Good Spirits

scar

It’s been a good couple of days.  Friday morning I woke up in a funk and was a bit down.  Nothing really wrong per se.  I think the being cooped up was getting to me.  Anyway, Friday afternoon my buddy Frank totally surprised me by showing up at my door unannounced.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  I couldn’t have been more delighted and it immediately put me in a better mood.  We hung out, caught up over sushi and spent the evening watching Tivo and movies. [1]He is a big fan of Jon Stewart too! 

Today, we had breakfast (and lunch) with Adam.  Afterwards, I hobbled over to Adam’s place with the group and we played MarioKart and Soul Caliber IV.  It was so nice to feel like my old self again and just enjoy hanging out.  I think it was just what the doctor ordered! 

Afterwards, Frank tagged along to help me shop for a new bike.  I’ve forged a strong relationship with a dealer here in the city.  The same guys I bought my scooter and my last bike from.  They happened to have 2 bikes I was interested in, a Yamaha R6 and a Suzuki GSXR.  I was originally leaning toward the R6 only because they told me the GSXR was red.  I do not care for red at all for a vehicle color.

Well, I got there and they had a surprised for me.  They had 2 GSXR’s.  One red and one blue!  I think I pee’d a little I was so excited.  Needless to say, I chose the Blue GSXR750.  Wahoooo!

GSXR750

Here is a pic of the exact bike.  Did you touch yourself yet?  I know I did.  I finish the paperwork this week and should be able to bring it home by Friday.  Keep your fingers crossed all goes according to plan! 

References

References
↑1 He is a big fan of Jon Stewart too!

As The World Turns…

Life is slowly returning to normal (normal as can be expected considering).  My shoulder is a mild discomfort for the most part.  That is, as long as I don’t try to lift it over my head or stretch it too much.

I’m scheduled to go back to work this Sunday on modified duty.  For clarity, I’m not rushing it.  I’m more than able to type consistently again.  Work is more than aware I am not 100% and has agreed to alter my schedule to accommodate me.  For the most part, I’ll be on channel which requires significantly less typing.  Of course, lots of Union drama has been going on since I left.  Plenty of work in that regard waiting on me.  But again, that involves my brain not my shoulder. lol

*

I got a little good news today.  The insurance company is gonna give me $3800.00 for my old bike.  I was surprised as that is slightly more than the blue book value.  Apparently, they take the selling price of the same bike from dealers in the area and then average it out.  I guess that puts the rate on my side as dealers always try to get as much as they can.  I still owe about $1100 on the old bike.  Minus that plus the deductible, fees, etc and I’m left with a little over $2000.  That is a nice down payment for a new bike. 

I’m going tomorrow to look at a R6 and and GSXR.  I know for some of you this is all greek. lol  I’m leaning toward the R6 only because it is the color I want.  My old bike was only 500ccs  The R6 is 600 and the GSXR is 750.  I actually wanted a CBR but the only two I’ve found that I like aren’t the color I like and have too many miles on’em.  There aren’t that many motorcycle dealers in SF so my options are a little limited. 

The best news of all.  I called around today and got a great rate from my credit union.  I’m already pre-approved which gives me a little bargaining power when I show up.    Wish me luck!

We Can Rebuild Him…

I thought I’d share my x-rays for all to see how bionic I am now. hehehe

Broken Bone - Closeup

This is the best one.  Notice how much the two bones are overlapping.  I would have lost a significant amount of motion had I not opted for the surgery.  Also, take a close look at the top bone.  There is a tiny broken piece sticking off the end.  This one was completely loose and just sort of floating between the muscles.  The doc had originally planned to remove it but ended up keeping it. 

 

Broken Bone

This one was to check my ribs.  While 2 of them got bruised up quite a bit there were no fractures.  Yay!  I was scared I’d end up with a flail segment (read very painful).  I also found out my 2nd rib had been broken before unbeknownst to me.  He said the injury was so old it could have happened when I was a child. 

 

Fixed

And here is the finished product.  The metal looks a tad larger than it actually is from the angle and the refraction. [1]Metal and bone are of different density hence they refract differently  Notice the little roundish looking blob of metal.  That is actually a screw holding the tiny piece that was broken off completely.  The doc says the breaks were clean enough he could keep it.  Now notice the line on the bottom of the bone.  See how even it looks?  That means the bone should heal up nicely.  The doc says I should retain about 98% of the motion and range. 

