Up on the Rim

The earth rotated daily counting down the days for my visit to Flag for my colonoscopy on last Friday.So long to Sedona for this visit.

On Wed I picked an easier ride of Soldier Wash trails. 7 Sacred Pools trapped water from last rain event. I rode an up and down loop on Teacup experiencing how the trail has bedded in which it has. I stopped to view my rehab work which is still standing. What we closed off was not a social trail so it served only to add more distance to the trail. I scooted down Javalina down to the bottom of Cooks Hill. Purpose built single track which remains mostly narrow as trail design satisfies riders or it is constrained such that go arounds can not be effected.

I will miss the red rock trails.

Wed started the prep for Friday. I parked out at mp4 spot. I dug a deep hole to contain the results of flushing. Thurs AM started with drinking about 2 qts of prep then waited for the results which were captured in the pit. Just part of the crappy process. I waited for a lull in elimination then headed up canyon to Flag where I booked a demand raised hotel rate for the next drinking session. Moved into my hotel room. At 7PM the last consumption was started. Glad i had a sit down vs squat as not many minutes expired between sits. A bowel spasm was not necessarily a fart and had to be treated as squirt. Damn, couldn’t tell if sounds of liquid hitting the water was either pee or squirt. I propped myself up on the king size bed on the top floor of the hotel with a window view facing north looking over railroad tracks up to snowless Humphreys Peak, the highest point in the state. Bummer spending the night holed up not far from a toilet instead of enjoying Flag. At 9 the Comfort Keepers driver arrived on time and drove me to the hospital for the procedure. The hospital was needed in case bleeding might occur because of my being on anti coagulants. First step after dropping my drawers was inserting an IV for the introduction of the knockout drug. I was in trusted care so I was not concerned if it was a date rape med. The first stick was a dry hole as my veins were affected by dehydration in spite of all the water I drank when allowed. required an ultra sound tech to find a good vein. He succeeded. Blood was drawn to check the clotting figure which needed to below a value for the procedure. The testing machine went down thus causing me and the staff to wait for several hours past procedure schedule. Concern was my value would not be low enough to look inside of me. If so my prep would have been for naught requiring a prep redux. Machine came back on line. My results were below the threshhold permitting the looking and severing from my body any growths. The staff had to juggle their schedule to make the exam happen. I was put under long enough to not respond to a snake snaked in the back door. The anesthesiologist timed the dosage such that I woke up as the staff was putting the room back to order. Clean bill of colon health so to speak.  Driver was waiting for me and drove me back to hotel and my van. I was sufficiently straight which allowed me to scoot to Whole Foods for dinner menu items to make shrimp scampi. Drove out to FS land picking a spot on Schultz creek rd. Great to eat food again and be inside my home. While in my room I succumbed to the temptation of a big screen TV. I watched several episodes of NCIS which was punctuated by commercial breaks that lasted almost as long as the actual show. i have had enough of j c pennys.

I weighed 146#s. Back bacon and abdominal roll are gone.

I drove a ways to a laundromat I had used on a previous visit. One day off schedule. Clean clothes.

Wind event up here, gusts to 50 mph. Sleep spot was protected by P pines. Elevation is 7536′, 4000′ higher than Sedona and chillier. I ran the furnace this morning as it was 45 degrees out. I planned to ride like Campbells basin east of town on the flats but winds continued today. Today is another rest day. Visited REI and bought a pair of Smith sunglasses which are polarized. Looking thru them made a difference as polarizing does. Impressive as was the price. I deemed it too windy to drive north.  Just windy but little if any dust.

Found a bottle of corn liquor from a new local distiller. Tonight will be sweet.

So much happier in my own house.

Now that my exhaust tube is healthy I am now free to move about the country. My next visit will be Cortez, CO and Delores nearby.

Haven’t solved the placement of pictures to match text.