Tuesday AM I rolled into the perio office. I was escorted to a surgical suite, sat in the chair, she put o bib around my neck and leaned me back. The DR came in. we engaged in some pleasantries, my desire was info gathering but also stalling. Enough. He told me to open and he went to work. Several novocaine sticks deadened my mouth. If only the shots didn’t hurt so much. He cut a sizeable piece from the roof of my mouth for the graft then prepared the gum line to receive new tissue. He sewed the graft on then put a patch on the roof of my mouth. Then I was let go.

I bought cottage cheese and Smuckers strawberry preserves then returned to Deer Pass. He prescribed 600mg of ibu every 6 hours which for the most part eliminated the pain. A sneeze signal was sent to the involuntary muscles. i tried to stifle it to no avail. The sneeze blew off the patch on the roof of my mouth. Once and done he told me. Some bleeding occurred as I swallowed it, after a bit the blood clotted.

I sat and read into bed time. After dark a sprinter van pulled in almost into my spot. They built a campfire and sat around it into the night. I heard them talking while I was going to sleep.

Yesterday morning the perio office called checking on me. I told about the missing patch. She was able to get me into the Cottonwood office for a check. I drove down following the gps directions. The gps missed the location and sent me around the big block once more as I swore at the woman’s voice giving directions. I found the spot. The DR examined my mouth then reported I am healing fine and if it was him he would not replace the patch.

I drove back to Sedona. I stopped at The Worm bookstore to give back the book I just finished: My Grandmother asked me to Apologize. Mike is a metallurgical engineer. We chatted about books and life. I stopped at Fat Tire for a visit and to wash my bike. Scott from Hood River was there. A customer walked in for bike work. He is from Ashland, OR. We had OR lined out. My bike is cleaner.

I made arrangement for edibles.

Last night I participated in the VVCC bike club meeting. The club now has an agreement w/ the FS to do trail work independent of the FS scheduled work days, this allows mtn bikers to work where we need it more. Afterwards I drove out to the empty overlook for the night. Still chilly enough at night for the furnace to be needed.

Today I drove up to west Sedona to do laundry. I will drive back down to VOC to PJs to watch the Zags game tonight.

Friday marks the day that I can put hot liquids in my mouth and inhale. And ride. I will do a gentle recovery ride and learn about the new Praxis cranks.

That mobile home at Deer Pass was moved on Monday is what I know.

Steve of Sun Valley sent me a utube of a large front loader moving snow on his driveway. Today he  set me a pic of the path to his entry door. There is close to 3 feet of snow. He retaliated to my beautiful snow free pic of the sunset on red rocks.No snow here.

Forecast is for rain till Sunday.

IMBA doe not allow members to vote, us members have no power over the direction of the organization.

For 2016 I rode 233 rides totaling 3341 miles.

I left before 8 this morning to the lab to draw blood while fasting. Enough time between the draw and the periodontist appointment for bfast.

The perio examined my mouth. Today’s concern was the one molar. Other teeth have gum recession that are the affects of aging. He said for my age group my mouth is in good shape. However, the tooth in question has significant gum loss such that a gum graft is required. I will open my mouth and checking account for surgery tomorrow. Another $1400 to keep my real teeth and no insurance. Details are revealed when I ask questions: when can I ride again: wait 3 days to eliminate possible bleeding from exertion. Eat soft food for 4 days. There is no real corn whiskey in the canyon. Forecast calls for possible rain for next 3 days.

The rest of the morning was spent at Fat Tire for Dave to install my new Praxis bottom bracket and crank set. I opted for 170mm crank arms. The bike is on the back of the van under cover.

I chose to pass on watching the college football championship as OSU was eliminated earlier. Back out at Deer Pass poised for my 9:10 appointment tomorrow.

Friday night I found a spot at crowded Deer Pass flat spot. seems ethics are to leave everyone alone which is cool. Even that all of us are some type of dirtbag: free camping w/ no amenities. Someone even dropped a mobile home in the TH parking lot. I saw a red notice on the door which has been removed. Past knowledge is the notice is a get this illegal rig out of here. Still there tonight. watching to see how it plays out. Will the authorities pay to haul it away?  Trailer is missing a front window covered w/ loose plastic sheet. Really it is trash, a step below dirtbag. Enough

Sat I drove out to Long Canyon for the trail work day. Perhaps close to 30 helping bodies built the 1/4 mile piece of new Oak trail: the trail to nowhere.I used a lopper to clear body pokers and sight line.

