Still going well

Friday started well, with knee exercises, weights and stretching, some straightening up, and a nap.  I did play golf yesterday and had a great round, shooting a 40 with a real chance at a 39.  I got a 5 on the easy par 3, number 7, and just missed an eagle putt on number 4.  I brought my bike in to East Coasters and it turns out the set screw broke off and I may have to buy a new part for 70 dollars.  I think it can be fixed by drilling a new hole and tapping it out but Scotty, the mechanic on duty seemed skeptical.  I may have to try it myself.  I had a nice chat with Dave in the evening and found out that Maddie’s colonoscopy was fine, no polyps.  I did ride my bike outside of East Coasters so that was good, but I think I have to get my bike back on Monday.  I don’t want to leave it there for very long.  I went out to fish at David’s place and I met his girlfriend and they both were very sociable.  I tried my waders and they had a big rip in them and a few holes so I put some duct tape on and they worked fine.  I caught one very tiny fish with a wooly bugger. 

Saturday has been okay though I have been pretty tired.  I did clean the bathroom, do two loads of wash, weights and stretching (some with my right arm), played 20 minutes of piano and 30 minutes of singing, put a couple of patches on the inside of the waders, cleaned up the truck some, and I will be going to play golf in a few minutes.

Good Medical News

Wednesday was a very good day.  I did my knee exercises, my weights and stretching, my blog and I wrote out my new poem.  Then I went to see Rob about the results of my bloodwork.  The results were stable and Rob said I could drop the Bactrium (since I wasn’t on any lupus medication), that I could cut back to 8 mg of prednisone, that I could stay off the Diltiazen and the Plaquenel, that I could cut the Lasic to 20 mg every other day and that could cut back my synthroid to 225 mg.  All very good news.  I am still a little lightheaded but once I get going I am okay.  I went out to play golf even though the sky was threatening and got three holes in before one of the people in the office drove out to warn me about an very strong incoming storm.  That was quite nice.  I then had a southwest salad at McDonald’s and took a nap, then went for a bike ride at the Perry street garage.

Thursday has started okay, with knee exercises, a nap, some financial figuring and resolving a few matters over the phone.  I am tired but I am getting stuff done, including ordering my new parking sticker at Radford.  I hope to play golf later if the weather is okay.

Back in the swing of things

Monday was a decent day and my energy level wasn’t too bad.  I did my knee exercises, attended the 10 AM meeting with Heather and Shelly (which seemed to go pretty well and I think the trees are going to be saved and the structure in front of Mary’s windows will be replaced by a few picnic tables and chairs on some mulched ground.  I may also get a bike rack and Heather said that my screens will be fixed.  Then it was time to go do my bloodwork and that was virtually painless and I should get the results tomorrow and see Rob on Wednesday at 3:15.  Then it was time to go play golf and though I shot a 6 on my first hole (number 2), I ended up shooting a 44.  I then drove back to my apartment to rest some and then went off to ride my bike for 40 minutes. 

Tuesday has started well, with knee exercises and then some singing from Breaking Bread, my weights and yoga, and my blog for yesterday.  I have to see the dermatologist at 1:45 and then pick up my meds at Walmart, then go to Jeff’s to say goodbye to Paul and Maruja.  Then I hope to ride my bike at Tech this evening.  I did call Amtrak and I addressed my complaint about the car attendant and the person I spoke with gave me a 200 dollar credit for my next trip. 

