Most Men live Lives of Quiet Desperation.....

and go to the grave with the song still in them.  Henry David Thoreau

I'd like to modify that quote a little bit or at least borrow from it for my the purposes and theme of this post.

Most People live Lives of Quite Desperation.... and Create Needless Drama to try to make up for it.

My visit back to Texas has reminded me of this sad State of Being.

It seems everywhere I turn, everyone I talk to, every situation I encounter....

I am met with stories, events and sharings that show me that People just need to adjust their controls on their perception of the severity and importance of the things that happen to them and most importantly, how they react to those things, events or encounters.

Maybe it's what happens when we live in the Land of Plenty which is what Texas is right now.

Where we have Continuous Employment at a Pay at the top of the Scale, live in Nice Houses, Drive Nice Cars and eat too much food.... and have too much stress and too little exercise.

Gotta love the Southern Community and Culture where People shout at their neighbor across the street and cuss them and their family out because a vehicle was parked legally in the street, but in a manner or position that triggered their ire.

Or a blown up reaction to a dog taking a shit in their yard.

You know, it dawns on me, that this sort of behavior, may be tied to Economic Class Structure.

Why is it less likely for better educated Professionals - like Doctors and Lawyers and CPAs - to have petty arguments with their neighbors or have loud shouting scenes in public or to just lose control of themselves in general.

I've always contended, and probably a lot of shrinks will agree, that most behavioral dysfunctions, are caused by lack of self esteem.

Those that strive to, and succeed in..... accomplishing things such as Higher Education, Jobs and Occupations that require more Skill and Responsibility.... probably have a better opinion of themselves compared to those who don't.

And those who don't see their lives slipping away in a never ending conveyor belt of meaningless events and they take whatever opportunity they can....

To Make Themselves Heard.... To Make Themselves Matter.... To Whoever Will Listen....

Under whatever silly circumstances are presented.

I know this is true.... because I've been there.... and done that.

Until one day, I just got tired of it and I moved away from it.

That was the first day....

Of the Rest of My Life.

If you are suffering blood pressure spiking, needless drama and emotional outbursts in your Life....

Just Stop and make a Self Assessment:

Are you happy with what, who, where you are, who you're with?

If the answer is No to any of these or any other significant conditions in your life, then ask yourself if you can or want to do anything to change it?

If the answer is No.... then just accept that your life is gonna be less than what you thought it was gonna be based on some past perspective....And find a way to Stop making Yourself and Everyone around you miserable with your dramatic reactions and over responses to menial and everyday disturbances in life.

If the answer is Yes, then develop a Plan to improve / change the condition that seems to be affecting your Self Esteem.

For me, it was Simple.

I just gave up.

I gave up trying to be something I was never gonna be.

The day I did that, it opened up a whole New World to me.

and I have been happier ever since.

Leave Drama to TV....

And Just Live and Love your Life.

Confirming decisions I have made were correct...

I've made no secret this week was difficult.

But I made a decision to come back to Texas and have the procedure done.

I decided to go into the surgery as fit as my left knee would allow me to be.

I've continued to eat clean this week despite the pain and difficulties.

Finally seeing some light at the end of the pain tunnel

And staying at the right weight.

I decided to have one binge meal and asked my sister to fix pancakes for breakfast.

You can eat like this one or two meals a week and get away with it.... so I did.

This week has been really revealing to me in many ways....

One of those is that I've realized that I have to control my environment in order to control myself.

I've actually lost my temper a couple of times this week.... when I really shouldn't have.

And that has bothered me.

Because I thought I had conquered that beast.

But now I realize if you put the specimen back in the same test tube and introduce the same stimuli, the specimen will respond the same as it always did.

Leopard can't change his spots.... one of my favorite sayings.

I think the negativity of the environment I'm in and the pain and frustration of the surgery and my lack of activity and ability to work out has really set me back mentally, physically and emotionally.

And it's not a good place to be.... the state I'm in.... literally and figuratively.

I am amazed at how much all of this week's happenings have affected me.  Thought I had gotten beyond all that but now realize that my happiness and peace is a fragile thing.

It must be protected and nurtured at all cost.  I'm gonna use this realization and knowledge in consideration of future decision making.

It's something I realized a long time ago....

I was not cut out for the structured and stressful environment of corporate work.....

So I turned to Independent Contracting working remotely out of a home office.

I am not good at living with anyone.

So I have sought solitude.

I hated the heat, humidity, culture and community of the Texas Gulf Coast....

