I'm preparing for my upcoming surgery.  The intramedullary nail (rod) in my left tibia will be removed, my intramedullary canal will be reamed out, bone will be taken from my hip and put into my non-healing areas, and a larger intramedullary nail (rod) will be inserted.  I'm preparing myself mentally, and I'm straightening up my house for people who will come over to visit.  I didn't have that luxury the last time.  Ha, I guess that's a good reason to always keep your house visitable (is that a word?) cuz you never know what's gonna happen! 
I bought a new bed---one of those Tempurpedic beds.  Yes they are expensive, but whatever.  I couldn't sleep before on anything.  I tried an air mattress, my nice bed that I've always loved, a futon, and several mattress toppers.  I simply can't get comfortable these days.  I'm not totally comfortable on the Tempurpedic, but I am better on it.  I'll take any sort of improvement, and I'm hopeful it'll only get better.
A close friend of mine is battling cancer.  He will, unfortunately, lose that battle.  It's a rare form of cancer called spindle cell sarcoma.  He is 6 months younger than I am.  This is especially devastating simply because of the timing.  This year...this year has been something. 
I spent all day with him in ICU yesterday and also during a procedure he had done.  Anytime he opened his eyes he saw me.  When I'm not with him his partner is.  They are both afraid, and I hate that for them.  They are afraid of death.  His partner told him to keep fighting.  I told him to stop when he wanted to. 
This will be the first Christmas without my mother on this Earth.  Today in physical therapy it was so noisy because everyone was trying to cram in one last session before the holidays, but all I could hear was the Christmas music and my mother's voice singing the words.  She had the sweetest most beautiful voice, and she sang all of the time.  Sometimes it was English songs, sometimes Spanish, French, and German.  She sang, she smiled, and all was well. 
Remember that box with all sorts of shapes, and you had pieces of wood that were shaped like the holes in the top?  You know, then you'd have to put the right piece of wood into the hole shaped like it?  Remember how, as kids, we didn't really try to force the wrong pieces into the wrong holes?  We would try to rotate the piece a few different times to see if it would fit, but then we'd move on if it didn't, and we'd try another piece.  Why does this seem to change as we grow older?

Happy Holidays to all, peace and love to you.

OMG, first of all Happy happy Thanksgiving.  Secondly, this Rescue Ink group is absolutely amazing.  What a group of wonderful guys.  They have a show on the National Geographic Channel, and if you type in Rescue Ink into Google their organization comes up first.  I just made a monetary donation b/c I really admire what they are doing, and I appreciate them and their cause, and this is a way I can show my support and help.
I'm makin' a one-legged plea to y'all to please just check out the site and their success stories.  Amazing stuff.
Do NOT abuse anyone or anything, man!  It's just the right way.  No matter how hard, how rough, how tuff, how down and out you may find yourself, do things the RIGHT way.  If you don't know the right way, ask. 
Check THIS out:
T
ulsa and Oklahoma City both rank high in a new Forbes magazine list of "America's Fastest-Recovering Cities."According to the list, Oklahoma City ranked number 13.Tulsa is number 12.To create its list, Forbes ranked the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas in five categories: unemployment rate, gross metropolitan product, foreclosures, home prices and sales rates.The magazine used data from different sources to create its ranking in the various categories, and then averaged the scores for each measure to come up with its overall ranking.The Number 1 city on the Forbes list was the Omaha, Nebraska metro area.

Come move over here, so we can be closer!

It's Monday night folks, and THAT means Operation Repo!  Whatever, whatever----I LOVE that show; ALTHOUGH, it's starting to wear on my nerves.  They're trying too hard now to be interesting.
I went swimmin' again today and slid through the water like I'd been doin' it every day for the past 20 years.  Incredible. Thank you daddy.  Thank you momma...

What a gorgeous day.  You know every day I'm glad, and I'm sad (like those drama faces).  I'm glad to see the lunch time guys are still runnin'.  These are 2-3 dudes that have run every day at noon for the past 20 or so years.  I ran with them sometimes back in the day.  I'm glad to see anyone running or riding.  This makes me smile. 
The same things, of course, make me sad.  I'm just sad that I'm not able to do those things because, as all of you know, I love love love to ride and run.  I'd marry my bike if it were legal!  LOL!  I'd have to be polygamous, though, because I love ALL of my bikes.  There's something to be said for polyamorous relationships...
Almost every day if it's cool enough I purse my lips, take a deep breath, and let out a stream of breath out into the air.  I stand there in amazement as it hangs there suspended in the thick, wet, cool air.  I smile.  It takes me back to so many times when I've run, and when sounds were muffled by the snow or by the thick early morning air.  It's so hard for me not to bust out into a run when I walk even though I'm on crutches.  My legs ache to reach out with those long graceful strides.  Man! 
These thoughts make me so happy even though I'm unable to reproduce them right now.  I love the running and riding memories.  They are precious to me.
Everyone at work is fascinated with my Pigford when I tell them that he just walks into the house when I open the door and goes right into his cage.  They just can't believe that a guinea pig does that.  I try to explain to them that rodents are NOT stupid animals, and mine gets exceptional love and is exceptionally happy.