The rest of the Western Trip

Monday I got up pretty early to use the recreation center and what a place it was.  It had everything and I was able to do 40 minutes of biking and some weights with both my arms for a change.  I went back to my room, showered and then packed the car and headed off to see Mesa Verde.  The traffic bothered me and some drivers got right up my ass, which was a bit scary.  I was driving about 60 and the limit was 65 so I wasn’t slow.  The iconic view of the entrance mesa was impressive and I enjoyed the ride into the park particularly the short hike up Park Point.  It was 8,500 feet and it made exercising very hard. However, the view was superb.   I was going to go to one of the ruins but the sign said 7 miles down the turnoff road but I found nothing even at 8 so I turned around and headed back.  I wouldn’t recommend Mesa Verde unless you had seen most of the other more impressive National Parks.  I drove toward Chama and the ride was okay, not the most scenic and eventually stopped under a large pine tree for a nap.  Then I stopped at a lake on the Ute reservation where they charged me 10 dollars to fish.  The fellow there told me that the lake had been stocked with 30,000 trout—and that bass were there and catfish—but I only got one small fish and I wasn’t sure what it was.  I tried at the dock right by the bait shop—and there were many 6 inch trout swimming there—but I couldn’t get one to hit even though I rigged up my fly rod and tried a tiny gold ribbed hair’s ear.  It was still fun and I headed off to Chama passing through Pagosa Springs, which seemed like a very cool town.  I got to Chama and it was clear that the river was much too low to fish and I didn’t want to get a license.  I took a nap, then headed over to the High Country restaurant for a pretty good meal of a hamburger smothered in red chili sauce and cheese and a small caesar salad.  I packed my stuff that I am going to mail back to Virginia and watched some TV. 

Tuesday morning found me doing my knee exercises, then heading off to the Post Office to mail my package.  Then it was time to drive to Sante Fe and the ride was okay but certainly not that scenic.  I almost made it to Sante Fe when it was time for the World Cup match between Belgium and England so I used my GPS to find a restaurant and did but luckily I found this combination restaurant and store in Tesuque and I was able to enjoy the entire game, possibly the best one I have seen so far.  After the game ended I drove toward downtown Santa Fe and ended up parking at a lot a few blocks from the historic plaza and it was nice to see the famous cathedral mentioned in Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop.  I then drove out of town to beat the traffic and got to Las Vegas by 6, checked into the Comfort Inn, and after a quick nap, rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes and did one of the machines with both arms.  Fthen went to a Chinese buffet (not very good) for dinner.  Then it was back to the hotel to watch TV.  I still had a little problem breathing since Las Vegas is almost 7,000 feet high, but so far I have not had to use any of my asthma spray the entire trip. 

Wednesday started with another 30 minutes on the bike and more work on the weight machine, then I took it easy in the room since there was no point of leaving before check out time at 11.  I then loaded my car, got some gas and picked up prunes at Walmart before heading to the Amtrak station at around 11:30.  Time passed quickly and I talked to Lou briefly before getting on the train with a female train attendant who was very kind and helped me with my bag.  I had a nice lunch, napped for several hours, then had a good walk at Albuquerque.  Dinner was decent salmon, mixed vegetable and baked potato and I had the fruit and cheese tray instead of a more sugary dessert.  It’s already 8:15 so I will be getting off in less than 12 hours.   

Thursday started off okay.  I didn’t sleep much, having to pee about once an hour, but finally 5 came and it was time to go to breakfast.  That was nice, having a good conversation with a fellow who had been in the air force.  After that I went back to my room and got everything ready to get off in Fullerton.  At a little before 8 I got off and got over to Track 3 where the train to Oceanside stopped and in 10 minutes the train came and I was on the final leg of my journey.  It was interesting to see all the beaches and the hundreds of surfers.  At 9:20 I got off and in five minutes, Dave appeared and our long awaited visit began.  We had a good chat in his apartment and then Dave treated me to lunch at the Oceanside Broiler.  When we got back, I took a long nap and then we went for a walk on the beach of two miles, which I felt great about and then we went back to the apartment and showered and headed to Norte, a Mexican restaurant in neighboring Carlsbad.  It was very good and I treated Dave to dinner.  After dinner we watched the Yankees win against Cleveland then headed to sleep around 11:30. 

        Friday found me getting up around 7, doing my knee exercises and working on my finances, then working on my FAR, and then my blog.  I felt pretty productive and my health seemed to be doing fine right now.  However, the afternoon proved the start of my health problems.  I really struggled to walk the two miles, and had to sit down three times just to get back. I hadn’t taken my plaquenil and I didn’t take the diltiazem, figuring these drugs were the only new ones I was on that one or both of them might be causing my tiredness.  When Dave and I tried to go to dinner I could hardly make it to the elevator so we decided Saturday to order from a nearby Chinese restaurant.  My shrimp and broccoli were fine and we watched another Yankee game before heading to bed around 11:30.

