Everyday is precious

Every once in awhile something happens to make you do a reassessment. On Saturday, my Bobdog started limping and couldn't put his left hind foot down. Sunday, it was worse. It wasn't broken, and I was convinced he had torn his ACL.

Ok, ACL surgery in a dog is about $2500... you suck it up for your buds.

So I asked Cliff to take him to the vets for me as I am swamped at work.

ACL? Heck no. The vet called me and asked me about Bob's prior surgery on that left leg. No clue. Bob was a rescue dog, and many of you have been charmed by Bobtricks during the cool weather races. Pins and plates? That was a new one for me....

Of course, that wasn't the problem. Seems that Bob has been over using his left leg to compensate for the problem in his right leg. And the over use irritated those pins and plates in the left leg. What was wrong in the right leg... yeah, the BIG C. No, the really big C. As in Bone Cancer. Bone Cancer as in if you can you amputate the limb for pain control, not a cure. Bone Cancer as in 2 months maybe before the pain gets so bad...

So now I'm working on pain management schedules. The idea of a life without Bobwaddle... Bob running thru every trick in the repertoire until he gets the one that gets the treat... Bob that makes everyone smile...

Yeah, pain management. Every day is precious.

Why yes I can find that date...

It's funny the little uses a blog has. Here is my latest use for a blog... a way to track when dogs try to bite me! No kidding!

I went out on the bike. Its friggin' beautiful outside, and about 70+ degrees. Amazing. I was having a great time, doing my usual winter alone ride.

And then...

See over a year ago I was repeatedly getting chased by this lab/border collie type dog. Then the dog started lying in wait for me, and there were several instances where I had close calls with cars trying hard not to get bit by "Blackie."

One day it got to be too much, and I saw someone up at the house and turned around and rode up the driveway and then used my bike as a matador's cape to keep the dog from biting me. I handle dogs. Don't try this at home.

The owner was obviously well to do and quite openly told me that she KNEW that the dog was going after cyclists. It wasn't until after I explained gross negligence, punitive damages and the like that she took more than a passing interest. All this time said dog was doing its darnedest to bite me.

They promised to keep the dog out of the road. And for about 6 months it worked.

Last April 25th the dog almost got me and I called animal control. How do I know, because I came home and wrote about it in the blog. I just looked up the date to give to animal control this time. Seems they have a new computer system, and wouldn't have the logs from the spring.

This info will at least help them determine if the officer who went out in the spring did his job and gave the owners a warning, if he did, they can file criminal charges against the owners. If he didn't... they have to give the owners a warning and then the NEXT time they can file criminal charges. What cant they do? They cant have the dog listed as a dangerous dog because so far my sprinting skills have saved me from actually getting bit.

I'd just as soon not get bit, thank you.

So just a word to the wise... if you are on Hanover Rd, just down from Pinhook in Goochland on the great bike way... watch out for "Blackie" at Windy Hill. But if you do get bit...

Sleepy Saturdays

The great thing for today was getting a disc of photos in the mail. Thats George winning the first of two groups last week. Damn, he looks good. Photos are fun.

Me, I got on the bike and about a mile into the ride, it started to rain. I thought about going back, but then decided that it was a warm rain, and I needed the ride. It ended up being a great ride, all the way up until I flatted with 2 miles to go.

I thought about just walking home, but the other thing about the ride was that I saw a tremendous amount of snakes out for their final hurrah of the year. Snakes, including water moccasins. Since the roads out here are too narrow to walk on, and I'd have to walk in the grass. Not happening with all snakes, so I called for the sag wagon.

The rest of the day... will be spent cleaning the bike. And maybe a nap!

Meet the new foster kid... Casey

Say hey to Casey, just a little tacker, at 4 months old. His owners were very nice people, who like a lot of people, didn't do research before buying a puppy. Brittany puppies are ACTIVE. As a hunting breed that is bred to cover large swaths of land to find birds, you really can't expect to have the just lay on the couch and be invisible.

Ok, you can expect it, but it ain't gonna happen.


I met his family in Fredericksburg, and soon we were off down the road. This puppy rings a bell to go outside. No kidding. At four months. The whole time we were talking, he sat in my lap very quietly. Hyper? Not on your life.

So Casey will be living at Camp Runamuck for the next few weeks until I find him the right home. I'll be getting him neutered, and I'm sure that my dogs will be teaching him all kinds of bad behaviors in no short order.

