I updated my Flickr page this afternoon including a set about my compost pile (exciting stuff!). Free accounts on Flickr are only allowed to keep three sets at a time, so I’ll soon be deleting my sleep clinic set. The photos will still be there but they’ll no longer be grouped together. Go see it now before it’s gone!
Boomshine
Just as I was getting bored with the offerings at Donut Games, Ladd sent me this link.
Pie & Tram in the Sky
I’m still trying to figure out if this is an Onion-style joke or the real thing. It’s not April 1st, so…
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: 884
Weight lost: 55 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 9
Hours billed last week: 40
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Recent listening: Coverville, DrugMusic, Corinne Bailey Rae by Corinne Bailey Rae, Collision Course by Jay Z with Linkin Park, Chicago IX by Chicago, Randy Holden
Recent viewing: Suns at Spurs, The Office, War Wrecks of the Corral Seas, Sportscenter, Masters Sunday, Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, Without a Trace, CSI: Miami, South Park, Countdown
Recent playing: Spikey’s Bounce Around, Clue (Simpsons edition), Chicken and Egg
Recently accomplished: Paid bills, cleaned cat box, caulked SE downspout, turned and harvested compost, weeded and planted new grass, groceries
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, backup Thomas, backup Graham, backup Tina, mow back lawn, bank deposit, renew BTA membership, pickup tire at Bike Gallery
Morning Bike Commute
Distance: 6.4 miles
Riding time: 36 minutes
Max speed: 22.1 mph
Average speed: 10.6 mph
Temperature: 52º
Route:
- 162nd to Halsey to Gateway Transit Center
- MAX to NE 7th Ave
- NE 7th to NE Lloyd Blvd.
- Lloyd to Waterfront Bike Path
- Crossed the Steel Bridge
- Zig zag to Broadway
Woohoo!
I’ve finally defeated Spikey’s Bounce Around.
Should I try to do some more?
The calf is healing surprisingly well in both the muscle pull and the frostbite. The lumpiness of the frostbite made me paranoid enough to call the advice nurse Friday afternoon. She said she suspected “frostnip” since the skin is red and not white. She said to watch for continued numbness and blistering. Both have occurred to a minor degree but it is clear to me today that it is healing. The red is subsiding and the blistering seems to be lessening. The muscle feels well enough that I can walk normally and spent much of last night stretching it out.
Today I celebrated Easter by turning my compost pile and harvesting an especially rich vein of crumbly soil. At this time of year, you’re always on the clock to get things done before it starts raining. I spent my newly acquired compost on planting new grass in a weedy area in the front. I had to dig out all the weeds and crab grass first, so it occupied most of my afternoon. I’m glad I got it done though and the sprinkles kept threatening the whole time I sat out there digging up weeds.
Graham came out and asked if I would play a board game with him so he’s setting up “The Simpsons Clue”. Who killed Mr. Burns? Homer in the garage with the donut!
Once bitten, twice shy
Yesterday morning it was so nice outside that I decided to skip the Max and bike the entire way to work. I felt great and it was an awesome ride until I dismounted at the curb 30 feet from our front door. At some point after my right foot touched the pavement, I felt a little “pop” in my right calf and thought to myself, “Uh oh, that’s probably going to hurt.” Here’s the normal sequence of events for a dismount:
- Stand up on left pedal
- Swing right leg behind the seat
- Touch down right foot
- Touch down left foot
What’s weird is that I didn’t feel any pain until after I tested that initial thought. That means it probably happened as I was putting my left foot down. Once I put a little weight on my right foot, yow! I nearly fell over from the pain. Luckily, I had my bike there to brace me and hold me up. I hopped a few steps towards the door before trying it again, thinking it might just be a cramp that will fade away. No such luck. Still incredibly painful.
Eventually, I made it to my office where my friend, Erik, recommended icing it immediately. Luckily, we had a large ice pack in the freezer already and I wrapped it around my calf with an Ace bandage. It was very cold at first but after awhile I became absorbed with work and didn’t think about it. Over an hour later, the ice pack was mostly warm so I took it off so I could refreeze it for later re-icing of my calf. Strangely, the skin that had been beneath part of the ice pack was red, very hard to the touch and felt like it was a coupld of millimeters thick. It softened up in a couple of minutes, though, and I went on about the day.
My evening commute is nearly all downhill so I had no problem with my bike except stopping and dismounting, which I had to execute differently to avoid stretching the calf. After we got home from Thomas’ spring concert, I rested on the couch with my foot in the air. At that point there was still redness where the ice pack had been and there was pain similar to sunburn on the skin. I began to suspect that I had frostbite.
This morning Erik, who claims to have seen cases of frostbite, confirmed. This article says to never ice for more than 20 minutes at a time. The area is still red and feels lumpy in a few areas. I called the advice nurse at my doctor’s office and left a message. I suspect I’ll need to go see my doctor for the frostbite. The calf feels better already and I think I’ll be back on my bike on Monday.
Revisiting Leviticus
Blogger Peter Rost shares an email to Dr. Laura that he found on the internet.
Old and Geeky
PC World has named the 50 Best Tech Products of All Time. Sadly, I am old enough and geeky enough to recognize every item on the list. I’ve used and even owned many of these products. I’d argue some of their choices (seriously, Lotus but not VisiCalc?) if I thought there would be any point.