Saturday morning I was pretty tired and didn’t have the energy to even shower.  I really just rested and then Dave and I went out to breakfast but I could tell my energy was very low.  It felt almost like the weakness I felt on Prograf although I wasn’t anxious.  I couldn’t even do a walk and I was really listless.  I did watch some TV but I went to be early, around 11:00

Sunday things seemed to get a little better.  I felt a lot more energy and I was able to shower.  Dave and I went to breakfast at the Petite Madeline again it was quite good, and then we went for a long walk along the harbor.  I felt fine and I thought I could walk another half mile.  Later Dave took me over to the train station and he waited until the train came around 4.  It was a good visit that would have been much better if I had had some energy the whole time.   I got into Fullerton around 7 and then had dinner before heading to my room and relaxing until it was time for bed. 

Monday morning found me somewhat lightheaded but I went and had breakfast and then took it pretty easy until dinner was approaching but since we were almost an hour late, I asked if I could get my dinner since we were very late and they decided I should and I did.  Then it was time to take the cab to the Quality Inn in Trinadad and it was kind of run down, thus the price of 100 dollars.   It had been impressive how much the motels cost this trip, with the average over 140 dollars.  I  certainly spent more than a thousand dollars for 7 nights lodging.

Tuesday morning found me ready to be picked up at 8:30 and Sharon was right there on time and though it took them almost an hour to get everything together, I was on my way to Colorado Springs by 9:30.  I had time to take a quick but needed nap and I would have arrived at Patty’s on time but there was an auto on fire and that slowed things by at least 15 minutes.  The girls were delighted to see me, and we went out to a Noodles and Company and I had a fine Pad Thai.  We went back to Patty’s and I played with the kids for several hours and got an hour’s crucial nap.  The Josh came and we hustled and arrived at the Bonefish Grill a few minutes late.  The meal was first rate, with me having arctic cod and Gianna having a lobster tail, which she really wanted.  Then I drove to my hotel room and tried the exercise bike but could only ride it for 10 minute and do 4 rounds of weights.  I got to the room and showered and then watched an Alex Cross movie and went to bed around 11:30. 

Wednesday was a good morning.  I was able to ride the bike for 15 minutes and do 4 rounds of weights.  I got everything packed and I was on the way to Patty’s by 8:45 and though I was light headed, we played in the house for an hour then went outside and played on the gym, got in the treehouse, slid down the slide, and had a very good time.  Then it was time for lunch at Panera, which was very good, and our goodbyes.  Both of the girls wished I lived closer and I wished the same.  The kept hugging me and I told them I would try to visit at Christmas.   Then I had a fairly difficult drive back to Trinidad and I had to stop several times to rest.  Finally I got there around 3:45, checked in the car and got a ride to the Amtrak station around 4:15 though the train was delayed until 6:52 so I went to a nearby Mexican restaurant and had a Chicken and Cheese Burrito and worked on my blog, which is now up to date. The train was over an hour and 15 minutes late and I ended up sitting on a curb with my back propped up on my bag for almost an hour.  Then the train came and I was on my way home.  It was a decent trip although I struggled with the meds and the altitude at points, but I accomplished what I wanted, 5 days in Colorado, including the guided fishing trip on the Gunnison, seeing the Gunnison canyon again, seeing Mesa Verde for the first time, then visiting Dave for 4 days, then visiting Patty, Josh, Gianna and Grace for two days.  I am still struggling with my energy level so I am not sure what factors were at play.  I know at Dave’s stopping the Diltiazen and the Plaquenil helped a great deal but I was hoping that it was the altitude that was causing me problems after leaving Dave’s but now two days in the lowlands I am still struggling.  I got to Chicago at almost 5 so I had only 15 minutes to walk around, but that helped.  Then I napped a bit and went to dinner where I met a fascinating couple who collecting antique cars and they were such fun to chat with.  Debi sent me her article (which needed a lot of detail to be published) and I edited for her. 

I got up Thursday for breakfast then napped a bit then had lunch and got off about an hour late in Clifton Forge.  I was a bit worried about walking to the police station but I made it with one stop to rest and then I headed home getting back around 4 and then taking a nap before riding my bike for 40 minutes at Tech and doing my knee excercises.