My wonderful friend, Barbara Reding, has taken some amazing photos of recent xrays and of xrays from May 11th.  I'll post more as I get them.  I'm not going to post ALL of them, or my computer would crash, but I'll post some.

So I guess the 2010 Duathlon National Championships will be in Oklahoma City next summer.  All of these years, and NOW there is a national championship right here in my own backyard.  I was speaking with a surgeon last night, and I mentioned it, and he said immediately, "You won't be ready for that.  It's just over 6 months away."  I said, "I wasn't telling you cuz I planned on doing it.  I was telling you b/c I thought YOU might want to do it."  In reality, I kind of got excited, and I even took my TT bike off the wall b/c I was going to start riding it on the trainer.  Damn it, being a Pisces is SO hard sometimes.  We dream, and we dream, and we dream...

I wanted to do something different today, so I swam.  Last night was our first overnight freeze.  Brrrr!  But then it warmed up to a nice 60 degrees with bright sunshine and no wind.  I LOVE the sunshine!  I haven't been in a pool since August, and I haven't water run since July.  I haven't wanted to do too much, you know?  It's hard to fine that line, that line that separates doing too much vs. not doing enough vs. doing just enough.  I guess that would be two lines or something.
I ran in the diving well for 40 minutes, and for the first 30 minutes the inside of my thighs "itched".  Know what I mean?  That means they're flabby!!!  I felt them flappin' around in the water dammit down by the insides of my knees!  Anyway, whatever.  It is what it is.  I guess that happens when the muscles encounter no resistance, and they haven't encountered any for many many many months now!  I mean I walk with crutches for crying out loud and hardly ever bear full weight on my left leg.    Even on my trainer I had the gears on "easy" b/c that's all I could tolerate.  I was essentially just going through the movement, and I have been on the trainer very sporadically to say the least.  I never know what my leg can handle.  Some days it screams, "Nooooooo!"
Usually I like to go one direction for half the time when I'm water running, and then I go the other direction, you know, to counteract any potential boredom.  But I could only go counter clockwise b/c the water jets on the sides of the pool hurt my left leg too badly when I run by them.  Oi!  The water itself was already painful feeling like pins and needles on my left foot and lower leg.  I felt that as soon as I put my leg in the water.  It burned.  I yanked my leg out really fast, felt the water with my hand, and then put it back in.  It is a riot moving it around in the water.  Let me tell you how NOT enjoyable THAT is!  BUT, it is something I'll have to live with or never let anything touch my leg (not realistic).  In addition, I have very little flexion capability in my left ankle now.
I really really enjoyed being in the water and seeing the bright sunshine outside.  Of course I was inside with a big heater blowing.  Yeah for me!  LOL!  After water running I decided to swim.  Oi, my right clavicle...  It's the A/C joint that hurts the worst, but again this is something I'll have to tolerate, or not do anything (not realistic).  I had to stop every few laps b/c my left shoulder hurt so bad.  Sheesh!  That was unexpected, but I guess there are still weak muscles in there from that broken scapula. 
I was at the pool a total of about an hour and a half, but half of that was spent catching my breath!  I mean I was sort of laughing about that.  I only had to stop a little bit; though, and then I could swim a few more laps.  I actually felt better as time went on, but I didn't want to overdo it, so I just went for 30 minutes off and on.
I went at a time of day when there was hardly anyone in the pool.  I think there were 3 other people besides me.  But dang it, why do people in the other lanes always try to race me?  LMAO!  Maybe I THINK they're trying to race me.  Maybe I'm racing.  I can't help it.  It just happens...

Two nights ago a doctor in an affluent part of Oklahoma City stabbed his 9-year old son to death b/c he said he was the devil.  The doctor was suppose to go to rehab. for alcoholism. 
Alcoholics and drug addicts consider themselves as such for rest of their lives, and both are considered mental illnesses.  I even had someone recently tell me that she was not ashamed of being alcoholic.  Not ashamed.  Really?  That's tragic. 