So I moved to the high altitude, cool temps, dry air and open minded and accepting perspective of Santa Fe.

This is my favorite version of this song... and as I listened to the driving rhythm and lyrics....

And that's why they call me
Bad Company
I can't deny
Bad Bad Company till the day I die
Until the day I die
Until the day I die

I realize..... I was right to make the decisions I have made over the last few years.

My emotions this week were definitely in the Red Zone.

People that are around me for very long eventually see the side of me I try to keep hidden.

That's why I don't try to get close to anyone anymore.

It will just end in pain, disappointment and hurt feelings.

A painful and productive week indeed.

A procedure to extend the life of an arthritic knee for a few more years hopefully.

A realization that I will always be what I have always been.

A plan to return to a place of peace and solitude.

My son and I were talking about the concept of self service.

The thesis being that the best way to serve others is to take care of yourself first.

Each person has to walk their own path of Self Discovery.

I decided to take a few steps back on my path.

Found it a rocky road full of pitfalls.

Sometimes seeing where you came from is a good thing.

This time it wasn't.

Communication - the Art of Misunderstanding and Stubbornness - the Art of Rebellion

Wow - how time flies when you're having fun!

Not!

Let me just summarize by saying the last 5 days of my life have been the most frustrating, angering and painful of my life.

And, much like the Incredible Hulk, I have learned from years of dealing with the Beast Inside, I have to say...

"Please don't make me angry..... You won't like me when I'm angry!"

In a nutshell, the last few days went something like this.....

I  went in for knee surgery last Tuesday morning.  I had reviewed the procedure in detail with the doctor. Pretty simple.... make a 1 to 1-1/2" incision on the inside of my left knee, move some muscle and tendons out of the way to get access to a 3/4" long bone spur on the back inside of my left knee and shave that sucker off and exit the scene.  Last thing I asked him at the consult was..... How long is the recovery?

And he says, "Ah.... you'll be walking in 3 days and be back at 100% in 3 - 4 weeks". 

Hmmmm...... Walking in 3 days.... Remember that.

So in the preoperative "check-in", the Texas Orthopedic Hospital admitting nurse is doing the standard questionnaire from a laptop at bedside and she describes the procedure as an "arthroscopy"....  which is a totally different procedure that accesses the inside of the knee joint through very small "incisions" or holes.

I said - No - I am not having an arhthroscopy - he will make an incision - a big incision.

And the nurse said - Oh.... yes, that's what the written order says - this is the hardcopy she was holding in her hand.

RED FLAG!  

The Surgical Procedure type in the computer system was different from the hardcopy procedure that was obviously from some other source.

So.... that bothered me.... cause I knew there was likely a slew of information tied to the erroneous procedure.

But I let it slide.....

MISTAKE #2.....

I should have cried "Foul" right there and had them change the procedure in the computer system.

Anyway.... to make a long story into Gone with the Wind....here's what happened.

I wake up from the procedure... have 2 cups of coffee, a Coke and some Crackers.... they start handing me instructions and Discharge documents and the Doctor comes by and says.... Everything went well.... Now take it easy the next few days.

I look at the illustrated instructions in my hand which right off say....

Perform these 6 leg exercises - stiff legged leg raises, heel drags, quad muscle flex, etc - starting TODAY! and do them for so many reps however many times a day....

So I figure...they want me to exercise my leg from the get-go.

But the Doctor tells me Take it Easy.... which to me means Don't do any CrossFit workouts and don't ride my bike.... that sort of thing..... I'm kidding.... but the point is what they wanted me to do and what I understood I was supposed to do..... you get the picture.

Which is the beginning of Miscommunication..... cause what you mean by Take it Easy and what I mean by Take it Easy....

May be 2 totally different things.

And the written instructions for an arthroscopic procedure recovery involving soft tissue repair may be different from a "cut the side of the knee open" procedure involving chopping off a piece of bone from the outside of the knee.

Which turned out to be the case.

So the afternoon of the day of the surgery.... the anesthesia and procedure meds are wearing off....

And I'm starting to hurt.... so I'm taking the Pain Meds - 2 Tylenol 3's every 3 - 4 hours..... just like the Rx said.

And the Pain is overwhelming the meds....

And I am hurting so bad I can't sit still.

And I'm trying to do these fucking leg exercises that the discharge instructions tell me to do.

And I've taken off this huge Ace bandage and gauze covering the massive incision (at least 3" - what happened to that 1 to 1-1/2" incision) and I'm icing my knee.... which is what the illlustrated instructions given me at discharge tell me to do.