Friday was a day to get thing back in order in my apartment and I spent a lot of the day doing that.  I did my knee exercises, and later did my 40 minute bike ride.  My mail brought only one real surprise.  The Social Security Administration is going to penalize me 1800 dollars for July and the explanation they gave me in the letter was incomprehensible.  I am going to see if I get any money on the 26^th and then I may call them to dispute the ruling.  Luckily, my monthly SS payment will go up 50 a month, I still haven’t sold the kayak and pack, I got a check from Farhi for 184, I will have around 400 dollars in credit card rewards, and I am going to reduce my spending to 1500 a month again until I make up the loss.  In January I should get a SS cola increase so I should be fine then. 

Saturday was a very good day.  I did my knee exercises, watched Tiger in The Open (at one point he was tied for the lead, went over to St. Jude’s for confession (I really liked the priest there), then went to play golf, giving myself a goal of 52 since I hadn’t played in 3 weeks, and shot a 44, which really surprised me, then went fishing out on Sinking Creek and caught 3 fish, one of them a large bass, then headed to Tech and after a long talk with Roberta, rode for 40 minutes before heading home for a late dinner.

Sunday I did my knee exercises, then got ready for mass and felt very good.  Mike’s sermon which talked about hell being an eternal breaking of the relationship with God was profound and elegant, and I told him so.  He really is good at his sermons.   Then I came home to watch Tiger end up two shots behind in The Open and take a long nap, from which I woke up dizzy even though my blood pressure was 138.

The Western Trip

Tuesday was a waiting day since I couldn’t get going but I really wanted to.  I did my knee exercises, did a little more packing, and went for a 35 minute walk over at Tech.  I then decided that I would head out toward Pembroke mainly for the ride through the mountains but I decided that it would be nice to fish a little at Eggleston.  The water was flowing gently but it seemed to be too much for the fish, so I moved down to another, slower spot and I got a small red eye bass.  I drove back and headed for VT where I rode the bike for a solid 40 minutes.  I am a little worried about the trip, but I think once I get on the train things will be calmer.

Wednesday morning saw me driving over to Tech to do a 40 minute bike ride and then coming back for a nap.  Then I was able to have a nice phone chat with Kelly and she seems to be doing well enough.  She has some minor health problems but overall not too much to complain about.  It has been a long time since I really chatted with her and I told her I would like to visit if my health holds put.  Then it was time to finish packing and showering and that worked fine with everything ready to go at just about noon, which was my plan.  The traffic on 81 wasn’t too bad and once I exited at 150, traffic was even easier.  I was way ahead so I took a 25 minute nap under a shady tree and then drove the rest of the way to Clifton Forge.  I dropped my stuff off at Jack Mason’s Tavern, then drove back to the police station, parked, then walked in the heat back to the Tavern, where I had an excellent fish and French fries, along with a side salad and roasted vegetables.  The fish and roasted vegetables were very good.  I was a little worried about getting my stuff over to the station, but I had no problem, and I sat there chatting with a fellow whose son was outrageous, and he kept slamming the door at least 70 times before his father finally stopped him.  The train was an hour and a half late but I got on and found myself without much energy so I simply watched the scenery until it was time to go to dinner, during which I watched the New River through the Prince canyon and then through the New River Gorge.  Dinner was not very good, a very small portion of Beef Bourguignon with some mashed potatoes and a teaspoon of vegetables.  The waiter paid no attention to me but I gave him a small tip anyway.  I went to bed around 11:30, very tired but satisfied I had gotten this far.