More about drugs:  recently Liza Hunter-Galvan, a New Zealander who now resides in San Antonio, TX., was busted for EPO right after, she says, her "last" injection.  Liza represented New Zealand in the marathon in the 2008 Olympics.  She said she bought the EPO in Mexico (a few hrs. drive from San Antonio) after a friend suggested that it might help her hamstring issues. 
Now, I'm not hear to judge ole Liza, BUT as an elite distance athlete I'm gonna have to call bullsh*t (cough) on this one.  Even folks who aren't elite distance athletes know what EPO is and what it does b/c it has made headlines in the cycling world which has become mainstream, of course, due to Lance and other great American cyclists. 
My point is that she KNEW why she was taking EPO, and it wasn't for injuries.  She recently ran the Disney half marathon in like 1:18 and some change which is NOT that fast considering she has a PR of 2:29:37 in the marathon last year.  I think she may be having a hard time getting older and ingested EPO b/c her running perfomance is declining.  She was looking for an edge, some extra "help."  That's what I think. 
Liza is a nice gal and is a mother of four.  But even those kind of people are not immune to wanting to boost performances in ways that aren't considered ethical. 
You don't always know who's doin' drugs or who's drinking or who's doin' what.

Oh my, I can't believe what I'm hearing on TV about that missing child in North Carolina who is presumably the body of a young child recently found by a highway.  I can't believe that her mother allegedly sold her for drugs.  It makes me want to vomit. 
Well, there you have it.  Addicts lie, steal, cheat, manipulate, don't care about what they destroy in their fits of rage, and they sell their children all for the cheap, short-lived thrill of a drug. 
What a completely selfish existence. 
During their addiction they care only about how their drug of choice makes them feel.  When in rehab. all they care about is getting sober.  After rehab. their entire lives and the lives of anyone in their lives revolves around them staying sober.
This child trafficking thing is outrageous.  I absolutely cannot believe how big of an industry it is.  It is absolutely disgusting.  Again, selfish and sick desires.  That's not what life is about, man.  It just isn't.

Life is about being selfless       NOT selfish.

PS:  The term "drug" also includes alcohol.

Hey, here's some info. on plastics!  Just another reason why you should choose FRESH food!  I was watching Good Morning America, and Bisphenol A is now showing up in CANNED foods!!  Just ONE serving from a canned food item can have harmful effects.

Good Plastic - Bad Plastic

There is certainly good plastic and bad plastic. Plastic is widely used for food containers, water bottles, baby bottles, plastic wraps, etc. it is convenient to use but is associated with health risks and environmental harms.
Its association with health risks is because most plastics contain chemicals that are known as hormone-disruptor and they can leach into food and beverages. Plastics are made from petroleum – a non-renewable material and it takes large volume of landfill space. I will make a short review of each plastic label after which I will try to put together some recommendations. However, please consider that no plastic may be safe; some plastics are considered "good" or safe because there is no sufficient research to prove otherwise.

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#1 PETE: Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene used for soft drink, juice, water, detergent, cleaner and peanut butter containers. It was considered the safest and is the most common plastic and easy to recycle. However, a recent study found traces of DEHP in bottled water stored in a PET bottle for more than 9 months.

#2 HDPE: High density polyethylene, used in opaque plastic milk and water jugs, bleach, detergent and shampoo bottles and some plastic bags. It is considered safe and easy to recycle.....

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#3 PVC or V or DEHA : Polyvinyl chloride or di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate used for cling wrap, some plastic squeeze bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter jars, detergent and window cleaner bottles. PVC is well known to be associated with liver cancer. DEHA is linked to negative effects on the liver, kidney, spleen, bone formation and body weight. It is THE LEAST RECYCLABLE.....

#4 LDPE: Low density polyethylene, used in gro­cery store bags, most plastic wraps and some bottles. It is considered safe but HARD TO RECYCLE.....

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#5 PP: Polypropylene, used in most Rubbermaid, deli soup, syrup and yogurt containers, straws and other clouded plastic containers, including baby bottles. It is considered safe but HARD TO RECYCLE. ....

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#6 PS: Polystyrene, used in Styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, carry-out containers and opaque plastic cutlery. Styrene can leach from polystyrene and is toxic to the brain and nervous system. It also has been found to affect red blood cells, liver, kid­neys and stomach in animal studies. It is HARD TO RECYCLE.....

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#7 Other: Usually polycarbonate, used in most plastic baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, “sport” water bottles, metal food can liners, clear plastic “sippy” cups and some clear plastic cutlery. New bio-based plastics may also be labeled #7. Polycarbonate can leach Bisphenol A, a chemical that mimics the action of the human hormone estrogen. It was found to stimulate prostate cancer, produce ovarian dysfunction, genetic damage, etc.  It is HARD TO RECYCLE.

