Say What?

  I finally went for a ride on my road bike last night for the first time since last summer. I've been content to ride my gravel bike until now because it allows me to unclip from the pedals more easily, placing less lateral force on my right knee than I experience when unclipping from my road bike pedals. (My nephew just reminded me that I can adjust the pedal for the amount of force it takes to unclip.) I nearly forgot how much fun it is to ride this bike —how nimble and responsive it is. It was a shorter ride of only 24 miles (39 km), but I had so much fun and returned home amped about my ride. More of this, please.  One thing I noticed right away from my Favero Assioma power meter pedals was how much less power I'm generating with my right leg compared to my left. The data indicate that my left leg accounts for 60% of my power output, while my right leg accounts for 40% (approximately the same as before surgery). This is despite my focus on trying to involve my right leg m...

The odometer on my 2014 Subaru Forrester turned over 100,000 miles (160,934 km) this week. There are a few small areas of light rust that will probably be full-blown rust spots in a few years. I don't have plans to address them, but I may rethink that. I don't usually purchase extended warranties, but I made an exception for this car. The warranty is a lifetime warranty and has more than paid for itself already.  I've never been one for flashy, expensive cars. My only desire is that they roll me safely and relatively comfortably from place to place. My Forrester is my first vehicle with a temperature and directional gauge, so I'm living large. It's been a good car for me.  Last week, we celebrated Oscar and Rudy's first anniversary with us. They have fully wormed their way into our hearts and are enjoying family status. Their antics have us smiling and laughing at them throughout the day. We can't understand how anyone could abandon them the way they did by ...

When Trump walked out onto Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, in June 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests and after having a peaceful gathering of people broken up by tear gas, he stood in front of St. John's Episcopal Church and held up an upside-down bible—a prop. He didn't quote any scripture from it. He just held it in his tiny hands. It was then that I began referring to him as a fascist. For the most part, then, he had people in his orbit who kept him reigned in from his more fascistic tendencies. Later, retired U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley would say former President Trump is "a fascist to the core." Other senior staff in Trump's administration echoed the same concern. None of those people (respected people with decades of experience) are part of his administration anymore, and it shows.  It should be clear to anyone paying attention to the destructive moves Trump's administration has made since his inauguration that fascism has arrived here.  ...

Rudy and Oscar have been with us for 11 months. Because they were strays, I sometimes wonder how they came to be abandoned. The scenario I've thought makes the most sense is that their original owners moved out of wherever they were living at the end of May and turned Oscar and Rudy loose when they left. They may have been on their own for a week or two before some kind person was able to get them and take them to the Humane Society. They were initially adopted by a woman, but she returned them after five days. They were probably too much for her. That's when we were contacted. Because I'm curious about where they were left to wander, I asked the Rochester Humane Society if they could provide us with an address for where they used to live. They're unable to divulge that information. I get that. It was worth a try. I've been a member at Planet Fitness for not quite a year. It's such a good value, and it's never overly crowded when I'm there. It feels grea...

It's Easter Sunday. In my previous life, I would have been rubbing elbows with the faithful at Hosanna this morning while listening to a condensed sermon from one of four or more services they would hold to be able to accommodate the demand of the C and E (Christmas and Easter) crowd. I used to love Hosanna—the convenience of its location, the meaning I would take away from the sermons, and the grounds (I used to mow the lawn at the church). I knew it was the right place for me at that time. I wrote about what I felt, and still feel, was a God experience the first time I attended a service there. It's an interesting read if you have the time. But it wouldn't last. Many years later, I would have a falling out with the lead pastor , and that left me disillusioned with organized religion. It's where I remain today. It too is an interesting read.  I still see Easter as a time of renewal; a time to reevaluate my life and consider changes I can make to be a better person. I ...

Cliff has learned to turn light switches on and off and control the dimmer switch from his perch atop his highchair. In the few weeks he's been walking, he's become very fast on his feet, no longer walking like he's inebriated but with purpose to his steps. It's been so much fun watching him grow and become himself. Rachel and Drew occasionally send us videos and photos of Cliff throughout the week, and they always bring smiles to our faces. We had fun with friends a few nights ago using ChatGPT to make our own personal action figures (a social media craze I wasn't aware of). Our results!  Use the script in my Instagram post to make your own. Part of the fun was the wait for the program to render the result, which usually took a few minutes, and then the laughter that followed.  I was released from physical therapy for my knee three weeks ago today after being a regular there for ten months (most of those months were for pre-hab ahead of my surgery). My doctor also ...