I finally gave up on the exercises... cause I couldn't even move my knee without it feeling like somebody was driving a railroad spike into my knee joint with a 12# sledge.

At 8:00 am the next day, Wednesday, I called the Doctor's office and talk to Dr Woods head nurse who is about like talking to a wall, in terms of bedside manner, and I tell her the pain is at Defcon 2 level and we are about to start global nuclear warfare on my left knee.  She says to call back at 11 am and talk to the good doctor.

At 10:55 am, the Doc calls me back and I tell him pain level is too high and the meds aren't cutting the pain and he says I can't give you anything stronger but you can double up on frequency going to 2 Tylenol 3's every 2 hours vs every 4 hours.

I also asked him about the exercises and told him I couldn't do them - hell, I couldn't even straighten my leg - and he says "No, don't do any exercises.  Do nothing, just rest".  And put the gauze dressing and Ace Bandage back on and ice the knee through this Ace bandage - which was about an 1" thick once it was all wrapped up..... Ice through that.... Yeah right.

Ok.... that's all new news.... I've gone through 24 hours of Hell.... with bad data.... and now I'm supposed to Do Nothing.  Just rest....

Got it.

So I up the pain meds and after about the 3rd 2 hour frequency dosage.... lo and behold....  the pain starts slowly subsiding.  Funny how that works.... take more pain meds and the pain is less.

I go to bed Wednesday night early at 7:00 pm after just taking a round of T-3's and I wake up at 10:30 pm and

SHAZAM..... the knee isn't throbbing anymore.

I get up Thursday morning and the knee feels much better.... no more deep bone pain anymore..... still painful.... but manageable.

But there's another problem....

My whole lower leg below the left knee was swollen and bloated.... I mean so much that it looked like I had blown it up....

I'm used to looking at my skinny left calf and ankle..... Now all I saw was a big bloated swollen limb.

So naturally, being the Communicator that I am, I call the Good Doctor's office to report this latest development.

I get a different nurse on the phone.... one I hadn't talked to before... and that seemed to be a new nurse.... so this is Nurse #2.

She takes the information and says someone from the doctor's office would be back with me shortly.

My knee is feeling much better.... so I am moving around on my crutches more.

I am amazed at this miraculous turnaround.  Maybe I will be walking in 3 days.... like the good Doctor told me.

Since the pain has subsided, I realize something else is wrong....

I haven't shit since Monday morning.

Holy Shit!  or Holy No Shit!

And if you knew how much I normally shit every morning...... you would have to wonder...... after 4 days of No Shit....

Reminds me of an old Crystal Gayle song.... Don't it make my Brown Eyes Blue..... except the opposite of that....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCgP-6mzz00

Cause my Blue Eyes are turning Brown.

Houston - we have a problem.

I get up Thursday morning, No Shit, Swollen lower left leg (which I called the Doctor's office about 24 hours earlier - Are you keeping up?), but knee feels better.... like I can get up and do something.... which I haven't done much of for 3 days.... and anybody knows that knows me....

Me not doing anything for 3 days.....

Is not a good thing!

Because exercise and activity is my  Lease on a Healthy and Happy Life.

I don't exercise.... I'm not Happy.

I'm not Happy.... I get negative.... I get negative.... I'm a Bitch to be around.

Pretty simple chain of events.

So anyway, I get up Thursday morning, and I decide I'm gonna go buy some groceries.... No big deal.

I got it planned out.... I crutch to may car.... drive my car 3 minutes to the HEB in Angleton which is literally down the block take a right and you're there.

I pull into the Parking Lot and I see the blue Handicapped sign at the head of the parking spot right at the front of the HEB store and I think....

For the first time in my life, I'm gonna park in (and actually use for what it was intended).... a Handicapped Parking Spot.

I take about 2 minutes gingerly lifting my left leg out of the deep recesses of the Mustang floorboard and over the door sill - which incidentally was the hardest part of the whole trip  - exit the Stang on 2 crutches like a crippled person which I am at the time.... and grab a shopping basket and slow roll into the Produce section of the Angleton HEB.

I got a list.... so I ain't shopping.... I'm buying.... meaning I'm not walking up and down every aisle.... just getting the stuff I need and checking out.

I thought I did pretty good....No hits, No runs, No falling down...

I get everything loaded including me.... drive back to my sister's house.... and start to unload the groceries.

Phone rings.... and it's the doctor's office.... this is a 3rd nurse I've never talked to before.... Nurse 3.

