BUSY. Here's what's happening coming up:
*Friday: Taking the test to get my real estate license, to have something to do while I'm convalescing. It's fun learning new things, and I'm really excited to work with the broker who I'll be under - Gabe Lewis with Titan Real Estate. He's just a cool guy and I have a lot to learn. It'll be fun!
*Saturday: My great Aunt Anna is getting inducted into the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame at the Superdome in New Orleans, and I'm giving the acceptance speech! So exciting!
*Sunday: Through Tues I'll be at the Association of Avian Veterinarians conference, to renew my vet license. My colleague Kat will be there and I haven't seen her since before clinical year. Stoked to show her my city!
*The Following Saturday: Snakebyte and I are volunteering for the Tour de Scott, the first triathlon I ever did! A bit attached to this race.
*The Following Sunday: BikeLafayette board meeting. This happens once a month but this is a big one for me for a couple of topics I'm excited about. Oh by the way I'm the Treasurer now.
*I was approached by a member of the Sierra Club at the Lon Lomas Memorial Ride (more on that in a sec) about a 55 mile bike trail on top of the Henderson levee that is already approved! Stoked! I'm gunning to get it paved, and I am very excited for those guys, they're doing a great job!
*ALSO, I met with "Red", the owner of Rukus skateboard shop here in town, about getting the city to build another skater/BMX park to replace the Dust Bowl. UL bought the land, and while it's not happening quickly, they're are taking it (and the dog park) down. NOW is a good time to petition for it, with lots of good reasons! We can do better than the Dust Bowl anyway. Kids, need a place they can actually do something recreational and not just sit around or get in trouble. And did you know we have a nationally acclaimed skateboard team HERE in Lafayette? And Rukus even sponsors pros, but they can't live here, or come down and put on free events like they do elsewhere, because we don't have a place...ssssoooooo..... And Red has this pretty well figured out, too; cost, design, placement, petition with over 2000 signatures. He's put a lot of thought into it. Pretty excited to see it come to fruition.
DUDE, also, Rukus designed these Crawfish Boil shoes that Nike is releasing next month! Can't release all the pics yet but soooon! Rukus is having a shoe release party oh man should Definitely go! They even come with a little crawfish sack thing...stoked about them! And how awesome is it that a south Louisiana shop did this?
*My kid, Snakebyte. He's been practicing triathlon and is racing the Iron Kids Championship next month. That guy is fast! When he puts his heart into something there's no stopping him. We're planning on making the trip with the Singletarys who may be the most perfect family in the world. KC's a vet, so what do you expect? ;)
BUSY. Here's what I've done since we talked last:
*Lon Lomas was legally riding his bicycle and was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Driver was found, but this story is going to happen slowly. The local cyclists, headed up by Scott Coco, organized a memorial ride for him, and a ghost bike was erected. I was in a great position to advertise and promote it, and we had 500 riders show up. I Am Elated how all the different types of cyclists came together as one community and did this wonderful thing. I feel that this has taken a turn for cyclists in the public eye as a viable and loving community, and I am committed to taking that awareness and acceptance and promoting growth and education about cycling in the Acadiana area. My next step is starting a bicycling column to keep the public involved in cycling. It took a terrible tragedy to bring this together, but I always, as you should know about me by now, relish the good that comes out of bad.
*I joined Toastmasters. I just gave my first speech and I won Best Speaker award for the evening! Honored and humbled. Joel Dawson, the President, has been awesome about getting me on track making money giving speeches, everything from marketing to writing a book. It's been great. You guys, Toastmasters less than $100 a year and is invaluable information, you should join!
*I had my hair highlighted. You see, I've been gaining weight because I haven't been doing cardio as I should have, just muscle building. The only real cardio I can get in is on the elliptical or bike trainer and without a race to focus on it's boring. I was a little upset about it, then my friend David Billeaud (owner of T-Coon's) said, "But, you've been too skinny for too long..." And that's when all was good in my world again. I'm not racing weight, but I'm back on track with cardio, and I just can't bring myself to feel bad about myself over something like weight anymore. For better or worse. I say for better. I wanted a change, and highlighting my hair did it for me. I'd like to be a little more outgoing, outlandish. We'll see.
BUSY. Here's what's been ongoing:
*I've been brushing up on my vet skills at Waggin Train. This is a vet hospital owned by Drs. Scott and Kristin Broussard, who are also awesome triathletes. Scott's also a falconer, so cool right! I love these guys for giving me this opportunity. I'll be there hopefully every day starting in a couple of weeks. Come see me!
*Tony Quinn is a local PT, and he just got this new awesome zero-gravity treadmill which I've been using every day. It has been great, I can definitely move faster using it, up to normal walking speed. I'm at about 1.8 mph w/o it, and 3 mph with it. My right ankle and still right quads are my limiting factors. Hopeful...still down but hopeful. I'm still going to Wulf once a week, and my hand and balance are a little better every time. BUT my hand is only getting a little better, and he says he's not entirely sure I'll be able run again, in fact not likely.
Ever onward. I get down. Right now, I'm on the edge of feeling normal again but not quite there and it is exceedingly frustrating. First time in my life I've ever had trouble sleeping. Ever. This is honestly the worst emotionally I've been in my life. But there's so much good going on...things are complicated right now. Dang. Anywhere but here...this is why staying still is never an option.
*I've been hanging out with my best friend from the hospital more. He's been in a down spot and I have too. We're just not where we hoped to be in 2 years. We've decided to talk more and pull ourselves out of this funk. It's working, but no lie I've been crazy dog down about not being able to run. Dreams every single night, the seconds I can sleep. It's hard. See why I stay determined? It's not necessarily a good feeling all the time! It sucks a lot.Here's a good wrap-up. This first pic I took about a year and a month ago and made it my profile Facebook pic. My first proof that I could stand alone without any assistance again. This second one I took this week. I have shorts on for both of them, can you see all the differences? I came up with four.
1) The first one, my weight shift is to my left. I can't feel my left as good as my right, and I would unconsciously shift my weight that way because that's what felt correct. Ms. Alyce Morgan Wise and her Franklin Method, along with Pilates, helped me find center again. I'm much better balanced now.
2) My knees were more turned in last year, my legs are straight while standing now because I am much stronger.
3) My right leg had lost a lot of muscle compared to my left. The difference is still there, but much more noticeable in the left pic. Anytime Fitness Upper Lafayette has really helped me with muscle building. I go five times a week, see my trainer Damien Living for two, and while muscles take months and even years to build the difference is remarkable.
4) My hair. Paige Billeaud, David's wife, really helped me through a lot when I was first hurt; heck for the last few years even. She brought me to get my hair cut short when I first got out of the hospital to make it more manageable. I agreed, because I vowed when it was long again I would be walking. I wasn't wrong and this pic proves it.
My son asked me today, did I really think he was going to be a champ? He's big into boxing though hasn't been in a real match yet, but everybody calls him champ and he wants to believe it. Our conversation: Did everybody know I could walk again? No, but I did. Not only does nobody else matter, but whatever you believe is what you are. I realistically know there's probably limitations to that but I've never personally found them and I don't suspect I will. Somehow there is more to life than everything realistic. Will over reason. I asked him what he thought, and he knows he's a champ. I know I will run again.
Scared I'm going to be a sad case that you really want to see run again but never will? Yes. But I have no choice, I'm not accepting where I am now, not ever.
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