chemic-AL

In which AL says, "Roids are rough."

I've got more chemicals flowing through me than the Festina team in '98. I've gone through 2 rounds or oral steroids and 2 epidural roid injections in the spine. The bad news is I am seriously side effected: irritable as hell, insomniac-AL, hot flashing all the time, anxious and jumpy. The good news is my back is doing much better. My symptoms now are intermittent light ache that travels down the leg, some weakness on the left side, and periodic numbness and tingling. This is a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT. 3 weeks ago I was essentially crippled on the left side and in agony. I've even started to get out and about a bit. I walked for a 1/2 hour yesterday. I swam a bit the other day (floundering mostly). And......

TODAY I HAD MY FIRST ROAD RIDE SINCE THE INJURY!!!! And I am psyched.

Like a kid on Christmas morning, I unpacked my new Sampson Road Racing Bike this morning.





Now I must thank Freddy for his help with customizing the build kit for me and with the wheel build specs. He advised me well, and I absolutely love the build:

The bike is a Ti frame with a Campy Centaur group (except Chorus brake/shifters). The wheels: Mavic Open Pros, Centaur hubs, 14-15 DB spokes.

It took me about an hour to put it together. I had a wee bit of trouble with a USE Alien seatpost. These big clumsy fingers weren't working well with the rail clamps. Anyway, got 'er done:





I got out for a nice easy 10 mile ride. WHAT A DREAM!!! I've just never ridden anything like it. Responsive, smooth, absolutely plush, but still rigid and really light. Just unreal road feel and control and response. I'm ecstatic. And, even more importantly, my body responded well. I had only some back fatigue afterward but no pain or numbness or return of symptoms.(I left the steerer long and stacked the stem up a bit. I am going to take it as easy as I can on the back for a while. I can always cut and remove the spacers.) I'm very psyched. a home run...er...yellow shirt...all the way around.

The game plan from here: in two weeks I will get another shot in the spine. If the symptoms continue to diminish or remain as they are, no surgery. If they return/get worse, we'll re-evaluate. The good thing is I can start back to modified activity and muscle rehab.

Hey...anyone ever do any pool running? Not deep water running. I'm talking about the shallow water stuff. Any info appreciated.

--AL

Word Fun

From the Washington Post:

>>>>>>
The American Family Association obviously didn't foresee the problems that might arise with its strict policy to always replace the word "gay" with "homosexual" on the Web site of its Christian news outlet, OneNewsNow. The group's automated system for changing the forbidden word wound up publishing a story about a world-class sprinter named "Tyson Homosexual" who qualified this week for the Beijing Olympics.

The problem: Tyson's real last name is Gay. Therefore, OneNewsNow's reliable software changed the Associated Press story about Tyson Gay's amazing Olympic qualifying trial to read this way:

Tyson Homosexual was a blur in blue, sprinting 100 meters faster than anyone ever has.
His time of 9.68 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials Sunday doesn't count as a world record, because it was run with the help of a too-strong tailwind. Here's what does matter: Homosexual qualified for his first Summer Games team and served notice he's certainly someone to watch in Beijing.

"It means a lot to me," the 25-year-old Homosexual said. "I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me."
<<<<<<<<<

This reminds Moveitfred of the time The Modesto Star Express ran a story on Heywood. Something about Woody single-handedly pulling a driver and his mistress to safety from a horrific I-5 raisin truck explosion.

Tired of jr. high pranksters always making light of "potty words" that appeared in hard news copy, the editors installed a similar software program that flagged the "blo" in our hero's name and turned it into JaFellatiome.

You go to Heywood's house these days and you'll see copies of the story framed all over the walls with the "fellatio" carefully struck out and the word "blo" neatly written in underneath.