Remember, Communication effectiveness decreases by the reciprocal of the number of people in the Communication chain.

So that means we now have 1/3 of the effectiveness.... Tough Math I know.... if you don't get it... look it up on the Internet or blame your 4th grade teacher.

This nurse..... we'll call her Nurse T for short.... says she's calling me back.... from my call on Thursday morning....

And this is Friday morning.... 24 hours later..... I guess my concern about the swollen left leg wasn't much of a concern....cause the doctor's office waited a whole day to call me back.

So we talk a little bit about the swollen lower left leg and the fact that I can't shit and this lady is laughing and giggling at all my stupid jokes....

She asked me a couple of questions related to the swollen lower leg.... Is it painful?  Am I running a fever?  No and No.

And then she says You need to be doing nothing but laying down with your leg elevated.

And that's about when my Stubbornness comes out.....

I told her "T, I don't know how y'all expect someone to go belly up 24 hours a day for several days cause that's not realistic. I got things to do.... I've got to set at my computer and work (at least 2 hours a day - I know that's shameful but somebody's got to do it).... I've got 2 online meetings today.... and I gotta go pee about 10 times a day.... so your expectations are not realistic".

So I get all my work done and meetings taken care of on  Friday and I'm looking at my left Calf and Ankle and Foot and the SonofaBitch looks like it's twice as big as the right one.

Fine.Wages of Sin I guess.

Until about 4:30 pm Friday.... when Nurse T calls me back.... and asks how I'm doing....

And I said "Well I'm still concerned about this swollen left leg".

I told her I felt like I was running a low temp but the lower leg wasn't painful.....

And the next thing she says is...

"You need to go to an Emergency Room immediately and be tested for a BLOOD CLOT in your leg".

WTF?

I think my Blood Pressure went from 0 - 60 in 2.2 seconds.

I hadn't had this kind of a reaction since Who flung the Chunk, a Coon's age... a long time.

I mean I came fucking unglued - inside..... I mean I was a Mad Mo Fo.

I kept it pretty well contained when I said.....

I'll think about it.

I think that pissed her off.

Nurse T comes back and says the wrong thing.....

"Well, I'm gonna note on your chart that I advised you to go to the Emergency Room".

Oh.... so you're gonna play the Legal ese - CYA - card on me huh?

Ok.... you went down that road so let's just go a littler further.....

I let the dogs loose.....

I told her....

"Oh.... you're gonna note that on my charts?  Ok.... well you better also note that I called you people 36 hours ago about my swollen lower leg and you never even mentioned that a blood clot was a possibility and now.... 36 hours later, you call me at 4:30 on a Friday evening and tell me I need to rush to the Emergency Room.... and on top of that, you gave me the wrong discharge instructions which had me exercising my left leg the same day as the surgery when I should have been keeping the leg totally immobile".

After that little rebuttal,  I calmed down a little bit and told her....

"So tell me a little bit about this blood clot thing.... what's the mechanism....  what are the list of symptoms and is there anything else that would make my leg swollen like this."

She didn't give me any more information on blood clots other than the emergency room would do an ultrasound on  my leg to look for the blood clot.

She also told me that the swelling could be caused by over activity and not keeping immobile and elevated.

Hmmm.... sounds like a likely candidate to me.

Then she says "You told me you went shopping this morning" and I said "Yeah, I just drove my car to the HEB and crutched down a couple of aisles, bought a few things and came back home".

She says "Well, I live in Lake Jackson and I know you can't do that at the mall." 

Whoa Nelly!

Now you're telling me what I did.....and how I did it.

That's pretty much where I just shut it down.

Thanks for the call.... 

So I get off the phone with the Good Ship Lollipop and do an Internet search on leg blood clot symptoms.

Turns out here are the symptoms of a lower leg blood clot:

• Swelling - Check
• Pain in the Lower Leg - Nope
• Discoloration in the Lower Leg - Nope
• Low Grade Fever - I took my temp and it was normal - so Nope
• Cool feel to the skin (normally felt at the site below the clot) - Nope

This was the type of data-oriented info I had asked Nurse T for....but she was so fucking busy trying to cover her ass - that she wouldn't give it to me.... or didn't know it.... Whatever.

So I made the decision not to go to the Emergency Room.... and I jacked my leg up in the air and went Dead Bug.

Everybody happy now?

And here it is Sunday morning.... and the left lower leg is back to normal.

So.... that's my adventure for the week.

Whose fault was all this?

MINE!

