ADVENTURES OF MIKE AND MATTIE

I was checking out some old computer files of mine and ran across this lengthy story I wrote around nine years ago while I was unemployed. Read on if you dare (or if you're bored).

THE ADVENTURES OF MIKE AND MATTIE

I am now adding Veterinarian and Master Psychologist to my list of "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" Titles. After a week of coaxing, cussing, praying, etc., that Mattie (our year old poodle-mix puppy), would get over her bout with constipation, I have discovered her problem - she's a teenager. A little background first...

Approximately two weeks ago, I noticed our little "girl" was going through some physiological changes. More specifically, it wasn't an open wound I discovered on my arm as I put Mattie down after taking her out to her favorite spot on the front lawn. (This from a man who wouldn't even consider having an inside dog four years ago. Now I'm carrying the stupid mutt to her favorite spot to do her business because I don't want her paws to get wet and track on my newly vacuumed carpet.)

Much to my heterosexual male dismay, Baby Mattie had now become "Miss Mattie" (on my arm, no less.) Miss Mattie was now a full-fledged young lady...a doggie teenager to be exact. Of course I immediately called Melissa at work, much like a parent who had witnessed their child's first foot steps.

"Are you sure that's what it was?" asked my disbelieving wife.

"Well I wasn't making tomato soup for lunch," I replied sarcastically. (In the year since my "down-sizing", I've become a pretty good cook. So add that to my list of titles too.)

Upon hanging up with Melissa, I decided to go online to become more educated on Mattie's situation. Needless to say, you get some pretty off the wall websites when you type "bitches in heat" in your Internet browser.

After perusing numerous bonafide veterinary websites, I determined there wasn't much we could do for Mattie except not answer the front door if we heard loud barking. (Neighborhood dogs are very creative when it comes to gaining access to aforementioned "bitches in heat". One Internet message board verified that 12 foot fences are useless in keeping male dogs at bay.)

As usual, my wife decided to take the more practical but boring approach - she called our vet. (Heck, anybody can do that...try surfing through 20 websites entitled "Bitches in Heat" in less than an afternoon; that's what I'm talking about!)

The vet said we could buy a doggie pamper and put a feminine pad in it to keep her from...well, you get the picture. She also said it would last approximately 2 to3 weeks and this would only happen a couple of times a year. (Thank God it's not every month.)

Although neither the vet nor the Internet indicated we should expect side effects, they were pretty much standard: loss of appetite (although she gave M&M commercials her undivided attention), listlessness, and she didn't want me to touch her (wait a minute, that wasn't Mattie).

After a week of this, we discovered a new problem, Mattie was having problems focusing when she needed to "do the doo", so to speak. She would circle and circle and circle like crazy, then just when you thought she would complete the transaction, she would squat and SPRITZ. Talk about anti-climactic!

I would stand next to her giving encouragement, my breath shallow with anticipation, "Come on Mattie, be a GOOD girl! Oh, oh, oh, oh.....uuuggghhh!" (It's like when your toddler decides to begin feeding himself, steadily guiding the food to his mouth, and then spooning the food into his eye at the last minute...sheer disappointment.)

I can deal with this frustration during the day (thank God for videotape so I don't miss Oprah), but at 4 AM in the morning, it gets a little old. If your neighbors happen to be up at 4 in the morning and look out the window at you trying to coax your dog into taking a healthy crap, they will probably start avoiding your house at Halloween. (Wait, that could be a GOOD thing.)

After spiking her food with mineral oil and considering a full lube job (for the dog, not me), I was at my wit's end. The mineral oil did succeed in her little tummy percolating, but she was still doing her circle, circle,circle, spritz, dance. Then finally it happened!

After a full morning of Mattie playing "Oh Danny Boy" on her internal bagpipes, she came to me and scratched my arm frantically. I figured either she was really ready to "go", or she accidentally stepped on the remote control and changed the TV to some doggie operation on Animal Planet.

