Yesterday was my biweekly PT session. They are happy w/ my range of motion and gaining strength. To celebrate I rode w/ Danny and his dog, Pepper, on Soldiers’ wash trails today. A bit more chunk and ups and downs. There were several climbs that caused me to stop and catch my breath and let my HR drop. Riding on firm red slick rock, other places the tread is red cobble like ball bearings. Amazing what inertia propelling a 26″ dia wheel squishing a 2.4 Continental Trail King tire inflated @ 25 psi filled w/ Stans. My bike is soo much fun to ride. The fork continues to please me. I rode  many step ups. The exercise bike sessions taught my legs strength that has gained me confidence to pedal.

9 miles in 90 mins gained 1140′, we rode from Danny’s for maybe 1.5 miles of pavement out and back. truly in Sedona you can ride to the dirt.

Forecast has a probability of showers. Clouds moved in this afternoon perhaps in preparation.

I am giving thought to buying a round trip plane ticket to Kauai and stay in George’s time share. The island has some mtn biking on it. $600 airfare. Stay prolly the 5 days he has the room. I’m happier w/ just 5 days.

Tomorrow is another moonshine party @ BnB.

I am making brownies for the SuperBowl party.

I made last Monday a rest day. The PT’s see continual improvement, I have range of motion but little strength to make the shoulder work well. I am in better shape than b4 surgery as I am able to put my bike on and off the rack and can brush my hair, I can even pull it back if I want to. Today is another PT session.

Yesterday I rode Cockscomb out to Western Civ to Last Frontier back to Cockscomb to Aerie back to the van. All chunk for 9 miles. I believe my shoulder hurts more from the strengthening exercises than the riding. My plan is to ride every other day on gentle chunk for less than 90 mins.

Sunday Scott serviced my shock replacing the dried seals w/ new and grease which allows the suspension to work more freely. That plush the Pike made for a less jarring ride yesterday. Funny thing is the shaking of the shoulder comes not from the handlebar but entire body bobbing over the bottom bracket. Yes, I am riding conservatively and on less difficult trails. My conditioning is improving but I keep pushing myself past the previous gain which makes it seem that I am not improving. I burned 497 cals yesterday on 9.62 miles in 1 hr 12 mins, climbed 1018′. For 32 mins I was anaerobic. Sweet 26″ wheeled 5 Spot.

My Hawaiian trip went sideways after my host read the air fare conditions: can’t transfer. he bought the package intending to take his grandson and prolly never anticipated him not going. If I go I pay my airfare but have a place to stay. I will investigate  ticket price and pick which island he will be on for a place to stay. % days is more to my liking to be a tourist.

I now have a new vinyl cal on my van compliments of Freehub.

Sun Valley Steve headed back home yesterday to arrive before  a forecasted storm. The bald bomber left last weekend, I never got to ride w/ him. Derick from Oakridge called to say that a bunch of them are visiting in March.

I describe Sedona as a blooming flower that attracts bees (riders) from all over the world to come visit. Many people that I have met around the country visit here and we reconnect. This is my home ground and they are the visitors in a reverse roll.

I am in a brouhaha w/ WA state over residency for my driver’s license.

This is the winter of no winter. No precip, temps in upper 60s during the heat of the day and just below freezing @ night. I am still running the heater @ night. Steve has an Espar heater in his van that I am investigating which will make my accommodations more pleasant.

Well used cliche, sometimes real like the micro wave and seat dropper. Yesterday Fat Tire installed my new Rockshox Pike fork, new Chris King headset and axle adapter. I pedaled up and down a small step in front of the shop to observe the fork performance. WOW! Same amount of travel but 35 mm stanchions to stiffen the handling. Going to be super. PUSH has not figured out how to tune it or if performance will be enhanced by tuning. Great out of the box. I will ride today.

Friend Steve from Sun Valley is visiting still. Yesterday we rode out Verde Valley rd to Pink Feet crossing then a bit of rocky Turkey creek. I was riding my mtn bike and he was riding his cross bike. Sort of like Grimms fairy tales about the stork and fox hosting the other for dinner. The fox used a wide flat bowl that the stork couldn’t submerge its beak to get the food. The stork served in a tall narrow vase that the fox couldn’t gets its muzzle into. Steve was faster on the pavement but when the chunk became the tread I scooted ahead. He sprung for a 1 X 10 drive train that BnB installed yesterday in  a feat of incredible customer service. Fucking computer ate.

I am going to Hawaii compliments of George, the owner of the Sedona laundromat. He won a trip for 2 and he asked me after several people on the list turned him down. Trip is 10 days, 5 days on 2 islands, air fare, and lodging, last week of Feb and 1st of March. I will be a tourist, maybe I’ll have one of those drinks w/ an umbrella. I will see flora and fauna that I have never seen. We established that we are independent and sharing is only mutually agreed upon.

Tonight post shop ride will be another jug of moonshine.

Washington state has called fraud on me for using my earthclass mailing address and I have until Feb 6 to resolve a residency issue or lose me driver’s license. I created an STP and emailed it today.