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Therapy

A friend purchased a jacket made from an old quilt and asked me to “shzuzh” it up (not sure how to spell that sound). She gave me no direction, anything I wanted to do. Make it better, whatever I wanted. A challenge.

After I got back from Ireland, I started researching ribbon and design possibilities. I made a decision and ordered 4 different organic cotton ribbons the same week that I had an appointment with a dermatologist to look at and biopsy a spot on my scalp. The ribbon arrived the same day the results came in – basal cell carcinoma.

Two days later, I was back in the dermatologist’s office for a more extensive procedure. I came home with instructions for wound care plus 2 weeks of downtime. After a few days of staying home and doing absolutely nothing, I got started on the jacket: hand stitching, tunneling between the layers, 3/8 inch at a time.

Blanket stitch around the patch.

Today I met Deb, hoping she would like the design I came up with. She liked it!

This was a good project for the first days of recovery. Soon the stitches will be removed and the next phase of adjustment will begin. And I’ll be able to ride a bike again.

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Carson and Avery

Carson wanted to play a few games before we went to lunch at Zócalo. I held my own with Spot It – each person flips over a card, the first person to name the same item on both cards wins both cards – Carson won but only by a few. He tried to find the Frozen memory game but couldn’t find it – thank you to whoever passed that game on to its next owners!

After lunch, the dentist.

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Specialized HQ

Deb invited me to the Outride Expo in Morgan Hill at the headquarters for Specialized bicycles. An all-day event plus a 2.5-hour drive each way. Thanks Deb for driving. We talked all the way – both directions!

We had an information table in the auditorium.

Also part of the day: meeting some of the middle school PE teachers who are the latest recipients to receive a grant for Ride 4 Focus – a turnkey middle school cycling program active in over 400 sites across the US and Canada. Schools receive a fleet of bikes, helmets, curriculum and teacher training to integrate cycling into the middle school.

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Learn 2 Ride

Our monthly class was Saturday from 9-11 at Miller Park. Kathy and Barbara prepping the rental bikes.

A very successful class.

Kathy giving some individualized information on fixing a flat tire.

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Baseball

I think this is the final final Little League playoff game for River Park and Carson – the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament. Teams came from as far away as Arizona and Hawaii.

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Going home

Goodbye Harrington Hall in Dublin. The 23-hour journey home began.

After an 8-hour flight, I had a 4-hour layover in Charlotte NC. I found the World Cup semi-final game being televised at a restaurant, hung out at the edge for a while, then managed to sit down by asking to join a table with two women .. but I really wanted to sit at the bar.

An opportunity presented itself which led to the highlight of the trip home. I sat at the bar next to Reagan. She recently graduated from Clemson with a degree in elementary education and was soon to begin the path to her first job. OMG – we are about 55 years apart in where we are in life. She is just beginning a career teaching elementary grades. I am retired 23 years + 31 years of teaching grades 2-8. We had a delightful conversation.

Thank you Justin for picking me up. Home, happy and tired. Spain beat France! I’m a fan of Lamine Yamal.

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To Dublin

Hurray, the bakery was open to buy a snack for the upcoming bus ride.

I changed buses in Galway. Four+ hours from the start, I arrived at city center.

A 25-minute walk to the hotel. Grafton Street – packed with people. Just 2 days ago, I only had sheep to avoid and they scattered when I got close.