It's raining right now and has been since the wee hours. I'm hoping the rain will let up so I can go riding on my bike this afternoon. I'm also hoping to get a phone call from a trucking company to whom I faxed a resume and cover letter over the weekend. They were running a help wanted ad looking for someone to work as a Driver Manager dispatching owner operators. As I have extensive experience in the transportation industry, a good deal of management experience in another field, and excel...

Lately it seems that JU is overrun with childish, petulent, petty little children. Article after article, hardly worthy of the name 'article" are flooding the site with ridiculous name calling, squabbles, and absurd attempts to mock other JU members complete with the comments of the sycophants from various corners. The whole thing would be amusing if it didn't drag the community as a whole down into the mud. The truly sad and disgusting thing is that all of the sophomoric behavior is condu...

I did my daily bike ride this afternoon. Only a couple of miles but it was enjoyable. I am making progress in my journey of healing but at a cost of somewhat increased pain levels. Since I started riding daily my walking has definately improved. I am now walking around without using my cane most of the time. I usually need it first thing in the morning as I awake with a very stiff and sore hip. But once I have moved around a bit I am usually able to set it aside and walk reasonably well a...

My bike is old and is just a cheapo yard sale special. I have hopes that I can eventually save for a new Trek once I get to working again. The one I want runs about $450, so it'll be a long time before I can buy it. In the meantime this is my bike. I call it Recovery.

The past few months I have been very focused on my health and fitness as I have been recovering from my injuries. I've started cycling as a means of physical therapy, transportation,and exercise. I am becoming more of a cycling addict as I go along. Smoking slows the healing process, reduces my breathing efficiency, and generally poisons my system. I smoke 3 packs a day. WAY too much, even for lights. I have hopes that as I progress, I will eventually be able to participate in organzied c...

I just got back from a ride. It's a new personal best for me. I rode about 5 miles total, about a mile of it in a bad head wind. I'm tired and my hip is a bit sore, but overall I feel pretty good and kinda proud of myself. I didn't really push hard, opting for a more leisurely ride. It was nice. I did ride in traffic for a short way but was too nervous about it and turned off onto the safer side streets. Until my strength and riding skills return to a more normal level, I think I'll stay o...

I managed to apply for the security position. I went there, walked around the place, filled out the application, chatted some more and left, all without using my cane. Wasn't easy, but I figured the cane might put them off. The fellow I need to interview with was out to lunch and so I was told that he would be calling me. The way the one guy talked after looking over my application, it sounds like the interview is a formality. He was already talking about the training class schedule, etc.....

I'm kinda proud of myself. I did my usual 2.5 mile ride and still felt pretty good so I decided to push it a little further. I geared into it and rode another half mile as fast as I could go. It's the first time I have been able to get all the way to 10th gear. The final half mile at full speed was probably pushing things a bit, but it felt pretty good and I think it was worth it.

Ok, not all at once. I did my 2 1/2 mile ride this morning and decided I would do it again this afternoon. I just came back from the second ride of the day. I have to admit it felt pretty darned good too. The bike riding is definately helping loosen up my hip some. I'm able to walk around in the house some without using the cane now so I can say there is definate progress there. The first time I tried the bike riding thing it was too soon and set me back a little. Now, as long as I don'...

A friend of my mother works as a security guard at a factory here in town. She called and said the company really needed to hire someone as they were short handed at that site. Since she knew I was beating the bushes for some kind of work that I can do, she thought I might be interested. It surely isn't a great job, and the pay is pretty low, but considering my physical limitations and the shortage of decent openings in the area it's worth a shot. Better than nothing. She also said that...

If and when I can get back to working, this is the bike I want to buy for commuting around town and for getting back and forth to work. Link There are far better, and more expensive bikes out there, but this one is a great compromise between budget, quality, and speed.

I finally got motivated and worked on my bicycle this morning. The last time I rode it the front derailleur would't shift from low range to high and the rear one would only shift between 4 of the 5 gears, effectively rendering my 10 speed a 4 speed. This morning I broke out a screwdriver and a wrench, set the bike in front of the porch swing, and set to work making the adjustments needed to tune up my bike. (Yes, bikes need tune-ups too). After about 15 minutes of tinkering with the shi...

Well, I finally found an ad for a job I may be able to do, at least for a while. The company that runs the potrait studios in Wal Mart is looking for someone to work the studio in our local store. Yeah, it's not exactly a great job, and the pay isn't too hot, but right now anything would be better than sitting around doing nothing so I sent them an application via monster.com. Maybe I'll hear from them this week. Right now ANYTHING is better than nothing.

I was awake at 4am. I'd had a dream about my former "significant other" aka girlfriend of 7 years. I dreamed that we had met up for some reason or other. Before departing she had given me a note which basically pleaded with me to come with her back to the home we had shared for 7 years. It was just a dream. We split up a year ago because I just couldn't provide her with everything she needed. We still talk. She calls me from time to time. She is the one who arranged and paid for my flight ...

This morning Frank was supposed to take the van to the shop to have the air conditioner replaced as it had quit working. Summer is coming. When he went out to get in the van he discovered that someone had stolen the license plates over night. Naturally we called the police who came out to take a report. The officer mentioned that plates were being stolen all over the county. It seems many turn up on the cars of illegal aliens according to the officer. Now mom and Frank will have to incu...