Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

There is an old joke that we here in the Spadoman household say to each other all the time. It goes like this:

Perpetrator:   "Does your face hurt?"

Victim:          "No, why?"

Perpetrator:    "Because it's killing me!"

Then the perp laughs and points his or her finger. Observers laugh too.

These days, no one is saying that joke because they know that my face does indeed hurt. The stitches are itchy and some parts of where I am stitched up are sore. My mouth is sore inside and out. A large bruise on the left side of my face has a very sore lump underneath my chin, and the inside lower gum is very sore. Besides that, the tooth they took out last Monday because it was sort of hanging down out of its socket into my mouth has developed Dry Socket, or, infection. That really hurts. Besides these areas, I'm still sore all over, but the swelling is down, the black and blue parts are turning pink again and I'm sleeping pretty good with the help of Vicodin.

Tomorrow, I go to the VA and have the stitches removed, which I'm sure will be quite a job with the beard hairs I have grown since not being able to shave are the same length and look just like the stitches. I'm sure there will be some pulling of beard hair thinking it is a stitch and that will sting like the dickens.

After the stitch removal, I go back to the dentist and get a plan as to what they're going to do to replace the teeth I have lost and repairs to whatever else they find. (I'm worried about that lump and my sore gum). So, the day will be a busy one for me. I see myself at the VA pretty much all day.

In the meantime, my motorcycle is a total loss. I had insurance and I will pay the $250.00 deductible. The Insurance company will pay off the loan and send me a check for the rest as I did have equity in the value of the bike versus what I owed on the loan. I get rid of the bike payment as well and won't have to have it insured any longer and will save more there. Unless I buy another bike and make a loan, I'll save some money every month.

Many of my friends go beyond wishing me a speedy recovery. Some mention the idea of not riding motorcycles ever again. One friend called to suggest I buy a sports car instead of a motorcycle. I had already been thinking about the idea of long distance travel by myself and how much harder it is since last years heart problems.

Sure, I tell you the highlights, but I don't go into detail about the bad stuff. I admit it to myself and then decide if I will proceed. I did push the envelope with the 860 mile marathon I pulled off last Tuesday. I did it, but it wasn't without a lot of pain and discomfort. I have to realize and accept the fact that my old body can't be doing stuff like that any longer without being uncomfortable.

It is just plain hard to be like I was when I was younger and in better health.

Anyway, the thought is that for now, I will not buy another motorcycle and I will scrutinize my future of such activity over the Winter. Besides, I have a lot of projects that I have set aside all Summer. Now that the weather is cooling off to the point that it is no longer pleasant to hang around outside and the daylight hours are shorter and shorter each day, I'll have more time to be inside and catching up on so many things that I do want to accomplish.

I am motivated by others when I go to their pages and see their artistic creations. Yes, I do imagine myself as an artist and now even have some space to spread out my works as none of them are ever completed in a single day. If you want a Dream Catcher or Rattle or a genuine pair or matching set of Ojibway Woodland Snowshoes, now is the time to order.

To stop doing something I truly love, like riding a motorcycle, is a hard decision to make. I realize I don't have to make that decision today. There is no plan that must be executed before a certain date. As the mood strikes is the way I'll proceed, but wouldn't you know it? Leo's South, a motorcycle dealer in Southwest Minneapolis, sent me an e-mail as if it was right on cue, that all of their current inventory is reduced in price and there are incentives to encourage buyers to step forward. I mean, how did they know I lost my bike and needed another one? Do they read my Blog? Are they monitoring Facebook?

I didn't respond to the ad, but I did check out their used inventory until I got tired of sitting upright and needed to get into that comfortable reclined position that I have recently found to be so soothing lately.

I just want to say Thank You, loud and clear, to all of you that care about me and sent good wishes for a speedy recovery. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your friendship. If you'll excuse me, I have a Dream Catcher started and I hope I'll finish it today.

Peace