Ready to hit the road!

All packed and ready to go.  The plan is to get on the road around 7am tomorrow.  

First stop is the Houston area to see my Dad.  His 80th birthday is coming up soon and we're going to celebrate it while I'm there.  He doesn't know I'm coming so it'll be fun to surprise him.  

Well, here I go!!

Day One at Dad's...

Back in the saddle again

Update:  The collarbone has not healed at all.  Since I've started to do more stuff again, it does bother me some.  Lifting anything heavy, laying on that side...  I can feel it's not connected.  Doc H says I don't HAVE to get it done - I could live with it like this the rest of my life.  But it's not very strong and will likely bust again if I fall on it.  I've decided to go for the surgery to repair it.  I have things to do in the immediate future and then the weather will be good for doing things outside.  I'm going to try to wait until summer 2014 to get it fixed.  In the hottest time of the year I can't really get outside and do anything anyway so might as well get it done then.  Until then, onward and upward!!

Wild West Tour

Earlier this year, I started planning a street bike trip with a girlfriend who lives in CO.  We really just wanted to get out and ride so we plotted a basic route that makes a loop consisting of a bunch of National Parks.  Like Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon and the like.  We're calling it our Thelma and Louise trip. 

While I was planning that, my friends Jimmy and Lois invited me to go with them on their out west trip.  They're taking a couple of weeks to ride dualsport bikes in the National Forests around Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.  They were planning it for about the time I'd finish the T&L trip.  Well shoot!  I'll be nearby so why not?!  When will I get another opportunity to find someone to go tour with?  I'm in!

Internet access permitting, I will try to update this blog while I'm on the trip.  If not, it'll have to wait until I get back. 

So here I go!  Stay tuned!

Ready to hit the road...

Oops! Forgot to update!

Feb 5, 2013

A quick update:  Doc appt on Jan 15 didn't indicate much healing going on.  That was the 6 week point since starting treatments with the bone growth stimulator.  Next appt is Feb 26.  More hurry up and wait.

Post Christmas

Dec 28, 2012

Got the new steering head bearings installed on the DRZ.  All's well.  Since I can't ride offroad yet, I rode it to work to keep things all running well.

I finally got the bone growth stimulator a month after the doc ordered it.  Turns out the delay was at the doc's office.  The insurance company requested information that the doc office staff sat on for a while. Anyway, got the device.  30 mins a day the little timer clicks away.  I have no idea if it's working or not.  Won't know until mid-Jan when the doc xrays it again.  

I'm still pretty low energy but not the devastating exhaustion that I've been feeling.  I'm trying to get out on the bicycle but I don't usually get more than 5 miles.  I guess that's better than nothing.

I got out on the kayak a couple of weeks ago and did ok.  I only went 4 miles which is half of my normal kayak outing.  But it didn't bother my shoulder at all.  Probably because the kayak stroke comes from the torso, not the arms.  Muscles are weak but otherwise everything else was ok.

I got an invitation to go back and finish my trip by joining with a friend and his friends on their trip in June.  This one will avoid the gravel and will be on street bikes.   That sounds like a good plan to me.

So now I wait until mid-Jan.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

DRZ and healing issues

Nov 15, 2012

The shock on the DRZ needed servicing.  I got it back and installed it on the bike.  As I started to push it out of the garage, the front end wouldn't turn at all.  Like the forks were locked.  I dismantled the front end to find the lower steering head bearing was shot.  It was a mess.  I cleaned it all up and ordered a set of new bearings.  Hopefully they'll arrive today and I can install them this weekend.

My collarbone is not healing.  The doc ordered a bone growth stimulator on Oct 30.  I have yet to receive it. It seems the doc office dropped the ball.  The insurance company requested more information from the doc and he hasn't sent it yet.  I've been making phone calls to get it done.  Since next week is a holiday, I'm sure nothing will get done then so who knows when I'll get this thing.  In the meantime, I still have a broken bone and can't so my normal stuff.  Every day they delay is a delay in my recovery.  Pisses me off that they're dicking around at my expense.  I've been nice so far but that's about to end.  

Next week is Thanksgiving - my fave weekend of the year!  I'll be going rv camping with my friends as we do each year.  We have the full T-giving feast.  This year is Myakka River State Park.  I can't wait!!

More later.

Shoddy suspension?

Sunday, Oct 21

Took the rear shock off the DRZ yesterday, packed it up to send to get serviced/inspected and repaired if necessary.  When I was cleaning up the bike and checking it over for damage, it dawned on me that the rear shock may not be working properly and that may have contributed to my crash.  Doh!!  We'll see.  The shop will test it before they do anything to see if anything is wrong with it.  

Feeling better today.  I worked outside all day - mowing, prepping the rv for an upcoming trip.  Stuff like that. I'm really tired now and I hope I don't pay for it tomorrow.  I tend to have a really good day, then a bad day.  Every other day has been the trend.  I'm hoping to stretch that out a bit and have a couple of good days before I have a bad one.  This healing shit is S-L-O-W!!!  

That's it for now.  Time for bed.

The DRZ is home!!!

Oct 8, 2012

Got the DRZ home!!  Yay!!  Woohoo!!  Drove up to get it.  4210 miles in 3.5 days.  Holy cow.  I didn't do it alone, thank goodness!  Hurricane helped me.  He did all the night driving.  It would have taken me FOREVER if I had done it myself.  And it was a much more fun trip with him along. 

Update on my collarbone:  It's not healing.  Not good.  Doc says let's wait for the 3 month mark when we can try some non-invasive proceedures.  They have a 85% success rate.  If that doesn't work, then he'll have to go in and fix it surgically.  That would suck. 

That's it for now.  I still have to wrap this up.  I know, I know...  it takes energy to think and I don't have it right now.  I'll get there.