Looking deep into her eyes, I recognized the look! It was the same look I saw in the mirror after drinking a gallon of Go-Litely the day before my colonoscopy. Sheer terror! (Terror, when you realized the bathroom was 25 feet away instead of the standard 4 feet recommended on the label.)

I gushed words of encouragement as I attached her leash, "I have faith in you Mattie. I know you can do it!"

"Remember, you'll get a treat if you dump!" (Who's idea was it to give a dog a treat if they crap on your front lawn? No one ever gives me treats; although everyone does light matches as if they were at a concert wanting an encore.)

Sure enough, the dance began. Circle, circle,circle...HOUSTON, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED! Sheer joy entered my soul as I watched her grimace, and then prance off after a job well done. I stared in utter amazement at the future fertilizer lying on my front lawn. I could have sworn it glistened in the sunlight,but it was actually the tears of joy and sheer exhaustion that gave the starlight effect.

"GOOD GIRL!", I exclaimed as I picked her up. The grass wasn't even wet. SHE EARNED this piggyback ride! I was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment as she munched on her doggie treat. We overcame this temporary setback together...as a team!

The elation was short lived, however. This morning we stepped onto the grass, a dog and her coach, heads held high, proudly showing the neighborhood that we weren't weirdos after all. We reached the spot, equal distance between the Red Oak and the Live Oak, 3.5 feet from the sidewalk...OUR SPOT.

The music played, the dance began. Circle, circle,circle, spritz...SPRITZ? What happened to circle,circle, circle, THUD? We stumbled through our intimate Tango of joy was as if we both had two left feet (in her case it would be four left feet, if you're counting).

"MATTIE! GO POTTIE!" I exclaimed. She looked at me with her big brown eyes that seemed to say, "What do you think I just did? You moron!"

I shuffled into the house, much like Ozzy does on the Osbournes, mumbling expletives under my breath (although with a Texas accent, not English). After my prayer and meditation time, I decided to let Mattie romp around in the back yard. We both could use the fresh air.

I scanned the back yard for Mattie, who was conspicuously quiet. In a secluded spot of the yard, unannounced and flying solo was my little "girl", "dancing" alone! Then it dawned on me. She wasn't hurting. There was nothing physiologically wrong with her body. It's psychological...she's too VAIN to poop in front of her "papa"!

Why? BECAUSE SHE'S A TEENAGER! A sense of ultimate satisfaction envelops me as I prepare to add VETERINARIAN and PSYCHOLOGIST to the plaques on my office wall. I'm too smart for my own good!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

After last week's relatively easy ride at McAllister Park, I decided to test myself a little more today, so I went to OP Schnabel to ride. OP is a better test of my stamina, as it is more technical and has more climbs than Mac.

As I suspected, the result was quite different. Although still respectable, I rode almost 10 miles in almost two hours. I had to stop frequently for breaks and they were a bit longer than usual. I am starting to really feel the difference from riding in the cool weather to now riding in heat. Hot weather is very taxing.

There were several people on the trails and at the park in general. It was a beautiful morning and I had no ill effects from my injuries. My wrist held up fine, although I did notice my legs were considerably more tired than last week due to the climbing. All in all, it was a good workout.

Weight Watchers update: I am now at 15 lbs lost since starting in January; I now weigh 220 lbs. I am keeping my short term goals to 5 pound increments, so I hope to hit 215 in the next few weeks. Baby steps....

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I made my annual calls and texts after my ride, so now I'm going to settle in for an afternoon of sports and a nap!

Big Dog out!

FIRST RIDE BACK

Friday the wrist specialist examined the progress of my wrist sprain and gave the okay to start riding again. Yay! Not riding the last month has driven me up the wall! I know I had to give my body a chance to heal, but riding a stationary bike bores me to death.

Not wanting to overdo it, I decided to ride my old tried and true trail, McAllister Park. Since it isn't that technical, I knew I would get a good workout to help me determine how out of riding shape I was. To my surprise, I did pretty well. I rode 9 miles in around an hour and a half. I probably could have ridden another 30 minutes, but I didn't want to press my first time out. Now, a couple of hours later, my wrist, neck, and back feel fine; no worse for the wear.

