Went under the knife.
It was a pleasant experience.
The operation was at a surgical center, not the hospital. Spousy drove me there for my 7:15 arrival.
The receptionist and other staff were pleasant and efficient. Of course there were many forms to fill out and questions to answer but the worst part of this sort of thing is the boredom of waiting and I only experienced a few moments of inactivity.
A few minutes after being move to the operating room, I was out like a light and waking up in recovery. I don't think I was there for very long. Maybe 30 or 40 minutes munching on cookies and drinking soda.
I had a little trouble changing in to my street clothes. I was wheel chaired out to the car and hobbled without difficulty in to the seat. Had a little trouble getting my bulky, bandaged left leg in, but the ride home was uneventful.
Now where is my pampering and ice cream?
2010-05-22
2010-05-18
Lance a lot
Although I don't usually answer the phone when it does not provide a good caller ID, I just happened to on a whim this afternoon.
Turned out it was a Leonard Lance town hall. Work being a little boring at the moment and never having been on one of these I punched in to it (this time a lark and not a whim).
After a few minutes, a voice came on and said that if I had a question to press *3.
Now I've held his yes vote on Cap and Trade against him for the last year. So I decided ask him that given recent questions on the science and CO2, given the commercial scam being backed by Soros and Gore, given the revealed mysterious patents acquired by Franklin Raines while at Fannie would he still vote for it? So I pressed *3 and a voice came on. The voice knew who I was and asked what question I had. I just said it was a question about Cap and Trade.
I didn't actually expect to get to ask the question as I figured these things are monitored and filtered. BUT, to my surprise, they called on someone from Bridgewater who did ask almost the exact same question.
LL did come out and say he would not vote for the same bill if it came around again. A true change of heart? Does he see a tea party in his rear view mirror? I don't know of course, but I do have to give him credit for admitting that he was wrong. That seems kind of refreshing in today's political world.
Given what I seen on his recent voting record, I'll have to give Lenny another look. A real mea culpa might actually earn him one extra vote.
Turned out it was a Leonard Lance town hall. Work being a little boring at the moment and never having been on one of these I punched in to it (this time a lark and not a whim).
After a few minutes, a voice came on and said that if I had a question to press *3.
Now I've held his yes vote on Cap and Trade against him for the last year. So I decided ask him that given recent questions on the science and CO2, given the commercial scam being backed by Soros and Gore, given the revealed mysterious patents acquired by Franklin Raines while at Fannie would he still vote for it? So I pressed *3 and a voice came on. The voice knew who I was and asked what question I had. I just said it was a question about Cap and Trade.
I didn't actually expect to get to ask the question as I figured these things are monitored and filtered. BUT, to my surprise, they called on someone from Bridgewater who did ask almost the exact same question.
LL did come out and say he would not vote for the same bill if it came around again. A true change of heart? Does he see a tea party in his rear view mirror? I don't know of course, but I do have to give him credit for admitting that he was wrong. That seems kind of refreshing in today's political world.
Given what I seen on his recent voting record, I'll have to give Lenny another look. A real mea culpa might actually earn him one extra vote.
2010-05-03
Voodoo Rituals in Toyota Land
Consider the following. A Voodoo ritual? The secret code to find an Easter Egg in some new video game? Nope. Read and try to figure this out. Then scroll down for the surprise answer.
- Start with the driver door open and unlocked. Key out of the ignition
- Insert the key and remove 2 times in 5 sec. Just insert and remove, do not turn the key
- Close and open driver door 2 times in 40 sec.
- Insert the key and remove it again from ignition. Just insert and remove, do not turn the key.
- Close and open driver door 2 times in 40 sec.
- Insert the key in ignition,
- Close the door,
- Turn to on and back to lock in 1 second intervals. 1 time for add, 2 times for rewrite, 3 for confirmation 5 for prohibition. (yes, there is no “4”)
- Remove the key
- Power lock will cycle to confirm
- For add or rewrite mode within 40 sec of the confirmation,
2010-05-02
The Wheel Goes Round & Round - sometimes
I have ridden on the Central Jersey Bike Club's Farm Land Flat Tour continuously for about 12 years now. Despite my knee problems or maybe even because of knee problems I was determined to do it again this year. Besides, I had already sent in my $30.
