SpokEasy

SpokEasy

November 2025

Carry On

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors, Personal Care /

Carry On 📦 Today at physical therapy, I got to carry on. The therapist had me do a few exercises with small weights; but he says not to try them at home yet. Testing my strength, maybe? But I can’t yet carry a bicycle case, of course. Not even with my arm unweighted. Maybe my elbow isn’t sufficiently recovered to do the weight exercises daily; so if I want to carry on, I’ll have to use a backpack! At least my walking pace seems to have recovered; and that’s something. I seemed sluggish for weeks. Faster walking keeps me warmer; and I’ll need that soon. Per the forecast, the temperature will fall to the lower 40s Sunday night; so I’ve got to get the jacket ready. Get the Jacket Ready 🥶 Yep, get the jacket ready. Not only is it expected to get cold; the forecast is for some stiff wind. It’s not my favorite thing to carry on a bike ride in a headwind; so I think a part of me will actually be relieved that I’m not riding! When I can finally ride again, I’m going to start with rides in the park. It might be better to stay off the levee for a while; especially if the wind is strong! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Unweighted

BACK ISSUES /

Unweighted 🏋🏻 What a relief it is to have my arm unweighted! Today I was freed from that nuisance of a splint; and I was so glad that I went off the rails and devoured a pint of ice cream. The doctor says to keep working at arm extension. Tomorrow I have a physical therapy session; and I expect the therapist will tell me the same thing. Being unweighted from the splint means I don’t have to worry about getting caught in the rain, and possibly getting the splint wet. Our weather has been dry; and I was grateful for that, because I needed it. But we really need some precipitation. So now it may rain. Now It May Rain 💦 Now it may rain; not that I’d really like getting caught in it. But now it doesn’t matter as much if I get wet. Being unweighted from the split, unfortunately, doesn’t mean that I can jump back on the bike yet. That might take another six weeks. 🙄 I have to keep working to improve the elbow’s extension; and my arm has lost a good bit of what strength that it had. I messaged the orthopedic surgeon to ask when I may start using my left arm to lift small weights; I forgot to ask about it this morning. One of the splint’s bands was at the wrist, limiting my hand’s mobility. With that constriction gone, it’s far easier to use both hands; which is a major relief. Shedding the splint has unweighted me in more ways than one.  This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Reach Out

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Personal Care /

Reach Out 🫱🏼 I can reach out more now! Today the physical therapist extended the splint; and I can extend my arm farther. I’m looking forward to being rid of that thing. Even though I can reach out more, using my left hand is awkward. My arm gets tired quickly because the splint is not weightless. For that reason, I’ve developed the habit of keeping my elbow flexed and the arm close to my body. Thank goodness I’m  no longer worried about how I’ll manage if a hurricane heads our way. Evacuation would be enough of a hassle even if I didn’t have an arm out of commission! I just hope we don’t get a late-season storm. Late Season 🍁 A late season hurricane isn’t impossible; but the tropics are expected to remain quiet during the coming week. So we can relax for a bit! And I’m waiting to be able to ride again. How well must I be able to reach out before I’m able to manage the steering? I don’t ride with my arms fully extended; the elbows are supposed to have some bend in them. If your arms are straight and rigid on the bike, steering will be a lot harder; and you also will have a harder time if you hit a bumpy patch in the road. When I’m out of the splint, I have to get back some arm strength, too; but I don’t know how soon I may add a bit of weight to my therapy exercises. The scar area still doesn’t take well to weight! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Clocks Back

BACK ISSUES, Food /

Clocks Back ⏰ This past wekend was time to set the clocks back! I, for one, am glad to return to Standard Time. With Daylight Time it stays light too late in the evening; and mornings don’t look look like morning! When it’s time to set the clocks back, I do it the lazy way. I remove the batteries from the clocks; and set the kitchen timer for one hour. When it rings, it’s time to put the batteries back. The return to Standard Time means an extra hour to sleep; not that this is a big deal for me now. I don’t have to go to work; and I’m not ready to resume riding yet. I don’t seem to be ready for the kitchen just yet, either. Kitchen 🧑🏼‍🍳 I need to get back to the kitchen; my diet since the accident has not been good! I’m tired of  microwave meals; but the scar at my left elbow still feels the strain when I pinch-hold things — as when chopping zucchini. I don’t even have to  be pinching hard. Fortunately I can use some of my canned goods, because I have a I have a battery-powered can opener. I set it atop the can; press the button; and it goes around the can. This can opener removes the top of the can rather than cutting off  the lid; so there are no sharp edges. But no pull-top cans just yet! Unfortunately, cooking often means a pot to wash; and if it’s a big pot, I can hardly avoid some use of my left hand. My elbow’s not ready for that. Setting the clocks back hasn’t changed much; whether in the kitchen or elsewhere. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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