I promised Mel I wouldn't ride Salado Creek alone again, unless I buy one of the Spot location devices I mentioned last week. It's pretty expensive, so I don't want to get it right now. Besides, I can get my workouts in by riding McAllister, OP Schnabel, and Mudd Creek, until I buy the Spot, or find a riding buddy. At this point, I'm just glad to be riding again.

Since my old helmet was crushed in the accident, I had to buy a new one before the ride. Fortunately Performance Bike had helmets on sale this week. I tried several different brands, but still wound up selecting a Bell, as I did before. I went with the Bell Delirium, pictured below. Since I am a cabezon, it's hard to find helmets that fit me well. I was very pleased with the Delirium, and it was priced reasonably well.

All in all, I am very blessed to have survived the accident with only sprained body parts; it could have been much worse. For all the doubters, I am happy to be back on the "horse" again. Life's too short; I can't spend it living in fear, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. That's just not me. Until next time, Big Dog out!

SLOW HEALING

It's been three weeks since my accident and I'm still on the mend. I've never been injured this bad, so I'm not used to being inactive for so long. My wrist is still in a brace, but I have an appointment this week with the wrist specialist, so I hope he'll let me just wrap it and clear me to ride again.

I'm still having neck and back soreness, but I've eliminated the muscle relaxers at night, opting for ibuprofen instead. Mel has been wonderful, giving me neck and back rubs when needed. The most noticeable difference is my stress level. Riding my bike was my stress reliever and my body as well as my psyche miss it.

We are in the middle of our most stressful time of year at work and I need to get back on my bike. I know I could ride a stationary bike, or walk, but it's not the same. Anyone who rides regularly will understand; most others won't.

Mel and I had the pleasure of hosting Mom and David last weekend. They attended a bike rally in Austin on Sunday, so they spent Friday and Saturday with us. It's always great to spend time with them, and last weekend was no exception. It would have been nice to ride the trails with David again; maybe next time.

Mel still has some trepidation about me riding solo and rightly so. I found a locating device called SPOT, which offers a GPS locating service in case of an accident. http://www.findmespot.com/en/

For $99/yr, you get the device plus service. It seems pretty cool and if it alleviates Mel's fears of me riding again, it's a small price to pay. SPOT and a new helmet, and I should be good to go!

Last weekend when David was messing with his velos, I checked out my bike and it wasn't damaged as I thought. Instead of a broken derailleur hangar, the chain was jammed. Once I unjammed it and tweaked the settings a little, it was fine.

Well, another FIESTA has come and gone without us attending one event. When we didn't live here, Fiesta was a major event for us every year. Now that we live here, we hate dealing with the crowds, parking, possible DWIs, and the $7 beers. Instead, we watch the parades from the comfort of our living room, sipping tequila with beer chasers. Then when we're tired, we can stumble to our bed instead of driving home with one eye open to avoid double vision! MUCH safer.

Well, I guess I'll spend the rest of the day washing and watching the NFL draft on ESPN. It was hard to stomach Michael Crabtree going to the 49ers, so I hope Graham Harrell is actually drafted and by a decent team. (By that I mean, one I don't hate, like the niners.)

Until next time, Big Dog out...

ON THE MEND

Although my raccoon eyes would indicate otherwise, I feel pretty good, all things considered. Thank all of you for your prayers, concern, and words of encouragement. I know my family and friends care a great deal about my well being, and I appreciate that.

Reactions to my accident were varied and very interesting. Remarks ranged from "been there, done that" from fellow cyclists, to "I guess you'll give up mountain biking now", to "well, you know, you're not in your twenties any more", to advice on how to properly complete a jump. I have been very tactful in my responses, but had to bite my tongue listening to many because I know they were made out of concern for my well being.

