Turn for the better

I was in a crummy mood after some dodgy business at work this week.  My nice stone desk globe, a graduation gift, was knocked off my desk and broken by parties unknown.  I found out I'll have to take a two-day meeting of the most boring variety down in Dahlgren.  And when I went over the monthly invoice for one of my projects, I learned why we're burning money so fast.  Still haven't learned how to fix that, however.

Yesterday was better - had a very productive day, including a solid Study Group.  Sarah even passed along a book from Paul and her dad, Halsey's Typhoon, which looks very promising.  But things really picked up today.  The weather suddenly got perfect, and all my chores were done and there was nothing in the To Do pile.  So I finally got back out on the bike paths.

Luckily, my road bike didn't need too much pre-season tuning - just reinflate the tires and go.  There were some headwinds to buck, but nothing too bad.  And though they haven't had the official ribbon-cutting, the underpass on the Four Mile Run trail under West Glebe Road and I-395 shooting straight into Shirlington is open.  It's great, much better than waiting for crosswalk lights and riding up the side streets to the pedestrian bridge.  That set the tone for the whole ride - so good to be back out there, even if it was kind of crowded down along the Potomac.

The most kindest cut of all

I had my do-over back surgery last week, and it went even better than the first time.  Instead of getting nauseated by the painkiller IV and staying overnight, I came out of surgery feeling great and they let me go late in the afternoon.  I was home with my mom for dinner, which was worlds better than the night of tossing and turning I worked through after the previous surgery.

I should say it was not all perfect.  Originally, the surgery was scheduled for Thursday morning, but the night before the doctor's office called and canceled due to an emergency.  I never did get the full run down on that.  It was rescheduled the next day for Monday morning.  This was difficult, since it meant either finding someone else to get me to and from the hospital, or extending Mom's stay by changing her flight.  We actually ended up buying  her a one-way ticket home - it was cheaper than trying to switch her return.  And everyone here and in Maine had to adjust their schedules to accommodate, for which I'm grateful.  I burn up some vacation days, Mom misses some more work, Dad has to feed himself for a few extra days - sacrifices were made all around.

It's been almost a week now, and I don't even need my painkiller prescription for the incision pain anymore.  I'm still stiff, and I have to take it easy so everything heals up inside and out, but I feel like I'm doing really well.  It has been beautiful weather the past few days, so between that and the immense increase in comfort, I'm excited about getting back in the saddle and taking some bike rides.

Which brings me back to the CVT bike Matt and I have been discussing.  I've been reviewing his various proposals, and they all sound pretty fantastic.  What I really need to do is figure out where and how I'll use this bike, so we can build it properly.  I need to educate myself some in order to make an informed choice, as well.  But the trails will beckon soon.