Christmas Time is Here Again!

From my family to yours: MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I know there is some controversy in some communities about saying, "Merry Christmas!" and there's been a shift to be more politically correct by saying, "Happy Holidays!" Either way, I wish you and those you love most blessed holy days. I do appreciate the larger message of "Peace on Earth. Goodwill to Men." I do hope that's something that everyone can get behind regardless of religious belief.

I've had a number of folks ask how my surgery went this past week. The original plan was to take care of the issue with the joint fluid draining that I mentioned in a previous post, but once I was opened up, Dr. Wilson decided to shave off 8mm or so from the end of my clavicle and do a little reshaping work. On Christmas Day not only did we open packages from under the tree, it was also the first unveiling of my shoulder from the many dressings that had adorned it all week. So here's a picture to satisfy those of you who are curious....

Not much to look at really. There's some obvious bruising and other nastiness. Below the tape is a nice long incision with a bunch of tidy stitches. Occasionally I'm asked if it hurts. The best description that I can come up with is that it feels like someone hit the edge of my shoulder with a sledge hammer. The pain has slowly dissipated as the days have passed. I've stopped taking any pain meds and I'm getting by fine... I just get a little tired by day's end. The only time of concern that I've had since the surgery is when I woke up several days ago and my right hand was very swollen and had turned yellow. Any movement at all was really painful. But with continued wiggling of my fingers, the swelling has slowly receded and so has the pain. So everything's good. My partner and long-time friend John Dimmer stopped by the dealership today to check on me and see how things were going. He repeated what I've heard from other friends: How could I have raced for so many years at speeds in excess of 200mph and never been seriously hurt? My daughter Caitlin (her blog) said I was typing too much and needed to break this up with something visually stimulating, so here's something to entertain you before moving on:

While training and racing bicycles over the last few years I've endured all sorts of injuries. I was pleased with my early season results this year, winning a couple of races and one road race series. Significantly though, I never hit the deck. By summer I was in cruise mode and just thinking about resuming hard training for the upcoming 'cross season. Then my slow-motion crash occurred while riding off the back of a group with my good friend Mike Dunn (ESPN commentator and former Funny Car and Top Fuel driver of note) and some of his buddies northeast of Seattle in July. After five months of rehab, just when I thought I could start riding hard again, my clavicle decided to escape. This shoulder injury has taken me down longer than any other injury. I promised I would be good -- not engaging in any physical activity until Dr. Wilson says it's okay. I've been wearing a sling 24-hours a day and haven't done anything but sit. Oh I've been doing a bit more than sitting. I've been eating as though there's no tomorrow... This is a first for me. To be fair, Mike and I have had some great adventures that have resulted in nothing more serious than great memories. Heck, the week after my stage III shoulder separation, I rode 106 miles up and over a section of the Cascades with some 8,500' of climbing. Joining me and Mike was Whit Bazemore, who is typically involved in our shenanigans. Yes my shoulder hurt, but it was great to be out with Mike and Whit. Below is a shot at one of the races I was in from this past year, a cyclocross at Sauvie Island. There's another 50+ riders behind us... That's me on the far right in the yellow and orange.

I thought I'd share a photo from a few years ago... discreetly...

Here's what the front carbon wheel looked like after being hit by an 86-year old:

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Here's some of the road rash that I can show (this is a family blog). At least I healed, the wheel not so much... Note the swelling of my right foot and the one nice puncture wound by my ankle. I found out shortly after this photo was taken that I had fractured my foot. You should have seen my elbows and arms... maybe not...

Enough about crashing and on to some good news. The roads have finally cleared and as a result we've been greeting a lot of new customers into our Wilsonville Honda family. I was very happy to see all the folks that came to visit us and purchase a new or pre-owned vehicle. Several said that our "4 Unique Reasons Why Should Purchase from Wilsonville Honda" made sense to them so, they drove some distance to come to our store and buy.

Well, I have a whole lot to share about the other strange as well as wonderful things that have occurred this week, but it'll have to wait until next time. I will leave you a clip that should serve as a warning to all of you that haven't enjoyed the compassionate companionship that I've shared with my bride for 30+ years. Take note men, and learn!