Sunday 4 February 2001, Al's Birthday! (Re-entry 4)
This has been a somewhat eventful week, exciting and NOT boring. Started out Monday with school being called off due to extreme cold. I ended up walking 3 miles and getting caught up on school work and insurance claim filing again. So a very productive day for me.
Then Tuesday morning I spotted a moose in my back yard as I backed out of my garage and that evening I assumed it was the same moose just to the left of my driveway. The next morning, there were 3 moose, mom and two yearling calves, right near the bottom of my driveway. No big deal if you are in a car but by Wednesday evening I had 4 inches of new snow and shoveled after school til dark. Didn't want to be out there in the dark if the moose were near by.
That night, we got another 4 inches so I got up early and shoveled before school, in the pitch black dark. My outside lights don't even come close to shining halfway to the bottom of my drive so I was constantly looking over my shoulder and watching out for the moose. A little unnerving, knowing that if one were to attack me, I wouldn't have a chance of outrunning it in any direction. I'd be downhill from the house, big snow banks on both sides and a long way to anywhere if I ran away from my house.
So when I got to school that day, I approached my principal and asked if they'd please physically check on me if ever I should not show up to school. At first he and the secretary laughed but I convinced them that I was serious. When you live alone at the end of a deadend road in a rural subdivision where the nearest neighbor is over a half mile away, it's nice to know that someone might check up on you.
Then Friday, I bought myself a birthday present. My friend, Charlie, told me about his studded snow tires he has on his bike and how he rides in the winter all the time. When I asked about these Finland made tires, the bike shop just happened to have 2 pr in stock. My lucky day. So I now am the proud owner of 2 studded tires for my mountain bike and Saturday I put them on.
Now this was educational since I have never had a flat on my mountain bike, I had never changed a tire before. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my rear tire did NOT have the quick release. I had 2 nuts to loosen and who knows how long it's been since they were taken off. Not in the last 5 years, for sure. They were on there pretty good but I got them loose and the tires changed, only not to be able to switch my pump from presta to schrader fittings. I called Craig for advice and he asked why I wanted to pump up my mtn bike tires. I told him about the studded tires and he said "Al, you are crazy. Can't you find something else to do other than ride your bike in the winter?" Not exactly the response I was expecting from him. But we laughed and he gave me the info I needed, but to no avail. Couldn't get the dumb pump to work.
So Sunday, I walked my bike to a neighbor's and used their bike pump and then rode my bike home. What a gas. The studs work, I could ride up fairly steep inclines but not my steep driveway. The brakes worked going downhill, which totally surprised me. So now I can ride and when the highway is clear, I'll ride to school. I'll have about 10 miles of icy county roads and 4 miles of highway. The challenge will be in figuring out how to dress. I was not over dressed by any means today but I got so hot just climbing short inclines. I can just see me stopping every couple miles to shed clothes. Should be fun and will definitely be exciting the first time I ride to school.
The bike shop owner said he has sold several pairs of these tires this year and the people who bought them have had nothing but good things to say about them. One of his employees rides to work every day. So if others can ride, I should be able to ride, too.
Then today, I had a big dinner party for my birthday. This was my first potluck dinner. In the past, I've always cooked everything but this year, I was feeling a little lazy. It turned out we had enough food for 20 people, not the 10 of us that were there. I ate far too much and over-stuffed myself for the first time since I've been home. See, eating is a social thing. I've been really good about what I've eaten and how much ever since I got home, until today. But hey, I wouldn't trade that time with my friends for anything. I'll just have to cut back a little more this week. It was the perfect ending to a good week. And on top of that, I got a phone call early this morning from my good friend, Charlie. Made my day.
Stay tuned for the adventures of winter bike riding.
Monday 19 February 2001 (Re-entry 5)
Well, here is another dumb move on my part. After talking to a nurse friend recently and explaining how I'm not usually this ditzy but seem to be doing really dumb things since I got home, she said it's not out of line since for a whole year, I've been leading a simple life and not had to deal with more than just a couple things at a time. I like her logic; I hope she is right.