I had a CT scan of my leg Sunday night, and there is minimal healing compared to the last one.  Unfortunately, non-union fractures of the tibia are THE most difficult to heal (of COURSE they are)!   So, my surgeon and I are going to check out the hyperbaric chamber that is owned by my hospital.  Mostly, it is used for wound care.  I've done research that supports the use of hyperbaric chambers for all sorts of issues from burns, to fractures, to brain injuries. 

Onward!

Just take a small amt. of time and read this.  YOUR choice in buying eggs can change the whole entire industry and save lives.  Just a chicken you say?  C'mon.  What did a chicken ever do to you except suffer it's entire life?  That's not necessary.  Purchase the right kinda eggs, man.

Standard eggs, otherwise known as regular eggs, commercially produced eggs, conventional eggs, battery farm eggs or just "eggs" are unfortunately the most common type of eggs found in our supermarkets and shops.

The chickens are kept in small cages, anything between 3 - 7 hens per cage, so there is not enough room for the hens to exercise.  Yeah, so imagine being in a small room and living out your ENTIRE life there with oh say 7 other people!

Thousands of these cages are found in large artificially lit sheds that can contain from around 20,000 - 100,000 birds altogether. The hens are fed containing antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals.  You don't think over our lifetime this shit doesn't have an effect on us.  Please...

Obviously, due to a high output and minimum care for the birds, the cost of this type of egg is low and therefore standard eggs are the cheapest eggs that you can buy in the shops. This is all well and good for the consumer, yet the hens suffer.  NOT a good tradeoff people! 

Oh, and those high Omega-3 eggs??  Don't be fooled.  They live in the same horrid conditions unless it says "Free Range" on them. 

Make GOOD and EDUCATED choices in your food buying.  Yeah, spend a little more.  The more of us who do it, the more the price will drop b/c consumers will be demand a larger supply of good and righteous food!

I've started my CASA training and am super excited about it!   I'm not excited about some of the the things I will surely witness, but I am excited about the prospect of getting to be a child's voice.  I'm excited about doing the work that it takes to make sure that the child is placed in the best environment for him/her.
I can't seem to shake this flu thing; although, my symptoms are much less severe than they were a couple of weeks ago.  My cough has diminished, and I really thought I was getting better, but I still have a lingering cough, and I feel feverish.  Ah, you know, I guess it could be a number of things---my leg (damn can we talk about something else already?)  lack of sleep (see prior parenthesis), or maybe I'm just getting another strain of flu, OR maybe it's a combination of all or some of the previously mentioned possibilities. 
What's with the Celtics and the Cavaliers fighting on the basketball court?  Embarassing...
What the HELL is going on in Florida with all of these child abductions?  Too much sun in the Sunshine State?  What about the teens setting another teen on fire?  Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayum.
What does the OU/TX game draw refs who are always pro-UT?  C'mon with some of those calls.  UT did a fine job of beating the Sooners, though, with OU's THIRD string quarterback. 
Margaret Cho was halarious, her nasty self.  I think there were more gay men in the audience than any other type of folk.  There were lesbians as well, and of course some straight people.  LOL.  I say that with great affection b/c I used to be straight or AM straight with lesbian tendencies, or am lesbian with straight tendencies, or maybe I'm just me, and there's no definition for that.
It was close to 80 degrees yesterday and the day before also.  You know how I cleaned house?  It was so windy---like 30mph out of the south.  I opened windows to the south and ones to the north, and all of my dust and dirt got sucked out of my house!  It was awesome!  Ok, some of that is made up but not all of it.  I hung laundry, and it dried in 5 minutes.  That's for real.
I wonder if I could put wheels on the bottom of my crutches and attach a sail to a harness, and attach it to me.  I would have to figure out a way to stop, though.  Dang it.  Something is always bursting my bubble.
I miss riding my bike around town and drinking some beer and  eating a big ole sandwich with jalapeno chips.  Then I'd walk a couple doors down and get some dark chocolate covered toffee.  Mmmmmm good.  It's not the same driving places.  I HATE being in a car, and I use HATE very strongly.  I don't hate cars b/c I recognize their usefulness; however, if I have a choice it's my bike.  Right now I don't have that choice, and it sucks habanero peppers!
Y'all, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is strictly voluntary, and I encourage each of you to look into it if it's something you think you might be interested in.  Not all areas have the program but alot do.
I had a guy invite me to New York for a spring triathlon.  LMAO!  I appreciate the great hope that folks have.  I really really do, but there has to be at least a splash of reality in there somewhere, and I don't see myself running by then considering how fractured my leg still is (damn it, i hate it when that thing creeps into conversation).  But, I thought it was a sweet gesture.