Monthly Archives: June 2014

So Fortunate

This entry was posted in Just Life on by .

Like I wrote yesterday, I’ve sort of been just moping around, feeling pretty under the weather. It’s given me a lot of time to think, and just reaffirm, how fortunate I am that I was born into the chosen few. By that I mean, I am one of the minority of the people on this planet that has access to the luxuries, that most of the other people on the planet just dream of, or don’t even know exist.

I’d say being sick and broken has put me into a sort of funky mental frame. Either/or is okay, but both broken and sick is just down right crummy. Saying that, I would still take my situation of the last week, here, to nearly any other place on the planet for it to occur.

If I were one of the other 5 billion people that don’t have the ability to have their hips screwed back together after an accident doing an athletic event, then I would just be SOL. I’m mending up slowly. Actually, that isn’t true, I’m mending up pretty quickly, even on my scale. But, I would not be close to good if I were one of the 85% of the people on the planet that don’t have the access or the financial means to be involved with “modern” medicine.

If I were Joe Blow in many places in Africa, South American, or lots of other places on this planet, I’d just be broken and I would be left to whatever my body could do to heal itself up.

Instead, I had access to a surgeon that had done 100’s of these operations before. To modern day anesthesia, antibiotics, pain killers, etc. Now I’m sitting in an air conditioned house, laying around on my nice bed, or comfy couch and am in a gloomy state of mind because, poor me, I’m sick. I don’t mind so much being hurt, that is part of the bike racing deal, but the sickness thing is bumming me out. Man, what a wuss.

I know I’m going to feel better soon and that I’m going to improve, healthwise, quickly. It would be so easy to be in a situation where that isn’t a given.

I’ve written this before and I’ll state it again, anyone that is reading this has already won the worldwide lottery. You don’t have to wish yourself anymore luck, because you are one of the few that were born lucky. We all are so fortunate to have a phone, to call someone when we are in a bad situation. Or someone else will just dial three numbers, 911, and someone will come and help. We shouldn’t take this for granted. It is part of the deal of being blessed by the lottery of life.

So, I’m gonna try to get through these next few days without being so gloomy. I don’t have any reason to complain. If anything the opposite.

My friend, Jeff Unruh brought me over some of his home grown honey today.  Couldn't have asked for anything else.

My friend, Jeff Unruh brought me over some of his home grown honey today. Couldn’t have asked for anything else.


I did manage to ride the erogometer for 20 minutes. Only have a cycling shoe on my right foot. I can’t twist my left leg at all. Plus, it is just going around, no pressure much on the upstroke or downstroke.

Wiggins Just Watching the 2014 Tour that Starts in England

This entry was posted in Comments about Cycling on by .

A few articles came out this morning on Bradley Wiggins, 2012 Tour de France winner, won’t be racing the Tour this year with Team Sky. I haven’t been shy with my opinion of Bradley. I’ve written a couple posts on the guy in the past. I’ve never much liked his public persona. And I’ve found if a person is unlikeable in public, then they tend to be complete utterly terrible, privately.

I guess Chris Froome, plus the powers at Team Sky, realize this and have decided that even though Bradley is one of the top 5 stage racers in the World, and maybe even has the form and ability to win this year’s race, they don’t want him around. Man, that is making a pretty definite statement.

He has said some pretty weird statements over the years. Talking about Paul Kimmage being a hypocrite because he was a bad doper. Saying that he never intended to win the Tour more than once. Feeling ashamed of winning the Tour because of the previous winners. Saying that he would like to focus on winning a gold medal at the Olympics in 2016, on the track. Etc, etc.

I’ve never heard any one of Bradley’s team mates say much nice about him. And the guy has a complete potty mouth. But that isn’t enough to leave him out of the Tour, that starts in him home country, England. He obviously has made some very serious enemies on his team. His quote of “The team wants to win the Tour, that’s how it is, and they cannot have even a small issue, because that would be disastrous.” says a lot.

But, Bradley, as usual, is wrong again. He is a big issue. I think he needs to start looking for a new jersey to wear next year because his current team already knows him.

PS. If you want to read a good write-up from a “real” biker and not just this post about a multi-millionaire robot, then click here to read Dan Hugh’s personal observations of his Dirty Kanza 200 race last weekend. Dan is a 4 time winner of the DK200, so he has the most race miles on those beautiful gravel roads, through the Kansas Flints hills, than about anyone else.

Bradley's bike change form.  Remove the bottles, then toss the 10K $$ bike into the ditch so his mechanics have more work to do later.

Bradley’s bike change form. Remove the bottles, then toss the 10K $$ bike into the ditch so his mechanics have more work to do later.

Celebrating after doubling up winning the Tour and the Olympic Games in 2012.  Great role model.

Celebrating after doubling up winning the Tour and the Olympic Games in 2012. Great role model.