Cliff took his first official steps last week! He had been taking some baby steps with the aid of furniture, keeping in touch with it as he worked his way around a room, but these steps were unaided. Talking can't be too far behind. Rachel, Drew, Cliff, and PJ spent a night with us last weekend. At one point, I counted more than 40 continuous unaided steps by Cliff. Impressive! We're loving our role as grandparents! Oscar and Rudy have been with us for nearly nine months. We feel blessed to have them sharing their lives with us. Like all of our pups before them, they've wormed their way into our hearts in a big way. We have so much love for them. I tell them they're not just loved; they're "super loved!" I often think about how they beat the odds to remain together when they were strays and found their way to us. We're grateful. Rehab for my knee is ongoing, and I'm pleased with how far I've come, considering how difficult my recovery has been...

Serious question: now that all aid to Ukraine has been halted, and in light of all of the capitulations Trump has made to Russia — shutting down early warning agencies; halting intelligence gathering aimed at Russia; turning our backs on our allies; talk of removing sanctions on Russia; placed stooges in prominent roles; removed critical oversight, did I mention turning our backs on our allies as well as relinquishing our role as leader of the free world, etc. — how long will it be before Trump moves to help arm Russia? It’s terrifyingly shocking, but this is where we find ourselves.  Trump Is clearly acting on Putin’s behalf. Sorry to be blunt, but it takes a whole other level of gullibility not to open your eyes and mind to the possibility that you’ve been conned if you’re still supporting this pretender. We are watching the dismantling of our country and, with it, our democracy, our freedoms, and our way of life. What are we waiting for? That's all I've got.

I woke up to numerous songbirds singing outside our bedroom window this morning. Our snow is gone, with the exception of where it's been piled high after snow removal. With nothing but well above freezing temps in our forecast, even the piles of snow won't survive. I know it's too early to think our winter is behind us, but I'm enjoying the respite.  Tammy and I had appointments for eye exams last week. Dr. Cassin asked me if I was experiencing any issues with my vision. I took a few seconds to think about it before responding, "No, my eyes seem fine." It had been 2 1/2 years since our last eye exams.  An image appeared on the device I was looking through during the exam. The doctor asked if the two sections of a partial rectangle (left and right) I was seeing were lined up. I told him that one was quite a bit higher than the other. He made an adjustment and asked me again if they were lined up. "Nope, the right side is still higher." It would take s...

My range of motion (ROM) continues to improve. I hit 112° at both PT sessions last week and reached 114° Tuesday and today. This all comes after a 5-day MethylPrednisone burst that helped bring down swelling enough to give my knee more room to bend. I met with my doctor's PA on Monday. He's pleased with my progress and seemed optimistic that I can continue to see increased ROM over the next year, especially in the next few months, as swelling continues to abate. I would love to get to 130°, but it doesn't appear to be in my cards.  I've been enjoying indoor rides again, but they come at a cost, so my physical therapist would like me to hold off before incorporating them into my rehab. I rode for an hour a few days ago, and my knee felt very good, allowing me to push the pace for a couple of surges. The next day, however, I paid for it with a very tired and weak knee that had me sidelined the entire day. Taylor (my PT) told me it's okay to occasionally do an easy 5 m...

I don't like that I'm still talking about my rehab, but it's top-of-mind for me these days and will continue to be for a while, it seems. I went in for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) three weeks ago today because I wasn't progressing as I should have for being able to bend my knee due to excessive swelling that resulted in restrictive scar tissue that developed when my leg was immobilized. An MUA is a procedure where they sedate the person and bend their knee beyond the obstructive scar tissue developed after the surgery—scar tissue that prevents a person from getting a fuller bend in their knee.  It's a quick procedure that takes mere seconds to perform but is not something you want to have done to you while you're awake. The procedure went well. My doctor was able to force my knee to bend to a 130° range of motion (ROM) while I was under. He cautioned me not to expect to continue to achieve that ROM. He said my goal should be 110°-115°. I would prefer 120...

I'm stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario. Every day, I follow the same limited routine to fill my days. I'm speaking about my recovery from total knee replacement surgery six weeks ago. I should be getting on with my regular routine by now, filling my winter afternoons with stained glass projects, workouts, pup walks, fat bike rides along the river trails (that one may be a bit too ambitious for six weeks), or even driving myself to the store, but none of those things are happening because my recovery has not gone to plan.  We met with my doctor last Monday to discuss the minimal range of motion I'm left with after my surgery–about 65° of flexion. I've been stuck at this point for at least two weeks, and I should have re-established nearly my full range of motion by now. I need 90° of flexion before I can begin to ride my indoor bike trainer, and I need 90-120° to climb stairs comfortably. The 65° I'm left with is woefully inadequate for much other than limping around ...