road.

Again, people call out to affirm the cool factor of this trike.

I know I took pics, but in a state of not sure where my camera is located w/o getting out of bed. I am exhausted today. It seems there are magnetic forces pulling me toward the earth. I took a brief "nap" this afternoon. Past time for me to be in bed tonight. Been working to get the myriad activities organized for tomorrow. This way I'll get up, go, do, return. Going to be another long day. Discovering that my ADD is more an issue here. Perhaps b/c there are more deadlines.

I'll post whatever pic(s) I took soon. Heading to the OBX for time away and family celebrations. If the weather co-ops then I'll ride.

Blessings Abound!
~A~

08/16/09: No triking for a while. Been moving the trike and setting up a new locale for the trike. I am temporarily residing in NC doing a "work re-entry trial". Before departing MI I visited three first responder agencies which assisted at the scene of my accident. ALL 3 of them said they rarely get thanked for their job. Of course that isn't why they do their jobs, but they seemed humbled by my gesture of thanking them. I took ginormous sized bags of individually wrapped Lifesaver candies to express my gratitude for their efforts to save my life. All appts were scheduled so I didn't do a surprise visit. I specifically asked if I could meet the individuals who worked my case. The final stop was at the Sheriff's Dept of the county where the accident occurred. Veteran officers, who've worked at this particular dept for 19 - 30 yrs said they've never had anyone return to thank them. For thanking them they thanked me w/ this more than beautiful vase of roses.

They gave me 1 1/2 hrs of their time, answering all my questions, telling me about loved ones whose lives were significantly altered as a result of accidents, sharing a power point presentation of pictures from their investigative pictures. I was floored by their generosities. It was almost like we couldn't say good-bye. They escorted me to my Element and waved me out of their parking lot. It seemed too real to be true. Responders from all 3 depts said they were amazed I am alive. They thought I was dead when they arrived and felt certain I would die once they discovered I was alive. This is more than I can comprehend. However, a major piece of my broken puzzle has been connected. Whenever I encounter vehicle accidents I cry. Not due to the scene, but FOR the 1st Responders. It took a few accidents (believe me, there are many accidents in MI winter) for me to determine the agent of my tears, the trigger point. I was feeling burdened w/ compassion for the responders. These men and women never know what/who they will encounter when they leave on a call. They are trained to do their jobs well and that's all that matters to them in the moment.

People, thank your county's first responders. They are unsung heroes! Quite a few are volunteers. That is not said to minimize the efforts of the paid responders. I carried that vase of flowers everywhere w/ me around my house. The deputies had a box ready for me to transport the flowers home safely and on to NC. I placed them so that I could see them through my rear-view mirror on the drive down. They lasted well into my 1st week here. At this point, I plan to meet w/ some of the responders in Dec - we may make a training video from the "victim's" perspective re: reasons new recruits do their job. ...................THANK YOU! thank you!

Let me bring you through the front door of my NC apt. My good frd, who is a professor on campus, provided the furniture for my new digs.

Presently, my trike rests in my kitchen (through that door is my bedroom & bath - didn't think to take a pic of that space). Yes, those green plants are mine and survived the trip quite well. The plant on the floor right in front of my trike is an avocado tree. It grew from an avocado pit. Last summer, w/ nothing else to do, I sprouted avocado pits in plastic cups. This one is the only that produced a "trunk" that reached significant height to transfer into soil. Probably next week I plan to transfer it into a larger pot.

This is my living room. Doubting I'll have time or interest in watching TV. Along the right side of this photo is the door frame leading out into the residence hall. I leave my door open to meet new people (they all are new to me).

This seems to be my favorite perch. I use the ball for foot support/elevation. My coccyx cushion fits perfectly in the recliner. yes, this is an antique recliner. There is a bar behind the back of the seat, which pulls out and can be moved into different levels of pins to change the degree of recline.

I love this table! I've wanted a table/chairs for years. For many yrs when my kids were little we used a huge picnic table built for our dining room, but is now outside. Then we used the kitchen island/bar concept, which was perfect for family meeting meals. Now, I'm ready for the next phase. This little table is a start. The 4th chair is beside my recliner holding books that I never read today (there's always tomorrow).

Here's the best part - the sign above the table:

If you ever visit me, we will sit long and eat much. I have several wrinkles that need more filling.



When sitting in my recliner, to my right I can see the comings/goings of students. To my left, I see river activity. Very beautiful. Today was a gorgeous day.

Watercraft of many sizes enjoy this river.

I guess I forgot to post one of the nearby bridge. A little later in the evening, the bridge opened to permit a boat to pass through. Always surprises me how waterways need technology that I take for granted.

Before leaving MI, I wanted to determine to love my vehicle. I decided that if I could find letters to brand my Lemt (get it?) then I'd love it. Not only does this make my vehicle unique, it looks cool.

Also, found an online printer who makes decals. NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD has this sticker, I bet:

This is my Heb 12 motto: triking the race set before me w/ perseverance.

Figured out, for tonight, how to finally get the tireds pumped. May be able to postpone going to the bike shop for a lesson on how to pump your own tires. I have no problem asking. I just want to make sure if I load my trike in for a cart across town then I really need help. Maybe I finally learned the trick.



The sleeping Rx are kicking in. Overall, SO FAR, I've been sleeping better. I am encouraged.

Blessings Abound!

~A~