Month: August 2008

Today marks the end of three weeks of treatment. Three more to go (starting with the dreaded chemo).

So far so good. AND I get a three day weekend!

Today, I’m pretty sure I can’t be stopped. I blew the doors off some roadie (do roadies have doors?) on the way back through the park. What I haven’t mentioned about the assless is that it goes down hill like a bobsled on fire. Without a seat it’s possible to get into a super-duper aero tuck.. (pictures soon, I promise). The bearings on those phil hubs make up for any disadvantage I have with those chubby tires. I was seven seconds behind at the top of the hill (yup, I counted.. for scientific purposes), and blew by her like she was a potted plant about three quarters of the way down. In fairness, I’m pretty sure she had no idea she was racing.. but hopefully when I flew by like a seatless idiot with my ass practically being burnished by the rear wheel, I gave her something to chuckle about.

Joking aside, I’m feeling much more energetic than yesterday, and today I think I’ll stick to advil for the discomfort, so I don’t get all drowsy. I’ve got tubes to bend!!

EDIT: added at 8:30 friday evening.  As promised! SUPER DUPER AERO TUCK!!!

My UPS guy, Kenny, brought me some stuff yesterday afternoon.  NICE.  This is actually two different tools.

The big thing is a tubing roller, for making large radius bends in tubing (I have dies for 3/4″ and 1 1/8″)

The other is a regular tubing bender for tighter bends. (dies for 1/4″ 3/8″ 1/2″ and 5/8″).

I woke up this morning (at 5:30) feeling just exhausted.  Got on the assless and went off to radiation.  It was clear to me right away that today wasn’t going to be a work day.  I’ve been in consistently more pain lately.  Took some tylenol 3 (with codeine) for it..  that has just added dopey to already tired.  Oh well.  It’s pleasant in a way.  Just a bit of a pisser, because I’d rather be playing with benders than taking a nap.

Got on the scale and it said 151!!!  NICE.  (I admit.  I had my shoes on, and was holding a cup of coffee..  but still.  Small victories.)

I was up and out early, as usual.  A beautiful day here in NYC.  Cool and dry and clear.  I threw my leg over the Assless, and off I went, thinking to myself how very cool it was to have this bike.  I’m hoping against hope that during my break between treatment and surgery they let me ride with a seat.  In the mean time, being mobile has meant the world.  Thank you all who have donated money and parts.  I think of you every time I ride.

And I have nothing to report.

All is going well. A little pain here and there.  Felt desperately tired yesterday afternoon, but didn’t manage to get in quite the nap I could have.  Better luck today.

I AM beginning to dread next week a little.  But it’ll all be over soon.

Yesterday was a lot of fun. Shams arrived the evening before. My brother arrived from B.C. around 6:30 yesterday morning. Chris met us at the house after doing some early laps in the park. We drank some coffee and got on bikes.

We were out on park avenue pretty early, in the scheme of things, but it was already full of cyclists and runners. So cool. We rode all the way down to Soho, where Hill was stationed.. Spent some time just watching bikes go by. Ate a little breakfast on the sidewalk. Missy, Joy and Michael met us there and we rode back north.

All told, I put about 16 miles on the assless bike. I’ll admit that by the end of it I was starting to feel a little fatigued, but it was really pretty ok. It was so wonderful to see all those folks out on bikes. Kids, old folks, tandems, bents, you name it. There were a lot of people that you got the sense might normally feel a little intimidated by riding in the city, who were out there getting a taste. Everyone was in a good mood! The proof is in the pudding.

Thomas’ show was the best show of live music I think I’ve ever seen. If you live in Boston, GO SEE THEM TONIGHT! It was pretty crazy too.. the first time my whole family (mom step-dad and all their kids) have been in the same place in several years.

A nice easy day today. Tomorrow I go back for another week of early morning radiation, and then, the following week it’s back to chemo. One more week to fortify myself for THAT misery again. I lost about 15 pounds in the end. Wound up at 136. I’m working hard to put it back on so I can loose it all over again!

It has been a good week.

Morning rides to radiation have been a joy. Each day I get a little more used to that strange bike. Every day on the way home I pass lasker pool in central park and think about just how inviting it looks. Yesterday I stopped and talked with one of the parks people working there.. lap swim every morning from7-8:30. The place is almost entirely empty. It’s free. Just bring a pad lock and a bathing suit. NICE! Next week, I’ll be stopping in for a dip on my way home from treatment each day. What a nice way to get started.

Tomorrow is going to be fun! My brother Zach flies in from B.C. at 5:30 in the morning. I’m going to put some coffee in him, and throw him on a bike. We’ll be aiming to leave my house at around 8:00. We’ll noodle our way down through the park, and down park ave to SOHO. Hill is going to be working a Trans-Alt table at Lafayette and Spring. Those of you who live downtown or in BKLYN or don’t like getting up super early, please meet us at the Trans-Alt tent. We’ll hang out there with Hill for a while and see who we can accumulate for the ride back uptown.

SO!

Hook up with us:

-At my house at 8:00 (email me for directions if you don’t know where I am.. and maybe to let me know to wait for you).

-Anywhere along the route 8-9ish (we’ll ride down the central park loop to 72nd and then across to park ave and down).

-At the Trans Alt table at Spring and Lafayette between 9 and 10.

-ETC.

We’ll be easy to spot. I’ll be the guy on the Assless bike.

Maybe we’ll finish up somewhere in Central Park for some frisbee or something.. Or maybe I’ll go home and take a nap.

THEN! Later on. Come to my brother’s show (different brother) at the poisson rouge. It really is going to be an amazing show. They’re finishing with a piece that Nico Muhly wrote for Sam Amidon that they premiered last year at Carnegie Hall. Hill and I were there. It was jaw-dropping. It’ll be pretty amazing in a little venue.

Go here and get tickets. Thomas says that the NYC show WILL sell out.

For you folks in Philly! They’ve got a show tonight! Go check it out.

Ok. I’m out.