For those who asked if I would give up mountain biking, my response would be "have you ever been in a car accident? Did you quit driving as a result?"

For those who said "you're not in your twenties any more", I would ask "what does age have to do with it?" It would be different if I was trying to do tricks like BMX or extreme bikers, but I wasn't. It would be different if I was racing against men half my age, but I don't.

Bottom line is, I enjoy mountain biking because it is good exercise and a good stress reliever. I don't look for opportunities to injure myself; in fact I am very careful most of the time. Obviously the two times I've been injured seriously, I wasn't as aware of my surroundings as I should have been. But I learn from my mistakes.

In reality, I am more fearful for my life every time I get in my truck to drive to work. With all the road rage, lunatics, drunk drivers, etc. on the road, the odds of me being in an auto accident are very high every time I leave the driveway.

With mountain biking, I am in control of the situation as long as I am aware of my surroundings. If I come to a technical part of the trail, I can always walk my bike or turn around; I do both regularly. I never ride without a helmet, I have a GPS, cell phone, first aid kit, whistle, etc, in my back pack at all times.

The trails I ride are usually within 100 to 200 yards of people's houses and are well traveled by bikers and hikers alike. I am actually very conservative when I ride, taking precautions while doing so. That doesn't mean I don't occasionally spaz out and forget to pay close attention to my surroundings, but with every ride I learn more. Just as I have learned from this latest miscue.

I feel safer riding trails than I would riding road bikes. I would much rather take my chances against rocks and roots, than a 2 ton car or truck. Again, you are not in control of others' actions.

I realize that I could easily get my exercise riding a stationary bike or lifting weights, but what fun is that? I like being outside, seeing new trails, and challenging myself. If you are a gym rat and like doing that stuff, more power to you. I would never ask you to mountain bike instead; different strokes.

I can't say enough about how Mel has handled this whole ordeal. It would have been very easy for her to berate or lecture me, or ask me to give up biking, but she didn't. She voiced her concern, but didn't do so in a condescending manner. She understands how important it is to me and realizes it was an accident. She knows I have learned from it.

Interestingly enough, the ER nurse, ER doctor, my own personal doctor, and my dentist, are all mountain bikers. In fact, when my GP examined me on Monday, he asked me "what would you differently on that trail? What did you learn?" He gets it. No condescending remarks, no judgment.

Again, thank you to all who expressed concern and gave words of encouragement. I know you care and have good intentions; I love you for it. Now if I can just figure out how to milk another week's worth of neck rubs from Mel....

I'D RATHER FIGHT THAN SWITCH!

Remember the old Lucky Strike cigarette ads where you'd see a picture of someone with a black eye, saying "I'd rather fight than switch"? I felt like that today.

Yesterday I mentioned the swelling on my forehead and bridge of my nose; today it turned into a black eye. According to the doctor, the blood from the contusion on my forehead seeped into the area around my eye, causing a horrible looking black eye.

It isn't painful, just bothersome because it almost was almost swollen shut last night. At least I could see better today, but it still looked awful. After lunch I came home to ice down my face and neck and the bruising started creeping to my other eye. What a sight!

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the Orthopedist, to look at my wrist fracture. I hope he doesn't put me in a hard cast; that's a pain in the butt!

I hope your week is going better than mine...Big Dog out!

JOB WELL DONE

After Sunday's accident, I've been EXTREMELY sore and beat up, but I was able to work half days the last two days. My neck and back started hurting quite a bit late this morning, so I came home after lunch.

I ate, then took one of my little yellow muscle relaxers and took a nap. Imagine my surprise when I looked in the mirror and saw "Cat Man" staring back at me. It seems that swelling is a possible side-effect/allergic reaction to my medication, so it looks like I'll have to stick with Ibuprofen from now on, unless I go to a Trekkie convention as a Klingon!

My helmet performed as designed, taking the brunt of my fall. I took it outside to check it out in good light and decided to snap some pics of the damage. Pretty cheap insurance policy wouldn't you say? The outside is flattened and inside it cracked in numerous places. Job well done!