Thursday began with having to go pee every two hours but that was okay.  I finally got up around seven and walked some at the Indianapolis station.  After breakfast, I checked my blood pressure which was 129 / 60, so I didn’t take any more BP medication.   At breakfast I reflected on how much I still was enjoying travel (it certainly is harder, but leaving from Clifton Forge is so much easier than driving to Cary, NC.  I was relaxed and enjoyed passing the little towns, the soybean and corn fields, the vehicles at the crossings.  I am not sure if I will take a very long trip again, but I think Denver will still remain a possibility.  The train was a little late getting into Chicago but once I got there I stowed one of my bags, emptied a lot of the stuff in the backpack, then headed off to find a Divvy bike location.  I had to walk pretty far to find a working one on Adams but eventually I did and I rode over to the lake and then rode along it for at least 35 minutes with one stop along the way because it was too hot.  I’m glad I did it for my breathing but the heat took most of the joy out of the ride.  After that I walked back to Union Station (with two rest stops) and got there just as it started to rain.  I must have walked three miles and when I finally got to the Metropolitan Lounge, I was totally exhausted.  After eating some pepper jack cheese cubes and carrot strips and tiny tomatoes, I felt a little better.  Then as it got time to head for the train, I waited outside to get red cap service but none came so I walked to the train and that was pretty tiring.  Once aboard, I got to stretch out and that felt good and I also found that I could rent a car in Trinidad (about 4 hours less driving when I visit Patty and her kids) so I changed my Amtrak reservation and set up a room in Trinidad for the 16^th.  Because of equipment failure, dinner was a side salad, a small slice of pizza, some pasta and a small piece of garlic bread, with a little cup of cheesecake for dessert.  I went to bed around 11:30 after trying to get the car attendant for a least a half hour.  Then I had problems sleeping and I ended up taking two halves of a valium so I could sleep some.  I got up around 7 and had breakfast, which was a breakfast sandwich with some fruit.  I got a nap in and when I asked for some more water the surly attendant wouldn’t give me any more even though I explained my medical situation.  I asked to see the conductor and he was friendly.  I showed him my cane and all the meds I have to take and he gave me a couple of small bottles of water.  Later outside he told me to call Amtrack to try to get a refund for the food.  I did get a short walk at Raton and the next stop is Las Vegas.  I finally did get a Colorado license over the phone after failing 3 times before.  We are an hour behind so that shouldn’t prevent me from getting to Alamosa by 6 or 7.   The train attendant did not show up to help me with my bags so about 10 minutes from Las Vegas, I carried my bags to the doorway and waited for him.  However he didn’t show up even as the train was slowing down and I got really upset.  Then the train stopped and he still wasn’t there and I freaked.  I waited two minutes and then I started opening the door and he finally appeared.  I cursed him and after I got off and he didn’t offer to help me with my bags, I cursed him even more.  Thank god I got off the train and didn’t have to go to the next stop.  I found my rental car and in a few minutes I had picked up my package from the Post Office and was on my way to Alamosa.  It had some mountains in the distance but it wasn’t particularly scenic until I drove through the Sante Fe National Forest and that was pretty impressive.  As I neared the intersection of 64 I saw that Taos was only a couple of miles out of my way and the pueblo was only about 6 miles.  I decided to go for it but it was a mistake.  There was construction so it took 25 minutes to get through the highly commercialized town and then the pueblo was closing for the afternoon and there was admission so I just parked for a few minutes and took one picture of an adobe building.  It was a waste of time but I fortunately didn’t have to go through town again and as I was heading out I stopped to take a few pictures at the bridge going across the Rio Grande.  That was pretty impressive.  I kept on my way and got to Alamosa around 7, and  after gassing up and accidently driving off the curb to exit (which seemed to do no damage) I drove to the Comfort Inn and brought my stuff in.  I then headed for Nino’s Mexican and I had a terrific dinner of chicken flautas and red and green chile.  Back at the Comfort Inn I used the exercise bike for 30 minutes, did some weights and back in my room I wrote a long complaint to Amtrak about the room attendant. 

Saturday morning found that thought the tire warning gauge was on, the tires were all full and someone told me that a bump like going off the curb could have affected the gauge.  That was comforting and as I traveled the gauge would go on and off at points.  I drove toward Gunnison passing through a lovely canyon in Carson National Forest and got to Gunnison just in time to watch the second soccer game between Russia and Croatia (I had watched the first game between Sweden and England in my room).  The game was a good one but I had to leave to meet Dane for the float trip so I headed off and met him at around 2:30 at the Garlic Mike’s put in.  He was friendly and very helpful and I sensed that this was going to be a good trip.  I wore my tevas and just my long sleeved shirt and that initially seemed a dumb idea because the weather looked very threatening but fortunately the weather held and we both had a good time.  He could see that I was a very good fly fisherman, and he complimented my casting quite a bit.  The river was tough, having been fished all day, but we saw a number of rising fish, and I caught 5 and Dane caught 3 (though he only fished about a third of what I did).  We floated about 5 miles and that took about 4 hours and I was pretty exhausted when I got done.  I gave him a good tip and thanked him for his services.  The river was very pretty and I cast into hundreds of enticing spots.  I checked into my room at the Water Wheel motel (which was kind of dumpy, but only cost 100 dollars instead of the 174 at the Comfort Inn.  I was told to go for dinner at Anejo’s for good chile but they didn’t have chile but the fish tacos was pretty good.  I drove back to the motel, and I was too exhausted to do anything so I just stayed in bed and watched TV till 11 and went to sleep then.

