First Utility Run of 2012!!

It may well have taken us until the start of the 2nd month of this new year, however we did do our first utility run - to the recycler dude! I always get a kick out of seeing the big SUV gas guzzlers parked at the recycle place. Out here we ride 5.5 miles one way to bring a bag of plastic to recycle and there may even be a closer one to us, so the people in the SUV's are more than likely burning more fuel than the money they will get for the bags of beer bottles they bring. Well, to each their own.

I love the fact that we do our utility trips via pedal power!! I look forward to the day when we pull out of the driveway with trailer in tow heading to town to do a grocery run - those runs are some of the most fulfilling trips we have ever done, period! One thing we most certainly are going to do this year is to do more of our shopping at the local fruit stands here in Littlerock. Yes, the fruit may cost a bit more than in the Stater Bros. but, we are going to make a conscious effort this year to stick with the locally grown and thereby less processed (hopefully) fruits and vegetables available to us. We also plan on starting the plans for a raised garden in our expansive backyard. The home growing of our own organic veggies may bring rise to a blog that will share our exploits and successes/failures of our home gardening adventures, just an fyi!!

Here's a pic of Rose waiting to go to the recycler this morning!!:

Rehab Update...

Thought I'd give a brief update on the status of my right wrist/hand and my right elbow, post surgery. I have been to 12 PT appointments, those have primarily focused on my hand and consisted of stretching exercises. They have also been giving me the electric stimulus along my forearm and the message of both scar lines. So far, there are some days the exercises really make my hand hurt and the messages really take their toll on me - my elbow is really sensitive still. All part of it, but I would much rather go through this recovery pain and have full use of both hands and elbows in 20 years than not have the use of them. That is for sure. I see my surgeon on the 3rd of February for his post op evaluation; I'll post his thoughts that following weekend. I have to go see the AME in the end of March to re-evaluate my condition for the Insurance Company in my Workers Comp case...don't know what they think will have changed on my left side, but, jump through the hoops we will!!

Lights for Rose!!

I have been tirelessly scouring forums and sites looking for the "perfect" set up of lights for the trike in order for me to "be seen" as much as I feel I need to in order to ride on our roads out here in the daytime. Our last visit to Costco ended with me bringing home a 3 pack of Tech Lite Lumen Master 200 lumen flashlights. Well, I had read about the benefits of using small, multi mode flashlights as trike lights, so, the price was right and so was the lumen level. I also discovered that I could use the pack of mini reflectors I had as different colored lenses!! Yep, now I have the amber front strobe lights and red strobes in the rear!! This is my starter set up, I will adapt it as I go...but I am happy to have lights on for the time being!!

My Ride With The 'Trike Squadron' !!

Well, took the drive down to the Anaheim area last weekend to join some fellow trikers in the 'Trike Squadron' group that I will be riding with in the Tour de Cure Ship to Shore charity ride in April. Lots of fun, wore myself out riding waayyy past my level playing 'chase the velomobile'...LOL!! Here is the video of that ride, courtesy of the Trike Squadron Commander, Glenn:

A Water Bag And Thoughts About 2012....

First things first, here is my new Camelbak Unbottle that my dear wife gave me for Christmas:

 I love this thing!! It fits perfectly on the side of my seat, as you can see, and the sipper hose is long enough to reach - seriously, the perfect gift from a perfect wife!! Thank you Shmoopie!!

The year started out pretty crazy for us with the challenges of dealing with my W/C case; in the Spring we started riding again, but riding on my TR 101 became such an adventure in agony for me, that the rides became sporadic at best. That all changed when I got 'Rose' in August!! Man, what a difference riding the trike has made...no issues with elbow pain and I can ride it one handed when needed...woohoo!!

2012 will bring some new challenges and some changes to our lifestyle - I start classes January 3rd as I take the journey toward a 2 year AOS degree in Sustainable Energy Technology. It will also bring some challenges in the way of 2 organized rides I am planning on doing. The first is the ADA Tour de Cure Ship to Shore charity ride in Long Beach, CA. in April. I have joined a team of other trike riders to ride the full 100 mile ride, should be a fun and exciting time - my first 'century' ride!! Then in August I am planning on riding the Cool Breeze Century in Ventura - this is just a fun ride organized by a cycling club. So, with those goals in mind, my fitness level has to get raised - about time to make some diet and exercise changes, definitely. And, of course I have my ongoing physical therapy treatments to get my right wrist and elbow back to 100% after the surgery and then they will work on the left side.

2012 looks to be an exciting time for us, I'll keep everyone updated - Happy New Year to you all!!!

About Being Car Free...A Quick Update

Well, since my surgery authorization has taken so long to get here and I start class just a few weeks after my surgeries, we realized the reality of my commuting to class on Rose was not going to happen - not my first semester at any rate. We did manage to get an automatic transmission SUV,  so, driving to class and therapy appointments while in rehab will be very manageable.

I Have My Date With The Surgeon Set.!!

Well, after 16 months in the California Workers Compensation System, I have a surgery date to have my Carpal Tunnel and Cubital Tunnel injuries fixed. If you remember, the pain I suffer from when trying to ride an upright (DF) bike is the reason I switched to a recumbent style bike. The surgery and impending extended rehab of the surgeries needed, is the reason I went with a 'bent trike. I have been practicing riding with my right arm in my lap while we do our almost daily rides to the Post Office. This has been my way of learning to ride while having my arm in a sling and unusable on the trike, so, one armed riding will not be a problem!! (of course, I have not been practicing daily chores one handed - I'm right handed and that is the one first up for surgery). So, on December 1st, I will travel  to here for my surgery  4 procedures will be done - 2 each on my right elbow and on my right hand/wrist. My suture removal will be on 12/12, presumably.

I plan on posting  about my day at the center and getting some pics snapped by the staff before they wrap me up to send me home, so, you all can look forward to that next exciting post - of course, that may take some time to type one handed !!