I'M ON THE DL FOR A FEW WEEKS

The diagnosis from the ER read "SPRAINED NECK AND BACK; FRACTURED WRIST". If I hadn't worn my helmet, my injuries would have been much worse.

The ride started as many before; beautiful day, windy but bearable. I went to Salado Creek Greenway since I hadn't ridden there in a month or so. The ride itself was pretty uneventful. I rode to Loop 1604, took a GU break, then started my return to the truck.

My downfall was taking a more technical section of the trail that I was not familiar with. At one point, I took a fork to the left instead of to the right, and within seconds I found myself at a 3 foot ledge drop off with no time to stop.

Instinctively, I tried to lift the front wheel as I went airborne, but the drop was too steep and I wound up flying over the handlebars and landing on my head, compressing my neck and spine. I never lost consciousness, but it did take me several seconds to gain composure and make sure my extremities could move.

My chest felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, as it was painful to breathe too deeply. I checked for cuts and gashes, but found none too severe. The impact had knocked my Camelbak off and scattered some of my stuff in the creek bed bottom. I sat up, gathered my things into my backpack and tried to stand.

I wasn't dizzy, as should be expected with a concussion, so I mounted my bike to try and ride back to the truck. My bike wouldn't move. Upon close inspection, I damaged my rear hanger and the chain was frozen. My only choice was to hike the 2+ miles back to the truck.

I started walking the bike down the trail, trying to think of additional symptoms of concussion: dizziness, nausea, loss of memory, loss of consciousness; none of which I experienced. I remembered that Mel usually went to the grocery store when I ride, so I started thinking about making the dreaded call to tell her I was hurt.

I had already decided that I was going to the Emergency Room to get checked out. Matt had experienced a less severe fall a few years ago while riding with me and he wound up with a mild concussion. I needed to catch Mel before she left for the grocery store, without causing her to panic.

Cell phone in hand, I waited for her to answer.

"Hello"
"Hey, are you at HEB yet?"
"No, I was getting ready to leave. WHY?"
"You might want to wait until I get there so you can take me to the Emergency Room."
"What happened?" (Tension apparent in her voice)
"I fell"
"Where are you?"
"Halfway back, but I have to walk cause the bike is messed up."
"Should I come get you?"
"No, I think I can make it home ok."

A second call later and she convinced me to let her come to the trail head and get me. After loading my bike in the back of her car, we left. After almost 5 hours in the ER and countless x-rays later, we were on our way home.

I made it through the night with the prescribed "happy pills"; I wouldn't have made it without, as the pain is worse than I've had in a while. I'm going to make an appointment with an Orthopedist to give me an opinion on my fractured wrist, as it's in a cast right now. The ER doctor estimated that I will be off my bike for several weeks, so I guess I'm relegated to the stationary bike until then.

Lessons learned: ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET; I think my filled Camelbak probably helped absorb some of the impact too; let your loved ones know where you'll be; and slow down if you are on unfamiliar trails.

Until next time - One Armed Big Dog out!

STAMINA AND ENDURANCE LOST?

Most of the time, this title would signify an upcoming Viagra commercial; not today. After a three week layoff from biking, I headed out to Op Schnabel for a Sunday morning ride. Although a bit chilly, the sun was shining brightly and it was a beautiful morning.


In the past, if I missed two consecutive weeks without riding, I would be very out of shape and get winded quickly, requiring many breaks throughout the ride. To say I'm still in good riding shape would be a stretch, because any of you who know me, know the words "good shape" and "Mike" are not usually used in the same sentence.


I rode a respectable 10.5 miles for an hour and a half, so I was pleased. The trails were gorgeous, having blossomed into color with the recent rains. There was more wildlife than usual, as I saw several deer, a couple of rabbits, robins, and a SKUNK. Fortunately, the skunk appeared towards the end of my ride, so I just rode in the opposite direction back to my truck.


