Snippets

[brucstoudt]

sleep..i remember sleeping in my recliner when i had pneumonia.my lungs rattled to much for me to sleep in bed.you're in good hands John.

[sportsterpaul]

Feeling really good, really good that you’re home and healing! Now rest and heal!!!

[BKB]

Good news, John. Keep it up, my friend, but don't get impatient.

[Andy56]

Sweet dreams!

Welcome home.

[sprink]

More good news!

[Crusty]

Thanksgiving 2023




It’s quiet. I’m alone in my house and I have space to think. This has been a year for the books, for me.There’s a huge amount of material for my usual reflective Thanksgiving Snippet.


It’s been a year of spectacular accomplishments and huge disappointments and huge amounts of Luck; both good and bad.


I tried to ride to the Arctic Ocean, but didn’t even make it out of the USA. The whole trip was a series of things going wrong. Backed up plumbing before I even set out, followed by all kinds of delays and expenses that were triple what I expected and icy cold rain in the mountains all combined to make me abandon my quest in Salmon, Idaho and turn for home. In spite of my plans and hopes, I had a bad feeling about the trip from the start and the relief when I turned south and east was immense.


One of the factors that heavily influenced me was that while I was on the road, my Grandson was born and I really wanted to see him. So after my return to Cheviot, I plotted a trip to New England. My friends Roy & Janette were having a get together in West Virginia, so I went there as my first leg to Massachusetts and Maine. I was staying with my cousins Billy & Candy and my close friend Ernie (who is married to Candy). Motel prices in Maine were on a par with the prices in Salmon, so I could only do a day trip to see Burdock, Megan and Rocky. I had no idea that having a grandson could be so amazing and the trip remains one of the major highlights of the year.


While I was in Massachusetts, I visited the shop one day and it reminded me just how much I enjoy the place and the people there. I also did a ride around the Quabbin Reservoir with Ernie and Kathryn, which was fun. I also rode over to the Dinosaur BBQ in Troy, New York and met with a few folks from Badweb. That also was fun.


When I left Hudson, I decided to ride straight through to Cheviot. I was trying to avoid getting caught by a serious rainstorm. It was a grueling ride, but it proved that this old fart can still put in a 900 mile day on a motorcycle. That was very gratifying.


Once home, I called a plumber who rooted out my sewer pipe and the plumbing was working properly again.


I rode up to the Peoria TT and saw some very good racing (and learned where I want to watch the race from) in August and I rode to the West Virginia Buell Rally/Reunion/Revival a couple of weeks later. The WVBR remains my favorite rally.


After the WVBR, I went to the Springfield Mile, and decided along the way to ride up to Iowa and visit with Matthew and Lorraine for a couple of days. That was a very enjoyable visit.


I returned home and found my sewer drain was backing up again, so I had the plumbers back. I had gotten a coupon for a free camera inspection of my pipes (a Colonoscopy for a house) and I found out that the Terra Cotta pipes under my basement floor had collapsed and needed to be replaced. That was painfully expensive, but I now believe that I should never have a problem with my sewer pipes for the rest of my life.


I had been getting some very discomforting burning pain in my chest when I exerted myself, and when I visited my Cardiologist and told him about it , he scheduled me for an Angiogram. It turned out to be three calcium blockages in my arteries that could not be corrected by inserting stents, so Bypass Surgery was scheduled. It also turned out that my mechanical Aortic Valve had issues, so it came out and a tissue valve replaced it. The surgery was on Halloween.


It was a very tough surgery for me to recover from, though I’m now well on my way to much better health. One thing that was a tremendous help was that Dondi flew to Cincinnati from Arizona and stayed here for a few days and helped me out. She flew back to Arizona yesterday; and even though I’ve been living alone for many years, the house feels like something’s missing.


One thing about the Surgery is that I can’t eat nearly as much as I usually do. It will take a while before my appetite returns to normal. Keeping that in mind, I’m going to have a six oz. portion of Rib Eye for dinner along with about eight oz. of potatoes and maybe some vegetables. I’m on the fence about whether I’ll drink a glass of Pepsi with the meal, or stick to water. I haven’t had Pepsi since before the surgery.


Like the last time I had Heart Surgery, my taste for coffee has really diminished. I now only have one or two cups in the morning and that’s it.


So that’s been my year in a nutshell. There’s a lot of stuff I left out, but the high points are there. It’s been an amazing journey, but I’m hoping it will lead to an even more amazing 2024. I guess I’ll find out!


I hope each and every one of you has truly magnificent Thanksgiving Day, filled with loved ones, great food and happiness.

[sportsterpaul]

Thank you John, and May yours be truly blessed! Rest and heal, keep it safe.

[ChinCactus]

You certainly don’t lead a boring sedentary life John! You and Sportster Paul are an inspiration. I need to ride more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Crusty]

I Feel Like An Old Man


Two hours ago, I went for a walk. I walked for half a block, turned around and came back to my house. It was the next step I planned in my recovery and it kicked my ass. When I got back to my driveway, I had to sit on the stone wall for a minute before I made my way into the garage and up the stairs into the kitchen. Once upstairs, I hit the recliner for a rest.

I did not realize just how much the surgery weakened me. I’ve been feeling stronger each day and I fully expected that the walk would tire me out a little, but that I could handle it without trouble. I guess I’m weaker than I thought. That means that I’m just going to have to work a little harder on my recovery. It’s going to be a bit more work than I expected.

Thirty years ago, I was working under Boston Harbor, drilling & blasting hard rock. It was strenuous, hard work and I enjoyed it. I felt like one of the few who could handle the job. Now, it’s a major accomplishment to walk half a block and back. I’ll be walking a full block each way before this week passes. I know I can do it and I’ll “gitter done”.

When I got home from the hospital, I walked from the driveway into the house and had to rest before going up the stairs from the basement. The next milestone was when I walked down the stairs and out through the garage to the sidewalk and back. Today’s walk was the logical next step. I’m staying on plan and in a couple of weeks, I’ll be able to go well beyond today’s accomplishment. I just have to keep my sights on the goal and not let difficulties hold me back. There will be difficulties; I just have to Improvise, Overcome and Adapt.

One of my motivational factors is that I walk by the Gentleman’s Express on my way out and also on my back in. She’s still beautiful and is patiently waiting for me to heal enough to take her out for a ride. I bet that first ride is going to feel magnificent! I figure it will take at least another month before I can do that, but if I work at my recovery, it will happen sooner rather than later.

When I had my first Heart Surgery, 11 years ago; it was two months before the surgeon cleared me for riding. This recovery is happening slower than that one, so I won’t be surprised if it takes longer. I’m going to do my best to keep the delay as short as possible, however. If I’m cleared to ride on New Year’s Day, I’ll consider that to be a major victory.

Well; enough whining. I can be a tough ol’ bastard when I put my mind to it. I can do this and I will.

[ChinCactus]

That was a pretty tough surgery you went through. Keep up on your rehab and don’t rush it. You’ll get through it!