Preparing to leave Home

August 11, 2006

Cimarron has returned from Atlanta and the bed side of his grandson Little Luke, age 5. Luke had aortic stenosis and had open heart surgery last week at Emory Children’s Hospital. The surgery involved first an attempt to repair the valve, but subsequently a move of the pulmonic valve to the aortic position and replacement of the pulmonic with a cadaver valve. The procedure took 6 or 8 hours and a lot of pump time, but Luke did great. The emotion was significant, but 83 year old Cimarron, My Trail Boss, never wavered and even took the first night shift in the ICU where he stood at the bedside (no chair) and held Luke’s hand from midnight to 6 AM while singing and humming along as Luke required. There were more than a few tears shed, but grandpa was always there for grandson Luke and son Robert Al. Luke did great and is now at home in central Florida playing and a little mad that the procedure was much more than the surgical explanation using “dolls.” Now Cimarron the Trail Boss has me to baby-sit.

In less than 26 hours we are off in the VW Van on the marathon road trip the Trail Boss has planned from Pensacola to Astoria, Oregon. In order to save a couple of bucks and stay at military hotels we “get” to leave at 4 AM and force drive 700 miles the first day. I don’t know what’s the hurry, and certainly didn’t know the budget was that strained, but he’s the Trail Boss not me. I think I’ll have to be pedaling to get any rest.

I haven’t done much more bike training. But in final repairs from Hurricane Ivan of 2 years ago I did finish three gates on the fence, hung four light fixtures, tour out a wall and placed eight receptacles behind my computer desk, had five rooms of carpet installed, moved all the furniture out to a rental truck and then back in after the installation, and then dry walled and painted the electrical work wall.

I bought yet another mirror for the bike, three pairs of bicycling socks (a little gaudy), a set of fenders, and had the gears readjusted finding that the rear wheel was about to fall off and that’s why it wouldn’t shift. Oh, I know so little; and there is so much more to learn. In that regard I bought a newer book on bicycling technique (having to rapidly learn from others’ experience since I have so little myself), and a second book on bike repair. I have extra spokes, extra tire, and 4 extra tubes. The TB just called to say he has the Van mostly packed and there’s not much room for any of my stuff. Sometimes he believes if one item is good, two is better, and three is best. I’m going to try to have about 40 pounds of stuff beyond the bikes and helmet. Mostly I'll have the stuff I already successfully used to hike the Appalachian Trail with Millie 5 years ago.

Well, it’s better to pack than to write.