I met a nice biker named Ralph, who said he owns Guadalupe River Cycle and Fitness. It is a very nice cabin on the north side of Canyon Lake on the Guadalupe River. Check out his website link in case you're thinking of vacationing in this area this summer. http://guadaluperivercycleandfitness.com/aboutus.aspx


I was astounded by the number of idiots riding bikes on the trails without helmets! I don't understand why people do that. Obviously they are not experienced riders, as we have all fallen several times and know how important a helmet is for safety reasons. It's not just kids either; there were a few adults riding sans helmet. Don't even get me started on motorcyclists who ride helmet less.


After a quick shower and lunch, and I settled into my recliner for an afternoon of being a couch potato. I watched as Tiger Woods came from 5 shots down to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament on the last hole as the sun had set. This was his second tournament since having knee surgery a few months ago. That guy is INCREDIBLE!



The announcers were detailing his daily work routine/schedule. He gets up every morning and works out for an hour and a half before breakfast, then he heads to the golf course to practice his shots, then plays nine holes of golf before eating lunch. Then he heads back out to practice more shots, work on his short game, then play another nine holes of golf before finishing up around 6:30 PM at night! He works HARD to be as good as he is. He deserves everything he gets!


What a nice, relaxing weekend. Things are getting really hectic at work, so every bit of relaxing and stress relief I can do, the better! Have a great week!

SPRING BREAK 2009

I've been rather inactive the last couple of weeks in regards to my bike riding. Last week was too wet and the weekend before, I had a very uneasy feeling about riding, so I didn't.

Matt came to San Antonio last Saturday to spend Spring Break with us. Stefanie, Rigo, and Aiden also came down last weekend, so we had a house full Saturday night and Sunday morning. Matt and I left for Port Aransas Monday morning, arriving around 1 PM.



By 2, we had unloaded the truck at the hotel, stopped to buy bait and a parking permit, and were on the beach. As we drove through town, we couldn't understand why there weren't that many people on the streets. When we hit the beach, we realized why; there were wall to wall people for miles!



We didn't think we'd have a snowball's chance in hell of finding a spot to park and fish, but we persevered and eventually found one. We unloaded and rigged up and soon were wading into the surf. THE WATER WAS COLD! We only caught a couple of croakers and left around 5:30.



After a quick shower, change of clothes, a couple of beers and shots of tequila, we headed to Castaways in Port Aransas; one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate Matt's birthday. After dinner, we drove around town and wound up at Sharkey's to shoot some pool and play Foosball.



Tuesday, we awoke to a dense fog and chilly temperatures. After breakfast at Taqueria San Juan (awesome Mexican omelets), we ventured to the beach to find a spot to park and fish. We wound up catching a few fish that morning, but nothing more after lunch, except a Sting Ray that Matt caught. We packed up around 4 since too many young kids were tripping over our lines and we didn't want any accidents.








Tuesday we had wings and beers at Port Aransas Brewing Company; a micro-brewery on the island. After sampling a few of their most popular, we settled on a nice full bodied Bock. After dinner, we again went to Sharkey's for pool & Foosball.

After breakfast (again at San Juan's), we hit the road for our return home. We both had a great time and I was extremely pleased and honored that Matt decided to spend his 21st birthday with me! We made some great memories and look forward to doing it again as soon as we can.




Yesterday I had to get another tooth pulled as I was in quite a bit of pain during the entire trip. I had been putting it off in hopes that the pain would subside, but it didn't. Now I can look forward to paying for TWO dental implants later this year (ouch; in more ways than one).

I feel better today, so Mel and I are off to run some errands and buy groceries. We are both off today, so we can spend the rest of my vacation relaxing and enjoying each other's company. I am TRULY blessed.

I hope to feel strong enough to ride this Sunday, but we'll see. Until next time, Big Dog out!

FREAKIN' COLD!

The shining sun and cloudless sky were deceiving when I went outside to get the paper this morning. In fact, it was quite nippy. I drank my coffee and read the paper before I started getting my gear ready for my ride.