Nearly 100%.  

It was a calamity of errors but I could have broken the Uh Oh Chain at many points along the way.

Basically, the Doctor's office did not know or understand how to communicate or deal with someone like me.... Who is used to being intensely active every day.  And their expectations for immobility were unrealistic and unattainable for someone like me.  They should've known that... I explained who I was, how I am and what I did  in a "normal day" to them in the Consult and the Pre-Op interview.

Am I mad?  or Am I angry?  What's the diff?  Well.... one is crazy and....Never mind.... Only Crazy people understand crazy people.... and you're perfectly sane....  which is why you're reading this madness.

I was mad AND angry... but I got over it.

Just call it temporary insanity with a prejudice of malice.... that would sound good on a sentence.... or in a sentence.

Has this been pleasant?

Nope - just about the worst, most frustrating and painful experience of my life.  I think I already said that.

Was it worth it?

I don't know.... at this point, my answer is No.... If I knew what I know now, I wouldn't have had the procedure.

Maybe Time will change that perspective.

Did I overreact to this whole misadventure?

Probably.

But that's OK.... that's who I am....

Sometimes you have to fall off the Wall.... 

And put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

I thought I had the Beast under Control but this experience left me....

Despite all the Controversy and Negativity, I am still eating good.

And all the Pain and Suffering and getting pissed off sees me down 2# this week to 169.5.

Prep'g the proteins for the week to come.  Figured I better prep what I bought at the mall....

When in doubt, have a Good Cigar and just kick back and say F it!

And listen to some good Korn Radio.

There's a Rebellious Streak in me a mile wide....

I just don't do good when you tell me to sit still....

In fact, my response will likely be....

Well what it was this week....

In the grand scheme this was just a speck of sand on the Beach of Human Experience.

For me....

It was just another week of.....

Discovery!

Coming to terms with Mr Pain... And Everybody needs Somebody Sometime

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday, the pain level in my left knee was at the point where I called the orthopedic surgeon's office and asked the administrative nurse if this is the way it was supposed to be.

The good Dr Woods called me back and to make a long story longer, here's what happened:

• He clarified the post-operative instructions.... 
• Don't do anything!  
• Leave the Ace bandage on the knee... it is providing compression on the swelling.
• He said I could put ice over the Ace bandage which I told him would be difficult and not get the bandage / dressing underneath wet, which was a No No.... don't get the incision wet.
• He authorized taking the prescribed pain med, Tylenol 3, more frequently.
• I asked about the length / location of the incision and he said there were "several" bone spurs he had to remove.

All day yesterday, I took the pain meds more frequently and, what do ya know, Mr. Pain at least got out of my face and took a seat about 3 rows back.  That I can handle.

I had my Red Stallion in the shop getting a windshield replaced from a rock strike that occurred while driving down to the beach last week.  Yeah.... I know.... my poor Mustang is jinxed down here.  Last time I was here it was a hailstorm.... this time a rock strike.... $500 out of pocket each time.... gonna create a line item on my budget for car insurance deductible while visiting Texas.  

My brother in law took me to get my car and just like with the hail damage, Gulf Coast Collision in Angleton Tx, did a fantastic job.  They even detailed the car for me.  It looked like a Red Diamond sparkling in the sun when I got there. Called the Gulf Coast Collision manager, Daniel Alamia, and thanked him and his team for another great job.

Wasn't sure if Mr Pain was gonna let me drive home, but once I wormed my way into the seat and tested my leg on the clutch a couple of times, I figured it was a Go.

So I drove the Red Stallion back to my sister's house no prob.

I took a dose of pain meds at 7:00 last night and went to bed and immediately to sleep.  I woke up at 10:30 and, lo and behold, the incessant, throbbing, deep bone pain I had been feeling for 36 hours straight.....

Was gone!

I took one more round of pain meds and then slept through the night till 6:00 am..... a healing 11 hours of sleep.

I woke up with much less pain in the knee, much more strength and flexibility and a new lease on life.... and some hope that, indeed, I might make it through this.

Which brings up another point I wanted to talk about.

It's no secret I'm a pretty Independent guy..... I live alone and basically do everything myself.... cook, clean, shop, whatever.

But it's times like these that make you realize.... and appreciate.... having the help and support of loved ones.

From all the phone calls and texts of support and encouragement from my out of town family and friends....

To the wonderful medical insurance my wife provides me....

To my daughter who drove me to my surgery....

And most definitely, to my Sister, Vicki, and Brother-in-Law, Red, who have housed me, fed me and driven me to and fro.