Sadly, it will be a least a month if not two before I’m hitting the weights with any significant intensity.  I go back in 3 weeks for physical therapy (if needed).  The good news is I’ll still be able to lift weights in the future.  Had I not had the surgery that would not have been the case. 

*

I had several folks asking why I was planning on getting another bike.  Well, the easiest answer is because I want one. *G*  I find the question a bit odd actually.  No one ever asks a person who survives a car crash why they are getting another car.  heeheee

*

Remind me some day soon to regale you with the gory tribulations of trying to perform normal bodily functions/maintenance w/just one hand.  lol 

References

References
↑1 Metal and bone are of different density hence they refract differently

On The Mend

Mending

 

Short and sweet, I’m doing better today. 

The longer version:
For those not in the know, I had shoulder surgery this past Wednesday to repair my collar bone.  I also got a nice metal plate to cover the bone. [1]I can’t wait till I fly again.  TFA came into town (on his birthday no less) to stay with me.  He had already planned to be here however, he deserves a recommendation for sainthood after putting up w/my constant up/down emotions.  That said, I can’t tell you how much better I felt having him here.  He stayed with me thru the surgery and made sure I got home safe/sound. 

I’m sad to say all of the friends who did sit around with me got to see my really cranky side.  Not towards them mind you, and I’m by no means a nasty person but, anyone outside my immediate bubble was an easy target for my anger.  I really am a big baby when I get hurt/sick. 

Anyway, yesterday the pain was almost unbearable.  I pushed my 4 hour limit all day long for taking pain meds.  Moving was almost impossible and trying to function in any capacity was a struggle.

Today was much better.  I was in about half as much pain and moving around did not send pain down my spine.  I got out of the apt a couple times and even found the energy to catch up on my blogroll a bit.

I must say all the well-wishes from everyone has totally blown me away.  I’m not yet able to type out replies to everyone but I want you all to know how grateful I am.  The replies and good thoughts brought me to tears more than a few times.

The doc says I’ll be back at work in about 2 weeks but the working out will have to wait several months.  I’m sad about that but it is what it is. 

Ok, I’ve reached my limit for typing w/o pain, more later and again thank you all so very much for checking in on me and well wishes!

References

References
↑1 I can’t wait till I fly again.

Offline

It took some effort to write this out.

I will be offline for a bit. I was either sideswiped or cut off by a car [1]I don’t really remember for sure today and crashed my bike. I have a fractured collar bone, multiple contusions, abrasions, etc.

I’m banged up but home from the hospital and enjoying the bliss of modern pharmacology. I expect to make a full recovery with time.

I managed to upload a quick photo via twitter today and the support has been overwhelming.

Adam was kind enough to come over and nurse-maid me tonight.

I’ll try to write more when I can.

References

References
↑1 I don’t really remember for sure

Grumble, Grumble, Grumble

Today was a test of my patience. Nothing really awful but several unfortunate happenings found me in a particularly foul mood. A mood which seemed to only worsen as they day went by.

First, I get spurned at the gym by a hottie I’ve been oggling. Not the end of the world but a kick to id.

Then, I find someone has backed into my bike and cracked the side fin. Thankfully, the same fin that has been scratched before. I think they might have actually knocked it over as I discovered later my low beam headlight was out.

Lost my favorite shirt. It could be in the laundry but I don’t think so. I haven’t worn it lately. My own fault, I know.

Work starts off slow. An incident in policy occurs between myself and a field unit. It was a huge safety issue for the field unit. I called him on it and his reply was completely out of line, I made a complaint and management did nothing. I’m not sure why that surprised me. They don’t give a rats ass about us. Anything outside their immediate bubble of responsibility is shunned and avoided at all cost.

Of course, I get a barrage of cranky callers who are insolent and nasty. I almost cursed one lady out. I told another she needed to grow up. Not very civil servant like behavior to say the least.

To top it off, I read some posts on an employee forum whining about how victimized they are and how the [Union] chapter was doing nothing. Well that just set me on fire. I bust my ass to defend my coworkers. I don’t get paid for it and it eats up a lot of free time. And frankly, I’m good at it. [1]not arrogance just confidence in my abilities I’ve gotten numerous punishments overturned and/or reduced. Management knows if I’m involved they better have their ducks in a row or I’m gonna have a field day tearing it apart. Anyway, I wrote a very scathing reply, thought better of it, edited most of the bitterness out.

I’m home now. My mood is foul, my bed is empty, my libidio is up, and I’m not a happy camper. Thankfully, I’m starting a 3 day weekend.

References

References
↑1 not arrogance just confidence in my abilities