These two guys are Tom and Jerry... two Brittany brothers that were dumped in Atlanta. Brittany Rescue has a huge network, and a boarding kennel owner is fostering them right now. She says that they are two of the nicest Brittanys she's ever seen. Small, HAPPY, and just damn glad to be with you.

Got a lot of love in your heart? How about adopting Tom and Jerry together. They're like Double Mint Gum... double the pleasure, double the fun.

And sometimes you just go splat...

Today Cliff and I rode up to DC to do the Women Have a Heart 5 mile tt in DC. Yeah, we were wait listed, but guaranteed to ride. Maybe. Kinda sorta. Not. After having to dog jog all over DC to get to the Verizon Center, we finally made it only to be told that we would not be able to ride. And then, maybe we could ride. I was afraid of this. After driving 2.5 hours to get there, I didn't want to just go home though.

Plus I had already given the parking garage guys a show. Hey, you drive 2.5 hours, with the rest stops closed... Cliff kept telling me that it was fine, fine, then HURRY UP! When you gotta pee, you gotta pee. Sorry, that's the way it is.

So we went out and rode with the family ride on completely closed streets (completely closed except for people walking blind...) How cool is it to ride in your nation's capitol, in front of the capitol!! Seriously cool.

And then they let me ride. But Cliff couldn't ride. Ok, just one more nail in the coffin.

And then I looked at the wonderful start house that was built for this event... and thought, oh, this will be bad. Guaranteed someone is going to crash off that puppy. High, with a steep and narrow ramp. Oh, yeah. Someone is going down.

Poor guy in front of me... I was watching him in the house and he was kinda sorta really sideways as he was being held. I knew it was going to happen... and it did. He went off, somersaulted and did a facer. Oh, you know that hurt.

And then it was my turn. And yep, I went off, went off... tried to save it, but knew it was a lost cause, and somersaulted and managed to do a good tuck and roll. I understand from the spectators that it was a gnarly thing to watch. Film at 11...

Wouldn't you know, that my handlebars were bent down, and I couldn't jerk them up, so the officials said that they would give me a re-start. Then I was told that I couldn't re-start, and then I was told that I could. This as the paramedics were trying to convince me to go to the hospital.

So I did restart. From the ground. And I didn't use a holder. It was an awsome thing to ride a tt in downtown DC.

So Mimi, you are not the only one to cartwheel off a start house. I now have joined your illustrious company. And now I get to go see if I can get some of the grime off in the tub. If you are hearing a terrible shrieking noise... its probably me.

Cool event, but I now remember that I completely hate DC. Traffic is bad, scenery is great, and I always find a way to go boom.

The wholecheck experience

Whole Foods opened up here earlier in the year. Ok, its pricey, but if you need good stuff, you know that you can get it there, no muss, no fuss.

Plus they have that neat Enoteca wine bar... I really like the idea of trying with a decent enough size sample before I buy.

My Dad came to visit last week and Cliff and I took him to dinner on Friday. Being the ultimate cheapskate, we took him to Wholecheck. Why? Because on Fridays, the one near me does 5 for $5. Except its not 5 its 10... 5 nice size food samples and 5 1/4 glasses of wine for $5, and if you bring the wine glass back, the next time its $4. Yeah, $4.00. Ok, its not 5 food samples, either. They do food samples all over the store, and I swear we ate about a pound of really killer cheese, too.

Dad is in his 70's and does a great job cooking and stuff, but that food bar, and the $4.00 dinner, he was impressed. I think I have a new convert.

So did we buy anything else from Wholecheck? Hell no. Stuffed, we drove across the street to get stuff to cook for Saturday dinner. Sure couldn't beat that $4.00 check though...

The Intervention

I have my self contained survival unit, aka "the Queencab." It's great. It is completely supplied in case of nuclear war, alien invasion, or group ride. However, every once in awhile, the interior gets to a toxic overload level.

And my team does an intervention.

I get back from a team business meeting which resulted in my missing the team ride this morning. As soon as I get home, J pulls up in the driveway, hands me her keys and steals my truck. She has promised to return it to me Monday morning.

Ok. I understand. I've hit the tipping point.

So I humbly thanked her and went to go get dressed to go for a ride.

Only problem... my self contained survival unit is gone, and J's dinky ass little car has an ancient pump with the wrong valve thingie on it.

So my ride is tanked.

See, I'm right, and they are wrong. You really DO need all that stuff that is in my truck.

Big sigh.