Anyway, I was returning a table I borrowed from a fellow teacher and her garage door opener wouldn't close the door. So I pulled on the overhead cord and the door seemed to be jammed. I went outside and there was no handle to grab so I put three fingers between the garage door panels and pulled down, trapping my fingers temporarily. The door came down much quicker than I anticipated or I pulled on it harder than I thought. I was able to stop it before it latched but boy that hurt. My first thought was that I'd end up losing three fingernails. I just stuck my fingers in my glove and figured they'd be OK.
But it hurt so bad, I pulled them out and looked at them and, yuk, there was blood. I had cut the middle finger in the crease of the first joint. I sat in my truck thinking I'd be OK if I just went home and put a band aid on it but after several minutes, I decided to go to the emergency room and sure enough, I needed stitches. Wrecked my day. It was close to 20 below zero that day and probably why the mechanism wouldn't work but still no reason to do what I did. Biggest bummer of all was the infection that had set in by the time I got the stitches out. But all is on the mend now and almost back to normal.
We had two days off school due to extreme cold that same week and I had my deepest bout of depression those two days since I've been home. I even went to school to work that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday because I couldn't stand to be home alone. I was still alone at school but it was different somehow. Don't ask me to explain it, I can't. Then on Sunday, I took a 13 mile walk and got myself back on track.
One of the things I wanted to do when I got home from around the world was a beautification project of main street in my hometown. After seeing all the beautiful flowers in flower boxes on bridges, lamp posts, and window sills in Germany and Austria, [Photo229] [Photo239] [Photo244] [Photo250] [Photo255] [Photo284] I thought Driggs could look like that, too. So I've recently thrown myself into that project which seems to take up a lot of my evening time and make the quiet time go faster. I'm talking to people and keeping mentally busy so my emotional mood has improved greatly. And I'm getting lots of support which is encouraging.
Now we have a three day weekend and I'm not dreading the time off from school. However, I'm not going to be home alone either. I have four different things planned with four different friends throughout the course of the weekend.
So once again, re-entry has proven interesting but life is good.
Is this just a lawsuit of a few malcontents, or was everyone aware of it?
--Jim Taylor
I know this lawsuit was in the works soon after it was announced that we would have to pay more money to continue past Singapore. There were several, probably many, people who were very unhappy from early on in the trip. This was like the last straw.
I'd say over 90% of the riders were truly upset but some like myself chose not to get involved for whatever reason we may have. You can't get blood out of a turnip so what's the use. I'll just probably never take another TKA sponsored ride.
It was common knowledge what was going on and I think I'm safe in saying that everyone on Odyssey knew about it and had the chance to participate if they wanted to. We still receive updates on what's going on, so it is no secret. I don't know how many people paid extra bucks to sue so I have no idea as to how many are actively involved.
Wednesday 28 February 2001 (How I keep my sanity during re-entry)
I set goals for myself (shovel or walk everyday) and have been keeping track of my efforts. I have lost 8½ lbs and it is not because I quit eating. I'm just eating the good stuff now. Thought you might be interested.
January Totals:
Walked: 61.7 miles
Shoveled snow: 23 hours
February Totals:
Walked: 41.6 miles
Cycled: 22.7 miles
Shoveled snow: 25 hours
Skied: 6.5 hours
I recently held a large party at my home, which Al attended. Unbeknownst to her, I had invited another Odyssey rider, Trueheart Brown, who now lives in Wilson, Wyoming, within Jackson Hole.
It was a great surprise for Al, and a pleasure for me as well to meet True, about whom I had heard so much throughout the past year.
We were again surprised this week, when True attended a concert performance by the Jackson Hole Community Band, in which both Al and I play. True brought with him another visiting Odyssey rider, his step-father, Ron Morlino.
--Craig