One of the reasons to do this ride was that if riding was going to be a problem, let's find out now while I still have a chance to get the knee fixed and re-habbed before my intended trip to Key West.
We usually ride either the 50 or 62 (metric century) route, but I didn't want to get stuck 25 miles away when my knee finally broke, so I thought I'd do one of the shorter routes. Of course what I really wanted was an excuse to go there to get a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and my free tee shirt.
Captain Bob was still kind of in recovery from his two broken ribs (see Sometimes it rains and Sometimes it rains - Update) so it was easy to convince him that a short route was the right thing this year. He was thinking of driving the new Prius here. He doesn't have a bike rack but thought he could put down a blanket or some protection and put his bike in the back.
Because the Captain drives here from 90 miles away, I drive to the bike ride most of the time. I prefer my roof rack over the trunk rack so Thursday I decide to put the rack on. Yes, yes, it's unusual to be that far ahead of the game for me, but there I was.
If you are not familiar with Thule roof racks, they consist of a pair of load bars to which you attach various accessories. In my case, bicycle carriers. I have an older version of this Big Mouth. Where the bike carrier attaches to load bar was sliding on one of the carriers so I tried to tighten it up. That's when the lever that you push down to lock it broke. I've only had this rack for eight years and not only did something break but I go to the Thule sight and not only is it obsolete but they don't even list the model.
So on our Thursday night call I mention this and say that I can use the trunk rack. But the Captain says that he has planned on bringing his old Camry (yes he does still have a running one left) so we're OK.
We get down to Brookdale Community College a little after 10AM. We check in to get our tee shirts and water bottles and then proceed to the back where you load up on peanut butter sandwiches. They have those as well as the usual bananas. But the traditional granola snack bars, fig newtons etc are MIA! Even worse, the mix of nuts and M&Ms and such that you scoop in to sandwich bags is not there either. Why oh why did I even bother?
I did notice that the parking lot was not nearly as full as it usually is so maybe this event is going out of style. I also noticed a bagel cutter and I think, cream cheese, so maybe we're just too late for that.
We make our sandwiches, pass on the bananas and head out.
After looking at where the low end routes diverge, we decide to take 18 and 25 mile cue sheets.
A couple miles down the road and I'm thinking "hey this is good". My knee is not bothering me. It's dry and warm. The sun is warm on my back and I'm having a good time. That lasts a little while longer until I have to make my first stop. I come down on my bad knee and WOWZEE! Well, I get going and begin thinking maybe all is not well. I am especially thinking how I'm going to come to a stop the next time.
Well of course the next time eventually comes. I make sure that both feet are unclipped and I come down on the good leg. Unfortunately the road has a slight upslope. So I walk to the other side and prepare to start riding again.
Hmmmm. I can't seem to put all my weight on the bad leg so that I can start pedaling with the good leg. Likewise, I can keep my good leg on the ground, but I don't think I can put enough effort pushing with the bad foot to get going. Finally I sort of lean my chest on the handlebar which allows me to keep my left foot on the ground and I get going by pedaling with my right foot.
Eventually we come to where the 18 & 25 mile routes diverge and in a joint command decision decide that I have nothing more to prove. I'm going to call the Orthopaedic doctor on Monday so there is no point in going the longer route. Fortunately at this stop, getting going is slightly downhill so I'm fine.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. We stopped at a rest stop and they did have some fig newtons ( and more P&B of course). There was a curb there which helped me get going.
Near the end of the ride we have to cross NJ 34. This is also uphilll from the light but for the very first time I was able to slow down enough and keep in the saddle until the light turned green. The moderate hills between there and the end were no worse than any other year and thus our ride ended.
Almost.
We got back to the car and I could not get off my bike. I edged down a little so it was not upright thinking that would make swinging my leg over the top easier. I think it was a good plan. Still do. And it would have worked if I hadn't gotten caught on the seat. Next thing I know I'm sitting in the shade on the grass with my bike on top of me. My gracious captain did come over and pick up the bike. I sat there a minute and gimped to my feet.
Well I can ride with a bum leg, but can't walk very well later. At his point I was limping along at about six inches a step. But about an hour later we got back to my house and I was applying folk remedies to my knee in the form of Yuengling to speed my recuperation.
