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.

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.

Yesterday I decided to drive out to Colorado and hang at Vincent’s house in Arvada Colorado for a few days. I was getting into a valueless rut, sitting around at home, plus my friends, Stacie and Karl from Louisville, were going to be out there, so I thought, sure. Trudi was just getting into a flow back in Topeka, so she was a little hesitant about breaking her rhythm, but I can’t drive yet, so she volunteered to drive me out.

I had only slept about 3 hours the previous two nights, so I was hoping to sleep most of the 7 hour drive out to Denver. But, nada. Karl was already out in Colorado, riding his bike and motorcycle around Salida, so Trudi and I drove by DIA and picked Stacie and their kid, Adam. It was really right on the way, at a pretty convenient time, so that was easy.

Vincent is at home alone, with his kid, Pascal. His wife, Lisa, is out in Seattle for a doctor’s conference and is having dinner tonight with Catherine and Keith Walberg, so everyone is a little inbred somewhat this weekend.

I stayed up until after 11, Colorado time, and then slept pretty good for 6 hours, which matched the previous two nights, so that is pretty good.

One of the real reason I came out here is that Vincent has a way to turn slides and media content digital, so Trudi loaded up nearly all the old slides and most of the old articles and hauled them out. If I have a few loaded up this morning, I’ll post a few. I have a million photos too, but those are going to have to wait to make their way to the 21st century.

Okay, I thought I got up pretty early, but within 5 minutes, Vincent rolled down, then Stacie and Karl. They are all morning people, which I am definitely not. So, it is going full gas here. Trudi is still playing catch up from her last BMC stint, plus playing nurse maid to me, so she is sleeping in with Bromont. Maybe this will turn out as a better rest for her than for me.

Not a bad view to wake up to.

The back of the car loaded up with old articles and slides.

My next door neighbor is in her mid 80’s and still mows her lawn twice a week with a manual push mower. This is great exercise.

Yesterday was National Donut Day. It just happened at the cell phone lot at Denver, there is a Dunkin Donuts, so we bought a couple just because. I really like donuts.