Riding and Reminiscing
My plan has been to buy a kayak when I retire and use it on some nearby lakes to get an upper-body workout. I'd have done it already but there's not enough time in my schedule between my riding, walking, yard work and what remains of my career. I'm glad I waited. My want for a kayak has been replaced by something more appealing: SUP (Stand Up Paddle). In the land of 10,000 lakes, I think this could be something I can enjoy for many years. I hear it's a very good core workout and that's what I need.
I also like how easy it is to lift one of these boards as they're considerably lighter than a kayak.
SUP is not new but I would guess it's new to most of those out there doing it. I found a link to this video on Wiki. Too fun! Now, where do I go to find waves like that around here?
I've also got my eye on one other toy; a newer, lighter fat-bike. There's a small shop in Rosemount called Wheelie Awesome Bike Service that offers a carbon fiber bike from Sarma called the Shaman with a Bluto front suspension that comes in at around 25 pounds. The reviews I've read about the bike are very good. My knees will appreciate the reduced weight considering how my Mukluk tips the scales at just over 40 pounds. I'd like to have this in my stable by fall if possible.
Speaking of my knees, I recently heard about a relatively new and much more refined partial knee replacement procedure called Makoplasty that uses a robotic arm in conjunction with infrared positioning of arrays that guide the surgeon for a much more precise surgery. Here's a video that describes the procedure. It doesn't guarantee any more longevity out of the new knee when compared to other knee surgical procedures but I think recovery is faster. I hope to have my right knee rebuilt someday but I figure the longer I wait the more I increase my chances for a better outcome.
I was in to see my dermatologist on Tuesday to rid my skin of any suspect areas that could become cancerous. His focus was on small, scaly areas referred to as Actinic Keratoses that he freezes off with super-cold liquid nitrogen. It leaves my face looking like I've got a skin disease but I don't mind. It's a small inconvenience for what it does for me. He wants me back in three weeks to undergo Photodynamic Therapy and again three weeks after that to repeat the process.
I was out riding on Friday morning under a blue sky with light winds. We seldom have calm wind days here of late and it reminded me a lot of a San Diego day when I used to ride while in the Navy. Those were some carefree times for me. I couldn't help but reminisce about those days because it's what I do.
I took a detour and rode out to Emerald Hills Village trailer park in Inver Grove Heights to have a look at where I lived for my first year after returning home from the Navy. The trees are a lot taller and the home I used to live in has been replaced by another but it's still the same place. I enjoyed standing there straddling my bike and thinking about how much has happened in my life since I lived there.
Yes, so much has happened but I'm still the same kid-at-heart. I hope that never changes.
I also like how easy it is to lift one of these boards as they're considerably lighter than a kayak.
SUP is not new but I would guess it's new to most of those out there doing it. I found a link to this video on Wiki. Too fun! Now, where do I go to find waves like that around here?
I've also got my eye on one other toy; a newer, lighter fat-bike. There's a small shop in Rosemount called Wheelie Awesome Bike Service that offers a carbon fiber bike from Sarma called the Shaman with a Bluto front suspension that comes in at around 25 pounds. The reviews I've read about the bike are very good. My knees will appreciate the reduced weight considering how my Mukluk tips the scales at just over 40 pounds. I'd like to have this in my stable by fall if possible.
Speaking of my knees, I recently heard about a relatively new and much more refined partial knee replacement procedure called Makoplasty that uses a robotic arm in conjunction with infrared positioning of arrays that guide the surgeon for a much more precise surgery. Here's a video that describes the procedure. It doesn't guarantee any more longevity out of the new knee when compared to other knee surgical procedures but I think recovery is faster. I hope to have my right knee rebuilt someday but I figure the longer I wait the more I increase my chances for a better outcome.
I was in to see my dermatologist on Tuesday to rid my skin of any suspect areas that could become cancerous. His focus was on small, scaly areas referred to as Actinic Keratoses that he freezes off with super-cold liquid nitrogen. It leaves my face looking like I've got a skin disease but I don't mind. It's a small inconvenience for what it does for me. He wants me back in three weeks to undergo Photodynamic Therapy and again three weeks after that to repeat the process.
I was out riding on Friday morning under a blue sky with light winds. We seldom have calm wind days here of late and it reminded me a lot of a San Diego day when I used to ride while in the Navy. Those were some carefree times for me. I couldn't help but reminisce about those days because it's what I do.
I took a detour and rode out to Emerald Hills Village trailer park in Inver Grove Heights to have a look at where I lived for my first year after returning home from the Navy. The trees are a lot taller and the home I used to live in has been replaced by another but it's still the same place. I enjoyed standing there straddling my bike and thinking about how much has happened in my life since I lived there.Yes, so much has happened but I'm still the same kid-at-heart. I hope that never changes.
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