One of the reasons to do this ride was that if riding was going to be a problem, let's find out now while I still have a chance to get the knee fixed and re-habbed before my intended trip to Key West.
We usually ride either the 50 or 62 (metric century) route, but I didn't want to get stuck 25 miles away when my knee finally broke, so I thought I'd do one of the shorter routes. Of course what I really wanted was an excuse to go there to get a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and my free tee shirt.
Captain Bob was still kind of in recovery from his two broken ribs (see Sometimes it rains and Sometimes it rains - Update) so it was easy to convince him that a short route was the right thing this year. He was thinking of driving the new Prius here. He doesn't have a bike rack but thought he could put down a blanket or some protection and put his bike in the back.
Because the Captain drives here from 90 miles away, I drive to the bike ride most of the time. I prefer my roof rack over the trunk rack so Thursday I decide to put the rack on. Yes, yes, it's unusual to be that far ahead of the game for me, but there I was.
If you are not familiar with Thule roof racks, they consist of a pair of load bars to which you attach various accessories. In my case, bicycle carriers. I have an older version of this Big Mouth. Where the bike carrier attaches to load bar was sliding on one of the carriers so I tried to tighten it up. That's when the lever that you push down to lock it broke. I've only had this rack for eight years and not only did something break but I go to the Thule sight and not only is it obsolete but they don't even list the model.
So on our Thursday night call I mention this and say that I can use the trunk rack. But the Captain says that he has planned on bringing his old Camry (yes he does still have a running one left) so we're OK.
We get down to Brookdale Community College a little after 10AM. We check in to get our tee shirts and water bottles and then proceed to the back where you load up on peanut butter sandwiches. They have those as well as the usual bananas. But the traditional granola snack bars, fig newtons etc are MIA! Even worse, the mix of nuts and M&Ms and such that you scoop in to sandwich bags is not there either. Why oh why did I even bother?
I did notice that the parking lot was not nearly as full as it usually is so maybe this event is going out of style. I also noticed a bagel cutter and I think, cream cheese, so maybe we're just too late for that.
We make our sandwiches, pass on the bananas and head out.
After looking at where the low end routes diverge, we decide to take 18 and 25 mile cue sheets.
A couple miles down the road and I'm thinking "hey this is good". My knee is not bothering me. It's dry and warm. The sun is warm on my back and I'm having a good time. That lasts a little while longer until I have to make my first stop. I come down on my bad knee and WOWZEE! Well, I get going and begin thinking maybe all is not well. I am especially thinking how I'm going to come to a stop the next time.
Well of course the next time eventually comes. I make sure that both feet are unclipped and I come down on the good leg. Unfortunately the road has a slight upslope. So I walk to the other side and prepare to start riding again.
Hmmmm. I can't seem to put all my weight on the bad leg so that I can start pedaling with the good leg. Likewise, I can keep my good leg on the ground, but I don't think I can put enough effort pushing with the bad foot to get going. Finally I sort of lean my chest on the handlebar which allows me to keep my left foot on the ground and I get going by pedaling with my right foot.
Eventually we come to where the 18 & 25 mile routes diverge and in a joint command decision decide that I have nothing more to prove. I'm going to call the Orthopaedic doctor on Monday so there is no point in going the longer route. Fortunately at this stop, getting going is slightly downhill so I'm fine.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. We stopped at a rest stop and they did have some fig newtons ( and more P&B of course). There was a curb there which helped me get going.
Near the end of the ride we have to cross NJ 34. This is also uphilll from the light but for the very first time I was able to slow down enough and keep in the saddle until the light turned green. The moderate hills between there and the end were no worse than any other year and thus our ride ended.
Almost.
We got back to the car and I could not get off my bike. I edged down a little so it was not upright thinking that would make swinging my leg over the top easier. I think it was a good plan. Still do. And it would have worked if I hadn't gotten caught on the seat. Next thing I know I'm sitting in the shade on the grass with my bike on top of me. My gracious captain did come over and pick up the bike. I sat there a minute and gimped to my feet.
Well I can ride with a bum leg, but can't walk very well later. At his point I was limping along at about six inches a step. But about an hour later we got back to my house and I was applying folk remedies to my knee in the form of Yuengling to speed my recuperation.