To my friends and family, Thank You, for helping me in my time of need.

Now.... let's eat!

OK Mr. Pain - You Win!

Despite an uninterrupted 4 hour cycle on the Tylenol 3, I only slept about 4 hours last night and woke up at 5:00.

The pain I am experiencing is on a whole other level than what I was expecting and that's with the prescribed pain meds.

F that. I'm calling Dr Woods office this morning and getting something a little more potent....

Because frankly right now Mr Pain is kicking my ass.

And when I look at my knee I can understand why.

The thing is swollen up like a cantaloupe. I can't straighten it or do any of the prescribed exercises.

I'm icing 15 mins on 30 mins off to try to get the swelling down.

If I didn't know better, I would think Woods already did the knee replacement.

I mean this is one pissed off knee.

The bright side of this morning is my sister made me this beautiful bacon, egg and tomato sandwich with a side of cantaloupe and orange.

I prepared myself mentally, physically and emotionally for this procedure but I have to say.....

I was not prepared for this.

Live and Learn....

Die and Forget it All.

Now that's a Nasty Knee!

Some say I have an issue with Narcissism...

What I have an issue with right now is this amazing incision on my knee!

Holy Mother of Destruction Batman!

If the Bone Spur didn't kill me....

The recovery from this incision will.

The Deed is Done... Going knee to knee with Mr Pain!

Yep... This was the scene of the crime!

In the post operative visit, Dr Woods said he cut a 3/4" long bone spur off the inside back of my knee!

WTF? Is that even possible?

Got out and downed 2 cups of coffee, a coke and a fistful of crackers...

Which at that time, was better than a Fistful of Dollars!

Got home and took the 1st round of Tylenol 3 (Tylenol and Codeine)

Mr Pain sucked those MFers down and said...

"Is that all you got?"

Not sure if any principle applies here except....

Respect Mr Pain...

Listening to some bad ass War music via Godsmack Radio on iHeart thinking that might help.

Rob Zombie says it's about time to pull out the Superbeast!

So I crutched my way to the back porch and smoked 3 bowlfuls of Ft Worth Supreme pipe tobacco.

Mr Pain took that and slapped my scrawny ass...

And I realized this is just the way it's gonna be so I might as well Quit Crying Like a Bitch and just....

About that time my wonderful sister Vicki brings me a bowlful of homemade beef stew...

So I fed Mr Pain some good ole home cooking and that seemed to satisfy him a bit.

Maybe I need to stop the Tylenol 3 and give Mr Pain a fifth of sumpin sumpin....

Last WOD for a while

Excellent salad with cast iron skillet grilled tuna and baked sweet potato.

I've been working out hard in anticipation of my knee surgery to remove a bone spur on the inside of my left knee.

The research that I've done and my own instincts tell me that I need to go into the surgery as strong and fit as possible.

It makes the recovery and rehab that much easier and faster.

So I knocked out 8 sets of box squats with the last 4 with 8 reps with 225# and then a Fran WOD of 21-15-9 Wall balls with 20# ball and Pull-ups with a 100 rep ab may sit-up buyout.

Nice little workout following my 48 mile ride in the heat yesterday.

So tomorrow morning I show up at Texas Orthopedic Hospital and Dr Woods will remove the bone spur and I'll start the painful recovery to get back to where I was today.

Kinda sounds like Future to the Back to me.

No 1.1 jiggowatts of power required.

Sometimes you just have to be amazed... And Reflect

Check out these stats. I am amazed at the human body.

On my 4 hour bike ride, I took in almost 4 quarts of liquid which is about 8 pounds. I still lost 7 pounds on a 4 hour ride which means I sweated 15 pounds or nearly 2 gallons of liquid or 1/2 gallon per hour...
And it wasn't even that humid... Only 54% humidity.

The human body is an amazing vehicle and I am redlining the sonofabitch everyday!

Is that crazy or what?

So afterwards, I ate a banana, a peach and several slices of cantaloupe, 2 glasses of Sangria made with brandy and triple sec (a special concoction of my sister), a bowl of red beans and rice, a piece of chicken and a piece of grilled yellowfin tuna.

Currently, I lay here in an endorphin-food - alcohol stupor reflecting on the day...

Thinking....

It was a good day...

http://youtu.be/8CPlF-IEkXQ

Hot Ride!

47.8 miles with a 13.3 mph avg on a very heavy mountain bike in 91 degree temps with a 100 degree index.

Done it.

Next.