Tuesday, April 13, 2010

I miss clarifying thoughts with words, even if nobody reads them nor understands them. I've dropped out of communication feeling like a broken record. Saturday made 18 months post accident and I know there hasn't been a single day when I haven't thought about it. So, for Saturday, April 10th, I celebrated the day in style.

The alarm went off at 3:30am. My home thermometer read 28 degrees. The forecast called for a high of about 65 degrees. I packed somewhat sensibly with little extra margin for clothing. I wore long wool socks, Ibex wool knee warmers, Ibex wool shorts, an Ibex woolie top, and an Ibex Shak. (Yes, I was a walking advertisement for Ibex, but I wear what I like because I like it.)

By the time I hit the road, I was behind my artificial schedule... It was 4:30 before I made my way down the street. The bike felt wonderful and I felt cautiously optimistic that I might be able to pull off my crazy idea.

By sunrise, I'd crossed the border into Wisconsin and made my way down highway 35 along the Mississippi river. I spent the day on the bike headed south into a mild headwind out of the southwest. Through one small town after another on an epic ride to my in-laws house in Steuben, WI.

To my surprise, the idea was presented by my wonderful and understanding wife Anika. My in-laws live on a large parcel of land and they were going to need some help planting some 2,000 hardwood trees as part of the forestry management program. Family members were going to descend on the farm to spend the weekend diggin' in the woods. Anika suggested inquisitively that I could ride my bike down on Friday and they would drive down after school and work.

It was very much a ride about the destination not the journey. Highway 35 even being next to the river is not all that great of a ride, I prefer more dynamic scenery and less traffic. Perhaps it was a bit of fatigue from battling the headwind all day, but the river on the right, bluff on the left did very little in the way of distracting me.

I rode until about 9pm at which point the headlights that approached from behind happened to be my wife and kids. I didn't hesitate to accept a ride for the last 15 miles. I wanted to be off the bike, I wanted to arrive at the same time as the rest of my family, and I was quite satisfied having covered almost 200 miles. I finished the day at 196.80.

Saturday, I donned my "graduation" shirt from Physician's Neck and Back and spent the better part of the day in the woods planting trees. I wonder about the sensibilities of my own actions, but remain equally confused about alternatives. My body hurts like heck, but my mind is clear. Sure, I could barely walk by the time Sunday came around, but somehow, I feel good.

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