Next was my drive to Sunset Park for a ride. For a bunch of days I have had this fluttering over or under my heart, go to bed with it wake up with it. I dismissed heart problems as I haven’t killed myself. I said it was digestive. I changed into my riding gear. I decided to check my blood pressure with my take home unit. Shit: never seen those high of numbers, something is not right. I could do my ride and perhaps finally kill myself or seek medical advice. My desire to live and having adequate insurance caused me to change back into street clothes and drive to urgent care. Empty parking lot, I wondered if they were open. I walked in, empty of patients: good short wait. I know the nurse from mtn biking. Got in. Stethoscope heard healthy low bpm pulse. All the while this fluttering is going on. He ordered an ekg which said heart was fine but suspects a blood issue. I went for my ride.

I returned to the park and changed back into the same clothes and headed out. My route was Old Post, Skywalker, Scorpion, social trail, Ramshead, chavez road, Ridge, Sketch, Ridge back. I helped build trails on the first 3. New work is well ridden in. During the build I sought justification of a fill in a wash would hold up from a local builder. He said it will work and he was right:

From Scorpion formerly Special Ed

My first ride on each trail is to reacquaint myself with it and learn of how it has changed from what I remember. Scorpion has several basalt blobs that throw me off to walk mode. I picked up Ramshead pedaling over to Chavez ranch road then climbed up to Ridge intersection. The real grunt started climbing to Sketch. I still miss on a jumbled rock section. Sketch was worked on last year at the N end. The first part is really sketchy with exposure on narrow hand built trail. I still walk up the same 2 short steep sections but I did ride the other stuff better and stronger. I know the flat pedals and shoes are the difference. I ran into Danny, we chatted amiably.

Back at the van I drove to snap for a shower then down to VOC to watch the Seahawks and later the Zags. PJs is so good about turning on a TV for each game. The Seahawks won. The Zag game was to start, not so, read that it was postponed due to unsafe driving roads in Portland. I drove out to overlook for pavement parking. Prime spot was nabbed by another motorhome.

Today I slept in. I put up the windshield and driver window covers which blocked out morning sun. Today is a ride day on my own. Plan was to drive to Cultural Park to ride a dry creek loop. I drove thru Cornville then east on 89A which skirts and crosses Dry Creek. Water is running that I can make out. The route today dropped down drano right to the crossing of Dry Creek. My route needed to cross the creek here then a bunch more times returning on Girdner. I braked to a stop at flowing creek’s edge. Prolly bottom bracket deep with no rocks. It would be a wet feet pedal and water invasion or wet feet carry bike. Nah. I switched to alternate choice by picking up Red Rock loop above the highway. I connected to Herkinham down to Old Post out to Chavez. I rode down to Red Rock crossing which wasn’t happening either

I picked up Ridge at its start humping me and bike up steep nasty with short pedal sections. I broke out onto Secret Slickrock to a group of riders. One was friend Joe from Flag riding an RFX, a long visit cooled me off. Once pedaling again I rode Ridge etc essentially retracing yesterday’s ride. OK, good hump. Dry Creek needs way more sunny days for dry feet crossings and the creek resembling its namesake.

I drove to Oak Creek Brew pub for a beer and football. I nursed a beer till 3rd quarter then left for snap and a shower. Dinner was a grazing selection at Whole Foods salad bar. Dining room was back out at Deer Pass.

Forecast for tomorrow is rain. I will use the down day to install my new Praxis crank set. Switching to a 170mm crank arm length.

Blood draw after fasting bright and early tomorrow then a visit to a periodontist for gum recession. No insurance.

Temps are low enough at night to lower the turn on signal for the furnace. I turn it up before crawling out into the upper 50 degree chill.

Beautiful riding day. I ran into 4 riders and 2 IMBA bike patrollers… all day. On weekends preference is to avoid the heavy user places.

The new issue of Bike is the Bike Bible. The location was Arkansas. Kristen wrote, to me, a great article about the mountain biking scene. I felt the warmth of my time in state while reading her article. Just so cool. I did like my time spent there.