I decided to check the weather website and saw that the windchill was 33 degrees! Shit! Now I know Juanita and her bunch probably think 33 degrees is short sleeve, shorts, and chancla weather, but not those of us in South Texas!

I layered on three riding shirts to brace for the cold, starting with my thermal undershirt, a long sleeve wicking shirt, then topped it off with my Marin jersey. As I opened the garage door, a blast of wind hit me and almost made me change my mind and climb back in bed with Mel. As tempting as that sounded, I knew I had to ride - missed opportunities, you know.

I had already decided to ride the Salado Creek Greenbelt trail, having ridden Madrone last week and not wanting to ride OP Schnabel because they were having some sort of race or event and I knew it would be crawling with riders. So, Salado Creek it was.

As I was unloading my gear at the trail head, another biker drove up and we struck up a conversation. Turns out he was supposed to meet some buddies for a ride, but it appeared they stood him up, so I asked him if he wanted to ride with me.

He said he moved here from Austin, which I soon found out meant he could ride! I had flashbacks of riding with Bert when he used to leave me in his dust on the trails. It was almost as bad today. Although this guy hadn't ridden much the last 8 years because of back problems, it was very apparent that he was in great shape.

I did my best to keep up without passing out and embarrassing myself. Considering he appeared to be in his mid 30s (maybe), I held my own as best I could. After riding about an hour, he started heading back to the trail head. We stopped and I told him I was going to ride some more, so we exchanged thanks for the ride and went our separate ways.

All in all, I rode 13 miles in a little over 2.5 hours. Because he showed me trails I hadn't ridden before, which were more technical in nature than the main trails, I am BEAT! By the time I reached my truck, my quads were cramping during climbs and I was spent.

I got home, showered, ate, then hit the recliner for a quick nap. In fact, it felt so good, I think I'm headed back to the recliner now for a repeat performance! Hope you all have a great week! Until next time, Big Dog out...

BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A RIDE!

Of course, ANY day is a great day to ride, but some ARE better than others. Today the sun was shining, but there was a crispness in the air. I overslept this morning by half an hour and almost talked myself out of going to Madrone because the drive is so long (45 min).

Sensibility prevailed, as I did a long ride last week, then another 11 miles at McAllister before Weight Watchers yesterday. I was looking forward to a challenge and Madrone certainly delivers! I had been looking forward to this ride all week.

I have an interesting personality trait that before, I thought only applied to my bike riding. I have written before about the "voices" that always seem to try to talk me out of riding on any given day. As I pondered this today on the trail, I realized that I do that all the time in the rest of my life too.

Take Fiesta, a McNay opening, a concert, or any other event. I could be looking forward to something for weeks, only to back out at the last minute for one excuse or another. It could be the weather, parking, crowds, money, it doesn't matter. Sometimes I talk myself out of it and other times I go anyway and have a great time! When it comes to biking in particular, I have to continue to ignore the excuses and just do it.

Although I rode 11 miles before weigh in yesterday, I didn't lose any weight. I didn't gain any either, so I wasn't devastated. Considering Valentine's Day was last week, and considering I ate a couple of breakfast tacos Friday at work, breaking even is almost a victory.

Speaking of victories, my niece Michelle realized a dream of hers a couple of weeks ago - by parachuting out of a plane! This has been something I've wanted to do for years, and Michelle had the balls to beat me to it! I am SO proud of her. I watched the video of her jump yesterday and started crying. It was so freaking awesome!

I guess as we get over 40 our mortality is more real than ever and we tend to think about things like "bucket lists". A couple come to mind: mountain biking at Big Bend and Northern California (good reason to visit Bert), as well as traveling to Spain (if we won the lotto).

Whatever your dreams or demons are, here's to living the dream and overcoming the demons! Hasta luego!

GREAT WEEKEND!

First things first: Happy Belated Valentine's Day! (or as La Raza says it, "Valentimes Day). Friday I played the part of the cost conscious but thoughtful husband, as I personally delivered 1.5 dozen roses to Mel at work. It surprised her and got me brownie points, so it was worth it.

