Day 5. So I m supposed to be sitting up for breakfast. But the Barracuda won't let me. "Not you honey, You pass out. Not on my shift". Grrrr. So get Karen to help me. I feel a bit better.
PT will come after lunch today. My success is measured by my getting out of bed and on the commode and back. Without blacking out. When PT comes I take a stroll down the hall with them. We do some exercises. I smile. I'll be going home soon.
My roomies friends bring dinner. Fried chicken,rice and chorizo, bean soup nd a salad. Killer food. I eat too much.
At midnight I'm somewhere in between drugs and sleep. I smell the smell of a funeral parlor. A hand touches mine,gently. I think it s the Angel of Death. The scent is stonger now. I say I'm not ready to go. It turns out to be a nursae to check my vitals. Her secnt trails away with her. I'm happy I'm still here. She will return again at night.
OK Blogger still won't upload my pics.
Lets' fast forward. I get the good to go signal. The weather has been nice all week. Tere is a storm in the forecast. We ask if everything is in order. Yes it is. We're told. You'll be able t leave first thing in the morning,oh 8:30. Good.
So I'm up and ready to roll. Nope forget it. We need to do this and that. We leave at 3pm as it begins to rain. I just fit in the back seat of the car. Comfortable enough. I can look to the back and to the side. It begins to rain. Long story short it rains the whole way home. It could have been fog.
Now comes the next hurdle getting my scrips filled. Will the pharmacy be open? Do I have to get out of the car? Well they're open and only carry one of the scrips. The one I have to inject. Whew. Thats good. So we get home at 10 pm. I'm wiped. I know Bob is from the crazy weather drving. But I'm home. HOME.

Day three now it gets ugly. Narcotics and I don't get along. So I'm not taking the pain meds. If I lay still I'm Ok. But the pain will go from 0-8 like that. So you're saying take the meds. If I do I get killer headaches. It's a toss up. Now the dietician did come to see me. So my meals will improve. More fruit,veggies and less meat. The cool thing is my roomies wife brings dinner. Trout,schrimp, cod,veggies and rice. Yummy.
The next ugliness is due to my loss of blood and low pressure. I keep passing out trying to get up on the walker. I'm talking blue flashes sounds like you're going under water down for the count. Not a bit of dizzyness. KO'ed by my own body. I have to be able to walk under my own power to leave. Not happening. The incision is leaking quite a bit and my leg is swollen to epic proportions.
Day four is more of the same. PT wants me sitting up on the edge of the bed for breakfast. But the Barracuda won't help me. So I get some help. We try PT again. I go down hard the second time. I'm floating and it feels good. It's because they've caught me and I'm being lowered into bed. I smile and nod out again and into sleep. They will come again.
Sure enough right after lunch. But I've been sitting up. I'm seeing my success. Sure enough. Up I go out the door,down the hall to the elevators and back I go. I'm winning! I celebrate with a nap. My roomie brings fried chicken, rice and beans, a salad and soup. A damn I'm hungry.
From total low to total high in one day.

Surgery. The Dr comes to see me. It's all a clean break,looks good. We've talked how anethesisa wipe me out. I get sick, I don't wake up. Bad Bad things happen.
I could never be a junkie. Unedr three hours and I back in the room. Not feeling bad. I'm allowed to eat. But all I want to do is sleep. I get a new roommate. He's a wreck ahs RI' largest kidney stone in him. It's the size off a quarter. Ouch. More people now that I've had surgery. This is where the BARRACUDA comes in. What a bitch! Rude. She's nasty to both of us. y roomies family comes in. Good people.
I need a break from typing have to move the leg.

Day one in the hospital. No food because I'm going to surgery. My leg is in traction. I can't move off my back. Narcotics are wreaking havoc on me. They managed to hit veins all kinds of them.
Then comes the catheter. That hurt even with the pain meds. But wait. You're not draining. So they pull it out and try again. No luck. Zip out it come again, in it goes again. Can you feel that? Oh draining now. Turns out they can't get he surgeon. Have some ice chips. No food again. Surgery tomorrow. My first roommate goes home. He had a disc replaced. The list of people who touch you in the hospital is crazy. I gave 9 vials of blood to one. Someone is always taking your vitals. Most of them are very nice until....................The Barracuda.

So we drove up to RI in pleasant weather. Everything was going according to plan. Rolled into town early,got unpacked. Hit the trainer and did the workout. Showered and took a walk. Had some dinner at Union Staion Brewery, Tasty. Then back to pick up the numbers. Very organized. Ran into lots of people. The Delaware Cross Crew many sporting the new coifs or facial hair.Off to bed with dreams of a great ride tomorrow.

