Since You Asked...

"Where have you been?" you ask. I haven't been anywhere. Well, I have, but that's not the reason for the relatively long gap between posts. I guess it’s sort of like the downtime after the crash. Things just slowed down after the fact. In the last posting (Roadside Reflections) you can find my musings on the crash and its more immediate effects.. "So, what's going on now?" you wonder. Well...

I've been riding. Yesterday it was up Bliss Road, down FO, back up on OA before returning home: a 22 mile long, 1,700 foot high ride on the Bianci. Outdoors it was! A pretty nice ride, although the roads were a little dicey in places making for really slow descents. And it was, of course, windy. Still, it was riding on the roads and my first test. "A test of what?" your inquiring minds want to know. Well...

My new shoulder joint got tested on the ride. X-rays taken during last Tuesday's appointment at the orthopaedic department confirmed what I see now had been hinted at in earlier visits: the collarbone has not healed. It is officially a non-union. Medical term. Means still broken. Maybe he was right. "Who? And what was he right about?" your questions just keep coming. Well...

Recall that the doctor in Switzerland was ready for surgery. Right then. Right there. OK, maybe not with quite that sense of urgency. But it was his personal favorite plan of action, the surgery thing. Waiting made sense, though. So I did. Things have improved slowly, but I kept the appointment last week because my shoulder still bothers me. Not a whole lot, but enough. So I kept the appointment and got the news. "What will you do now?" you beg me to tell you. Well…

Surgery would be the only way to get a healed collarbone. But, I might well make out just fine with the non-union. And that's the way I’ll approach it - keep on riding, plan on a tour this summer, assess the results in the fall and go from there. It might even work out better in the long run. I can beg off of heavy lifting (trash bags, etc.) yet still ride since I seldom have to heft my bike up. And I lift my glass with my right hand, so noooo problem there, either. "And tell us, just what kind of tour are you considering?" you beseech. Well…

That would be Cycle America's Glacier-Waterton tour coming up in July. About 400 miles of riding around and through Glacier National Park, including a jaunt into Canada. For this tour I’d go for the hotel option, making for no lugging of heavy duffels to and from the truck every day. The ride will be hard work. The rest of the time shouldn’t be! "So, you'll really be training hard now!" I hear you speculate. Well…

Sure. Later. Right now I'm in Tyler, Texas on a business trip. I did the Fitness Center thing here at the hotel this afternoon, but that’s just maintenance (maybe). And next week I head down to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. No bikes. No Fitness Centers. But after that… You plead with me, "Tell us about Tyler!" Well…

As I look out of my hotel window, I see an establishment across the street. The sign on the front reads, "Bath Specials - Wash 'n Go's; Tattoos; Instant Copies." I am NOT making this up. "Don't tell us any more!" you implore. Well...

That is a little much, so I'll give you a break from talking about breaks and break it off here. And, by the way, thanks for asking.