Since Valentine's Day is all about the women, I asked her how she wanted to spend the day. Initially we thought we'd go to the McNay after lunch and see their new exhibits, then eat dinner somewhere. Saturday morning, she decided we would forgo the McNay visit, and go to the Shoemaker's Inn for their going out of business sale.

Shoemaker's Inn is a San Antonio institution (or was, they closed yesterday). They were having a HUGE sale on men's and women's shoes. Florsheim and Rockport men's shoes that are normally $150 were on sale for $20/pair.

As I waited in line for AN HOUR, I watched their longtime employees pose for pictures with each other. Many of them were 50+ years old and you just wonder if they were able to find other jobs. Many of them had worked there many, many years. It was quite sad.

After I bought two pair of shoes and Mel bought a few more, we decided to head over to Soluna, one of our favorite restaurants on Broadway. We beat the crowds as we arrived at almost 5 PM. I thought we might have to take out a few Senior Citizens at that hour, but I guess it was past their bed time. I'll ask Mom; she'll know.

After dinner, we stopped by Central Market for some champagne and decadent desserts to take home and enjoy. Yes, we DID count everything we ate yesterday. Needless to say, we both had a great Valentine's Day since we spent the whole day together. Who could ask for more?

By they way, Mel and I BOTH lost weight at weigh in yesterday. I lost almost 3 pounds, which more that made up for last week's disappointing result (but I'm SO over that). So far, I've lost 10 pounds since we started in January.

This morning was gray and overcast; not ideal conditions for a ride. It was even sprinkling, so I ALMOST talked myself out of riding. I fought the demons and soon found myself at Salado Creek Greenbelt Trail again. If you remember, the first time I rode there, I broke a couple of spokes, so I wasn't able to finish the ride that day.

Today my bike performed like a champ! I was able to ride further than I did last time, going past Loop 1604 to the North. Seeing the canyon cliffs and rugged terrain, you would never know you are in the midst of a city. The only telltale sign was a water main cover here and there. The one pictured below looks like an island in the creek bed bottom, as the ground has eroded around it. This is NOT a place you would want to get caught in a flash flood.

Not wanting to continue riding the loose rock much further, I turned around and headed back to the trail head. In all, I rode 12.5 miles in just over 2.5 hours.

I was pretty tired, but extremely satisfied when I got back to the truck. Not only had I ridden further than I had in a LONG time, I also tackled a couple of ledges I couldn't jump last time, since I broke my spokes. A foot high ledge doesn't seem like much, but if you don't jump it just right, you'll wind up going over the handlebars and busting your noggin.

I'm not sure where I'll be riding next week, but hopefully there will be good weather for the ride!

I NEED AN IMPLANT

Alright, get your mind out of the gutter...I don't need one of THOSE. (At least not yet.) I went to the dentist this morning to get a root canal done on one of my lower molars. After giving me the numbing shot, the dentist started cutting into my crown to get to the tooth roots. At one point he stopped and said there was a problem.

He showed me a picture of my tooth on his computer and it had a crack in it! My choices were to go ahead and have the root canal and spend the $600 or $800 for it, but with a crack in my tooth, the odds were very high that I would need to have the tooth pulled soon anyway.

My other option was to go ahead and pull the tooth and prepare for a dental implant in 4 to 6 months. Timing is EVERYTHING, as my dental insurance just added coverage for implants last month! After going over my options, I told him to go ahead and pull the molar, then prepare for the implant in a few months.

Once he pulled the tooth, he found that there was quite a bit of infection in the bone & gums. He scraped most of it out and gave me antibiotics for the rest. It was a good decision to have it pulled. Otherwise, I could have had many more problems with the infection from that tooth.

I'll just have to survive on soft foods that are within my WW points budget; at least until the stitches come out and the incision heals. Man, if it's not one thing, it's another! It could always be worse though...

Until next time, Big Dog out!