Made the pre race meal in the room,suited up and headed out. Found the best pit in the venue and got ready for some pre ride then warm up. I tucked in behind three of the best in the country, Paul Curley,Scott Wade and Tom Stevens. They fanned out the breadth of the course and would discuss lines through each corner. After tw0 laps of survey they cranked up the speed and I flowed behind them. Not race pace but enough to get your feel for traction and lines. Off to the trainer, a few minutes spin and head to the staging area. We're well covered with help.

All set the gun goes off, a top twenty start. Not the best legs,but they don't feel dead. Mike Connair comes by. It's a sea of riders. Legs are coming around with three to go. punch it hard up te pavement. The diesel has fired up. Coming up on one of the pavement/ dirt transitions.

His front wheel crabs under and we both go down. Now I know on impact I'm not getting up. I've never hit like that,even on the motorcycle. He asks if I'm OK. The orld is spinning now. I roll to my back. Riders yelling at me. I'm up on my elbows the medics are there. I can't move my leg. They tell me on three they're going to move me. Near black out from the pain. Now i'm being prepped for the board. Please don't drop me. I'm in the ambulance. Paul has arrived is telling me it's all being taken care of. I worm out of the skinsuit and they pull it off. Naked except for my undershirt hey start to try to get IV's going. The guy can't hit my veins. So it's more pain. Off we go to Roger Williams Medical Center. Emily and Diane have brought Bob. What a team I have. he lady asks we what are your possesions? Uhhh my undershirt a watch and glasses. Yup that would be me naked homeless guy from the park. We look at the wound.

Pretty lame. Emily and Diane have to get back. They have Fatmarcs race kit. The usual ER weirdness closes in around me.

That seemingly little brush burn has netted me a femur broken in three places. Snapped the head off and the two parts that hold the muscle on. Surgery tomorrow I'm told. Tom McD is in charge of the car. Seems the crew has never seen the Jetta City only my truck. Takes them awhile to find it. Then unravels it's mysteries to operate it. Tom is not happy with my vehicle.

But it's cool he and Leo drop by.

OK faithful readers here's your chance to win a Koveted NY Kross Kontingent hat. THE LAST ONE ! Whoever picks my finishing position(or closest to it) for Nationals Friday gets it. Post in comments by 9:30 am Friday. Tiebreaker is time of post. OGQ

So it's now three days till Nationals. I've stared at these signs for a long time. At this time of the year no one rides hard around here. So it's make due on weekends and pound the trainer on weeknights. All that's left is "openers" on thursday and do it on Friday. Two of the three goals have been accomplished. We'll know soon enough. Plan to work,Work the plan.

You must believe to achieve. I plan on having a ride like I did for Dave's race Friday. Later, OGQ

It's official I'm now a "Gangsta" make that an
"Ommegangster". For someone that's "retiring" from racing. I'm already stoked for racing Cross next year in Belgian colors. For my critics. Yes,I'm not racing till maybe August. I never said I'd hang up the bike. I love it too much.
Went to the beer store and they are ready for Christmas with all kinds of Belgian Ales. Yummy , a few left with me.
OGQ

Now is this ever Crossers' dream? I was asked to join a team that will be sponsored by the brewery Ommegang. We're talking Belgian beer and culture here. Right in almost my own backyard. They even want to have a CX race at the Brewery someday. Waffle, Beer, Chocolates and Cross!

Like the Beatles song Eight Days a Week,that's all till Nationals.

Isn't that a sweet kit?

Again Blogger won't load up my pics. Sorry.

Well Nationals are in eleven days. I'm psyched and nervous. Can I walk away from racing till next Cross season. I like the challenges of competition. Sure I'll do club races. But I'm not racing full time next year.
So with the NYCX all over and no races nearby I headed to Ely Park to train by myself. You could see the scarring of Daves Race. So I had a perfect cross day. Cold, Blue sky, ground softening up in the sun. I know Providence will have a road start so I worked on that. I did force intervals, htreshold intervals, race pace, some technique work. But in my head I was questioning did I work hard enough? After my best race ever here with Glenn. I was wishing for someone to chase. So I just chased ghosts and enjoyed the day. Very Buddhist.
The little motorcycle is the prooject for the Moto Giro. But I'm willing to bet it gets snookered in motorpacing. Ride on. OGQ