  In the morning, I took a good shower with the Ringworm shampoo, then applied the cream which made me feel pretty good.  I had a quick breakfast then started driving toward the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.   It was a very scenic drive and after about an hour I reached the South Rim entrance and in a few miles I was at the first viewpoint, Tomichi Point, then stopping at Pulpit Rock, Chasm View, and Sunset View.  What a remarkable place.  Now it was time to head to Montrose to do my laundry and that went pretty well and soon enough I was on my way to Durango.  I passed through the very lovely town of Ouray then several mountain summits, with rain and hail at points.  It finally cleared as I approached Durango and I headed to the Quality Inn for a nap and then dinner at Ken and Sue’s, a very nice restaurant where I had cilantro crusted halibut, sticky rice and sautéed spinach, with a small salad and excellent bread.  After that I walked along the historic downtown for 20 minutes then headed back to my room to finish up my blog.   

The Trip is On

Monday turned out to be a very good day.  I did my knee exercises, then drove to Rob’s office to get my blood drawn to see if I would be able to go on my trip.  I then drove out to play nine holes of golf with Craig Waggaman.  We were put on the back nine so that took away any advantage I had with being familiar with the course since I almost never am able to play the back (which I wouldn’t mind doing more).  Anyway, Craig gives me 9 shots, one a hole and on the first hole Craig hits two very solid shots from the senior tees and then hits a wedge into the hole from about 45 yards for an eagle.  Wow! He wins the hole and has a one shot lead.  Craig plays very well, eventually shooting a 38, but I shoot a 44, even with moving my tee back on 14 on.  We had some lunch and then we headed off.  It was a lot of fun.  Next I take a quick nap and meet Claire for a second lunch at Nagoya.  She was doing very well and then we headed over to Kate’s to water the flowers so Claire can see the procedure Kate wants followed.  Then I came home and got the good news from Rob and Ghosheh that my blood level was stable and my kidney number was a little better.  The trip is on.  Then I needed a very long nap and I got up at almost 7.  I did some errands and then went and did my bike ride but I was still pretty tired so I only rode about 25 minutes.  I headed home and realized that I am not leaving till Wednesday so I actually have an extra day (I would have preferred to get going on Tuesday but it will have to wait.  My rash was bothering me some so I put some cream on and that helped.

Roller Coaster

Saturday was a reasonable day with knee exercises, weights for my left arm, some stretching, and picking up the remaining supplies for the trip.  I eventually drove out to Walker Creek at the White Gate bridge and caught 3 small fish.  I then headed over to tech and rode my bike for a solid 40 minutes up 10 ramps.  I went to bed around 12.

Sunday found me waking up at 3:30 very worried about the trip.  I read some stuff online about withdrawing from Cellcept and it sounds pretty scary.  I got up and wrote to UVA but I don’t really expect a response untiI Monday.  I have been off the Cellcept for three days and fortunately I was only on it for a little less than two weeks so the withdrawal should be pretty easy, I hope.  I took a full valium and got up in time to call Rob at 8 (he was going to call Ghosheh and get back to me, but it’s after 5 and I haven’t heard from him).  I also called Dave last night at 11 his time but he didn’t return my call.  I then showered and treated myself with the cream and that felt much better.  I watched Spain and Russia play but I had to leave at 11:15 to head to Mass.  I felt good when I got there but just as Mass started a guy with a cough sat right in front of me and I had to sit in the Narthex part of the time.  It totally ruined the experience.