Cleaning Up the Bike...

My last mountain bike ride was in Hawaii, right at the end of July/beginning of August. I may have had an opportunity or two to ride since then, especially San Diego, but I was too lazy to go. One problem with my hobbies is if it's extremely inconvenient for me I don't want to do it. In San Diego distance was the problem. The city kind of tries to make it easy by installing bike racks on city bus's but I felt it was just too hard and didn't go. No big, I can always ride another time...

So, my bike has been stored in my room on the ship for going on 6 months now, stuck behind the door, completely covered with dust and some dirt from my last ride. Front tire is flat, just sitting there, mocking me, reminding me of just how lazy I can be at times.

Actually, it's not dirty anymore, I took some time to clean it up. It shines like a new penny and I'm working up my motivation to finally pull it out and take it home. My goal is to ride to work at least 3 times a week but I haven't started yet so I don't know how it's going to go.

About the flat tire, I have to tell a little story here. I was plagued with flat tires since my Muroran, Japan port of call in November 2007. On the 1st day I flattened my front tire on a nice drop and just replaced it figuring I just pinched it. Morning of the 2nd day, it was flat again. Pumped it up, it held, figured I was fine, which I was for the day. 3rd day, had to put some air in but had to replace it again halfway through the day. After that I didn't ride again until Hong Kong in April 2008. I replaced the tube again once on that 4 day trip. I figured I was the bad luck king for flat tires and everyone enjoyed poking fun at my expense. At least motivation was high.

Needless to say I had the same problem all summer long, most times I could pump up the tube but I replaced it 6 times that summer. And it sat in my room, flat tire and all, mocking me, for almost 6 months.

When I decided to clean it up and get back in saddle I pumped up the tire once again to see if it would hold air. This time, there was no hope for it. I removed the tire from the rim and turned it inside out to make sure I didn't have anything stuck in there, which I had already done a couple times previously. And wouldn't you know it? I found a quarter inch worth of thorn jammed in there, sticking up, and always into my tube. How I overlooked this thing all these months I will never know.

I keep it on my desk as a momento of the good times had by my friends giving me a serious ration for every flat tire for the past year...

Snowboarding and other things...

Weekend before last we took another snowboarding trip to Naeba, Japan, it' such a wonderful place! Wish we would've known about the joys of snow sports much sooner, would've made the first two years in Japan go by that much faster.

This past weekend I was able to attend my first swim meet of the season and see my son compete. I missed all the others because I was deployed. Seems I've missed alot of stuff while stationed in Japan...

Lunar Festival started in World of Warcraft. Just when I think I'm starting to get a handle on my playing habits Blizz sucks me right back in with the silly achievement system... and the gearing... and the questing... and all the other fun stuff...

After 21 years of Naval service I've come to the conclusion that I'm sick and tired of standing watch...

Wife's sick, got a croupy kind of upper chest cold. Seems that it's going around, ran into a dad at the swim meet who had the exact same symptons...

It's winter, it's cold, all the time. I can't warm up. No wonder I lived in Florida dang near all my life...

Read an accident report of a SPECWAR guy crashed while mountain biking and had to go the hospital. The crash occurred at the trails in Guam that me and my mountain biking buddies must have ridden half a dozen times. Don't know if I'm lucky or good, but I'll take lucky any day of the week. Doesn't mean I didn't wipe, those are some tough trails out there, but at least I was able to walk away...

Speaking of mountain biking, finished cleaning up the bike since it's sat in my room aboard the ship for the past 2 months, dusty as all get out. I plan to start riding to work and back at least 3 times a week. I wonder how that cold things going to affect me?

Another snowbaording trip scheduled middle of February, yes, going to Naeba again. I did say it's a wonderful place. Amazing I hate the cold but if I'm snowboarding it's alright...

Sinus Surgery Update...

Which I never gave you...

I went into surgery Dec 4th, way too early in the morning. My loving wife was kind enough to drive me in and sit with me through pre-op and lend her support. They put me completely under for the surgery and it was over in about 4 hours. Well, the surgery didn't last 4 hours, that's when I finally woke up. Long story short, I was laid up in bed for 4 days, thought I could go into work, spent about 2 hours in the office, went home and slept for two days straight. I decided I better wait til my 10 days convalescent time was up before trying that again. All said and done my recovery lasted for a little less than 3 weeks.

Improvements:
1. I can breathe! Deeply! With no trouble!
2. I don't snore as much. Jeanine's extremely happy!
3. It used to be painful to breathe cold air, such as you will find during winter, and I would have pain in my ears also. Not anymore! Spent 4 days snowboarding and didn't have any problems at all!
4. I don't feel as though I have to clear my sinuses all the time.

One drawback however, since they don't really know what causes sinus polyps there is a possibility they may return. I will be on medication for a very long time to help prevent that. Medication is Flo-Nase so it's not bad at all. 1 dose per day should keep them away.

Even a month and a half later my nose is still sensitive but I suspect that will go away in a couple more weeks.

I'm Sorry

To my Blog for neglecting you for so long. I'm determined to make frequent updates but the holidays got the best of me.

To my relatives I did not call during the holidays. Where the heck am I? How'm I doing? What's going on in my life that I can't keep in touch with you? I didn't even send Christmas Cards this year.

To my Mom for the loss of your husband of 31 years right before Christmas. He and I had our differences when I was younger but I know we both forgave and forgot. I hope he was proud of me, of the man I became. I wish I had taken the opportunity to tell him thanks for the life lessons that helped turn me into the man I am.